In this paper, I will provide a brief context of Macbeth in terms of contemporary issues about sovereignty. Lady Macbeth, one of the main characters in Macbeth, is deeply ambitious and her role is essentially important to further understanding Shakespeare‟s presentation of female characters. Men are portrayed as strong willed and courageous, but female character like Lady Macbeth is also given a ruthless, power-hungry personality, which is typically, in the period, more associated with masculinity. He portrays women as major determinants in men‟s actions but “their function varies throughout the canon” and also in distinct categories of either “good or evil, victims or monsters” (Berggren 18, 11). Shakespeare shows the relationship between gender and power which can be related to the patriarchal discourse of early modern England. Shakespeare substantially emphasizes the male-female relationship and gender dynamic and does not seem to treat gender simply as binary example of male/female. Gender role and its relation with power also have a great significance to the interpretation of the play. Numerous historical and literary studies have been conducted about various topics in Macbeth such as human desire, cruelty, and guilt. Like most of Shakespeare‟s plays, Macbeth deals with the question of kingship and portrays the “problems of legitimacy and succession” surrounding serious political power that belonged to the monarch, the court and the royal councils (Hadfield 27). Macbeth portrays “the paralyzing, almost complete destruction of human spirit” (Shanley 307). Macbeth is Shakespeare‟s shortest tragedy yet it is one of his most influential and emotionally intense plays. The fact that Macbeth is a tragedy may be largely attributed to her actions, her schemes, and that she succumbed to these very actions and schemes.William Shakespeare‟s Macbeth was most likely written in 1606, three years into the reign of James I, James VI of Scotland since 1567 before he achieved the English throne in 1603. She takes advice from the witches, who may not even have been telling the truth. ![]() This is because she acts on instincts rather than logically thinking through possible choices when she decides to kill a handful of other characters in order to become queen. In conclusion, Lady Macbeth's personality and ambitions change throughout Macbeth. When she says "damned spot", she is not just talking about the imaginary bloodstain on her hand she is also using it as a metaphor for the fact that she has guilt in her heart that will not go away. ![]() Hell is murky!-Fie, my lord, fie! A soldier, and afeard? What need we fear who knows it, when none can call our power to account?-Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him" (5.1.25-29). She says, " Out, damned spot! Out, I say!-One, two. In Act 5, Scene 1, she retells the story of Duncan's murder. She becomes so guilt ridden and contrite that she begins to hallucinate and slowly goes insane. Ultimately, Lady Macbeth's attitude towards her actions changes. However, people are seldom happy with what they wish for. Lady Macbeth now has the royalty that she has always wanted. It seems as though the witches' prophecies have been fulfilled. They then kill Duncan and become king and queen of Scotland. They kill Malcolm and Macduff in order to bring Macbeth closer to kingship, but Lady Macbeth still shows no remorse for her horrible doings. She immediately starts imagining her life as Queen of Scotland and starts plotting to kill anyone who gets in her husband's way.Īs the story goes on, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth act out Lady Macbeth's plan to kill Duncan and seize his throne. When Macbeth returns from speaking with the three witches and tells Lady Macbeth about their prophecy that he will be Thane of Cawdor, Thane of Glamis and King of Scotland, Lady Macbeth is elated. However, it is important to remember that looks can be deceiving. Lady Macbeth changes from Macbeth's ambitious, power hungry wife into a contrite, guilt-ridden deranged person.Īt the beginning of the story, Lady Macbeth seems like a pretty average, mentally stable wife of a noble. ![]() In Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Lady Macbeth is very central to the development of the plot of the story.
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