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ohn Keating English Honors Lady Macbeth Must Take Some Blame for Her Husband? s Destruction In Macbeth, a play written by Shakespeare, Lady Macbeth is partially responsible for the destruction of her husband. Lady Macbeth is not a monster without feelings, however she is tricky and cunning when she influences Macbeth to kill Duncan. Lady Macbeth? s ability to influence her husband leads the audience to believe that she is the primary cause for the destruction of Macbeth. The audience is also led to believe that Lady Macbeth is responsible because she makes up the details of the plan to kill Duncan, while Macbeth was considering not even going through with the murder.
Although Macbeth had the thought of killing Duncan, he would not have acted on that thought unless Lady Macbeth persuaded him. Lady Macbeth is sly person, able to manipulate her husband, and this ability to manipulate Macbeth makes her partially responsible for the destruction of Macbeth. Lady Macbeth knows that her husband is too kind to kill Duncan without her help she fears? thy nature; / It is too full o?
th? milk of human kindness / to catch the nearest way? (I. v. 16 - 18). She is very much aware of the fact that she needs to push Macbeth to kill Duncan or else he will not do it. We see Macbeth? s hesitance to murder the king when he lists reasons not to kill Duncan in Act 1, when he says, ?
He? s here in double trust: / First, as I am his kinsman and his subject, / Strong both against the deed; then, as his host, / Who should against his murderer shut the door, / Not bear the knife myself? (I. vii. 12 - 16). Macbeth then says, ? Besides, this Duncan / Hath born his faculties so meek, hath been / So clear in his great office, that his virtues / Will plead like angles, trumpet-tongued, against / The deep damnation of his taking off? (I. vii. 16 - 19).
We see that Macbeth does not want to kill Duncan because he is afraid of being caught. Lady Macbeth knows exactly how to manipulate her husband, and uses that skill while she talks to Macbeth. Lady Macbeth insults her husband by undermining his manliness. Lady Macbeth tells her husband, ?
When durst do it, then you were a man; / And to be much more than what you were, you would / Be so much more the man? (I. vii. 56 - 58). If Lady Macbeth had not insulted Macbeth? s manhood than he would not have killed Duncan. Lady Macbeth provided that extra push that Macbeth needed to commit such an evil deed.
This is the primary way in which Lady Macbeth is responsible for the murder of Duncan. Lady Macbeth is to blame for the destruction of her husband because she orchestrated Duncan? s murder and did just about everything except actually kill Duncan. She plans the murder and she sets things in motion by giving the wine to the kings servants. She also is the one who makes the signal that all is ready.
Lady Macbeth solely set up Duncan? s murder making it as easy as possible for Macbeth to commit the assassination of the king. This is another way in which Lady Macbeth is responsible for the assassination of Duncan. The audience does not know that Lady Macbeth feels that she is responsible for the destruction of her husband until the end when she sleepwalks. Lady Macbeth is excellent at hiding her true feelings. She especially fooled Duncan with her great hospitality and thoughtfulness.
She also is good at remaining cool in tense situations and is good at getting out of tense situations. For example, when Macbeth was hallucinating at the dinner party, and was seeing Banqou? s ghost, Lady Macbeth remained cool and made up a plausible explanation for her husband? s actions. Although she seems to have no conscience, we see at the end when she is sleepwalking, that she is deeply troubled. She knows that it is partially her fault for all the murders, especially Duncan?
s. Lady Macbeth, ? has light by / her continually, ? Tis her command? (V.
i. 24 - 25). Lady Macbeth is now afraid of the dark because all the crimes that were committed were done in the dark. Her fear of darkness shows the audience that she regrets what she has done and that she knows what she did was wrong. The thought of killing Duncan entered Macbeth? s mind before he spoke to his wife.
He first reveals his thoughts when he says, ? If good, why do I yield to that suggestion / Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair / And make my seated heart knock at my ribs / Against the use of nature? ? (I. iii. 147 - 150). Macbeth is utterly horrified that he would think of such a thing as killing his own king. He is very disturbed that he was capable of thinking about such treasonable things.
Although Macbeth was upset with himself about having thoughts concerning killing Duncan, Macbeth wishes that he would have the fortitude to go ahead and kill Duncan. Macbeth expresses his desire to be able to kill Duncan even though he knows he will regret it when he says, ? The eye wink at the hand, yet let that be / Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see? (I. iv. 59 - 60). Lady Macbeth gave Macbeth that extra push that he needed to become a ruthless killer. However not all the blame can go on Lady Macbeth, her husband did not have to listen to her and he did not have to kill Duncan.
Macbeth chooses to kill Duncan, it was his own free will. Lady Macbeth did influence his thinking, but Macbeth could not be totally blameless, he must take at least half the blame for his destruction. Lady Macbeth, however, is also responsible and she cannot be getting off the hook, she deserves what she gets in the end because she was a main factor in Macbeth? s decision to kill Duncan. This decision led to Macbeth becoming a ruthless killer for which she must take some blame. 35 d
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