In scene six Lady Macbeth treats Duncan honourably and gracefully. She’s acting like a gracious hostess and giving the impression that everything is perfectly fine and not giving away anything about the plan or to what she is thinking. Plus by putting on an act she is making sure that everyone is not on guard and making sure that when the deed is done she doesn’t get blamed for the murder in any way. In scene seven she is showing her feelings for Duncan splashing in a pool of hatred and anger because he alone is the very person who is standing in her way of being queen plus when Macbeth changes his mind, quoting “That tears shall drown the wind. I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition, which o’er-leaps itself and falls on the other.” meaning that ambition is the only motive, Lady Macbeth blows and says outrageous things.
In both of the scenes, six and seven, in act one Lady Macbeth’s state of mind is very cold and calculated. She’s two faced, thinking one thing and doing another, and she’s very ambitious about becoming queen because when Macbeth changes his mind about the plan Lady Macbeth doesn’t give up and she persuades him so, as weak as Macbeth may seem, he agrees to it and she expresses the point that they wont fail with their deed and the fact that everything is planned perfect. Basically she’s a bit too over confidant, like plotting a conspiracy to kill someone and going ahead with it is an everyday thing for her. Plus she acts cold hearted and a bit like a poisonous snake ready to attack at the king with full force and venom.
Macbeth’s reason not to Duncan are clear, he has many reasons one of which is the fact that Macbeth is both Duncan’s kinsman and Duncan’s subject quoting, “First, as I am his kinsman and his subject”. Another reason is because of judgement on earth and his future quoting “But in these cases, we still have judgement here” he is looking ahead of time to see what would happen if the deed is done. He also wants to enjoy the praises he has earned as tough they were clothes, quoting “He hath honour’d me of late”. His reasons are very believable and when we read what he is thinking we, the readers, think that he is not going to go ahead with the plans but to our surprise he does.
It seems that Lady Macbeth doesn’t put a lot of effort into persuading Macbeth because he agree without any argument, all she says is the fact that he was a man but now he is a coward. Plus she points out the fact that he has sworn to it and she tells him how far she would go to keep the same promise as Macbeth had done so quoting “The babe that milks me: I would, while it was smiling in my face, have pluck’d my nipple from his boneless gums, and dash’d the brains out, had I sworn as you have done to this.” She makes sure that she makes the plan sound fool proof and tells him the details so that he will know that no one will suspect them.
In conclusion to this essay in my opinion Lady Macbeth had a major part in Duncan’s murder because she planted the seed of the conspiracy into Macbeth’s head and when he decided not to go ahead with it she persuaded him to do it so that she can be queen. Even tough Macbeth gave in quite quickly it would be hard for a man not to give in, in that case because Lady Macbeth is using emotional Blackmail to get what she wants and getting her husband to do her dirty work for her. As we read on in the play she doesn’t have much knowledge in anything else she is deeply involved in Duncan’s murder.
Meshaal Ihtasham
9L
