Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Lady Macbeth's Role in the Play (Block F)
We have discussed in class the role that Lady Macbeth holds within the play Macbeth. We've also spoken about how the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth was not typical of the time period. Using references to their partnership or feelings for each other, comment on their marriage. Overall, do they seem to have a good marriage? Do they seem to hold genuine affection for each other? Are they well matched? To what extent is Lady Macbeth responsible for the murder of Duncan?
***"To what extent means: Not necessarily yes or no but is it more of a yes or more of a no?
Remember to support your ideas with references from life and the text!
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In the play Macbeth the marriage of Lady Macbeth and Macbeth is not typical of marriages of that time period as we have disscussed in class. Lady Macbeth is the stronger one of the two of them. Lady Macbeth influences her husband to kill Duncan and in Act 1 Scene 5 line 55 she says that she is willing to kill Duncan herself and she hopes that heaven will not see what she's going to do and try to stop her. Macbeth is the weaker partner in the marriage. He is gullible and is easily influenced by her suggestions. In my opinion they don't have a really good marriage. There is not much love there but they get along because they balance each other meaning one is weak and one is strong. There are many marriages today similar to the Macbeth and Lady Macbeth marriage and they last a life time although there is no murder involved.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with what your saying about Macbeth being the weaker of the two, which just further goes to show that LadyMacbeth definitely wears the pants in the relationship. I also noticed that their marriage is mostly relying on what they can get from each other and less on the actual relationship.
DeleteI agree that they get along because they balance each other out. I think that in a relationships there has to be one strong one and one soft one for the marriage to work. However i dont agree that he is easily influenced. Although he may have been influenced by Lady Macbeth to kill Duncan, all his actions from then on out he makes initiative to do all the other things. Rather he makes a reversal of what he was before.
DeleteI agree with the message you are trying to get across. This is definitely not a marriage one would see in these times. I also really like how you used the example from the text about how she is willing to kill Duncan herself and hopes heaven will not see what she does. As well, I also agree with the balancing, and marriages today. Life is a giant balancing act, and one must find what works for them. The oddest people in the world get married to each other, because they balance each other out, and it works.
DeleteLady Macbeth and Macbeth's marriage is not typical of the marriages in their time period. Lady Macbeth is the more powerful and stronger person in the relationship. Lady Macbeth did not necessarily make Macbeth kill Duncan, but she had a part in it. I think they have a good marriage because one of them is an powerful and the other is a "go with the flow" type. Like society, some relationships have introverts and extroverts. These relationships are good because they are a balance for each other. Lady Macbeth and Macbeth's marriage is not strong because Lady Macbeth is always mocking Macbeth. If she is constantly mocking him, where's the love?
ReplyDeleteI always thought that Lady Macbeth and Macbeth had a bad marriage, but I like how you looked at the other side of it. I’m kind of confused by your answer because you talked about them having a good marriage and then later on saying their marriage is not strong and that there is no love. Other than that, I like how you think of them as opposites and that they balance each other although I don’t necessarily agree with you. If they did balance each other with their differences, I don’t think they would be struggling this much. Macbeth feels so much guilt after killing Duncan, yet Lady Macbeth is in a way abandoning him and being unsupportive of him.
DeleteTo clear up your confusion, I was showing both sides of the answer. Reasons I think they have a good marriage, and reasons I think they have a bad marriage.
DeleteI liked your example of introverts and extroverts in a relationship providing a balance for each other. I think this clearly describes Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. It is because of this they are well matched. Also, I disagree on the idea of Lady Macbeth not necessarily making Macbeth kill the king. Honestly, I believe it is because of Lady Macbeth, Macbeth committed the murder. Of course, it was Macbeth who had the idea but it was Lady Macbeth who made sure the thought turned into actions. Constantly, she attacked Macbeth until he gave into to her commands. She even went as far as say that she would smash small babies if she had sworn to do that like he had sworn to do this murder.
DeleteHonestly, I agree, and disagree with what you are saying. I agree because maybe they're not perfect for each other, but they get along, and find a way to make it work for each other. I disagree because although Lady Macbeth pushed Macbeth over the edge into killing Duncan, Macbeth wanted him dead too. He was just jealous of title of the king, and Macbeth felt that he was more superior than his cousin, Duncan.
DeleteWilliam Shakespeare has created a unique relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth in the play Macbeth. Their relationship is one that holds so much attention in the play but at the same time goes unnoticed. It is true that it is very apparent that Lady Macbeth "wears the pants" in their relationship. Also, it is true that they both wanted to kill Duncan. But, there are several aspects that no one considers. When we strip away the entire Duncan situation and examine simply their relationship it is very interesting. They seem to legitimately love each other, and have much affection. It may not seem apparent but that is because it is not important to the play so far. They seem to be husband and wife for good reason. Yet, Lady Macbeth is definitely a bit crazy and controlling. Although, is Macbeth not a bit crazy as well? He originally had the thought of killing Duncan in the first place. So, altogether the couple are a fairly good match. Their marriage seems to be troublesome at the moment, which can probably be attributed to the Duncan situation. There is no evidence that prior to this situation they had any issues. Lady Macbeth is definitely partially responsible for the murder of Duncan. Macbeth did originally think of the idea, but he dismissed it. Lady Macbeth immediately told him they were going to do it when he arrived home to his castle in Act one. She heavily influenced his decision to do it. But, the blame must majorly be put on Macbeth simply because he carried out the action.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you said, and especially with the fact how Macbeth had the idea but dismissed it, and then Lady Macbeth was the one to facilitate it for him.
DeleteI believe Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have a bad marriage. A reason why it’s bad is because they are just partners and nothing more. They don’t even have any love for each other. Also, Lady Macbeth is the head of the family; she demands Macbeth do everything she says and doesn’t let him have his own opinion. If she does, she criticizes and manipulates him more until he does what she says. After making a decision not to kill Duncan, she manipulates Macbeth until he decides to do it himself, leading to his downfall. She convinces him to the point of making him feel so guilty saying that she is even willing to kill Duncan herself.
ReplyDeleteAlthough Lady Macbeth wasn’t the one to physically stick the knife into Duncan, I believe she is responsible for the murder. She goes to the extent of doubting Macbeth’s manhood just to get what she wants from him to make her queen. Even after the murder, Lady Macbeth leaves Macbeth alone, physically and sentimentally with her lack of sensitivity. Because of this, Macbeth subconsciously moves further away, not being able to trust her anymore. To have a good marriage, the couple should be understanding to each other and have good communication. A spouse should be someone who will always have your back and be supporting his/her significant other.
I agree with your statements in the first paragraph of your answer. In the second paragraph you mention communication and how each spouse should support the other. Shakespeare lived about 450 years ago. The story takes place in the 11th century. In those ancinent times the relationship between husband and wife was very different than it is today. I think communication within the marriage is very important but it is a modern day concept. In those old days the man would be the man of the house and the women duties would be more domestic.
DeleteLady Macbeth and Macbeth may not have a good marriage but they are well matched. They feed off of one another through out the story. When Macbeth is lacking confidence and is being paranoid, Lady Macbeth always gives him a good push to get him going again. If the saying of opposites attract is true, then Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are almost a perfect match. In a good marriage in our day and age, most people expect the couple to feel affection for each other. After Macbeth killed the king, he went to his wife for moral support. She responded by calling him an idiot for not doing the job completely right. She was almost just telling him to snap out of it and be a man. If you think about it, this isn't a very abnormal reaction. Placing myself in her shoes, I'd freak out as well if Macbeth hadn't gone with the plan. Macbeth went to her, expecting comfort, which shows that he does feel some affection towards her otherwise he wouldn't have gone to her in such a manner.
ReplyDeleteMacbeth keeps his promise to Lady Macbeth when he's kills Duncan. That is another sign of affection. He may not be 100 % intimidated by her. We've all assumed this far that Lady Macbeth is crazy and Macbeth is afraid of her but maybe he just loves her? He's never said that he doesn't. She mentions that she would smash a babies skull on a rock if he asked her too. That's a pretty big sacrifice if you ask me and I think she's not cruel enough to do that for just anyone. Yes, Lady Macbeth was the one who came up with the plan to kill the king, but Macbeth was the one who didn't say no. I think it was more Macbeth's fault than Lady Macbeth's because he did it out of love for his wife and his ambition for power.
I strongly agree that Lady Macbeth and Macbeth are very well matched. Essentially, they are a team. Teams require multiple people to function properly. If Macbeth did not have Lady Macbeth he probably would not have been able to complete his goal of becoming the king. On the other hand, if Lady Macbeth did not have Macbeth she would not be able to become the queen because she needs his connection to the king and his ability to kill. Although I must point out that the saying "opposite's attract" is legitimately not true. The three aspects of attraction are similarity, proximity and attractiveness. When people say "opposites attract", what is actually happening is one of the partners admires the other because they have qualities that they do not have, but want. In this case, Macbeth wants Lady Macbeth's brain power, and Lady Macbeth desires Macbeth's warrior-like fearlessness.
DeleteIn a weird way, both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth seem like a god couple. Though they do have some accepts in it which make it look like hurtful relationship (such as when Lady Macbeth threatens Macbeths man hood.) but they both posses they same evil and guilt as the other, but show it in different times. It would look like they both push each other, both possessing a large amount of evil ambition. But overall I feel like because of this they are almost good together, now is what they accomplish right? Absolutely not, but the way they work together is effective. Lady Macbeth I believe had a major role at when the king died but did not have any voice in the actual death of the king. I think that Macbeth made a decision from early on that h e would kill the king, even if guilt postponed it that at some point the king would die, and Lady Macbeth merely pushed it to happen quicker
ReplyDeleteI completely agree, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are a well matched couple. The way that they display their love for each other is just odd. I also agree with your idea that they both have the same evil ambition but at the same time they both feel guilt. For example, Macbeth felt guilty about before committing the murder whereas Lady Macbeth didn't. Although, Lady Macbeth seems to constantly attack Macbeth's masculinity, she is always there to protect and help him when it's necessary.
DeleteHowever, I believe lady Macbeth did have a voice in his actual death because it wasn't just Macbeth's guilt that postponed his action but also his loyalty and morals.
I agree with the part that they work together effectively. But I do not agree with the fact that you said Macbeth had an intent on killing Duncan from the start. Personally, I believe he was far too noble for that. Infact, I don't remember the exact line, but I believe he said that he would leave the whole matter of becoming King to fate. If he was meant to be King, it would happen. I believe Lady Macbeth had complete say in the killing of Duncan. She even went back to put back the dagger to make it look mess-free.
DeleteIn Shakespeare's play Macbeth, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth's relationship is definitely not normal for the time period. They don't seem to be very respectful of each other. Lady Macbeth mocks Shakespeare's manliness by calling him "chicken" for being too nervous to kill Duncan. In a regular relationship, there shouldn't be mocking of any kind unless it's joking around. They do not seem to be happy together, yet they don't really seem to be miserable together either. You never see Macbeth talk badly about Lady Macbeth. To me, they seem almost like a brother and sister who don't get along. They argue, and fight, just like a brother and sister. Except that Lady Macbeth really seems to have an advantage in the relationship. They don't seem to have genuine affection for each other. Lady Macbeth sees Macbeth as someone to manipulate to get what she wants. They are not well matched, because Lady Macbeth is very different in many ways. Lady Macbeth is all talk and no bark, and Macbeth is all bark and no talk. I think that Lady Macbeth had a lot to do with the Murder of Duncan. She was the one to convince Macbeth to kill Duncan, and Macbeth might've not realized that it was her that convinced him, but he thought it was his own decision.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with your idea about the two not being a good match. They may not do good things together, but since Lady Macbeth is all talk, like you said, and Macbeth is all about doing stuff and not thinking about it, I think they make a perfect match. They fill in the holes for each other. If theres a situation where Macbeth isn't thinking, Lady Macbeth does it for him. I think that's a good match.
DeleteRight now in the play we have only seen Macbeth and Lady Macbeth struggle with issues, and then try to overcome them. The situations they are being put into, don't really show us if they are in love because everything they are dealing with is stressful. I'm curious if further into the book they will have a scene were they share their feelings. Perhaps, when Macbeth dies, will Lady Macbeth be there and spill out all her emotions for him?
DeleteWell, i think the fact that Lady Macbeth tries to cover up Macbeths actions when he's being an idiot is almost her way of showing affection. She's protecting him so that he doesn't give himself away. I feel as though they have been showing affection for one another, we've just been missing it because to us it just seems weird.
DeleteThe marriage that Lady Macbeth and Macbeth hold is quite unusual, as we have mentioned in class before. The usual roles in a marriage for that time period were along the lines that the wife stayed home and did whatever the husband said, and the husband did the “dirty” work. However, Shakespeare has turned this idea around quite a bit. Yes, Macbeth still does work, and goes to war, but the unusual aspect is how his wife treats him and how Macbeth just seems to accept it. In a weird way, I believe they have a good relationship. Yes, Lady Macbeth says cruel things to her husband, but looking deeper you see that there personalities intertwine and let them build off each other. Although, you would assume that since they hold a good marriage in my eyes, that should mean they should hold affection for each other. The way I am looking at it is, in that time period, people did not choose who they married, so the fact that their personalities work together, is lucky. I am unsure if they are affectionate together, because from what we have read so far we don’t get a real sense. Yes, Macbeth compliments his wife a few times, but is that him in love or rather just how men were supposed to talk to a Lady.
ReplyDeleteOn the topic, “To what extent is Lady Macbeth responsible for the murder of Duncan?” I believe that Lady Macbeth never had any thoughts of killing the king before Macbeth sent her the letter. Macbeth first starting thinking about killing the king much before his wife, almost right after the witches told him. Macbeth started thinking of killing the king, and then even went out of his way to tell his wife of the prophecy, almost hinting at it. I don’t think Lady Macbeth would have ever killed or hurt Duncan before that, but that does not mean when the opportunity arose she will not act upon it. As we know, Lady Macbeth did act upon this opportunity, and she did so swiftly. Lady Macbeth immediately made a plan and made sure they went through with it, even insulting her husband in various ways. I think that Lady Macbeth played a big role, but her husband started this fire.
In this time period, it is unusual for the women to control the marriage, but in the case of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth has full authority over Macbeth. Because Lady Macbeth has an unbelievable amount of control, their love for each other is crumbling away. The affection that most couples have for one another is absent in this relationship. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth just don not seem to fond of each other, but it is almost like they feel like they have to stay together. The way I see it is the two are in an abusive relationship, except the roles are reversed, Lady Macbeth is verbally abusing Macbeth.
ReplyDeleteIn the killing of Duncan, aside from Macbeth being a little bit greedy, was all Lady Macbeth's doing. She was questioning his manhood, and doubting his actions so he would kill him. All Lady Macbeth wanted was to be queen, so she manipulate Macbeth into killing Duncan.
I agree with what you said and I like for you said it is almost like they feel they have to stay together. Although they have all the reason not to be together, they still are. The marriage is falling apart and Lady Macbeth is taking control over Macbeth, yet after Macbeth does what she says, she is not supporting of him at all. As you said, Lady Macbeth was questioning his manhood and did everything to make Macbeth do as she says to make her queen. Now that she is queen and Macbeth is struggling from his guilt, she pretty much abandons him in a way. There is no love or affection between the two, nor understanding. These very simple, yet complicated things are extremely important to have a successful marriage.
DeleteLady Macbeth and Macbeth may not have the affection that most normal couples do but in my opinion, they aren't a normal couple. They do feel affection towards on another, they just show it in a weird way. Lady Macbeth isn't abusing Macbeth, she's just slapping him back into reality when he starts over thinking. Their marriage is actually quite successful because of how they push one another all the time. They fit together like a puzzle. When one of them needs a little push, the other is there to give it. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth BOTH thought about killing the king even before consulting one another so you can't say it was all Lady Macbeth. Yes, she did push Macbeth but it was he who actually killed the king. He could've said no, but he wanted it just as bad, maybe even more, than Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth did abandon Macbeth either, no where in the story does it say that she abandons him. She's trying to cover up his craziness to keep him safe so that he doesn't give himself away. If she truly abandoned him, she would rat him out.
DeleteI don't think Lady Macbeth can abandon him. She just can't. If she did, she would no longer be Queen, and have to go back to her castle in Glamis. When Macbeth is seeing his dead best friend, Banqou, appear in his seat, he freaks out. Lady Macbeth doesn't leave him for the crowd, she tries to protect him and says this is just some crazy stupid thing Macbeth does.
DeleteI agree with some of your points but I don't think the marriage of Lady Macbeth and Macbeth is crumbling. Lady Macbeth is controlling and responsible for the death of Duncan although she didn't actually kill him. Many marriages exist without showing much outward affection. I think their marriage could last a lifetime. It's possible and very likely she married him for wealth and position. But this was very common at the time. Parents often arranged marriges to further social positions. This happens even today but that doesn't mean it's a bad or unworkable marriage.
DeleteI disagree with your thoughts on Duncan’s death being all Lady Macbeth’s fault. In reality shouldn’t it be a bit harder to persuade someone to kill their cousin. Macbeth after having a long inner conflict with himself decides not to kill him. But after one simple short conversation with Lady Macbeth he is right around back to killing him. So if he was so easily persuaded don’t you think it would have happened at one point or another? Macbeth still had a voice he could have told Lady Macbeth no, but he almost seemed eager to get the chance again.
DeleteIn Shakespeare's play Macbeth, it is interesting to see how he has rearranged the roles of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. It is safe to say that Lady Macbeth "wears the pants" in their relationship, and definitely possesses more of the stereotypical manly qualities. For example, when Macbeth was dancing around the idea of killing the King, she was the one who had to make the solid decision for him. I would say that they have a genuine marriage, in that they do feel affection for each other, but just in odd ways. For example, when Lady Macbeth told him that she would smash baby's on rocks for Macbeth. Regarding them being well-matched for each other, I think that the saying "opposites attract" holds true. Macbeth seems to be much more emotional unstable whereas Lady Macbeth seems to be much more "tough" emotionally. Regarding killing the King, I believe that it was much more Lady Macbeth's fault. The idea was first sparked by Macbeth, but was facilitated by his wife. Without Lady Macbeth's initative I don't believe Macbeth would have had the guts to go through with his plan and override himself with his ambition to be King.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your mentioning of the roles being reversed, but what exactly do you mean by "genuine marraige"? Genuine means that they are free from all guilt, but in this case, that's not really true. The guilt is so immense in Macbeth's case, and Lady Macbeth knows it as well, but instead of getting to the root to his paranoia and frustration, she covers up the problem (considering how much of the play we've read so far). Although, I liked how you talked abou the fact that Lady Macbeth is really the brains behind the operation, and she's the drive in the relationship. Without her "go ahead" this play would not be anything close to what it is.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteDictionary definition of "Genuine"-
Delete1. Truly what something is said to be; authentic: "genuine leather".
2. (of a person, emotion, or action) Sincere.
When I use genuine I am referring it to that their marriage is real, "in that they do feel affection for each other," because that is the most important part of a marriage.
I believe that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are a good match for each other because of all the things they have in common, such as their desire to be king and queen at any cost, the way both of them had the same idea to that they had to kill the king after they heard the witches prophecy, and also the way they always want to take care of everything on their own. As far as their marriage is concerned they do seem to have a good sense of give and take, but in a really weird and twisted smashing babies kind of way. And for Lady Macbeths involvement in Duncans death I would have to say that she was probably the biggest influence and the driving force that pushed macbeth to do it, more so then his own personal ambition to be king.
ReplyDeleteI definetly agree with the ideas you supported. Without Lady Macbeth, Macbeth wouldn't be pushed into the things that he was pushed into. If she wasn't involved, this play would be entirely different. I liked how you said she was the "Driving force" because that's exactly what she was. As sad as it is, they complete each other.
DeleteI agree with you that without one another they would have no chance. But with one another they have that driving ambition to be king and queen at any cost. However i dont agree with you that Lady Macbeth was the biggest influence because even before Macbeth thought about killing the king and over time i believe because he has a temper and the curiosity of the witches prophecy that he would have killed the king to become king.
DeleteBut when Duncan arrives at Macbeth's castle Macbeth has a moment of realization that he doesn't actually want to kill Duncan to become king, then once he tell's this to LadyMacbeth she goes off on her rant about how he isn't a man and how he's a coward and breaking promises and all that. And only then does Macbeth reconsider killing Duncan, So with out LadyMacbeth's influence it seems way more unlikely that he would kill Duncan on his own.
DeleteIn the play MacBeth by Shakespeare, I think the relationship between MacBeth and Lady MacBeth is unhappy and unstable however I think both are somewhat well matched. Lady MacBeth is constantly criticizing and rudely mocking MacBeth. It seems like she is the leader of the home when in a typical marriage, the man is supposed to be the leader. MacBeth seems like he has no say whatsoever in the marriage. If he were to say one thing, Lady MacBeth would crush his idea the next second. Nonetheless, they're well matched because they seem to work more effectively together. I think Lady MacBeth is very responsible for Duncan's death because of the influence she has towards MacBeth.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with all the points you’ve presented. The reason Lady Macbeth and Macbeth didn’t work out was because of the lack of respect Lady Macbeth gave to him. Belittling your husband constantly wouldn’t make for a good marriage. I like how you said even if Macbeth tried to protest, it wouldn’t do anything. When someone such as Lady Macbeth is so power-hungry, there’s little anyone else can do but be submissive.
DeleteI also agree that it was Lady Macbeth’s influence on Macbeth that actually proves she’s guilty in Duncan’s killing. Macbeth is easily persuaded so he fell prey to her demands and lost all ability to think for himself.
I agree with your points on Lady Macbeth controlling the house and the marriage. We see multiple times in the play that she does this, and puts Macbeth down quite frequently.
DeleteHowever I somewhat disagree with you that Lady Macbeth is very responsible for the murder of Duncan. I feel like Macbeth ignited this fire, and by telling his wife, the fire spread wildly. I am not saying that Lady Macbeth didn't have a role in this death, but I feel if Macbeth never thought of the idea and acted with caution as Banqou did, he wouldn't be in this play.
On another note, I am thinking that maybe neither Lady Macbeth or Macbeth are responsible for killing Duncan. Of course, they ultimately put the knife to him, but where did it all start? The witches.
agree on your points about their marriage being well balanced, and there is no doubting that they work well together. But I do not believe that Duncan’s death as at fault of Lady Macbeth’s, I do believe she had a role in it and a major role at that. But none the less, Macbeth shouldn’t have been so easily manipulated by her. It isn’t like Macbeth has a weak character; he is a Thane and a mighty warrior that almost all look up to. So after all these facts, it shouldn’t be that after a few short conversations with his wife that he is so manipulated by them that he kills the king. From early on we saw the inner thoughts of Macbeth and he thought about killing him from almost the get go, so really I believe most of the fault should be placed onto Macbeth
DeleteWilliam Shakespeare created an interesting duo with the pairing of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. It’s tough to say whether the two of them had a good marriage or not however, they were well matched. In Act One, Scene 5, when Lady Macbeth was going crazy, Macbeth was the calm one. In contrast to that, in Act Two, Scene 3, when Macbeth was hallucinating and acting crazy himself, Lady Macbeth had to calm things down. Lady Macbeth seems to be all talk though; she doesn’t carry out her actions as she says she’d do. Macbeth on the other hand actually gets down and does the dirty work. I would say their marriage wasn’t a good one because I don’t think they have genuine affection for each other. Perhaps it’s the time period, but I feel like everything is a bit forced in the way they interact with each other. To add to that, on several occasions, Lady Macbeth questions Macbeth’s masculinity and tries to manipulate her way through everything. Lady Macbeth doesn’t seem to love her husband; I would say she probably loves his title and wealth more than him. And in the beginning when we’re first introduced to them, it seems as if Macbeth is so afraid of Lady Macbeth that he doesn’t even argue with her plans. For a marriage to work they has to be mutual respect and I don’t believe these two have that.
ReplyDeleteI believe Lady Macbeth was indeed responsible for Duncan’s death. It is more of a yes because she is the one who manipulated Macbeth into doing it. Clearly she was too afraid to do it on her own but she wanted it done, so she looked to her husband who seemed like an easy target. Macbeth probably wouldn’t have even done it had she not gotten involved.
William shakespeare created a very interesting and intriguing couple especially during such a time period. I do not believe they have a very healthy marriage. Throughout the play, it becomes increasingly obvious that Lady Macbeth wears the pants in the relationship. When the prophecy of Macbeth becoming king is heard by Lady Macbeth she goes to any length in order to convince Macbeth to commit the kings murder. A balance that should exist in every relationship is not present in theirs. That being said, their is a sense of affection that exists between the two. Though Lady Macbeth's actions are morally wrong,she wants what is best for Macbeth. In this case, it would be becoming the king. Plus, if Macbeth did not hold affection for Lady Macbeth he would not let her act the way shes does. Since it was usually men who ruled the relationship. There are many instances where Lady Macbeth has crossed the line but Macbeth put up with it. For instance, at one point during the story, she questions Macbeths masculinity. Something unheard of during their time.
ReplyDeleteThrough it all, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth seem to be very well matched. They have two alternate personalities that correspond incredibly together. Lady Macbeth is a confident, fierce and manipulative woman, while Macbeth is loyal, greedy and a push-over. Due to these characteristics, Lady Macbeth acts as a motivator in the case of Duncan's murder. Macbeth had the desire to become king but did not have the strength. Lady Macbeth uses her powerful and manipulative personality to convince him. Also, after the murder of Duncan, Macbeths guilt takes over and he begins to act a little crazy. During this time, Lady Macbeth helps Macbeth and is there to smooth over any mistakes he might make. For example, when the murder of Duncan is revealed to all, Macbeth begins to overact. In order to fix his mistake, Lady Macbeth faints so attention would be drawn to her.
Regarding the murder of Duncan, Lady Macbeth was responsible to a large extent. As I said before, Lady Macbeth persuaded Macbeth to turns his thoughts into actions.Even after Macbeth decided firmly against the idea of the murder, Lady Macbeth would not accept his decision. After questioning his manhood and stating the she would commit some other violent crimes, he caved in.
Overall, I believe Lady Macbeth and Macbeth have a very unique relationship.
Nowadays, what actually makes a good couple? Is it their love for each other, or are there a lot more aspects that have to be taken into consideration? I do not believe Lady Macbeth and Macbeth have an "ideal" marriage, but I do believe that they are matched in a way that they are perfect for each other. In their marriage, there is a constant competition for the role of the man, which is quite unusual to people reading this play in this century. However, they push each other, and although their motives are not desired, they still strive to be the best. In this case, they want to be King and Queen. Macbeth will not settle for the reputation of an excellent swordsman with the respect of everyone, including the king. He wants to BE the King. Lady Macbeth is the same way. Forget the fact that they are both content in a palace that they are already living in; they want more and more. However, their marriage isn't ideal. They show absoloutely no compassion for each other, but that isn't really necessary, as long as they both know how they feel about each other. Also, you can tell that they are always there for each other. Whenever Macbeth makes a wrong move, or makes a mistake, Lady Macbeth is always the first one there to bail him out. For example, during the speech MacBeth was giving, he over-did it. But obviously, Lady Macbeth saved his mistake by pretending to pass out.
ReplyDeleteLady MacBeth and MacBeth isn't the storybook relationship we would often see in play's and stories, but that's what makes it interesting. Shakespeare put a spin on the type of relationship that would be expected from him. To further conclude my ideas, I believe Lady MacBeth and Macbeth are ideal for each other, in a very twisted sense.
In the play Macbeth it is very clear that Lady Macbeth and Macbeth don't have the normal type of relationship, especially not one from the particular time the story takes place. Lady Macbeth clearly has all the power over Macbeth making him seem weak and powerless, which is ironic because he`s known for being the greatest fighter and leader. They don`t seem very happy together, or the just don`t seem to show any love towards each other at all. In the play there hasn`t been a single kind work exchanged between the two characters. But it`s strange that they are together, I think that Lady Macbeth doesn`t actually love Macbeth and she just sees his great strength and knows his power. While Macbeth actually loves her and will do anything for her, he might fear losing her so he chooses to do what ever she makes him do. Unfortunately for him Lady Macbeth sees this and uses her power over him too force him into doing bad things. Lady Macbeth pushes him around, telling him to do horrible things, that Macbeth knows must be done, but when his conscience comes in and makes him nervous to do as ordered, Lady Macbeth just attacks his manhood, making him feel like less of a man then his wife. Even though it was Macbeth that did the dirty work in the murder of Duncan, Lady Macbeth was more responsible, she forced him into, gave him no option to do other wise.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your idea that there is no level of equality in the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth is definitely the person who is in charge between them. I also agree that she abuses his strength and power to achieve her goals. But, I do not fully agree that she does not love him. I think that Macbeth loves her very much and will do anything she says. But, I think although she is doing wicked things in order to convince him, ultimately she wants the two of them to be the rulers, not just herself. I think she loves him and she simply knows she must persuade him to do her "dirty work" because it will make them rulers in the end.
ReplyDeleteIn "Macbeth" Lady Macbeth and Macbeth have a very unconventional relationship. First off, I believe Lady Macbeth does not have any genuine feelings for Macbeth. In Act 1, scene 7, line 52 to 64, Lady Macbeth learns of Macbeth weariness toward the plan to kill Duncan and how guilt is overriding his feelings, she knows that if Macbeth didn't kill Duncan that she herself wouldn't be queen, so she insulted him and played his guilt to her advantage to take advantage of him, only to further himself instead of seeing it from his position. They are also not well matched, Lady Macbeth is a heartless, cruel woman with her mind set of domination of Scotland, Macbeth on the other hand, is a loyal warrior who follows the orders of other and not himself. And Finally, Lady Macbeth is the one who kept the idea of killing Duncan going, Macbeth was not going to go through with it, but Lady Macbeth forced Macbeth to keep with it and kill Duncan. Overall, Lady Macbeth's and Macbeth's relationship is not a good relationship and will most likely break under the pressure they have put on it further on in the play.
ReplyDelete-Kevin Lomas
I dont agree that Lady Macbeth has no feelings for Macbeth. I believe that the feelings are just irrelevant to the story. Why would Lady Macbeth marry Macbeth if she had no geniune feelings for him???
DeleteIn that time period marriages were generally not chosen for love, but for honor and power. Especially when you are dealing with families who are highborn, with lords and ladies.
DeleteI actually agree with all you've pointed out. I don't think Lady Macbeth has genuine feelings for Macbeth either. She is clearly more concerned with the title of being Queen. Macbeth, perhaps might have a a few feelings for his wife but her craziness makes his affection irrelevant. Agree with Megan as well, I don't think marrying for love was an option back then.
DeleteI actually thought they were well matched but your argument is pretty valid. They are polar opposites. I thought maybe opposites attract but in this particular circumstance however, maybe one is too crazy for the other? I do believe it is Lady Macbeth the reason Macbeth is moving to the dark side.
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ReplyDeleteIn the play Macbeth by William Shakespear, i think that the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth is quite strong, and both are fully commiteded to each other. Even though Lady Macbeth "Wears the pants" in the story, Macbeth is quite capable of fulfilling the man or husband role. There relationship is quite flawed, because of the fact that Lady Macbeth is what influences Macbeth to do what she wants, but the reason this is working is because she wants what he wants. That is basically how their relationship works, even though Macbeth is under her control, they share the same goal.
ReplyDeleteI think you just contradicted yourself a couple times there. Early on in the play, the reader wouldn't even know whether Macbeth is capable of fulfilling the role of the man in the play. Frankly, I'm still not sure I think he's very powerful or strong-willed yet. Sure, he is good at taking direction and clearly he's easily persuaded but I don't think that necessarily makes him capable though.
DeleteIf Lady Macbeth wants what Macbeth wants why is their relationship flawed? If together theyre working towards the same goal, shouldn't that unit them and make them stronger?