Essay on Lady Macbeth

Submitted By AstulzerRZD1
Words: 346
Pages: 2

Lady MacBeth In William Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth, Lady Macbeth plays the role of a masterful manipulator. Nowhere in the play is this more apparent than in scenes six and seven of Act One, where she takes on the roles of a fair lady, a manly woman, and than of a witch. When welcoming the king, Duncan, to their castle, she creates a flawless illusion of pleasantry. In fact, the oblivious king goes as far as to compliment Lady Macbeth as “fair and noble”, even as he steps into the castle in which his doom awaits (I, vi, 28). This is a perfect example of what Lady Macbeth is capable of, as Duncan’s impression of Macbeth’s fiancée cannot be further from the truth. To state that Lady Macbeth is an evil mastermind would be quite the understatement of the century. Deep down, her malevolent motivations create a burning desire to call upon supernatural spirits and replace “[her] milk with gall”, a poison (I, v, 51). She also begs for spirits to “fill [her] from the crown to the toe … of direst cruelty”. These quotes demonstrate the shocking fericiousness which governs Lady Macbeth behind the curtains. It becomes quite clear Lady Macbeth is almost witch-like, with her savage devotion focusing solely on towards amending the fate of her husband’s career. All of these factors set the stage for the perfect hypocracy. On the outside, all of her malicious intents are concealed. Behind closed doors, she berates her husband into acting in accordance with her will. In scene seven of Act