The relationship between Macbeth and his wife is paramount to the understanding of a major theme of this play. At first it would appear to be an equal partnership. However, I believe Lady Macbeth was the dominant of the two character; she could have persuaded Macbeth to do anything if she so wished. And though she does not openly exercise her power over him in public, in private she often uses humiliation and emotional bribery to manipulate Macbeth to execute her will.
The first scene in which we see Lady Macbeth is Act 1 Scene 5, in the first half of which she is reading the letter sent by Macbeth about his meeting with the witches, and about half way through Macbeth, himself enters, having caught up with the messenger who delivered the letter. Immediately we see the nature of her relationship with Macbeth, and have a strong sense of her character. The first thing that you notice of course, is that Lady Macbeth is reading a letter that must have been written mere hours after the events contained happened. It is a letter from Macbeth, containing potentially treasonous information about his meeting with the…
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…Barbara Mowat and Paul Warstine. New York: Washington Press, 1992.
Works Consulted
Bradley A. C. Shakespearean Tragedy 1912 pp. 468-9
Curry, Walter. Shakespeare s Philosophical Patterns. London: Mass Peter Smith, 1968.
Epstein, Norrie. The Friendly Shakepeare, New York, Viking Publishing, 1993.
Harbage, Alfred, Macbeth, Middlesex England, Penguin Publishing, 1956.
Magill, Masterplots- Volume 6, New Jersey, Salem Press, 1949.
Paul, Henry N. The Royal Play of Macbeth 1950 pp. 213-17
Schlegel, August Wilhelm. Criticism on Shakespeare s Tragedies . A Course of Lectures on Dramatic Art and Literature. London: AMS Press, Inc., 1965.
Steevens, George. Shakespeare, The Critical Heritage. Vol. 6. London: Routledge
Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Lady Macbeth
Shakespeare’s play “Macbeth” which is considered one of his darkest and most powerful tragedies, Lady Macbeth and Macbeth, both very important characters, change dramatically throughout the play. At first lady Macbeth appeared confident, assertive and the dominant partner. She was cold blooded and cruel but then she became nervous, scared and suicidal. Soon Macbeth and Lady Macbeths relationship ends up on a rocky path. She is the one who influenced and hurried Macbeth to kill Duncan to have more power, so Macbeth could become king and they could be very wealthy and have a lot of power.
At the beginning of the book Macbeth was awarded the position of Thane of Cawdor, but Lady Macbeth wanted more, she wanted to be powerful and rich which is why she and Macbeth decided to kill Duncan at their own house. However it takes much convincing from lady Macbeth for him to join in. “We will proceed no further in this business” (1.7) This is Macbeth early in the play saying he wont have any part in the killing of duncan. “Stop up th’access and passage to remorse, That no compunctious visiting…