Role Of Evil In Macbeth

Words: 1188
Pages: 5
Open Document
There are some people that merely glance at evil and then there are those that become the embodiment of evil. There are many honest, hardworking, and determined women in the world, but there are also some that are liars, evil, and corrupt whose sole achievement is to disgrace womankind. William Shakespeare’s play The Tragedy of Macbeth contains an epitome of the latter. The power-hungry Lady Macbeth plays a potent role in motivating Macbeth, the tragic hero of the story, along with factors such as ambition, and prophesies to murder the king. However, guilt and loss of sanity ultimately lead to Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s demise. Lady Macbeth’s craven nature, morally corrupt personality, and feelings of compunction, depict her as a weak and deceitful …show more content…
Lady Macbeth’s avarice for becoming the queen overtakes her and causes her to lie and take baleful actions. For instance, when Macbeth fails to carry out her murder plan correctly, she tells him that she will smear the blood on the guards because “it must seem their guilt” (II.ii.55). She loses the ability to decipher between right and wrong because has no shame in letting innocent people take the blame for the murder that she plans and she is too weak to deal with the consequences of her own steps. Additionally, when Macbeth states that he will not go on with the murder, she declares, “From this time / Such I account thy love” (I.vii.38-39). By implying that if Macbeth truly loves her, then he would kill Duncan, she compels Macbeth make an egregious sin. Even though her ability to come up with the plan adds element of independence and toughness to her personality, she actually still needs her husband’s help to commit the crime. If her husband is too weak, then she could have just killed Duncan to achieve their goals, but she is not brave enough either. The way Lady Macbeth coerces Macbeth is comparable to the way Eve eats the forbidden fruit and she makes Adam eat it, too. Eve is the reason behind all the problems Adam faces after defying God and eating the fruit. Likewise, the desire of becoming the queen fuels Lady Macbeth to sin and not only does she develop …show more content…
Despite the fact that she tries to be cold-hearted, she is the one who slowly begins to feel contrite for her immoral deeds. Towards the end of the play, she starts sleepwalking and imagines blood on her hands that she cannot wash away. Earlier in the play, when Macbeth tells her no water in the world can clean his bloody hands, she tells him: “My hands are of your color, but I shame / To wear a heart so white” (II.ii.61-62). However, as her guilt catches up to her she is forced into Macbeth’s position and she is not able to live up to her words. This flaw in her character reveals that she is, in fact, very weak mentally. In addition, when Macbeth has hallucinations of Banquo’s ghost showing up to his feast, Lady Macbeth remarks, “these flaws and starts, / Imposers to true fear….Shame itself!(III.iv.63-65). Later on, as she starts sleepwalking and has hallucinations, her guilt makes her fearful instead of feeling ashamed. Eventually, she melts down under the pressure of her guilt so much that she welcomes death. Some of the last words she utters are: “What’s done cannot be undone. ─ To bed, to bed, to bed!”(V.i.57-58). She knows that she will kill herself and that her bed will be like her grave. For a woman who wants to be harsh and heartless, she should not be feeling any regret or remorse for her sins. Also, guilt should definitely not be the reason behind the
Show More

Related Documents: Role Of Evil In Macbeth

Lady Macbeth Essay

1B December 2014 Lady Macbeth In this essay I am going to discuss the role of Lady Macbeth. First I will be giving a quick summary of Macbeth, discuss the main themes and issues, analyze the text, analyze the character of Lady Macbeth, write about the strengths and weaknesses of Lady Macbeth, I am going to debate if Lady Macbeth is evil or good, talk about the reason why Shakespeare created the character Lady Macbeth. William Shakespeare wrote Macbeth in 1606. Macbeth is about a brave man who…

Words 1292 - Pages 6

Macbeth Rhetorical Analysis

reverse roles, this is seen most in unhealthy relationships. This theme is one that authors and poets have used for generations. This is apparent in Shakespeare’s play Macbeth. In the play Lady Macbeth and Macbeth have apparent role reversals. In the beginning Macbeth is hesitant to follow through with the evil plans of his wife, but then he begins to take charge with the use of evil and manipulation all while excluding his wife and by the end of the play he…

Words 704 - Pages 3

Examples Of Internal And External Conflict In Macbeth

The idea of good versus evil is something the audience had learnt as children and is shown in movies and literature. William Shakespeare’s play “Macbeth” highlights the many ways characters deal with both internal and external conflict. The readers see the main character, Macbeth, struggle with his desire and ambition to be king, with his internal struggle of doing something evil. He is easily influenced by his wife, Lady Macbeth, who is able to influence his actions with her words and through him…

Words 552 - Pages 3

Macbeth's Cruelty

Shakespeare's Macbeth, the main protagonist Macbeth is generally seen as evil and cruel because of his terrible actions and orders he gives to gain and keep his ruling power over Scotland. Macbeth kills the king and orders the death of other characters throughout the play. He orders his closest friend's murder based on a prophecy alone and becomes paranoid of any threat to his rule. When the reader gathers all of Macbeth's actions together, it is easily seen how awful a person Macbeth is. However,…

Words 547 - Pages 3

Both Shakespeare And Golding Suggest That People S Hearts Are Evil Essay

people’s hearts are evil and that this world is a dark and evil place”. In the light of this statement, compare and contrast how the writers present evil in ‘Macbeth’ and ‘Lord of the Flies’. In the course of your answer, consider how your understanding of contextual detail deepens your understanding of the texts. ‘Macbeth’, is William Shakespeare’s shortest tragedy, written between 1599 and 1606. It is considered one of his darkest and most powerful works. One of the main themes in ‘Macbeth’ is how easily…

Words 1069 - Pages 5

Macbeth Developement Essay

Macbeth Development – Essay During the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Macbeth the main role in the play, develops and shows all sides of his character. In the beginning of the play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, Macbeth is a brave and caring character, but as the play progresses he becomes murderous and weak. At the end of the play he converts to evil, mean and also participates in many unconscionable acts. Although Macbeth transformed as a character and also in the way he feels he was always…

Words 774 - Pages 4

Theme Of Evil In Macbeth

be focusing on are evil, desire, and fear. Evil, desire, and fear are very commonly used in life, for example when someone thinks of evil they think of crime, or the bad guy in a movie or that dark corner in your room that keeps you up at night, or maybe the fear of getting out of your bed because you're afraid that something is going to grab you from underneath your bed, these are just some of the things someone might think of when they imagine the word evil. The play Macbeth by William Shakespeare…

Words 562 - Pages 3

Macbeth Evil Vs Evil

between good and evil runs through the heart of every man.” (Solzhenitsyn) Between terrorism and abuse, evil is incorporated into everyone’s life every single day. In The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespear, the true nature of evil mixed with the power hungry couple of Macbeth, a nobel warrior, and his wife, Lady Macbeth, cause the downfall of a society. The twists and turns of the play highlight the acts of true evil and show the transformation of a seemingly sane and honest Macbeth into a crazed…

Words 485 - Pages 2

Who Is To Blame In Macbeth

Who’s Fault? In Macbeth, King Duncan is murdered by Macbeth. Macbeth has a few “reasons” for wanting to murder Duncan. The reasons though, that Macbeth has for murdering Duncan are brought about by other people. So in a way they are not really Macbeth’s reasons, but they are other peoples. Macbeth says that he has no real reason to kill Duncan. Lady Macbeth and the witches play a big role in why Macbeth kills the king. Duncan himself is also partly to blame for his own murder. There are three…

Words 1726 - Pages 7

Macbeth Essay

301145275 October 11, 2013 TA: Andrew Zulliani Shakespeare’s play Macbeth is about a Scottish general, who is portrayed as a brave and loyal warrior yet, throughout the play, his desire for power and succession inclines. Macbeth’s noble character is altered when he first meets the three witches. The three “weird” witches tell him a prophecy that spurs an ambition inside of him, an ambition he did not seek beforehand. Macbeth takes time to reflect on his morals and principles, however Lady Macbeth’s…

Words 1019 - Pages 5