Power Influences Macbeth Essays

Submitted By melissaduran0302
Words: 625
Pages: 3

In William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth’s power influences Macbeth in many ways. In the beginning of the play Macbeth is portrayed as a noble Scottish general who is seen as one of the bravest of them all and loyal to King Duncan. He does not have any hatred to his king, but pure adoration and respect. As for his wife Lady Macbeth, she is ambitious, and ruthless. She is plotting King Duncan’s murder. She is aware that Macbeth does not think it is a good idea to kill the King but she shows no pity. The play suddenly shifts when Lady Macbeth manipulates her husband. He hesitates to murder, but when Lady Macbeth repeatedly questions his manhood he feels as if he needs to kill the King to prove himself. Lady Macbeth’s attitude suddenly changes when she feels guilty for plotting the murder of Duncan. This play shows how ones power can quickly influence another.
Ambition leads Lady Macbeth to plotting King Duncan’s murder. She plans to get his two chamberlains drunk until they black out so she can go up and murder Duncan; the next morning they will blame the murder on the guards who are defenseless. They day comes, Lady Macbeth goes to the castle gets his two guards drunk, so drunk they fall asleep. She then goes up to Duncan’s room and sees him sleeping. She hesitates to kill him because he reminded her so much of her dad when he was sleeping. “Had he not resembled my father as he slept, I had done’t”(46). She feels guilty for trying to murder him. She goes downstairs to tell Macbeth she could not attempt the murder.
Lady Macbeth manipulated her husband so much she influenced him to turn on King Duncan and kill him so that he can now become King. When Lady Macbeth goes downstairs to say she could not murder the King, Macbeth goes upstairs and murders the Duncan. He sees his wife and gives her the news. “I have done the deed. Didst thou not hear a noise?”(46). He asked Lady Macbeth if she heard anything coming from Duncan’s room while he was killing him. She tells him she heard noise coming from Donalbain’s; King Duncan’s younger sons, room. Macbeth then gets scared and wants to leave but Lady Macbeth notices he brought back the bloody