Macbeth Essay

Submitted By lolimpolish
Words: 548
Pages: 3

Nash 1
Daniel Nash
English 10
Period 2
7 November 2012
Lady Macbeth's Character The stress presented by events in the play caused the deterreration on Lady Macbeth's character. At the beginning she is a controlling, strong woman and then after the events following the murder of duncan she becomes emotionally unstable and insane. So through the play Lady Macbeth went from being mentally strong and ontop of things to insanity and mental unstability At the beginning of the play, lady Macbeth shows dominant traits in the marriage. As Lady Macbeth learns of the prophecies, she pushes Macbeth to get kingship, to murder Duncan. For example, "look like th' innocent flower, but be the serpent under 't" (1.6.76-77), this quote shows Lady Macbeths demanding nature, she is pushing Macbeth to go get what he deserves through hinting that he should act nice towards Duncan but to actually be insidious. Also as she is persuading Macbeth to go through with the plan she says, "What cannot you and I perform upon Th' unguarded Duncan?"(1.7.79-80). This quote also shows Lady Macbeths controlling character through her hinting of the fact that they could easily kill Duncan as the guards are no longer a problem. Many events contribute to the worsening mental state of lady Macbeth. Of these events, Macbeths outbursts at the banquet probably affected her the most. "Avaunt, and quit my sight! Let earth hide thee."(3.4.113) was part of one of the outbursts. As these are happening she ashures the guests that everything is ok and he had these outbursts since childhood, where she herself has no idea whats happening. This event but a enormous amount of stess on her as she sees her husbands deterrierating mantal state. Towards the end of the play she has toally lost it. She hes become completely insane and has lost her mind. This is best represented when she is sleepwalking and as the doctor visits her right before she dies. As she is sleepwalking she is talking,