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!
The Macbeth family has a most unusual dynamic. Although Macbeth is the breadwinner, going to fight for his country and being more directly involved in the local politics, it is Lady Macbeth who seems to "run the show". Although Macbeth seems to have genuine feeling for her, referring to her as "my love" and praising her great beauty, it is unclear if Lady Macbeth has real compassion for him in return. Although she seems cold and demanding of him, this could be entirely due to her "unsexing", purposefully becoming rough for what she might see as for his own good, since Macbeth most likely wouldn't have gone through with the murder of Duncan without her coercion. Some Neo-Freudian psychoanalysts may take careful note of Lady Macbeth's unusual desire to take on male attributes, as well as the obscure reference to not being able to strike against a man who resembles her father, possible indication of a female Oedipus complex (coined Electra complex by Carl Jung). If this theory is to be believed, then it could be argued that Lady Macbeth was unconsciously driven to push Macbeth by repressed desires and fears developed in childhood. - Marley H
ReplyDeleteThe relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth is not only unique because Lady Macbeth has a power position in their relationship, as it is because the power between them seems to switch back and forth. In the first two acts, Lady Macbeth seems to be the most dominant figure in their relationship, but in act 3 it seems that Macbeth is starting to fill that role more and more. I do think that Lady Macbeth and Macbeth do have real love for each other because a major way Lady Macbeth gets Macbeth to do everything is by trying to play his love for her. She makes him feel guilty. Macbeth uses certain emotions to get Lady M to do things, but instead of love he uses money. They seem to be well matched because they both almost need each other in a way.
ReplyDeleteI strongly agree, Lady Macbeth and Macbeth seem to somewhat switch roles at times. In act 1 Lady Macbeth was the more dominant figure, then as we enter act 2 Macbeth started to become more independent. He is the one who introduced the idea to kill Banquo so he would remain king. I also agree Lady Macbeth and Macbeth seem to care for one another, but Lady Macbeth is the one who questions their love at times. She is constantly telling Macbeth to man up, and stop being such a coward. I do think Macbeth and Lady Macbeth's relationship is unstable, and destined to fail.
DeleteI agree also. They do depend on each other because they both suggest the same ideas. In a sense, they are pushing each other to reach their most impossible dreams - even if they are crazy. I'm not condoning it but it is in an extremely strange way, their way of showing affection for each other.
DeleteI agree with you greatly Greg. Lady Macbeth and Macbeth definitely have switched back and forth as the stronger role in their relationship so far in the play. As well they both manipulate eachother when they are in the power role. Persuading the other to trust and go along with their plan. Macbeth persuading Lady Macbeth to hire murderers to kill Banquo and Fleance. And Lady Macbeth manipulating Macbeth to kill the king, Duncan. They both use different techniques but always succeed in winning the other over. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth I think are perfectly matched together like you said because they lean on eachother and use eachother to make big decisions.
DeleteEven though from the outside the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth seems odd, i think that they balance each other out. Sort of like each others ying and yang. At first, when they've decided Duncan must die, Lady Macbeth steps up to the plate and deems Macbeth too soft to deal with it so she must become more manly. In future scenes though, when Macbeth decides Banquo must die, his character seems to rapidly develop into something much more evil and menacing as he plans the murder. In these scenes it is noted that Macbeth doesn't tell Lady Macbeth what he is doing, he just tells her not to worry and that it will be delt with..in some twisted way, their evil deeds bring them closer.
ReplyDeleteI does seem that after Lady Macbeth's original push for Macbeth to set aside his compassion to kill the king, Macbeth has become much more ruthless and violent. It's interesting because after this shift in Macbeth, there is also a shift in Lady Macbeth. She becomes more reluctant to go along with murder.
DeleteHowever, neither Macbeth's nor Lady Macbeth's protests of the other's plans to murder are very adamant. They don't seem to be very firm in their convictions not to be evil, preferring instead to simply go along with the other's plan.
Yes I agree that Macbeth is sort of the weaker character, but He becomes much more independent throughout the story. The balance is distrupted as soon as Lady Macbeth pollutes his mind with negative thoughts. Macbeth murders the 2 guards from his own free will, and he plans the murder of Banquo. I also agree that the evil deeds do bring them closer together however, both of them are under extreme pressure. Many times they are conflicting about the chance of being caught. Their relationship cannot last because the fear of being caught will overwhelm them eventually.
DeleteI agree with everything you mentioned Lexy. Their relationship does seem odd. They show completely no affection for eachother so far in the play. The only thing they talk about is plans their plans for murder. Their balance is a really important part of their relationship because without that they would go on a rampage of killing. With one member of the relationship being tame it balances them out. And I also agree with you that with each evil deed they succeed with together it brings them much closer. Macbeth and Lady Macbeths in some sick way make this relationship work.
DeleteI agree with you. They seem dependant of each other and whatever they do is never in secrecy. I think that Lady Macbeth has no right into questioning Macbeth’s manhood as in the incident where they plotted to kill Duncan, she told Macbeth words that he would like to hear. Her words never matched up to her actions and she was too afraid to kill the king because he resembled her father too much. This proves that Macbeth himself isn’t a coward, but she is. But, questioning Macbeth was the only way for her to motivate him into making him king. It is shocking how fast he could be influenced by Lady Macbeth and how much of an impact she did to him.
DeleteObviously by now we understand that Macbeth, and Lady Macbeth are in an unhealthy relationship. Their relationship is very stressful, and unheard of. Nothing good can happen from keeping a secret, especially if the secret is murder.
ReplyDeleteThe relationship would never be considered normal in any terms. They do seem to have a genuine relationship in which a man loves a women, but that is as far as it goes. They do display affection for each other, but not for the right reasons. Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth seem to be a match for each other. They are like the Bonny and Clyde of their time. Their relationship is simply full of evil deeds. Lady Macbeth does play a large role in the cause of Duncan's death, but she is simply the brain of the scheme. Macbeth is the one who actually commits these violent acts.
I agree that their relationship is unhealthy. It only works because they both have this horrible flaw that they never think of the long term, only what they want to see. It is love, but love in a way where they only love each other if the other is doing what they want them to. Like when Macbeth wants to stop the murder of Duncan, lady Macbeth begins to attack him and call him a coward, withdrawing all of her love until he submits and then she is proud of him again. Is a very maniupulative relationship on both sides, but st least they found each other. I dont think anyone else would put up with them as individuals
Deletei also agree that their relationship is unhealthy, but i think that maybe he is keeping Banquos death a secret from her because he does not want Lady Macbeth involved. It is possible that he may want to prove himself to her by devising a plan on his own and executing it on his own. It seems that in their relationship they're always trying to one up each other.
DeleteI agree that the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth is not normal. Normally I don't think that a wife would insult her husband and call him a coward for whatever reason. It's a very manipulative relationship indeed, but they seem to be a perfect match for each other. Both of them have similar evil thought and ambition when it comes to the prophecy of the three witches.
DeleteYet, even though Lady Macbeth does play a big role in Duncan's murder, but Macbeth himself has also thought about the murder.. and he is the one who decides to kill Duncan at the end.
Alan, I highly agree with what you have stated above. Lady Macbeth and Macbeth are in a very unhealthy relationship full of evil deeds and stress. The secret they are hiding as you said will only bring evil to Lady Macbeth and Macbeth. Once things start to fall apart and not go as planned they both will show their true feelings towards eachother. We will see who turns on who and how much their relationship can really stand.
DeleteI believe that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth do have a good marriage, in their own twisted way. When Macbeth's resolve was failing in Act 1 Scene 7, it was Lady Macbeth who pulled him through. Later on, when Macbeth is planning the murder of Fleance and Banquo, he tells Lady Macbeth to "Be innocent of the knowledge". (Act 3 Scene 2) It seems as if they are always looking out for each other, even as they descend into evil and corruption.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, their affection and devotion for each other has devastating consequences. Because they are always pushing each other through when the other is having doubts (Macbeth's doubts about killing Duncan, and Lady Macbeth's doubts about killing Flenace and Banquo), they are bringing out the worst in each other. Instead of supporting each other's right choices, they are supporting each other's wrong choices.
I think that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are equally responsible for the death of Duncan. It would only have taken one of them to stand up to the other (really stand up to the other, not Macbeth's pathetic whining) in order to stop their plot. It may have been Lady Macbeth who pushed for the murder, but it was Macbeth's idea in the first place. They are partners in crime.
I strongly agree with you. Not only is Lady Macbeth playing the role as a bad character, but Macbeth is as well doing terrible things from his own free will. Everyone has a choice and Macbeth chooses to kill Duncan, Banquo, and the 2 guards.
DeleteIts true that their affection and devotion is going to get them in serious trouble. The idea for becoming king is blinding them from the truth. One way or another they are going to get caught then killed.
I also agree that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are equally responsible for the death of Duncan. They both planned it to the very end. Either one of them could have said no, but instead they went all the way. If you could prevent something bad from happening, but choose to be silent you can be credited for assisting the murder.
I strongly agree that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are partners in crime. One of the reasons that they do indeed possess a good marriage is because they are partners in crime. They much remind me of Bonnie and Clyde- they commit criminal actions but they are a great couple. They know how to work with each other and they have the same goals, signs of a good marriage. Certainly, both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are equally devious and violent. They have several twisted traits in common; they just show these traits at different times. When one partner lacks brutality and cruelty, the other makes up for it, which is what makes them partners in crime. For example, in act 1, scene 3 Macbeth lacks the courage to murder Duncan, and decides to wait until “chance may crown [him]” (I,iii). Evidently, he is not being heartless and violent at this time. However, Lady Macbeth makes up for her husband’s lack of cruelty, as she takes the lead in Duncan’s murder. She decides how the king will be murdered and comes up with the plan to frame the king’s chamberlains. She easily manipulates Macbeth, who ultimately stabs the king. Lady Macbeth is the brains behind the operation, while Macbeth is the muscle, as he performs the actual murder. Lady Macbeth is also knowledgeable about her husband, and knows how to convince him to follow through with the murder. Thus, like you have said, they do have a good marriage because they are partners in crime. They know each other’s strengths and weaknesses well and they can successfully work together to achieve a common goal.
DeletePersonally I don't really think they have the best marriage currently, things could be a lot better. I'd like to go more in depth with these questions but we do not really know much about there relationship before the events of the murder. It seems that both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have some sort of affection for each other because if they didn't I'm sure one of them would have left as soon as somebody had brought up murdering Duncan. Also there has to be something else keeping them together after both of the conversations they had in acts 1 and 3. I would say they are pretty well matched, they don't really fight or argue about many things and they seem to be able to trust one another when a difficult time presents itself. I think Lady Macbeth should be responsible for the killing but only to a point, she did convince Macbeth to kill the King, but Macbeth also could have said no and instead walked away.
ReplyDelete-Rafal
In my opinion, I think that the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth is queer. To be honest, I'm not really sure if they have the best marriage or not.. In some way, Macbeth and Lady M are similar to each other, like their ambition, and when both of them heard the prophecy the first time, they both immediately thought of killing Duncan. I do think that Macbeth does respect Lady M a lot. Even if she is the one 'in control' of their relationship and insulted Macbeth's manhood, Macbeth didn't get angry or argued with her. I believe that Lady M also is a great influence to Macbeth, in act three scene one Macbeth has use the same method of insulting the murders' manhood to make them kill Banquo and his son. After Duncan's murder, Macbeth's character changed quickly, as he now show no hesitation or any mercy of killing Banquo.
ReplyDeleteThough Lady M has responsibility in Duncan's murder by manipulating Macbeth to kill Duncan, but Macbeth could have just stick to his moral and refuse to, since Lady M didn't threaten him to do so. Plus, before Lady M, Macbeth already has the thought of killing Duncan himself.. I think they are both responsible for the murder of Duncan.
I strongly agree that Lady Macbeth and Macbeth are great influences for eachother in that they strive with the same ambition. Macbeth doesn't seem to argue towards Lady Macbeth and rather just simply agrees and comes to the same terms with her. His obedience towards Lady Macbeth may make Macbeth seem weak, however it seems that Lady Macbeth is the one who is wearing the pants in the relationship. Although there is a reversal in their positions in marriage, it seems to work in that they are able to overcome their weaknesses and balance eachother out in order to succeed.
DeleteI strongly agree with there being several similarities between Macbeth and his wife, despite most of these similarities being twisted and cruel. These similarities between them strengthen their marriage as well. Like you have said, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are both extremely ambitious. They are also both violent, as they immediately look to murder as the only method for Macbeth to become king. They also have several other characteristics in common. For instance, they are both manipulative. Lady Macbeth was able to easily convince Macbeth to follow through with the murder of Duncan by questioning his manhood and telling him “from this time such I account thy love.” (I, vii). In a similar way, Macbeth was able to manipulative the murderers to kill Banquo. He convinced the murderers that Banquo was to blame for all of their problems, and that they would be considered men if it were not for Banquo. Thus, they both do indeed have several characteristics in common, even though most of them are twisted and cruel. The similar traits allow them to easily work together and achieve their goals. They complement each other very well, as these shared personality types allow them to have a very strong marriage.
DeleteMacbeth and Lady Macbeth I think are perfectly matched but not at all in a good way. They are both very aggresive but also can be very doubtful. They lean on eachother and manipulate eachother into making the wrong choice. At the decision making time of Duncan's murder Macbeth admits he is not going to go through with it after all. Once he says this Lady Macbeth immediatly startts to attack his manhood and manipulate him. She does this so well that with just that he changes his mind and they end up murdering Duncan, the king. In turn Macbeth convinces Lady Macbeth to trust him in hiring murderers to kill Banquo and his son, Fleance. When one is weak, the other overrides and takes control.
ReplyDeleteSo far throughout the play, neither Lady Macbeth or Macbeth has shown any sort of affection towards eachother. It seems that whenever they interact they only plan strategy to do wrong or to keep their secrets secret.
As well, I totaly think Lady Macbeth is to blame for the murder of Duncan. They would not of commited the crime if Lady Macbeth hadnt interfered and manipulated Macbeth. He was set on not doing it but she changed his mind last minute. Lady Macbeth is to blame for the murder of the king, she was not the one to put the dagger in the King but she was the reason Macbeth did it.
i agree with most of what you've said. The only parts that i disagree on are that they do not show affection and that Lady M is solely to blame for the murders. I find that they show each other affection after all of their wrong deeds, its like they can only love each other after they've done creepy stuff.
DeleteI think that Lady M and Macbeth are equally responsible for the death of Duncan. Although Lady M has to convince Macbeth to go through with it, he could have refused, but he doesn't. That makes them equally responsive. She's like the brains, and him the strength.
I agree with you. Lady Macbeth and Macbeth seem to have their own type of aggressiveness. They are both in search of power and is hungry for more as once you start, the power of corruption is unbearable. They are indeed a married couple where they are able to strongly influence each other into doing the right thing or even the wrong thing. However, they are mostly blinding each other into manipulating themselves for the better of the other person. At the beginning of the play we are able to see the humanity in Macbeth. He was remorseful, hesitant, and a brave hero. Tables turn and Macbeth is growing into everything a human shouldn't be or even commit.
DeleteI believe Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have an extremely dysfunctional marriage but it strangely works out. They seem to take turns running the show, for instance Lady Macebeth pre-murder was egging a confused Macbeth on. "When you durst do it, then you were a man" [1.7.54] by saying, when you were going to kill him, you were a man but know you are a coward. Which also basically makes her responsible for the murder of duncan. Post murder, when Macbeth's hubris begins to take hold, he then claims the pants of the marriage, and decides that Banquo and his son must be murdered. Here, Lady Macbeth is the nervous and unsure one. "You must leave this" [3.2.41] and then he preciedes to tell her that they are indeed going with it, compelting the total 180 of their marriage.
ReplyDeleteThrough out the course of the first three acts, Lady Macbeth and Macbeth seem to show only affection in terms of endearment, but other then that, it seems that they only discuss plans and feed each others ambition. Overall, they are very well matched in their compacity for imorality.
Lady Macbeth and Macbeth's relationship with each other is quite good and balanced but not neccesarily in a good way. They both like to manipulate and convince each other to get deeds done by putting an emphasis on the rewards rather than the consequences that are involved. We see that in act one, Lady Macbeth convinces Macbeth to kill king Duncan but in scene three there is a reversal in roles. Macbeth convinces Lady Macbeth to kill Banquo instead. The ideas that the couple have are perfect for each other but not in an affectionate way. It seems that without each other, they would be totally different people, they can't live without each other; but they should be best friends and accomplices instead a married couple.
ReplyDelete'Lies lead to more lies,' is greatly displayed in the roles of Lady Macbeth and Macbeth. Like Chris said, Lady Macbeth was the first to suggest King Duncan to be killed. This first act had yet lead to the guilt of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth (proven by their rough sleeps). Furthermore, the roles reverse in their marriage and Macbeth takes the lead and suggests the murder of Banquo. I conclude this is the balance in their relationship. When Lady Macbeth is weak then Macbeth becomes stronger and vice versa. Much like in modern day marriages, when one is weak (ex. has cancer) the other is strong for their spouse in that they are able to aid their loved one in the time of need.
DeleteI find it very interesting how you think Macbeth and Lady Macbeth should be accomplices or friends instead of husband and wife. I think the two are partners in crime; however, it is because they are partners in crime that they are the perfect couple. In my opinion, Bonnie and Clyde represent the couple very well. Bonnie and Clyde were well known gangsters and criminals, yet they functioned extremely well as a couple. It is evident Macbeth and his wife are violent and cruel, yet they too work very well as a couple. Because they are married, they have tolerance and understanding towards one another. They know how to work with each other because of all the time they spend together. This gives them the ability to be even better criminal partners, as they have a personal connection that enhances their ability to achieve goals. Being married allows the two also feed off each other and learn from one another, even if this learning is for criminal purposes. For instance, in the same way Lady Macbeth manipulated Macbeth into committing the murder of Duncan, Macbeth later convinces the murderers to kill Banquo. They use many of the same tactics and together they are able to accomplish their goals. In addition, the two are best as husband and wife because they make up for their partners shortages. For instance, when Macbeth has doubts about following through with the murder of Duncan, Lady Macbeth takes the lead in the king’s murder. On the other hand, when Lady Macbeth is skeptical about Banquo’s murder, Macbeth takes the initiative to arrange for his murder. Thus, they consistently make up for their partners deficiencies. They complete and complement each other. Being married allows them to be even better partners in crime, as they would not be able to accomplish their criminal goals without their intimate husband-wife relationship.
DeleteIn the play, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are introduced as a married couple who seems to care enough for each other. They would use terms of endearment as they speak (“Dearest Chuck”, “My dearest love”) and all the plans that they come up with are always done together and never in secrecy. Although Lady Macbeth seems like the dominating one in the relationship, whatever she does was for Macbeth’s sake; from plotting on killing the King to her helping him throughout. However I do think that she is able to manipulate him into doing things he does not what to do. When plotting on the death of Duncan for example, Lady Macbeth questions her husband’s manhood and starts calling him undesirable names. She told him if she were him she would be able to kill her own baby, yet in the end we find out that she wasn’t able to kill Duncan because he resembled her father too much. In our latest scene we are able to see how much Lady Macbeth Influenced Macbeth in plotting the murder of Banquo and Fleance. As tables turn, Macbeth is now the superior one doing the plotting.
ReplyDeleteI think that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth not only care for each other, but they also seem to know each other as well. Like when Lady Macbeth was reading the letter from Macbeth in act one scene five, she knew it immediately that Macbeth can't and won't Duncan.
DeleteI agree that Lady Macbeth is the dominating one of their relationship, but like you said, she cannot accomplish her ambition without Macbeth. Yet, Lady Macbeth does play a big role in the play as she is the one who manipulate and change the way how Macbeth act. I agree that Lady Macbeth has a great influence to Macbeth. Macbeth is not only the superior one doing the plotting but also the way how he questioned the murders' manhood, was very similar to the method that Lady Macbeth used on Macbeth to convinced him to kill Duncan.
Though at first glance, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth seem to be a mismatch for one another, the two actually complement one another very well and have a good marriage. The condition of Macbeth's marriage can be symbolized by the relationship between parents Hal and Lois on the television show Malcolm in the Middle. Despite being goofy, weird, and crazy, Hal and Lois are perfect for each other and have a great marriage. The same can be said for Macbeth and his wife. The two have a good marriage, despite sharing several cruel and twisted characteristics. For example, both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are power hungry, pushing themselves to do brutal and cruel actions to attain power. They are both devious and manipulative as well. In Act 1, scene 7, by simply questioning his manhood and telling Macbeth "from this time such I account thy love," Lady Macbeth is easily able to convince her hesitant husband to follow through with the murder of Duncan. This also shows her crucial role in the murder of Duncan, as without her manipulation, Macbeth would not have been able to commit the crime. Macbeth himself also shows these manipulative skills when he convinces the murders that Banquo is to blame for all their problems. By telling the murderers, "it was [Banquo], in the times past, which held you so under fortune," (III, i), Macbeth is effortlessly able to rile up the murderers and make them want to kill Banquo. Thus, they both share several similar characteristics, but show these characteristics at different times in the play. Furthermore, when one partner lacks the courage or motivation to use these characteristics, the other character becomes dominant and makes up for the loss. Thus, the two do indeed have a good marriage, as they possess similar traits and complementing personalities.
ReplyDeleteThe marriage between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth doesn't seem to fulfill the standard criteria of which a modern day relationship would have. They don't seem to share the genuine affection towards each other this is because of their constant bickering and trying to convince the other one to do something by any means necessary, even if that means attacking their own man hood much how like Lady Macbeth did when she forced Macbeth into killing Duncan. Lady Macbeth hold a fair amount of the blame for the death of Duncan, this is because without her constant pushing and whining Macbeth would have never done it. Before he had decided to he was not going to go through with the killing of Duncan, but Lady Macbeth made him feel ashamed of himself and insecure, causing him to commit the crime.
ReplyDeleteIt's true to say that Lady Macbeth and Macbeth don't share genuine affection for eachother. I believe that their relationship is based of the need for eachother in order to feel success in life. Lady Macbeth wants success in life (Having Macbeth become King) and Macbeth wants to be King. They feed off eachother to achieve the same goals.
DeleteAlthough Lady Macbeth had influenced Macbeth into the murder of Duncan and questioned his manhood. However, I believe Macbeth would have done so without the pursuation of Lady Macbeth. When you want something, you often strive for it. For example, if you were wanting to climb Mt. Everest. You may crave to accomplish the hike, however you are nervous and scared that it may be dangerous. Although you are fearful (much like Macbeth), fear is overcome by the outlook on achieving your goal. Looking at the bigger picture (ex. becoming King or being at the top of Everest) eliminates all the factors and makes a person naive of the consequences, much like Lady Macbeth and Macbeth did. However, together they were able to accomplish their goal but now suffer the guilt that follows
Lady Macbeth and Macbeth's relationship is not at all described as a physical. Not once has Shakespeare given Lady Macbeth and Macbeth an intimate setting, in that Lady Macbeth prefers to be more powerful (Like a male). Although they seem to be quiet the opposite, I imagine them to be a perfect match for eachother in that they balance eachother out and have the same goals (However, not necessarily moral). For example, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth both want Macbeth to be crowned King. Although they both desire the same thing, they have different traits in which are either obstacles or benificial to their success. Lady Macbeth is hard driven and has no remorse. On the other hand, Macbeth is naive and fearful. The two are capable of balancing eachother out in order to meet their goal of becoming King. Lady Macbeth is harsh on Macbeth and encourages Macbeth to fight over his fears and ends up succeeding in the murder of Duncan.
ReplyDeleteI have come to conclude that Lady Macbeth, although pursuaded Macbeth into the killing of Duncan, is not fully responsible for the murder. Macbeth is the one that literally killed Duncan, and he is also the one who is striving to be King.
Lady Macbeth seems to think more in the present, for example she had not thought of the consequences of the murder (guilt). In contrast, Macbeth looks ahead and more into the future in that he is more conscious of consequences. However, the two balance out to meet their goals in life. They are capable of succeeding by canceling out eachothers weaknesses.
I agree with the fact that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth's relationship is leaning more towards the emotional side but physically, they can't live without each other. They both balance each other out perfectly. In both cases when they discuss killing the King and Banquo, one disagrees with the other causing an equal balance between themselves. Although both of their ambitions are bad, there is some truth behind their actions. In order for them to succeed in life (after the killing of the king)every little detail matters with their survival and their equality/ balancing each other out allows them to do so.
DeleteTheir marriage may not look normal from an outside view but for them I suppose they really do love each other. Both lady M and Macbeth are messed up, they are perfect for each other in a way. Lady M is controlling and demanding and Macbeth seems to need to be controlled or told what to do, he wouldn’t have very much if it weren’t for Lady M she helped him become king (even if it was in a terrible way) she still helped him. I believe their marriage is genuinely full of love, Lady M only wanted the best for her husband and Macbeth wanted to give Lady M everything she deserved. What they did to give each other what they “deserved” was not right, but to them it was because they are “well matched” they think the same so neither one of them judged each other. And as for The death of Duncan, Lasdy M played a huge roll in killing him. She didn’t personally kill him with her own hand but she pushed and pushed Macbeth to do it, she questioned his manhood until he gave into her and did what he was told.
ReplyDelete