Lady Macbeth Villain Analysis

Improved Essays
Show More
“Of direst cruelty; make thick my blood, stop up th’access and passage to remorse”. I believe that Lady Macbeth is the truly evil villain of this play. In this play, Shakespeare evoked many negative themes in Lady Macbeth. She had made many spiteful tendencies which leads to her act and avarice to gain the power of the country and the name, Queen of Scotland. By the end of this essay, it will prove that Lady Macbeth is the true villain of this play.

In Act 1 Scene 5 “it is too full o’th’milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way”. It portrays that Lady Macbeth fears that her milky husband, Macbeth is lacking the courage to grab the crown and the nearest way she sees it is to kill King Duncan. This shows that Lady Macbeth is the villain in this play. …show more content…
Lady Macbeth is referring to Macbeth that she is going to persuade Macbeth to be the King and seduce him. On the other hand, she wants to influence him with her own cruelty and inspire him with the courage to take over Duncan’s position by murdering him. Being a woman was considered weak in the olden days by the masses, after reading the letter, Lady Macbeth was not aghast by the content that her husband was going to be the King of Scotland prophesied by the three witches. However, manipulating Macbeth to kill Duncan and eventually become King was her first reaction. As the outset, Lady Macbeth has a greater strength of will than her husband, while Macbeth hesitated she never wavers. She is also determined on the course to pursue power, nothing could turn her away until her ambition is reached. I think that she could also refer as a cold-blooded person as she thinks to murder King Duncan after reading the

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Lady Macbeth Act 2 Analysis
    • 176 Words
    • 1 Pages

    Lady Macbeth Act 2 Analysis

    In act 2, scene 2, Lady Macbeth shows strong commitment towards the marriage, as she is willing to do anything to prevent Macbeth from being caught. For example, she says "I'll gild their faces...for it must seem their guilt." This shows that she is thinking of him, and ways to reassure him while he is in a panicked state. She tells him to give her the daggers, so her dominant side is taking over in the relationship once again, much like in earlier scenes where she tends to break the feminine stereotype and fit in better with the masculine one. She says "the sleeping and the dead are but as pictures" which means she is saying they look the same, which may give them extra time to cover up the fact that they have killed King Duncan.…

    • 176 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Lady Macbeth Act 1 Scene 4 Essay
    • 861 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Lady Macbeth Act 1 Scene 4 Essay

    ACT 1 SCENE 4 Question 8: Lady Macbeths fears do contradict with what we’ve already learnt about Macbeth. Macbeth is labelled as an extremely skilled soldier who has mastered the art of the sword and combat. He is also described as a noble and loyal person and is a ruthless killer on the battle field. It is because of these traits, it resulted in him becoming a thane Cawdor. In act 1 scene 5 she says “It is too full o’ the milk of human kindness.”…

    • 861 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    How Is Lady Macbeth Responsible For Duncan's Death
    • 711 Words
    • 3 Pages

    How Is Lady Macbeth Responsible For Duncan's Death

    In other words, Lady Macbeth feels that Macbeth is overly kind, and that this will stop him from being able to seize the crown. She feels that the only way for them to reach their goal would be to “play false”, to do the wrong thing. Throughout her soliloquy succeeding the reading of the letter, Lady Macbeth asks spirits to “…unsex me here. Make thick my blood… Come…

    • 711 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    To What Extent Was Responsible For Macbeth's Downfall
    • 582 Words
    • 3 Pages

    To What Extent Was Responsible For Macbeth's Downfall

    After the three witches prophecy, Macbeth has written his wife a letter telling her about the prophecy, planning on waiting for it to come true naturally. Instead of agreeing with that, she came up with a plan to murder the king. After Macbeth telling his wife that he didn’t want to kill King Duncan, she told him that he was weak, and not women like. “That made you break this enterprise to me? When you durst do it, then you were a man; And to be more than what you were, you would Be so much more the man, (1.7.57-58).”…

    • 582 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Theme Of Masculinity In Macbeth
    • 1720 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Theme Of Masculinity In Macbeth

    One can then see that Lady Macbeth is the more powerful one in their relationship when she replies by saying “Consider it not so deeply.” (Act II Scene II). In the next act, Macbeth cannot go through with killing anyone else so he hires people to murder for him. He tries to act courageous around them by saying “ ‘Tis better thee without than within. Is he dispatched?”…

    • 1720 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Lady Macbeth Figurative Language
    • 556 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Lady Macbeth Figurative Language

    Lady Macbeth is exhibited as a manipulative and forceful character who negatively influences other characters through Shakespeare’s use of harsh word choice and author’s craft elements in the passage above. Macbeth was refusing to kill King Duncan because he knew in his heart that it was the wrong decision to make. However, Lady Macbeth used her wily words in order to get her way and alter her husband’s opinion. The words that Macbeth has stated in his part of the passage, “We will proceed no further in this business.” (Mac. I.vii.31), indicate that he was very against Lady Macbeth’s scheme of killing King Duncan before she attempted to convince him to in her next lines.…

    • 556 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    What Is Lady Macbeth's Ambition
    • 423 Words
    • 2 Pages

    What Is Lady Macbeth's Ambition

    When Lady Macbeth persuades Macbeth to murder King Duncan it demonstrates Lady Macbeth’s ambition. Lady Macbeth’s greatest trait is her ambition and resolve which she demonstrates is much greater than her than her husband. While Macbeth is, hesitant and is distrustful towards the supernatural forces compelling him to kill Duncan, she never wavers. Her strength of her determination that exceed her husbands is shown through her famous lines about will to rid herself of her femininity. “Come, you spirits, That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full Of direst cruelty.…

    • 423 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Who Is Lady Macbeth Evil
    • 1062 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Who Is Lady Macbeth Evil

    In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, the true evil personalities of both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth are portrayed. After learning that Macbeth could one day possibly become king, the couple decides to do whatever it takes. Lady Macbeth is very manipulative and convinces Macbeth that the only way he will ever be king is if he kills Duncan, the king at the time the prophecy was given. After killing Duncan Macbeth begins to show his evil tendencies by killing many innocent people without the help of Lady Macbeth. Throughout the play both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth struggle with their need for power making them both evil; however, Macbeth is shown to be more evil due to his lack of emotion and sanity.…

    • 1062 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Gender Role In Macbeth
    • 1201 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Gender Role In Macbeth

    In an essay about the unnatural women of Macbeth written by Elizabeth Klett, she states, "Lady Macbeth takes the more 'manly ' role, providing an example of courage and resolve that [Macbeth] must follow if he wants to fulfill his desires" (Klett). From the very beginning, Lady Macbeth realizes that her husband is weak and unable to carry out any murderous deed. She also acknowledges that if she wants to become Queen one day, she must do something about his inability to hide his own emotions. Lady Macbeth is also extremely manipulative to her husband, Macbeth. For instance, while she is conspiring to murder King Duncan, Lady Macbeth states, "That I may pour my spirits in thine ear/ And chastise with the valour of my tongue" (I v 26-27).…

    • 1201 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Examples Of The Flaws In Macbeth
    • 1041 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Examples Of The Flaws In Macbeth

    Macbeth Essay In Shakespeare’s play, “Macbeth” written in 1606, the main character Macbeth is flawed in a number of ways. In the first paragraph the idea of tragedy and it relationship to Macbeth is shown. The second paragraph looks at the relationship between Macbeth and all other characters during the play. The last paragraph looks at how Macbeth deals with his guilty conscience throughout the play.…

    • 1041 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    Lady Macbeth The True Villain Analysis
    • 1605 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Lady Macbeth The True Villain Analysis

    Macbeth is torn and is under a lot of pressure because Lady Macbeth is saying that if he does not go through with the plan, then like his love for her, she will assume that he is not serious about what he says, including their love. She then further insults his masculinity by saying that if he were a true man, then he would dare to do what he had said he would, in this case, murdering King Duncan. “When you durst do it, then you were a man; / And to be more than what you were, you would / Be so much more the man,"(1.7.56-58). Lady Macbeth tries to manipulate Macbeth by saying that if he dares to think about killing King Duncan, it will show that he is a man, but to actually commit the…

    • 1605 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Lady Macbeth Manipulation Quotes
    • 1169 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Lady Macbeth Manipulation Quotes

    In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, the main character Macbeth is a very ambitious man, with an equally ambitious wife who will stop at nothing to make sure she gets what she wants. Lady Macbeth,wife of Macbeth, is a very complex character, and over the course of the play, she displays on numerous occasions her ability to put on a strong and masculine face for Macbeth. While a major part of the play is Macbeth’s deep and dark desires to become king, Lady Macbeth also has secret ambitions of her own. Because of these ambitions, she manipulates Macbeth so that she can reach her own personal goals. She is able manipulate Macbeth in that she calls him a coward, she makes herself as ruthless as possible, and she questions his masculinity.…

    • 1169 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    Macbeth Villain Quotes
    • 1748 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Macbeth Villain Quotes

    To have the emotions to co-ordinate this murder, Lady Macbeth calls on spirits to “unsex me [Lady Macbeth] here/ And fill me, from the crown to the toe, top-full/ Of direst cruelty” (1.5.43-46). A true villain is someone who hurts the people that care for them. King Duncan, who is a fair and good king, plans to visit their castle in Inverness just to congratulate Macbeth, but in the mind of Lady Macbeth, the death of Duncan is a small price…

    • 1748 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Is Lady Macbeth Responsible For King Duncan Death Analysis
    • 1226 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Is Lady Macbeth Responsible For King Duncan Death Analysis

    Is Lady Macbeth more responsible for King Duncan’s death? Is Lady Macbeth is more evil than her husband? Lady Macbeth was a component during the murder however she cannot be accused of being more responsible for King Duncan’s death. Lady Macbeth was not eviler than her husband Macbeth.…

    • 1226 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    The Downfall Of Hubris In William Shakespeare's Macbeth
    • 1229 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The Downfall Of Hubris In William Shakespeare's Macbeth

    Macbeth is a play written by William Shakespeare about a “dead butcher and his fiend like Queen” (5.8.82). In the beginning of the play, the main character Macbeth is a noble war hero who is honest and morally upright. Macbeth is then introduced to a group of evil witches who begin to play psychological mind games on him, which eventually lead to his destruction. The major causes of Macbeth’s downfall are hubris, errors in judgement, and forces beyond his control. One character flaw Macbeth possesses is Hubris.…

    • 1229 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More

Related Topics

Ready To Get Started?
Discover
Company
Follow
©2024 Cram.com
Privacy Policy |  About Ads |  Site Map |  Advertise  | 
  • Cookie Settings