This scene contributes to the rest of the play by setting up the plot, signifying the influence that the witches have over Macbeth, and reveals the motives of both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Within this scene, Lady Macbeth receives a message from Macbeth detailing his encounter of the witches and what they revealed about his future. Without this scene, the main plot wouldn’t have unfolded as Macbeth wouldn’t have killed Duncan (the king) and therefor, the plot would have been drastically different; it would have gone from being a tragedy to more of a slice of life kind of story although it still could have focused on the hardships faced by Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.
Lady Macbeth is a very egocentric woman. She fails to have any concern over Macbeth’s interests, and she does not consider his decisions. This lack of care for her husband is shown many times throughout the play, and it is more predominantly shown in the first two acts. Lady Macbeth believes that Macbeth has the same viewpoints as her. Because of this, instead of asking if he wants to do something, she tells him what they are going to do. If Macbeth tries to protest against her thoughts or actions, she convinces him to believe in her and do as she says using a variety of tactics. Lady Macbeth does not have Macbeth’s best interest at heart because she manipulated him, she took matters into her own hand,
Shakespeare not only presents the actions of characters, but also helps us to understand what motivates characters to act the way they do. The tragedy, Macbeth, is a play where there are many dreadful events, and strong motivations behind them. Macduff and Macbeth are two characters of Macbeth who encounter great, but not always good, motivation for their actions.
Timothy Leary once said, "Women who seek to be equal with men lack ambition" (Peters 175). But is this true in the case of the classic play Macbeth? In Macbeth it seems to be, that Macbeth the protagonist of the play is influence by Lady Macbeth's ambition. Could this be an exception or was Lady Macbeth lying when she ask to be equal to a man so she could commit the murder (1.5.33.45-61). To understand one must look deeply into the plot and many themes of Macbeth. William Shakespeare uses ambition among other things to imply may different ideas. Thus, Macbeth's downfall is a direct cause of Lady Macbeth's goading and ambition.
Have you ever thought of why criminals do the wrong thing?It is probably because they have bad intentions or motivations. Macbeth is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. A brave Scottish general named Macbeth receives a prophecy from three witches that one day soon he will become the king of Scotland. With all the ambition inside of Macbeth and all of the pressure being received from Lady Macbeth, Macbeth kills King Duncan and becomes king himself. He then is filled with guilt and paranoia. Forced into committing more murders to protect himself from suspicion , Macbeth soon becomes an oppressor.
As a result, she stated the following, “Come you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty. Make thick my blood.” Through this she begs the spirits to take away any sympathy within in her in order to have the wit, desire, and drive her husband lacked of in order to become royalty. Through Lady Macbeth, Shakespeare shows there’s no such thing as impossible on the way to getting what one wants. In addition to giving up her femininity, Lady Macbeth also sacrifices her morals by convincing her husband to kill the king, when failing to do so; she states, “When you durst do it, then you were a man.” In other words she convinces Macbeth to kill King Duncan, despite knowing what a horrid crime that was. The struggle to go through anything standing in her way caused her to lose herself as well as her sanity. After realizing what she had caused, she began to lose her mind. She would constantly see her hands covered in blood by those who had been murdered along the way. Unable to get rid of the image in her head, led her to eventually commit suicide.
The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare recounts Macbeth's meteoric rise as a soldier and promising future leader whose megalomaniacal ambition led to his tragic downfall. In addition to Macbeth's ambitions, which initially enable him to be strong leader and soldier, he is influenced heavily by his wife, Lady Macbeth, and the three witches that prophesize his ascent to the throne, as well as warn him of his eventual demise. It can be argued that it is Macbeth's ambition that allows him to succeed in his endeavors, however the goals to which he is working toward influence the results of his hard work. Macbeth's ambitions help him to become a war hero, and as his goals change, his ambitions drive him to become a tyrannical villain.
Duncan is king as the first scene unfolds to represent the order and righteousness with which Scotland is being ruled. This serves as a stark contrast between what Macbeth brings to Scotland after his murder of Duncan and rise to the throne. Malcolm, as Duncan's son, mourns when his father is murdered, but also fears for his own life and reputations. He plays an important part in Macbeth when he returns with the English army to restore order and good leadership to his country. Donalbain also flees Scotland after his father's murder, but his continuing absence later in the story presents mystery and gives insight into how strongly fear can affect one's actions.
Furthermore, this scene is important in terms of plot development because it is the last appearance of Lady Macbeth in the whole play and also the most revealing and memorable. The whole plot of the play changes drastically once Lady Macbeth is no longer there to give strength and courage to her husband and to keep him stable. She was once a woman driven by her assertiveness, boldness, strength and ambition for her husband and later destroyed by guilt and corrupt power.
Many Shakespearian dramas, like Macbeth, are inspired by the ancient Greek notion of tragedy and the fall of man; much of which is powered by one’s lust for greater gains. Correspondingly, the play reveals how ambition creates the capability of deteriorating a man’s morality and world. This is presented through the titular character and his “dearest partner of greatness” (P. 23) and the consequences of their actions.
In today’s society, opinions rule what we do, what we say, and how we act. In its entirety, how we live. They have such a strong hold over us that we are willing to bend over backwards to fulfill the opinions of someone else. This not only happens in our present everyday lives, but also in fiction. In way, opinions are ever-lasting. In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the position of being king is very appealing, in Macbeth’s case, because of the opinions of Lady Macbeth, the citizens in the kingdom, and Macbeth’s opinion on himself. Without these opinions, Macbeth would not have the right motivation to do what needs to be done in order for him to be king. Although he wants to be king to honour the opinions of others, his underlying desire to rule is because it allows Macbeth to proves himself as a worthy man.
The Changing Attitudes of Lady Macbeth in William Shakespeare's Macbeth In Shakespearean England, women’s role in society was very different to what it is today. Today, women are allowed, and in fact, almost expected to be educated, independent, confidant, outspoken, and to go to work, to provide for themselves. In the 1600’s, it wasn’t like that. Women were gentle, kind, and fragile.
I am pretty sure I make up what Macbeth lacks in, in fact maybe even his better half. Without me he probably wouldn't have been able to do much, let alone become king. Macbeth has no motivation to make his desire become true, unlike me. Although I would never want to hurt my husband, I love him so deeply. He has been with me through everything. I think that the trouble Macbeth and I get ourselves into really strengthens us. I really also hope that the people in our town really give me the respect I deserve, just wait till they see me as the queen. Unfortunately my mind is not guilt free, there is so much I cannot take back or undo. If only there was a way to be sin free. Macbeth often tells me I'm a loudmouth and that I should stop always wanting
From the beginning, the witches were Macbeths biggest problem. If Macbeth would have never met the three wyrd sisters in the woods that day, he would have never thought to kill King Duncan. From that day on the witches stayed inside Macbeths head and pretty much controlled his thoughts. Lady Macbeth didn't help much with the situation when she called to the demonds and asked them to unsex her and turn her into a non feminine murderer, to do bloody deeds to obtain the crown. When Macbeth began to have doubts about killing King Duncan, he was then shown the floating dagger. Then because Banquo was with Macbeth when they met the wyrd sisters, Macbeth had to kill him because he knew Banquo had suspicions. After he had Banquo killed he went to see the witches again. This time the head witch, Hecate found out what the three sisters were doing and decided to have them play a good trick on Macbeth this time.
In his tragedy, Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, the central protagonist, Macbeth, is cajoled by a prophecy received by supernatural witches in which he will hold the title of King. However, his wife, Lady Macbeth, becomes consumed by the foretelling of royalty and incites Macbeth to execute immoral manslaughter without malicious forethought. Macbeth becomes increasingly avaricious in maintaining his title which ultimately leads to his demise.
Macbeth, written by Shakespeare, is a play consisting of many different themes. These themes all carrying a secret message and important life lessons within. We see these themes in many different parts of the play; but the themes of ambition, guilt, things are not what they seem, and the natural versus the unnatural are some of the most prominent.