"Lady Macbeth is the real driving force behind the murder of Duncan."

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 “Lady Macbeth is the real driving force behind the murder of Duncan.”

William Shakespeare wrote Macbeth for James І.  James І was king of Scotland and became king of England after Queen Elizabeth I’s death.  James I actively supported theatre and gave lots of money to support it.  He believed very strongly in witchcraft and the supernatural.  A curse was put on him, which strengthened his belief, and kept witches being executed.  James I never died from the curse but it kept his belief in their power very strong.

In act 1 scene 3 it starts by Macbeth and Banquo meeting the witches on the health.  It starts by Macbeth being told by the witches that he would be thane of Glamis and thane of Cawdor.  Macbeth acts excited, is very curious, and wants to believe the prophecy.  Macbeth also seems disbelieving, not because he does not believe their power, but because he can’t imagine being Cowdor or King.  Macbeth takes the prophecy very seriously and gets lost in his thoughts.  He tries to puzzle out how the prophecy may be true but nothing suggests that he was thinking of murdering King Duncan at this stage.  But like anyone he is thinking how it could be possible to become King.  As for Banquo he is apprehensive and thinks the witches were a hallucination.  Banquo is less curious and seems a lot more innocent.                                                                                              Here is where it starts, the witches plant the seed in Macbeth’s head that he has a good chance of being king and so the first thing he does is write to his wife Lady Macbeth.

In comparison to the normal eleventh century wife, Lady Macbeth is not the typical partner. The ordinary wife of that time is caring, loyal, a good hostess expected to obey her husband and produce his heir. Lady Macbeth is all of these, except that she doesn’t obey her husband; their marriage is a partnership, based on trust, friendship and love, something rare for that time. Macbeth is fond of his wife; when writing to her he calls her his “dearest partner of greatness”. He tells her everything, valuing her opinion, wanting to please her with the news of the prophecies. By writing to Lady Macbeth, it also shows that she is literate, another unusual quality for a wife of the eleventh century. With Lady Macbeth and the heavily contrasting image of the typical eleventh century wife, we are presented with a disturbing juxtaposition. Clearly, there is more to Lady Macbeth than meets the eye.

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In Lady Macbeth’s response to the letter from Macbeth, we see more of her uncommon qualities. Immediately after reading the letter, she becomes ambitious for what Macbeth has said is promised to her – to be queen. She wants to believe it and she wants the crown now, and has to plan to get it. She identifies Macbeth as the potential weakness to the plan. She knows his personality; he has ambition but he is more willing to wait for kingship, to come by it honestly that to take it. “[Thou] art not without ambition, but without the illness should ...

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