Kennedy Stewart
Ms.Mazeppa
English 4/Period 8
6 January 2016 Lady Macbeth: Not Responsible For Duncan’s Murder
Macbeth is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. The play is filled with betrayal and drama that gets the reader hooked immediately. In fact, there is a controversy whether Lady Macbeth is to blame for the death of King Duncan over Macbeth himself. She is not. Each person is responsible for their own actions, someone else can not make one do something that they don't want to do,and someone who can persuade another person into committing a horrific act like murder is not capable of doing the act themselves. Although Lady Macbeth used a highly manipulative method on Macbeth, she is not more responsible for the death of King
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Lady Macbeth did not physically kill the King therefore she is not more responsible than he. The following quote provides the action. “I have done the deed. Didst thou not hear a noise?” (Macbeth 2.2 14). If Macbeth was the one who did the actual killing, why should Lady Macbeth be more responsible. If one does not physically do something than they are not legally responsible for the action. Lady Macbeth simply used persuasive methods to get Macbeth to do the dirty work. “Which thou esteem’st the ornament of life, And live a coward in thine own esteem, Letting “I dare not” wait upon “I would,” Like the poor cat i' th' adage?” (Lady Macbeth 1.7. 42-45). She says nothing about killing Duncan herself, just uses her words to get Macbeth to do so. The act Macbeth performed on King Duncan is first degree murder according to "First Degree Murder." Findlaw. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Jan. 2016. It is explained as detailed planning and the act of performing the murder. In Macbeth’s case, he is the one held responsible. You can not kill someone if you are not willing to. Macbeth had to have some sort of desire in him to have actually gone and kill Duncan. Lady Macbeth would have …show more content…
It was his own temptation to be king that fueled his want to kill Duncan. He wanted to kill the king, he just needed someone to push him to do so. According to "Dictionary.com." N.p., n.d. Web, your conscience is defined as “the inner sense of what is right or wrong in one's conduct or motives, impelling one toward right action.” Lady Macbeth can not be held more responsible for the murder because of her conscious. She may seem like she is very tough and evil, though she doesn't perfrom the murder herself because of it. “Had he not resembled My father as he slept, I had done ’t.” (Macbeth 2.2 12) In this excerpt we get a feel to Lady Macbeth’s soft side. She could not murder Duncan herself because he reminded her of her father. This shows that she does intact have a sense of what is right and wrong. If she did not care, she would have killed him regardless looking like her father. “The thane of Fife had a wife. Where is she now?—What, will these hands ne'er be clean?—No more o' that, my lord, no more o' that. You mar all with this starting.” (Macbeth 5.1 30) The following excerpt shows how Lady Macbeth felt the guilt of the murders and needed to “wash” the blood off her hands, except it
Lady Macbeth did not physically kill the King therefore she is not more responsible than he. The following quote provides the action. “I have done the deed. Didst thou not hear a noise?” (Macbeth 2.2 14). If Macbeth was the one who did the actual killing, why should Lady Macbeth be more responsible. If one does not physically do something than they are not legally responsible for the action. Lady Macbeth simply used persuasive methods to get Macbeth to do the dirty work. “Which thou esteem’st the ornament of life, And live a coward in thine own esteem, Letting “I dare not” wait upon “I would,” Like the poor cat i' th' adage?” (Lady Macbeth 1.7. 42-45). She says nothing about killing Duncan herself, just uses her words to get Macbeth to do so. The act Macbeth performed on King Duncan is first degree murder according to "First Degree Murder." Findlaw. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Jan. 2016. It is explained as detailed planning and the act of performing the murder. In Macbeth’s case, he is the one held responsible. You can not kill someone if you are not willing to. Macbeth had to have some sort of desire in him to have actually gone and kill Duncan. Lady Macbeth would have …show more content…
It was his own temptation to be king that fueled his want to kill Duncan. He wanted to kill the king, he just needed someone to push him to do so. According to "Dictionary.com." N.p., n.d. Web, your conscience is defined as “the inner sense of what is right or wrong in one's conduct or motives, impelling one toward right action.” Lady Macbeth can not be held more responsible for the murder because of her conscious. She may seem like she is very tough and evil, though she doesn't perfrom the murder herself because of it. “Had he not resembled My father as he slept, I had done ’t.” (Macbeth 2.2 12) In this excerpt we get a feel to Lady Macbeth’s soft side. She could not murder Duncan herself because he reminded her of her father. This shows that she does intact have a sense of what is right and wrong. If she did not care, she would have killed him regardless looking like her father. “The thane of Fife had a wife. Where is she now?—What, will these hands ne'er be clean?—No more o' that, my lord, no more o' that. You mar all with this starting.” (Macbeth 5.1 30) The following excerpt shows how Lady Macbeth felt the guilt of the murders and needed to “wash” the blood off her hands, except it