Macbeth
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Macbeth, written in the 1600’s, was Shakespeare’s shortest play. It is known to

be one of the most intense play’s he has written. This bloody tragedy tells the story of a heroic Scottish general (Macbeth) and his wife (Lady Macbeth), and how their ambitions ultimately lead to their destruction. Lady Macbeth acts as probably the most important character in this play. Throughout the play, Lady Macbeth shows she is a very dynamic character. In the beginning acts, she is manipulative, malicious, and heartless. After the deaths of both Duncan and Banquo, there is a character change in Lady Macbeth. She has now become remorseful, fearful, and overwhelmed with guilt.
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In the play, Lady Macbeth shows a character trait of being extremely

manipulative. The time when this trait shines the most is when Macbeth starts second guessing himself before he kills Duncan. Lady Macbeth notices Macbeth starting to freak out and says, “...How tender tis to love the babe that milks me. I would...Have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums and dashed the brains out..”(1.7.63-66). She is thus explaining how she would’ve never gone back from her word even if she had to smash her babies brains out, but you (Macbeth) want to go back on your word? This is manipulating him by making him feel guilty and like a coward. She uses words to downgrade him and make him feel bad in order to get what she wants. She manipulates
Macbeth in almost every way a person can manipulate someone. She also manipulates
Duncan. When Duncan has come to stay at their home, she manipulates him by being overly kind and saying how she would be happy to wait on him hand and foot. She says and does everything she can so Duncan will gladly stay at their home. Having Duncan

at their home, makes him an easy target to kill. Lady Macbeth also manipulates the guest at their dinner party. When Macbeth sees the ghost and starts going crazy, Lady
Macbeth makes his action into a story on how he has an infirmity. She is manipulating them into thinking something that is not true. She manipulates their minds to believe exactly what she wants them to believe. Lady Macbeth has a way of words to manipulate anyone who stands in her way.
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Lady Macbeth is also very malicious. She is extremely determined to get the

crown, and will do anything to get there. She helps Macbeth plan the whole murder of
Duncan, and along with that is eager to have him dead. When plotting Duncan’s murder
Lady Macbeth says quote “We’ll not fail. When Duncan is asleep (whereto the rather shall his day’s hard journey soundly invite him), his two chamberlains will I with wine and wassail so convince that memory..” (1.7. 71-75). In these lines she is telling
Macbeth her plan that he will help carry out. She is the one with the evil idea to get the guards drunk so Macbeth can kill Duncan, then have a way to blame the murder on the guards. She is a very malicious person.
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The fact that Lady Macbeth has no remorse over killing Duncan and framing

others demonstrates how she is a heartless human being. A prime example of this is when she says, “My hands are of your color, but I shame To wear a heart so white.... A little water clears us of this deed…” (2.2 82-86). This quote is said after Macbeth has killed Duncan and comes back to Lady Macbeth and is remorseful. While he is upset and nervous, she is ashamed by his actions and tells him he needs to get over it and man up. She should be sickened and ashamed of what she has just committed, but

instead she is of him for being remorseful. She shows us a cold hearted personality in this scene.
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In the later acts, when Lady Macbeth and Macbeth have already killed both

Duncan and Banquo, we start to see a character change in Lady Macbeth. She transfers from being malicious and heartless woman, to being remorseful, fearful, and guilty. Act five is when the reader begins to see this change, and how Lady