In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the characters of Lady Macbeth and the three witches drive the happenings of the play. Lady Macbeth and the witches exhibit multiple similarities that help them work in tandem. The witches give the predictions, and Lady Macbeth convinces Macbeth to fulfill them by violent means. The witches and Lady Macbeth are different parts in a machine to that builds the action. While the witches and Lady Macbeth are similar, their fundamental differences cause the witches to gain more control over Macbeth. Lady Macbeth and the witches both work to define and enforce gender and masculinity to control Macbeth, but lady Macbeth’s need to be other and the witches natural inclination to it are what separate them. Lady Macbeth’s
…show more content…
Lady Macbeth’s forced otherness breaks down. The witches are other because of their supernatural abilities, but also because they are removed from society. They do not benefit if Macbeth becomes king or if he is killed. They are only ominous being that tell visions of the future. Their otherness is natural; they do not have to force themselves to be it. Lady Macbeth has to continually force herself to be detached. Eventually, she cannot continue with this trend. When Macbeth’s antics start to threaten their secret, she has to exhibit her more human qualities; like dependence on Macbeth’s position, and society in a larger context. This can be seen at the couples’ dinner party when Macbeth sees an apparition of Banquo’s ghost and causes a scene. Lady Macbeth intercepts Ross’ questions for Macbeth and shows a different side of herself. She tells Ross, “I pray you, speak not / He grows worse and worse” (3.4.116). Lady Macbeth does not tell her husband to act like a man instead she protects him. she lessens her otherness by showing compassion for her husband’s mental state. She is a part of society by being at this dinner, by wanting to stop Macbeth’s outburst in front of company, and by protecting him against people’s …show more content…
Macbeth grows to trust the witches more, instead of confiding in his wife. Macbeth goes to the witches for advice, and it is their advice that placates him and gives him confidence in his power – even if it is false confidence. He calls on the witches to answer his questions, even when he knows there are risks. “I conjure you by which you profess / Howe’er you come to know it, answer me” (4.1.66-67). He recognizes that they are supernatural (then most likely viewed as sinful and evil), but he goes on in this dangerous discourse anyway. He seems to have an unwavering dependence on them. We see a few reasons for this dependence on the witches’ prophecies. There is a precedent for their prophecies having true value. Macbeth did become thane of Cawdor and then King. The fact that they do not have any stake in his success makes their visions that much more believable. They are not trying to see a certain outcome. Lastly, they are still other. They still hold power over Macbeth in that they are so different from him and, therefore, dominant over him. They have the ability to see visions that no one else has. The witches remain unaffected by Macbeth’s preferences, which reinforces their natural
Lady Macbeth’s forced otherness breaks down. The witches are other because of their supernatural abilities, but also because they are removed from society. They do not benefit if Macbeth becomes king or if he is killed. They are only ominous being that tell visions of the future. Their otherness is natural; they do not have to force themselves to be it. Lady Macbeth has to continually force herself to be detached. Eventually, she cannot continue with this trend. When Macbeth’s antics start to threaten their secret, she has to exhibit her more human qualities; like dependence on Macbeth’s position, and society in a larger context. This can be seen at the couples’ dinner party when Macbeth sees an apparition of Banquo’s ghost and causes a scene. Lady Macbeth intercepts Ross’ questions for Macbeth and shows a different side of herself. She tells Ross, “I pray you, speak not / He grows worse and worse” (3.4.116). Lady Macbeth does not tell her husband to act like a man instead she protects him. she lessens her otherness by showing compassion for her husband’s mental state. She is a part of society by being at this dinner, by wanting to stop Macbeth’s outburst in front of company, and by protecting him against people’s …show more content…
Macbeth grows to trust the witches more, instead of confiding in his wife. Macbeth goes to the witches for advice, and it is their advice that placates him and gives him confidence in his power – even if it is false confidence. He calls on the witches to answer his questions, even when he knows there are risks. “I conjure you by which you profess / Howe’er you come to know it, answer me” (4.1.66-67). He recognizes that they are supernatural (then most likely viewed as sinful and evil), but he goes on in this dangerous discourse anyway. He seems to have an unwavering dependence on them. We see a few reasons for this dependence on the witches’ prophecies. There is a precedent for their prophecies having true value. Macbeth did become thane of Cawdor and then King. The fact that they do not have any stake in his success makes their visions that much more believable. They are not trying to see a certain outcome. Lastly, they are still other. They still hold power over Macbeth in that they are so different from him and, therefore, dominant over him. They have the ability to see visions that no one else has. The witches remain unaffected by Macbeth’s preferences, which reinforces their natural