- Published: September 17, 2022
- Updated: September 17, 2022
- University / College: Dartmouth College
- Language: English
- Downloads: 22
Individuals are not always responsible for committing a crime, instead someone who manipulates the person into the act have a bigresponsibility. Accessories to murder get punished and not just the criminal, especially if one is ambitious with a weakpersonality. InMacbethwritten by Harbrace Shakespeare, Lady Macbeth is the person most responsible for all events of this play. Her manipulation and insistence led Macbeth to the murder of King Duncan. She uses emotional blackmail and knows he is morally sensitive to instigate him.
She manipulates him into the act and drives him to the murder acting as a physical catalyst to encourage him. Most importantly is how she plays a key role in removing her femininity so she can push Macbeth to carry out the murder. King Duncan’s death eventually leads to the rest of the events in the play; because Lady Macbeth was responsible for his death, she is therefore considered to be responsible for all the events in the play. Firstly, with Lady Macbeth’s strong personality, she knows exactly how to convince Macbeth of the murder.
She uses emotional blackmail and knows he is morally sensitive. She is consumed with such hatred and bitterness for the world having an extreme idea of what a man should and should not be. Lady Macbeth makes her idea that a man should be pleasing, protecting, and giving everything a women needs. Her blood thirsty nature makes her version of a real man do whatever it takes to get what he needs. She mocks his bravery and knows he is a warrior and will be insulted.
When Macbeth is having doubts she questions his manhood saying, “ When you durst do it, then you were a man; And, to be more than what you were, you would be so much more the man…” (1. 7. 54-56). This quote shows Macbeth that he is more of a man if he kills King Duncan. Since Macbeth is morally sensitive with a weak personality but ambitious about becoming the king, Lady Macbeth manipulates him and he goes along with the murder. Secondly, she drives him to the murder acting as a physical catalyst to encourage him.
She plans out the fine details of the murder, convincing him that the result is for their own good; and Macbeth will be the King. In Act 1 scene 5, Lady Macbeth plans out the murder and hails Macbeth as the future king, telling him to be strong saying, “ Lay it to thy heart, and farewell. ” “ Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be what thou art promised. ” Macbeth is very ambitious about becoming the king, and Lady Macbeth assures him about the future. Lady Macbeth is involved during the murder by getting the guards drunk, taking heir dagger, and planting the dagger back on the guards after Macbeth had killed the King. Finally, Lady Macbeth plays a key role in removing her femininity to instigate Macbeth to carry out with the murder saying, “ 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… Come to my woman’s breasts, and take my milk for gall…” (1. 5. 44-51). In this quote, Lady Macbeth wants all the feminine qualities to be taken away, and the nourishing milk to be replaced with bile.
Women are traditionally seen as a gentler and kinder sex, which is why Lady Macbeth wanted to be unsexed to be able to kill like a strong man. Lady Macbeth shows her spirit to Macbeth saying; “ How tender ’tis to love the babe that milks me: I would, while it was smiling in my face, have pluck’d my nipple from his boneless gums, and dash’d the brains out, had I so sworn as you have done to this. ” (1. 7. 60-64). In this quote, Lady Macbeth thinks her femininity makes her weak and wants her kindness to go away so she can plan the murder and convince Macbeth of killing King Duncan.
In conclusion, Lady Macbeth is the person most responsible for all events of this play. Her manipulation and insistence led Macbeth to the murder of King Duncan. She uses emotional blackmail and knows he is morally sensitive so she instigated him. She manipulates him into the act and drives him to the murder acting as a physical catalyst to encourage him. Lady Macbeth also plays a key role in removing her femininity so she can push Macbeth to carry out with the murder. The rest of the events in the play are as a result of King Duncan’s death which is planned by Lady Macbeth.
