The Role Of Manipulation In Macbeth

It can be said that in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, there are many characters that influence Macbeth’s downfall, but can it be said that Lady Macbeth has the largest role in this incident? Lady Macbeth’s manipulation is the catalyst that fuels Macbeth’s power. She challenges his manhood. She manipulates his thoughts and actions. She also appeals to his sense of greed. Many other characters in Macbeth contribute to his downfall, but Lady Macbeth is the closest to her husband and has the greatest influence on his life choices. Essentially, Lady Macbeth challenges Macbeth’s manhood by constantly belittling his choices and actions, manipulating him into doing what he should not do, which helps him gain power. After receiving a letter from Macbeth, she starts talking about her thoughts on his future, saying that she “fears [his] nature;” and that he is “too full [of] the milk of human kindness” (I.v.15-16). She feels that he is too nice, and that he is not capable of taking the crown from King Duncan. The only way that Macbeth will ever be able to become king, is if he listens to Lady Macbeth’s advice, and kills Duncan. By going against his own conscience, Macbeth completes his task. This action starts his …show more content…
Lady Macbeth challenging her husband’s manhood is just the start of her manipulation. Through her words, she influences and transforms Macbeth’s thoughts and actions so that it helps him gain power. Similarly, she appeals to her husband’s greed and is able to use his greed to demand more power. Some might say that the Three Witches’ insight to Macbeth’s future sparks his longing for power, but without his wife’s manipulation, he would not get very far. To a large extent, Lady Macbeth should be held responsible for his rise to power, as she supplies his feeling for greed, but she should also be blamed for his unfortunate