To What Extent Do You Agree With The Idea That Lady Macbeth Is A Fiend - Like Queen?

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To What Extent Do You Agree With The

 Idea That Lady Macbeth Is A

Fiend – Like Queen?

In William Shakespeare’s play “Macbeth” the audience sees two very different sides of Lady Macbeth.  At the start of the play Lady Macbeth is shown to be ruthless, conniving, fiend-like and remorseless. The phrase fiend-like conjures up an image of a cruel, evil and wicked person. In the play the audience sees that Lady Macbeth has a lust for power. She believes that her ambition to become queen will come true after reading Macbeth’s letter with tells her of his meeting with the witches and their prophecy that Macbeth will become king. Shakespeare wrote “Macbeth” so that throughout the play tension is built up and the play relates strongly to witchcraft and the supernatural to which audiences at that time could relate to.

The play Macbeth appeals to the audience as throughout Shakespeare’s life witches and witchcraft were the object of morbid and fevered fascination. Between 1560 and 1603 persecution of witches reached terrifying proportions. Hundreds of people, nearly all women, were convicted as witches and executed.  Witches were credited with diabolical powers. They could predict the future, fly, sail in sieves, bring on night in daytime, cause fogs and tempests and kill animals. It was believed that witches allowed the devil to suck their blood in exchange for a “familiar,” a bird, reptile or beast to act as an evil servant. Accused witches were examined for this mark, a red mark on the body where Satan had sucked blood.

King James I was as fascinated by witchcraft as any of his subjects. In 1590 it was alleged that a group of witches had tried to kill him. Fired by this experience King James personally investigated other witchcraft cases. In 1597 he published “Demonology” a book on witchcraft. When he became King he ordered its immediate printing. England was a Christian country. Although deep divisions existed between Protestants and Catholics, nearly everyone believed in heaven and hell, and lived in fear of eternal damnation, a consequence of witchcraft. People who watched Macbeth saw in it the signs of a man and woman seized by demonic possession.

Signs of demonic possession include going into trances “look how our partner’s rapt,” changed appearances “why do you make such faces?” inability to pray “amen stuck in my throat,” visions “is this a dagger which I see before me?” and invitations to evil spirits to possess one’s body “come, you spirits.”

Lady Macbeth believes that for her ambition to be queen to come true she needs to kill the current King and calls upon evil spirits to help her. In the 16th century murdering a King would be regarded as much worse than an ordinary murder, as people believed in the Divine Right of Kings. People believed that Kings were appointed by God. Only somebody who is truly evil would even consider regicide like Lady Macbeth. This displays how fiendish Lady Macbeth is, she has committed a crime against God and she will go to hell “hell is murky.” However, at the end of the play the audience discovers another side to Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth is now unable to confront evil. She is driven mad with the guilt of the murder of the king which shows her weakness and this results in her committing suicide. Shakespeare shows the audience through Lady Macbeth’s death that the fiend is destroyed and that good has overcome evil and that Lady Macbeth has got her just deserts.

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At the beginning of the play, Macbeth can be described as being loyal, courageous and noble. He is liked, trusted and respected by everyone around him. It is also clear from the outset of the play that Lady Macbeth is also a respected noble like Macbeth. King Duncan calls Lady Macbeth "our honoured hostess." She is shown to love her husband and Macbeth feels the same towards her. He shows this by wanting to protect her from danger; this is shown when Macbeth says to her "Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck." At the same time Lady Macbeth ...

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