Macbeth - Discuss if the impact on the audience of Lady Macbeth is greater in Act1, Scene5 or in Act5, Scene1'.

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Macbeth

‘Discuss if the impact on the audience of Lady Macbeth is greater in Act1, Scene5 or in Act5, Scene1.

 Lady Macbeth is the wife of Macbeth. After concerning a battle Macbeth accidentally bumps into three witches, his life drastically changes after this gathering. The witches predict he will hold three important roles in the future, “All hail Macbeth! Hail to thee, thane of Glamis! Hail to thee, thane of Cawdor! That shalt be king hereafter”. The witches inform him of being thane of Glamis, something he is already aware of. Due to the first fact being true Macbeth and Lady Macbeth automatically assume the second two predictions will be as correct as the first. Lady Macbeth plays an important role in the play, as she encourages her husband to follow the path of evil and betrayal.

Lady Macbeth’s first appearance is during scene five. After the witches have informed Macbeth of the predictions he writes a letter to his wife to give her the strange news. Immediately, after reading the letter, Lady Macbeth has vast amounts of plans for her husband. All related to murder and betrayal.

During the Shakespearean times women were completely different to women of the twenty first century. Women didn’t have the ability to be independent like women today. Before they were married they belonged to their fathers and relied on them. After, finding a husband they would rely on their husbands and belonged to them. If they didn’t find a husband they would be looked down upon. Any relationship that was outside of marriage was strongly disliked. Women had no rights. The purpose of their life was to find a husband and produce children. Women were inferior compared to the opposite sex.

Lady Macbeth would alarm the audience during Act 1 scene 5 as she’s depicted as the complete opposite to the average Elizabethan woman. Lady Macbeth is depicted as an educated, confident and manipulative woman. Women during the Elizabethan times lacked education and tended to be illiterate. During, Act1 scene 5 Lady Macbeth receives a letter from her husband, she reads the letter without any problems. This indicates she had some form of education in order to be able to have read the letter.

When Lady Macbeth calls upon the spirits to posses her and to take away her womanly qualities she would leave the audience stunned. Generally, women of the Elizabethan times would be extremely feminine. If a woman worked it was seen as masculine. How would an audience act to a woman of the time wishing “Come you spirits. That tend on moral thoughts, unsex me” – It certainly would leave them shocked. An Elizabethan audience would be offended by Lady Macbeth’s wishes, as women were supposed to work on their feminine side not the opposite.  Lady Macbeth’s wishes would also offend an audience of the twenty first century as their studying of women in the Elizabethan times were extremely feminine and proud of it, whereas Lady Macbeth contradicts their intelligence and beliefs of women in that time.

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Lady Macbeth is presented as a demanding woman during Act1 Scene 5; she seems to give her husband the orders. During the Elizabethan times the male was the one in charge. The husband would give the orders; yet again Lady Macbeth contradicts this statement. “Your hand, your tongue: Look like th’innocent flower, But be the serpent under’t.” – Here lady Macbeth is telling Macbeth to present himself as innocent as a flower, to hide away his serpent qualities (sly). Shouldn’t it be Macbeth telling his wife how to act? But instead it’s his wife telling HIM what to do. ...

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