Whilst not inherently evil in and of themselves, the ambitious thoughts which stir within Macbeth are fulfilled only through bloody treachery. His companion Banquo soon notices this and interrogates him bluntly, “Why do you start and seem to fear/Things that do sound so fair?” In retrospect it is clear that his fear is caused by a feeling of guilt at this outward expression of his “black and deep desires”. Their prophecies, filled with predictions of his ascent to the throne, stepping over Duncan in the process, seem to strike a chord with Macbeth and leave him in a daze of abject shock and horror. The extent to which this hamartia affects Macbeth is made clear long before he is influenced by his wife and even longer before these thoughts are acted upon, in fact it can even be seen in his first interaction with the Witches. The many horrific acts that Macbeth commits and his slow descent into demented tyranny can all be traced back to a fatal flaw in his character, his insatiable, “vaulting ambition” and desire for power. As is usually the case, things are not as simple as they may seem and I hope to reflect that in my response. Similarly, his wife’s initial portrait as an opportunist of shocking depravity is not supported by her later disintegration to a state of dismal and guilt-wracked vulnerability. Macbeth’s tragic fall from grace, although rife with treachery and bloodshed, does not completely destroy his humanity. Nonetheless, it manages to create a pair as loathsome as they are pitiable and it is my view that both Macbeth and his “partner of greatness” have traits that redeem them to an extent, although both’s reprehensible characteristics far outway their reputable ones. She is also aware that she will be going to hell for her sins.Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” presents us with a shocking look into the minds of some of the most despicable characters ever created, a brutal and often disturbing reminder of the very worst of human nature. In particular, she recalls the night of Duncan's murder and the part she played in persuading her husband to act. 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?Īs the guilt-stricken Lady Macbeth sleepwalks, she remembers all the evil things she and her husband have done and tries to wash imaginary blood from her hands (Out, damned spot: out, I say!). She cannot bear to think of what she has done and eventually dies alone and unmourned even by her husband. Lady Macbeth seems to go from being someone with no conscience at all to someone who is overwhelmed by feelings of guilt. The word 'double' also links Lady Macbeth to the evil of the witches - they use the word repeatedly in one of their spells. She almost overdoes it when she exaggerates 'In every point twice done and then done double'. Lady Macbeth welcomes Duncan to her home and flatters him so that he will not suspect a thing. Were poor and single business to contend /Īgainst those honours deep and broad wherewith / In every point twice done and then done double, / When he hesitates, she is there to urge Macbeth on. When Macbeth expresses doubts, she uses every trick she can think of to make sure he carries out their plan to murder Duncan. To the outside world, Lady Macbeth seems like the ideal supportive wife but this is part of her ability to be deceptive. This suggests that even at this stage she knows what she is doing is wrong. It is interesting that she describes the necessary ruthless streak as an 'illness'. She is insistent that Macbeth will become King ('shalt be what thou art promised') However, she recognises that he is 'too full o'th'milk of human kindness' and that this could stand in their way. Lady Macbeth's determination to succeed is clear here. It is too full o'th'milk of human kindness / What thou art promised yet do I fear thy nature, / Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be / Once she has worked out a plan, nothing will turn her from that course until her ambition is fulfilled. She can only be Queen if he becomes King so when he hesitates she displays enough ambition for both of them. Lady Macbeth is, perhaps, even more determined than her husband.
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