Explore how Duncans murder affects the relationship of Lady Macbeth and Macbeth

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Explore how Duncan’s murder affects the relationship of Lady Macbeth and Macbeth

        For many people the act of love is not an expressed emotion, but a grinding power that grips control on every direction of life. As a pair the Macbeths possess love but it is not directed at each other. Instead it is their love for power and their fuel for greed. They do not address each other as ‘my dearest love’ or ‘darling’, but flatter each others ambition with ‘my dearest partner of greatness’ and ‘worthy thane’. This occurs both before and after the murder. From the beginning they are partnered in crime not in love as married couples are. They are united with a unique ambition that in end destroys the thin thread that united them as a couple.

        After receiving the letter but before Macbeth arrives back at the castle, Lady Macbeth realizes that in order for them to become King and Queen of Scotland, they will have to murder the present King, Duncan. Lady Macbeth realizes however that Macbeth does not have the ‘courage’ to perform such an act of treachery against his beliefs and religion. She uses the unusual metaphor “too full o’th’milk of human kindness” to describe him as she believes he’s too much a moral man to kill his king for his own gain. Lady Macbeth however is so cruel that killing the king is an act that must be carried out.  It then falls to her hands to spur him on or is her “fell purpose”. “Chastise in the valor of my tongue” and “that I may pour my spirits in mine ear” suggest that Lady Macbeth will do everything within her power to make Macbeth kill the King. However this is not an act of compassion from Lady Macbeth, but a forcefull way to get herself into power. She doesn’t care that Macbeth has a heart that cannot justify the act of murdering his own king, all that’s important to her is that he does it

        Both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth have an uneven balance of characteristics that in turn have a great effect on their relationship, especially if they are escalated by the act of murder. Malice, ambition and ruthlessness are among the few that the couple show towards each other and the act of murder itself. Lady Macbeth holds the vast majority of these characteristics to a greater degree than Macbeth. At the promise of her “partner of greatness” becoming King, Lady Macbeth is not at all hesitant to betray her religion and use witchcraft to escalate her capability to murder, making her crueler and giving her a black heart. She does this by calling to the spirits: “Come thick night, Come you spirits” to shield her untrue actions from god. Also, “Fill me from the crown to the toe topfull of direst cruelty”; her desperation to make sure that she wishes to be entirely cruel is clear. A characteristic that Lady Macbeth possesses along with ambition to become Queen is cold, malicious, ruthlessness.

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         Macbeth however is a fighting warrior for his country, and therefore his king. To even consider harming his king is complete and utter betrayal to his King, religion and pride. But once he hears the witches prophecy his curiosity overpowers his upmost beliefs, and he is drawn into the possible reality of their words. He insists to Lady Macbeth “they have more in them than mortal knowledge”. He is severely  ruthless in deciding that he shall fulfill his destiny in the easiest and fastest possible way as his reward is too great to ignore. He is so ruthless in fact ...

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