Chelsey Pan

Mr. Shulkin

English IV

10-22-13

The Tragedy of Lady Macbeth

Despite being the eponymous, and presumed main, character in this play, Macbeth, by

William Shakespeare, Macbeth is notable mainly for serving as merely a vessel for the desires of

others, lacking in personal autonomy and depth of storyline. His experiences and decisions are

largely influenced by others, resulting in a weakness of character that leaves him with little

control over the storyline and making him much less pivotal in driving the plot. In contrast, Lady

Macbeth is one of the few characters to behave independently of fate and her decisions are

entirely autonomous, primarily serving to further her ambitions and manipulate Macbeth’s, and

by extension the other characters’, fate. Lady Macbeth is predominantly characterized by her

steely resolve and almost bullying treatment of Macbeth, although there are several instances in

which she reveals genuine concern for him. Her unyielding ambition is rooted in the political

success and eventual kingship of Macbeth under the presumption that becoming king is his

ultimate goal and nearly every action she takes in the play, even those that appear to be cruel or

harmful towards Macbeth, is committed out of a belief that it is ultimately for his benefit,

indicating that Lady Macbeth genuinely loves her husband. While her end justifying the means

mentality is proven to be devastatingly flawed, it provides Lady Macbeth with the willingness to

go to any extremes in order to ensure that Macbeth’s goals come to fruition.

Lady Macbeth is first introduced to us when she reads a letter sent from Macbeth

detailing his encounter with the Weird Sisters and their prophetic statements. From this letter,

she remarks about him that “thou wouldst be great, art not without ambition, but without the

illness should attend it” (Shakespeare Act I Scene IV). Lady Macbeth believes that Macbeth is

ambitious and desires power, but does not have the immoral character required to realize his

goals. Her subsequent desire to help him in achieving his goals reveals the depth of her concern

for Macbeth. She recognizes that her husband both wishes to be king and simultaneously does

not have the ruthlessness to pull off a political overthrow and because of this, is willing to go to

any lengths for him in order to guarantee that he succeeds.

Unlike the other main characters of this play, Lady Macbeth is not, initially, a part of the

Weird Sisters’ prophecy and thus is unbridled by fate or the consequences of the prophecy’s

fulfillment. There is little binding her to Macbeth’s foreseen ascent to the throne, easily allowing

her the option to take a passive role in his endeavors. Instead of allowing fate to play out

however it will, when Macbeth recounts the details of his encounter with the Weird Sisters’ and

what they foresaw in his letter, she eagerly and independently concocts a plan in order to ensure

that the premonition comes to pass. So that he ultimately achieves the throne, she resolves to

push him to commit the villainous crimes that are needed to further his status.

The active role Lady Macbeth takes in the fulfillment of Macbeth’s fate demonstrates

how invested she is in his success. She decides in the famous “Unsex me Here” soliloquy to

abandon her feminine and maternal behaviors, choosing to become cold and cruel in order to

accomplish what her husband initially cannot, going so far as to call upon the “spirits that tend

on mortal [deadly] thoughts” (Shakespeare 51) in order to rid her of her sense of remorse,

implying that her nature is much less callous than she portrays herself as throughout the play. By

asking for the aid of “murdering ministers” (Shakespeare 51), Lady Macbeth reveals the extent

to which she is willing to go in order to help Macbeth – even if it means giving herself up in the

process. If she were naturally cruel and ambitious, she would not require the aid of those

supernatural entities, furthering the idea that her actions are for the benefit of Macbeth rather

than simply for her own gain. 

In order to aid Macbeth in his ascent to the throne and propel him into action, Lady

Macbeth devises the initial plan to kill King Duncan and willingly takes on much of the

responsibility, remarking that Macbeth’s face “is a book where men may read strange matters”

and that he can “leave all the rest to [her]” (Shakespeare 52). She is well aware of his honest

disposition and readily bears the weight of planning the murder for him, indicating concern for

his wellbeing and a desire to mitigate the moral consequences of his success. It is only after

Macbeth begins to have doubts about the plan that she incites “rhetorical manipulation of her

husband to ‘be a man’ and to take action” (Thomas 81). Initially, she questions whether he is

“afeard to be the same in thine own act and valor as thou art in desire” (Shakespeare 56), further

illustrating her belief that Macbeth covets the throne of Scotland, but lacks the courage to act on

his ambition.

Because of this, Lady Macbeth “goads him into cooperating by “[premising] her

arguments on doubts about Macbeth’s manly virtue” (Ramsey 288). By calling attention to his

manhood, and using his high regard for her as his “dearest partner in greatness” (Shakespeare

50), Lady Macbeth spurs him into becoming the person he needs to be in order to become king.

By provoking and subsequently belittling his masculinity, Lady Macbeth forces him to “accept a

concept of manliness that consists wholly in rampant self-seeking aggression” (Ramsey 289),

which is mainly used to impel him into performing acts that further him in his ambitions. For

Lady Macbeth, she believes that her husband needs to have this perception in order to succeed.

Her actions often follow an end justifying the means mentality, causing her to go to extremes in

pursuit of Macbeth’s goals.

Although Lady Macbeth becomes callous and seemingly unsympathetic, her repeated

hand washing after they are covered in King Duncan’s blood and concern over the possibility

that “these hands [will] ne’er be clean” (Shakespeare 116) during the iconic sleepwalking scene

reveal that she continues to feel great guilt for her actions and that the evil entity that she called

upon never truly took her conscience from her. In all of her interactions with Macbeth, she has

been shown to comfort him during his bouts of insecurity or to direct his next actions, never once

disclosing her own inner turmoil to him. It is only during her sleepwalking that she admits her

extreme distraught over the sins that both she and Macbeth have committed, wondering “who

would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him” (Shakespeare 116) in

regards to King Duncan.

She also reveals regret over the murder of Macduff’s wife, who is killed needlessly under

Macbeth’s order, pleading that Macbeth do “no more o’ that” and commenting that he “[mars] all

with this starting” (Shakespeare 116), signifying a partnership and shared responsibility over

even actions that were outside of her control. Her plea also implies a certain amount of blame

toward her husband for the guilt he causes as a result of his murders. However, during her

breakdown, she pulls herself together regardless, addressing and comforting someone else,

presumably Macbeth, over these unalterable actions and guiding him to bed because “what’s

done cannot be undone” (Shakespeare 116). In the midst of mental instability and unbearable

guilt, she continues to assume a confident persona in order to assuage his worries and keep

Macbeth moving on his path to kingship. Even when she is losing her grip on sanity, Lady

Macbeth continues to try and help Macbeth accomplish his desires, refusing to force the weight

of her guilt upon him or to allow it to ruin his chance to become king.

Throughout the play, it is shown that Lady Macbeth’s crimes are done “in the service of

being a good wife who wishes to advance her husband” (Thomas 81). Although she is ultimately

unable to continue stifling her guilt and commits suicide, her actions until that point reflect an

unrelenting passion for seeing Macbeth’s ambitions come to fruition. Unlike any other character,

her motives have all been based on the intended success of someone else. Lady Macbeth is one

of the only main characters whose fate is not exposed by the Weird Sisters, and yet she willingly

delves into the dangerous practice of consorting with prophecies and the supernatural, betraying

her own feminine nature up until the very last moment in order to prop up the spirits of her

husband. Despite appearing to be the most evil and self-serving, Lady Macbeth’s love for

Macbeth actually leads her to become one of the most selfless, if misguided, characters in the

play. 

 

 

 

 

Works Cited

Ramsey, Jarold. "The Perversion of Manliness in Macbeth." Studies in English Literature,

1500 -1900 13.2 (1973): 285-300. JSTOR.org. JSTOR. Web. 22 Oct. 2013.

Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Macbeth. Ed. Sylvan Barnet. New York: Signet

Classic, 1987. Print.

Thomas, Catherine E. "(Un)sexing Lady Macbeth: Gender, Power, and Visual Rhetoric in

her Graphic Afterlives." The Upstart Crow 31 (2012): 81+. Academic OneFile. Web. 22 Oct.

2013.

Michael Tran

English IV

Mr. Shulkin

21 October 2013

A Guilty Conscious is The Worst Kind

The back of the mind provides a gateway to the actions you do - subconscious

thoughts often reveal true desire. Throughout history, suppressed mental cognition's

describe rare cases of psychological illness similar to female hysteria and even

schizophrenia.  William Shakespeare writes in his tragedy, Macbeth, “A little water

clears us of this deed”, describing how Lady Macbeth thinks that there will be quick

simple recovery after murdering King Duncan. The witches foretell that Macbeth will

achieve great success but “for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth” (Act 4 Scene 1)

which concludes that his reign will eventually end. Without the overwhelming fear and

guilt that possess both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth, their ambition would have led them

to great success.

Lady Macbeth is known to be the infamous drive for Macbeth's ambition. Without

her, Macbeth would not have been king. First off, the couple's ambition is strong as both

of them share the same goals - to assassinate King Duncan and become king and queen.

Once Lady Macbeth acquires the letter from Macbeth about his foretold prophecy, she

begins to conspire the murder. By unsexing herself from feminine traits to more of a

masculine type, she steps on the pedal and manipulates her husband. Her ambition is to

successfully get Macbeth to assassinate King Duncan and take the throne - she only

speaks of the plans, and does not think of carrying it out herself. This is the first time fear

is incorporated into their mastermind intentions since the both of them do not want to do

the job themselves. Lady Macbeth admits that she would not have to be sober and in the

right state of mind to kill and pins it on Macbeth who is a soldier but “afeard”.

Furthermore, fear is embodied in guilt because of the way it the fearful ideas reoccur in

your thoughts.

Her honest effort shows readers that her ambition is nothing that can be

conquered by anyone - other than herself. Macbeth is not able to stop her reign over his

actions because she is what fuels his ambition to become king and rule greatly. Through

Lady Macbeth's overconfident words to Macbeth, she thinks that they are unstoppable.

She is not scared of anybody and thinks that “none can call [their] power to account” (Act

5 Scene 1). Moving on, her bodily attempts to set up the murder by “laying down

daggers” and constantly degrading the hero, Macbeth, is what shows the true malice

behind her actions. Lady Macbeth is known for her role on her husband's emotions:  she

cannot kill the king herself because his face resembles her father but is constantly

attempting to integrate her beliefs into Macbeth until he caves and gives in to kill him.

Their morals are thrown away before the murder and come back after it, she is confused

by the fact of murder and is exasperated by the thought of the “old man [having] had so much

blood in him” (Act 5 Scene 1). The recurring themes of guilt begin to appear within Lady

Macbeth's consciousness, overwriting her very masculine ambitious ideals.

The downfall of Lady Macbeth begins with the start of continuously washing her hands

which symbolize the constant regret that she feels after her hands have gotten dirty with the

king's blood. Her actions have no real “purpose” and it is not intentional as well but delivered

through her subconscious thoughts. Somnambulism expresses her inner-thoughts very well as

she walks elusively through the night confessing her sins. Her guilt is the main cause for her

suppressed thoughts that evolve into sleep-walking. Before roaming in her sleep, Lady Macbeth

is the “master of the situation” (Coriat 1912) by maintaining herself in every possible way while

awake. Once she sleeps, the guilt emerges and she loses this mastery of controlling herself and

becomes a coward - that is her downfall. She explicitly makes a connection to what is to come of

her life by saying “hell is murky” which implies that she already knows of the destruction to

come. Her sleep throws her down in a spiral of guilt which completely undoes her and throws her

into madness. 

As Lady Macbeth fuels his ambition, he slowly gains the advantage and control of his

actions again. After Macbeth kills Duncan, he murmurs “wake Duncan with thy knocking: I

would thou coulds't” (Act 2 Scene 2). Regret begins to fuel Macbeth as he realizes how low he's

gone to become king which proves that he would do anything to take the throne. With Duncan

betrayed, and Macbeth paranoid: both husband and wife will do anything to protect their secret.

After Macbeth murders Banquo, there is an apparition of Banquo's ghost that epitomizes his

guilt. He feared that his secret of the murder would get out which nearly caused him to reveal the

truth about King Duncan. The death of Lady Macbeth tears Macbeth apart and ruined his power.

These words are spoken by him after hearing of her passing,

“She should have died hereafter / there would have been a time for such a word. /

Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow / Creeps in this petty pace from day to day / to

the last syllable of recorded time. / And all our yesterdays have lighted fools /the way to

dusty death. Out, out, brief candle. / Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player / that

struts and frets his hour upon the stage, /and then is heard no more. It is a tale /Told by an

idiot, full of sound and fury, / signifying nothing” (Act 5 Scene 5).

Macbeth realizes that life has no meaning, and loses all will to hold on. No one is left in

his life as he's already murdered Banquo and Macduff's family in the journey of becoming a new

ruler.

If both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth had not feel guilty after the murders, they would have

become reigning king and queen. Lady Macbeth suffers from female hysteria, and a case of

somnambulism that provides a linkage to her inner subconscious cowardice thoughts. Awake,

Lady Macbeth is the titan, the ruler, and the opportunist - but asleep, she is the complete opposite

where she feels the need to get rid of the guilty conscious. The turning point when Lady Macbeth

rises to the top to when her dilemma shoots down is right after the death of Duncan where built

up hypothetical fear becomes fear. Before, she questions whether or not Macbeth would be able

to assassinate the king or fail and that consumes her up until the deed is done. Recurrences of

dirtiness and impurities fill up her thoughts and lead to her ultimate downfall, death. Macbeth on

the other hand, also experiences mental shutdowns where he sees Banquo's ghost as well as a

floating dagger that isn't there. It shows that he regrets doing everything and up until the last

scene of the play where he has no more will to carry on and murder Macduff.  

 

   

 

   

 

Works Cited

Coriat, Isador H. "The Hysteria of Lady Macbeth." The Hysteria of Lady Macbeth. Isador H.

Coriat. Moffat, Yard and Company, 1912. Rpt. in Shakespearean Criticism. Ed. Laurie

Lanzen Harris and Mark W. Scott. Vol. 3. Detroit: Gale Research, 1986. Literature

Resource Center. Web. 10 Oct. 2013.

Shakespeare, William. Macbeth: Oxford School Shakespeare. Ed. Roma Gill.   Toronto, Oxford

University Press, 1997. Print.Thomas, Catherine E. "(Un)sexing Lady Macbeth: gender,

power, and visual rhetoric in her

graphic afterlives." The Upstart Crow 31 (2012): 81+. Academic OneFile. Web. 10 Oct.

2013.

Wehrs, Donald R. "Moral physiology, ethical prototypes, and the denaturing of sense in

Shakespearean tragedy." College Literature 33.1 (2006): 67+. Academic OneFile. Web.

10 Oct. 2013.

Kristi Xhelili

English IV

Mr. Shulkin

21 October, 2013                  

Dance Puppet, Dance!

Life is full of people who will use and manipulate others for personal desires. People can

be influenced and guided to the point where they are no longer their own person, but rather an

objectified tool necessary for the goal at hand. Throughout the play “Macbeth” written by

William Shakespeare, the main protagonist, Macbeth, proves to be a very manipulable person,

and thus an objectified political figure formed by others. He goes through an excruciating

process all because of an alluring prophecy told by a few witches and the excessive ambition of

his companion – Lady Macbeth. Macbeth’s actions are driven by these women and only lead him

to tyranny rather than fitful kingship. This detrimental female influence demonstrates that

Shakespeare favors a patriarchy in government. 

Prior to any female influence, Macbeth evinces to be a man of honor and great moral

value only respected – at least – by his fellow male characters. He commits no immoral acts and

only helps his country as a valuable warrior. Macbeth is rather humble before hearing the

prophecy foretold by the witches. Shakespeare depicts him as an ideal man of power. He shows

that he is content with his position as Thane, but once the idea of being king is planted in his

head, his humility begins to decline – slowly at first, and then rapidly once Lady Macbeth has

anything to say about it. The alluring idea of such a position causes him to be enamored. As a

result of this miniscule temptation, Macbeth writes a letter to his wife describing the words of the

witches. The thing that starts off as merely a delightful idea is now blown into reality by the

excessive ambition of Lady Macbeth, the prime female character. 

Lady Macbeth does not take no for an answer. She refuses to give up this chance to be in

power and thus states that she “would have plucked [her] nipple from [their unborn baby’s]

boneless gums and dashed the brains out, had [she] so sworn as [Macbeth] had done this,” (Act

1, Scene 7, line 55). In other words, she tells Macbeth that she would give up their unborn child

for this opportunity. Macbeth doubts her intense ambition and attempts to squeeze a little

rationality in the situation as he states, “We will proceed no further in this business. [Duncan]

hath honored me of late, and I have bought golden opinions from all sorts of people,” (Act 1,

Scene 7, line 31). However, as stated by critic Catherine E. Thomas, Lady Macbeth “verbally

manipulates gender values and expectations to suit her purpose.” In other words, Lady Macbeth

takes a shot as Macbeth’s masculinity, turning him into a puppet willing to do anything to prove

himself to her. Lady Macbeth does this because of her sexual disadvantage in a patriarchal

society. She even claims that she would “unsex” herself if she could, proving that she intends to

live vicariously through Macbeth. 

This causes Macbeth to commit numerous crimes in the name of his masculinity and to

prove something to his wife, which ironically makes him less of an honest “man” every time, and

by extension, less fit to be king. After murdering King Duncan, Macbeth experiences a great deal

of guilt. His conscience alarms him as he knows what he’s doing is immoral. However, that

morality decreases over time through Lady Macbeth’s influence. After a while, many people

begin to refer to Macbeth as a tyrant as his attainment of the throne was incredibly violent and

unjust due to the female influence behind it. Malcolm claims that “Not in the legions of horrid

hell can come a devil more damned in evils to top Macbeth,” (Act 4, Scene 3, line 57). This evil

reputation attached to Macbeth is, in essence, a result of the witches and his wife. According to

Kahn, “the source of his confusion are the witches, who direct their mischief toward him, and

Lady Macbeth, who seeks vicarious fulfillment through him.”   Macbeth himself says “Upon my

head they placed a fruitless crown, and put a barren scepter in my gripe,” (Act 3, Scene 1) as if

he had nothing to do with the forceful acquirement of the throne. As “he pursues a goal marked

out for him by a woman,” (Kahn 1998) he grows into a monster created by Lady Macbeth,

“untimely ripped from the bloody death of Duncan,” (Thomson).

Through Lady Macbeth, Shakespeare tells us that women are not ideal to be in

government. Her feelings and temptations get in the way of civility and are counterproductive to

the order already established by King Duncan. According to Catherine E. Thomas, “Her guilt-

filled sleepwalking scene and later suicide register therefore as bodily signs of her corruption and

self-punishment for her transgressive, evil ways.” She is a symbol of “the extreme of one form of

temptation that may beset a woman,” and “will stand for all time as an example of one phase of

woman nature with all its intricacies of thought and feeling,” (Gerwig 2003).

To contrast with Macbeth, Banquo was given “equally alluring prophetic promises,” but

proved to have a “soul too true to be corrupted,” (Gerwig 2003). Macbeth initially knows that

getting the throne would be wrong, but is later corrupted by the “self-sacrificing ambition of a

woman,” (Gerwig 2003). Lady Macbeth’s influence proves to be “like liquor, for they make

[Macbeth’s] will drunk, separating his eye from his hand and his reason from his actions,” (Kahn

1998). Unlike Macbeth, Banquo is “content merely with the prospect of transmitting a royal

inheritance,” (Kahn 1998) for his mind was immune to the influence of women.

Macbeth shows no corruption prior to the witches’ prophecy. He was a well-respected

warrior who did nothing but aid the country and its progress as a nation. He proved to be honest,

humble, and strong – things that could only help his position in the political system. However,

once corrupted by the few female characters in the play, Macbeth becomes a dishonest, immoral,

and weak human being. He forcefully takes a position of great power only to reverse the progress

of the nation rather than help it, demonstrating the terrible influence femininity can have when

empowered.

 

 

Works Cited

Cox, John D. “Religion and suffering in Macbeth.” Christianity and Literature 62.2

(2013): 225+. Academic OneFile. Web. 10 Oct. 2013.

Gerwig, George William. “Lady Macbeth.” Shakespeare’s Ideals of Womanhood. East Aurora,

N.Y.: The Roycroft Shops, 1929. 133-150. Rpt. In Shakespearean Criticism. Ed. Lynn  M. Zott.

Vol. 69. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Literature Research Center. Web. 10 Oct. 2013.

Kahn, Coppelia. “The Milking Babe and the Bloody Man

in Coriolanus and Macbeth.” Man’s   Estate: Masculine Identity in Shakespeare. University of

California Press, 1981. 151-192.  Rpt. In Shakespearean Criticism. Ed. Dana Ramel Barnes.

Vol. 40. Detroit: Gale   Research, 1998. Literature Resource Center. Web. 10 Oct. 2013.

"Macbeth." Shakespearean Criticism. Ed. Michelle Lee. Vol. 90. Detroit: Gale, 2005. Literature

Resource Center. Web. 10 Oct. 2013.

Thomas, Catherine E. "(Un)sexing Lady Macbeth: gender, power, and visual rhetoric in

her  graphic afterlives." The Upstart Crow 31 (2012): 81+. Academic OneFile. Web. 10 Oct.

2013.

Parris, Benjamin. "'The body is with the King, but the King is not with the body': sovereign sleep

in Hamlet and Macbeth." Shakespeare Studies 40 (2012): 101+. Literature Resource  Center.

Web. 10 Oct. 2013.

Lily Tran

English IV - Mr. Shulkin

October 28, 2013

Seniors

Macbeth 

In Shakespeare's play Macbeth, it demonstrates what can happen when one does

not choose to follow their conscience. The main character, Macbeth, begins the play as a

strong character that is greatly admired. However, Macbeth's strive for power affects

every aspect of his life, eventually leading to his downfall. Macbeth's wife, the three

witches, and Macbeth's own ambition all play a role in his downfall.

The witches and their prophecies are the first major influence on Macbeth's actions.

Macbeth was a noble man and was content with the position and reputation he held. Until the

witches said, "hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor, thou shalt be King hereafter." (Act 1, Scene 3, line

49). After hearing this, Macbeth wrote a letter to his wife, Lady Macbeth, explaining what had

happened when meeting the witches.  Lady Macbeth desperately wants her husband Macbeth to

be King, pursuing the throne. She wants to make her husbandcapable to commit

murder, making her dreams of the royal life come true. She approaches Macbeth with her intent

to kill King Duncan. Macbeth, although wanting the prophecy to come true, and become king,

lacks the drive as Lady Macbeth has to commit the murder. Lady Macbeth urges Macbeth to act

on his desires or he will think of himself as a coward.Lady Macbeth stating this, goes straight

into the mind of Macbeth. Now, his mind clouds in the idea of glory and honor and if he weren't

to act on his desires, perhaps he will cause dishonor for himself and see his own self as a

coward. That is why he committed the murder.

“I'll go no more:

    I am afraid to think what I have done;

Look on't again I dare not.” (Act 2, Scene 2, lines 51-53)

The ideas that clouded through Macbeth's mind, the given thoughts of glory and honor,

ended up to be dishonor for himself. Though Macbeth committed the crime, he could not accept

it. He did not believe that he murdered someone for his own desires. He would have never done

this if he never met the witches and if he had never written that letter to his wife. Macbeth is not

the only one to blame for his downfall.  

             Another factor to Macbeth's downfall was ambition. The idea of ambition is one's

determination for their desires. In some cases, ambition is good. You're able to accomplish a

personal desire. However, in the case of Macbeth, he was able to accomplish his personal desire,

but his actions were morally wrong. “To know my deed, 'twere best not know myself.” (Act 2

Scene 2 line 70). Determined to do anything for the throne, Macbeth lost himself through his

own hands.  He hungers for strength and power. He is determined to do anything for the

throne. But before being a King, one must be able to manage his country and before that, one

must know how to manage themselves.

“Is this a dagger which I see before me,The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee.I have thee not, and yet I see thee still.Art thou not, fatal vision, sensibleTo feeling as to sight? or art thou butA dagger of the mind, a false creation,

    Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain?” (Act 2, Scene 1 lines 33-39)   

In this scene, Macbeth analyzes the dagger in front of him. Thinking that if he grabs hold to the

dagger, he will be able to send King Duncan to his death. Shakespeare creates the illusion of the

dagger to symbolize Macbeth's insanity towards becoming the new king. This shows him starting

to lose his piece of mind and self-control. “After Macbeth grows more sinful and overpowered

with greed he does not make any real attempt to change, and his conscious is bothered by this.

Slowly Macbeth loses grasp of his sanity and self-control.” (Macbeth: Witches Influence on

Macbeth's Decisions) Obsessed with power, Macbeth does not let anything stand in his way of

reign, “because his reign is all that he has left now.” (Macbeth: Witches Influence on Macbeth's

Decisions) 

            Adolf Hitler was one of history's greatest dictators. He believed that a group of

backstabbers had wounded Germany. Therefore, he vowed to avenge German nationalism and

pride through political actions. He joined a small Nationalist group. Doing so altered the being of

Adolf Hitler. He wasn't always a bad guy. People praised him before WWI due to his

outstanding characteristics. However, joining the small Nationalist group turned Hitler “into a

street-fighting, terror bringing, extreme left-wing, political machine.” (Desmond Seward) He

killed all those opposed to him and of intellectuals who he thought could conquer him. Now,

why did he do this? What was his ambition? His ambition was to avenge German nationalism.

However, in the process, he became a dictator. His goal was to protect those in Germany. But

when doing so, he had to kill some of those who were in Germany. For example, Jewish people

and German intellectuals were killed. Doing this did not show his ambition clearly. Like

Macbeth, they both wanted something, whether it was a throne or if it was to better their nation.

Either or, they both earned so much power through horrific deeds.   

            After being named king, “Macbeth's misery and eventual downfall is caused by his own

insecurities and misguided determination to take control of his future.” (Macbeth: Witches

Influence on Macbeth's Decisions) The witches' prophecy concerning Banquo's children and

Macbeth's feeling of weakness to Banquo lead Macbeth to arrange murder for Banquo and his

son Fleance. Having Banquo around reminds Macbeth of the act he pursued for his own desires,

the crime that he had committed. Also, the thought that it will be Banquo's son Fleance to take

over the throne from Macbeth rather than his own children makes Macbeth even angrier.  

                      “Bring forth men-children only, 

                                  For thy undaunted mettle should compose

                     Nothing but males. Will it not be received,” (Act 1, Scene 7, lines 73-75) 

Here, Macbeth exclaims to his wife saying that if she were to give birth, she must only

bare children who are men. Macbeth's desire for glory and honor makes him go mad. 

           Acting upon his desires, creating all these sins, Macbeth lost himself. Macbeth's strive for

power affects every aspect of his life, leading to his downfall. Macbeth's wife, the three witches,

and Macbeth's own ambition all play a role in his downfall.

 Work Cited

1) "Macbeth: Witches Influence on Macbeth's Decisions." 123HelpMe.com. 23 Oct

2013                       <http://www.123HelpMe.com/view.asp?id=17245>.

2) Seward, Desmong. "The House of Ice: Napoleon and Hitler - A Comparison and                                                                                                                                   Contrast." The House of Ice: Napoleon and Hitler - A Comparison and Contrast. The House of Ice, Web. 23 Sept. 2013. <http://houseofice.tripod.com/history/napoleonandhitler.shtml>.

Caleb Encarnacion-Rivera                                                                                        

Honors English IV

Mr. Shulkin

10/21/13

“He Himself Hath Suffered Being Tempted”    –Hebrews 2:18

           Humankind is prone to temptation and evil.  Throughout our history there have been

catastrophic events due to the evil nature that is present in humanity.  Many times this evil nature

stems from a lust for dominance, or power. Temptation is a powerful force that can bind us into

committing actions we would never have thought possible.  Evil and temptation do not go

without punishment: death, revolt, and exile.  The ideas of evil and temptation and their outcome

on humanity are evident in the Bible.  The Bible is full of text with morals and lessons, focused

on human experience with sin through the actions of temptation driven by evil.  The Bible has

influenced the many stories and pieces of literature, which use different messages and draw

parallels to different biblical characters. An example of this is Shakespeare's play Macbeth. The

main character Macbeth and his relationship among different characters are a parallel of different

biblical stories and figures. Moreover, Macbeth specifically embodies the biblical ideas of evil,

temptation, sin, and death. 

 

            Throughout the Bible evil is a force that is constantly combated against.  It presents the

story of creation to the era of tribulation and the end of times.  Evil was a root brought upon man

by the deceiver (the Devil).  However the Deceiver was not always a deceiver, in fact he was

God’s right hand, the Bible states "You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you

were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked" (Ezekiel

28:14).  Macbeth is the Thane of Glamis and is favored by King Duncan. Like Macbeth, Lucifer

was in power and favored by God.  Despite Lucifer’s respect for God, who created him, he

thought that he could defeat God.  He thought that he could be better than God, allowing his

ambition and lust for power to destroy him. Iris Henry argues “In the play Macbeth we observe

that the relationship between Macbeth and the king tends to parallel Lucifer and God.  Both

Lucifer and Macbeth hold high positions in the kingdoms of their master, but their ambition to be

king creates a conflict.” The Bible states "Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you

corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I exposed you

before kings, to feast their eyes on you (Ezekiel 28:17).  Lucifer allowed his lustful mentality to

be like God over take him, forgetting who his creator was.  His temptation to overthrow God led

to evil, turning him into the deceiver he remains to this day.

            Macbeth impersonates Lucifer, as he longs for the title of king.  Macbeth allows his

temptation to overtake him, leading him to become evil, killing people left and right to satisfy his

own desire.  Like Lucifer, Macbeth was once favored and highly respected by the king, but turns

into a malicious individual with every evil intent in order to maintain power. Henry states

“Shakespeare presents sin in the full context of a Biblical Perspective.  The phenomena of

temptation, guilt, [and] despair… are included in almost all the tragedies.” Macbeth allows evil

to hijack his mentality, driving him to carry out a series of sinful acts such as those Henry listed.

However, evil does not just sporadically appear, but stems from the water and nourishment of

temptation, such as the potion given to Macbeth after he consults with the witches. After

drinking, he evolves and becomes the evil being he is. 

            Temptation is a force that can be more powerful than anything a human has experienced.

It leads an individual into trials and turmoil, with only the satisfaction of one act in one moment.

For Macbeth that one moment was killing Duncan and claiming the throne, but the trials and

tribulations ultimately proceeded.  Temptation is something that can grow from the support of an

external entity, who provokes an individual to fall into the temptation. In The Bible's creation

story, Eve is tempted by the serpent to eat the forbidden fruit.  It is presented to her as something

beautiful, with great outcomes.  The serpent tells her “‘You will not certainly die… For God

knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing

good and evil’” (Genesis 3:4-5).  Eve heard this and saw "that the fruit of the tree was good for

food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it"

(Genesis 3:6).  

            Eve is enticed by the fruit and the power that she thought that she would obtain from it,

and the temptation led her into disobeying God.  In addition the witches in the story of Macbeth

can be looked at like the serpent in the story of Adam and Eve.  This is because they reveal the

prophecy to Macbeth who then tells his wife.  When Lady Macbeth hears about the prophecy she

is attracted to the fact that her husband could be king.  Moreover the witches lead her into the

temptation of killing Duncan.  This is where Lady Macbeth embodies the persona of Eve:

because just as Eve provoked her husband into eating the fruit, Lady Macbeth “a parallel of Eve,

tempted her husband, which led to his fall” (Henry 6).  That fall was murdering Duncan. “So just

as Eve persuaded Adam to seek knowledge and be wise, Lady Macbeth [persuades Macbeth] to

seize the crown” (Henry 6). Just as Eve allowed temptation, provoked by the serpent to overtake

her, leading then her husband into temptation. Lady Macbeth allows temptation provoked by the

witches to overtake her which in turn takes over her husband over. Both Eve and Lady Macbeth

had a desire for power, and both of their temptations seemed enticing. But because their actions

can be identified as sin in the end- both lead themselves and their husbands into punishment. One

being exile and the other being death. 

           The Biblical verse "For the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). Is a true statement for

Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, as the sins they committed brought them to death.  Their malicious

acts that were supposed to lead to their success led to their death. Macbeth dug himself deeper

and deeper into a hole, to cover up what he had done.  His wife is also a liar, and in the end of

the play they both ended up dead because of their lies.  Moreover this is a direct parallel to the

story of Ananias and Sapphira in the Book of Acts.  Ananias and his wife Sapphira sell land, and

keep the money instead of giving it back to church where it rightfully belongs.  They then lie to

the church about what they did, and the Apostle Peter tells Ananias "You have not lied just to

human beings but to God”(Acts 5:4). When he heard this "he fell down and died" (Acts 5:5).

Later his wife Sapphira encounters the Apostle, and she too falls dead for her act of lying.  Here

is a prime example of the verse previously mentioned in Romans as both individuals lie, leading

to them dropping dead.  Both couples act with malicious intentions.  Ananias and his wife want

money and Macbeth and his wife want power.  Both couples took the approach of lying to satisfy

their greed, but in then end both couples paid with death as their punishment. 

            Shakespeare's play Macbeth draws a direct connection to biblical texts and Christian

morals.  Macbeth and his wife Lady Macbeth are representations of biblical stories and ideas:

evil, temptation, sin, and death.  Like Lucifer, Macbeth allows evil to evolve him into a being,

that goes from greatly respecting King Duncan to killing him.  Like Eve, Lady Macbeth allows

the witches to tempt her into killing Duncan, and convinces her husband to carry out the task.

Like Ananias and Sapphira both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth lie to cover up all of their diabolic

actions. Those actions accumulate greatly- in the end, death conquers them before they can fully

conquer the throne. To conclude, Macbeth and his wife are a prime example and examples of the

book of James 1:14-15 which states "each person is tempted when they are dragged away by

their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin,

when it is full-grown, gives birth to death."

Works Cited

Henry, Iris. “Teaching Shakespeare Within the Context of Christian Faith: A Case Study of         

Macbeth.” Rev. of Macbeth, William Shakespeare. West Indies Union of SDA 16-28

June 1996. Print.

Bible. King James Version. U.S.A: Stampley Enterprises, 1986. Print.

Hector Miron                    Macbeth Essay

Mr.Shulkin

12 Senior

12/22/13

 

Freewill vs. the Three Witches over Macbeth

When decisions one makes determines their own fate is rather different from

someone telling you what’s going to happen. If some outside source tells you

what’s going to happen and it’s not what you want - and does not fit what you are

expecting one might want to change that. In Macbeth by William Shakespeare, the

main character Macbeth has to deal this and his free will was not actually freewill

it was actually controlled by the tree witches in the book. Who kept telling him

what was going to happen, manipulating his decisions, his every move.

In the beginning of the book when the tree witches meet Macbeth for the

first time, they tell him “All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter” (pg 61).

They are all pumping him up and telling he will be king after. He is pleased to hear

this because now he comes to believe that he is actually going to be king, and his is

where the witches play games with him because late before they leave they finish

by telling him “Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none,” (pg 63) letting

Macbeth know that Fliance is going to be next in the throne.

This is where Macbeth starts to over think things out and his free will comes

in play. He doesn’t want another person to be king, he wants to stay king, and he

will do anything for it to happen. He takes it into his hands to try to kill Fliance

while there is still chance. This is himself trying to control his fate which he has

hundred percent control of. But if it wasn’t for the witches letting him know what

the future had in store for him he wouldn’t have put it into his hands to attempt and

try to kill Fliance. Luckily he escaped in time before this ever happen. But this

shows the witches role in this play and how can easily manipulate Macbeth free

will by as just telling him what is going to happen in the future. So even though

Macbeth is trying to exert his free will to change the prophecy, it’s still fate

because he’s doing these things because the witches essentially told him he would?

Macbeth freewill is really being control by the witches, its Macbeth body

who’s committing the actions but it’s the witches who are playing games with

Macbeth. As Noone might say it “The world of Macbeth is intertwined with the

supernatural, from the opening scene of the witches’ meeting tot the final

confrontation between Macbeth and Macduff, in which the witches’ prophecies

come to haunting fruition,” (paragraph 7) here she’s is saying that Macbeth lives in

this world completely not natural to mankind, he seems too always want to be in

control of the situation or conflict he is facing, he wants the upper hand. Example

when he kills Duncan he did that just because he wanted to be king. But obviously

killing a king is not going to be easy for someone to hide. So this is a situation

where he has the upper hand and comes up with a master plan, this proves he has

freewill over his decisions but if it wasn’t for the witches that got his hopes up in

the begging of him becoming king, this wouldn’t have never actually happened.

Macbeth throughout the book sometimes doubts his decisions, he knows

what’s moral and what isn’t. But that doesn’t stop his ambition to obtaining his

king position, and it’s not his own ambition only. Lady Macbeth plays a big role in

this too, she brain washes Macbeth telling him that this is the best for both of them.

This makes Macbeth even more power hungry and that effects the choices he has

in his life. His free will is driven not only by the witches but by his wife as well.

And this does not help the cause.

Later in the book the witches return again, and again playing mind games on

Macbeth. The witches let him know to beware of Macduff, they say “Macbeth!

Macbeth! Macbeth! Beware Macduff. Beware the thane of fife. Dismiss me.

Enough” (pg 195). This is where the witches once again play with Macbeth’s

freewill, they let him know that Macduff is after the throne next. And obliviously

Macbeth will do anything to try to protect what he worked so hard to get in the first

place. So he goes and tries to kill Banquo who is the dad of Macduff. He figured

that they were planning something so he acted his freewill here that was controlled

by simple telling him the future. So he goes ahead and kills Banquo but fails to kill

his son. His fate is set for him, but these witches are just leading him faster to his

fate than what he was expecting.

The witches like to play games with Macbeth knowing that he will do

anything to stay in power. His freewill is not even freewill in his part. His freewill

throughout this whole play was control by the three witches playing mind games

with him. And in the end Macbeth get defeated and Malcom becomes king. There

was no escaping he died as the witches predicted. His freewill acted in the favor of

the witches as well. 

 

Works Cited

"'Macbeth' Quotes." About.com Classic Literature. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Oct. 2013.

"Macbeth Fate vs. Free Will." Prezi.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Oct. 2013.

 "The Relationship Between Macbeth and the Witches." The Relationship Between

Macbeth and the Witches. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Oct. 2013.