Shakespeare was a strong supporter of the ruling powers of England, first Lady Elizabeth then King James I. The acting company that performed Shakespeare’s plays often performed for the king and queen. When King James I became the ruling power in England Shakespeare’s acting company was renamed the “King’s Men” (2014). 1606, the year that the play Macbeth was written and first performed, was King James’ third year as ruler of Great Britain (2017, June 21). King James I was Christian, and Shakespeare used his plays to express respect for his King by encouraging Christianity (2014). The character Lady Macbeth in Shakespeare’s play Macbeth shows the consequences of not having faith in the Christian God.
Lady Macbeth had felt that God betrayed …show more content…
Calling to God’s greatest enemy, the Devil, Lady Macbeth asked him to “unsex [her]” (p. 12). Satan himself worked with Lady Macbeth to take away her morals that would prevent her from helping Macbeth become king. Lady Macbeth believed that the only way Macbeth would become king was if the current king, King Duncan, died. She cunningly persuaded Macbeth, her husband, to also go against God and actually commit the murder. Similar to the snake that tempted Adam and Eve with knowledge and power, Lady Macbeth promised her husband the throne of Scotland. When Macbeth opposed his wife’s plan to slaughter Duncan, Lady Macbeth attacked him with the “valour of [her] tongue” (p. 12). Macbeth’s manly pride was targeted when Lady Macbeth said, “When you durst do it then you were a man” (p. 17) No longer is Macbeth the strong soldier that Lady Macbeth once loved, for she sees him as a coward who chooses to serve the king rather than become king. To restore his dignity, Macbeth begrudgingly agreed to his wife’s sinful …show more content…
As punishment for her sins, Lady Macbeth had watch the only person she loved, her husband, descend into madness. Macbeth first showed signs of poor mental health when he hallucinated a dagger in the beginning of Act II that led him to murdering King Duncan (p. 20). This early in the play, Macbeth was still able to acknowledge the fact that he was hallucinating. Macbeth blamed his disorientation on a “heat-oppressed brain,” but it was not a one-time occasion. Lady Macbeth had to watch as her husband continued to deteriorate. Directly after committing murder, Macbeth told his wife that he heard a voice say, “Macbeth shall sleep no more” (p. 23); for the rest of the play Macbeth did not sleep. Following the murder, Macbeth became king, but in his sleep deprived, maddened state he pushed all of the aristocrats away (p. 45). He made the status of king fruitless for Lady Macbeth and
Lady Macbeth had felt that God betrayed …show more content…
Calling to God’s greatest enemy, the Devil, Lady Macbeth asked him to “unsex [her]” (p. 12). Satan himself worked with Lady Macbeth to take away her morals that would prevent her from helping Macbeth become king. Lady Macbeth believed that the only way Macbeth would become king was if the current king, King Duncan, died. She cunningly persuaded Macbeth, her husband, to also go against God and actually commit the murder. Similar to the snake that tempted Adam and Eve with knowledge and power, Lady Macbeth promised her husband the throne of Scotland. When Macbeth opposed his wife’s plan to slaughter Duncan, Lady Macbeth attacked him with the “valour of [her] tongue” (p. 12). Macbeth’s manly pride was targeted when Lady Macbeth said, “When you durst do it then you were a man” (p. 17) No longer is Macbeth the strong soldier that Lady Macbeth once loved, for she sees him as a coward who chooses to serve the king rather than become king. To restore his dignity, Macbeth begrudgingly agreed to his wife’s sinful …show more content…
As punishment for her sins, Lady Macbeth had watch the only person she loved, her husband, descend into madness. Macbeth first showed signs of poor mental health when he hallucinated a dagger in the beginning of Act II that led him to murdering King Duncan (p. 20). This early in the play, Macbeth was still able to acknowledge the fact that he was hallucinating. Macbeth blamed his disorientation on a “heat-oppressed brain,” but it was not a one-time occasion. Lady Macbeth had to watch as her husband continued to deteriorate. Directly after committing murder, Macbeth told his wife that he heard a voice say, “Macbeth shall sleep no more” (p. 23); for the rest of the play Macbeth did not sleep. Following the murder, Macbeth became king, but in his sleep deprived, maddened state he pushed all of the aristocrats away (p. 45). He made the status of king fruitless for Lady Macbeth and