Power In Macbeth

As a secondary character, Lady Macbeth plays an important role as she advances the plot of the play and reveals the theme of unlawful power. To begin, Lady Macbeth starts the plot of the murder of Duncan. After learning the witches’ prophecy for her husband, Lady Macbeth seeks out to seat Macbeth on the throne. She plans, “The raven himself is hoarse/That cracks the fatal entrance of Duncan/Under my battlements” (1.5.41-3). Lady Macbeth takes matters into her own hands to allow Macbeth to be king. Macbeth’s crown is a sign of unlawful power as Lady Macbeth chooses to dethrone her own cousin to make her husband king. Next, Lady Macbeth pressures Macbeth to commit regicide and belittles his hesitation as weakness. The murder of Duncan is essentially Lady Macbeth’s idea which demonstrates …show more content…
Lady Macbeth’s put downs display her determination to obtain the crown and power. Lady Macbeth pinpoints Macbeth’s manhood to persuade him to commit regicide so Macbeth will be unrightfully throned. Moreover, the determination to gain royal status, eventually lead Lady Macbeth and Macbeth to their deaths. To become king, Macbeth, under the strong influence of Lady Macbeth, commits regicide; however, shortly after the act, he doubts himself, “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood/Clean from my hand?/No; this my hand will rather/The multitudinous dead incarnadine,/Making the green one red” (2.3.77-80). Macbeth’s guilt mentally scars him and taints him forever of this deed to gain unlawful power. Also, the murders Macbeth commits to remain King, haunts Lady Macbeth, causing her sickness and finally, resulting to her suicide. Under the sickness of sleepwalking, Lady Macbeth says, “Here's the smell of blood still: all the/perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand”