Explain what Act 1, Scene 7 tells us about the characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. What is troubling Macbeth at the beginning of the scene and how does Lady Macbeth persuade him to go through with the murder of Duncan?

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25th October 2009                                

        Macbeth essay- Explain what Act 1, Scene 7 tells us about the characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. What is troubling Macbeth at the beginning of the scene and how does Lady Macbeth persuade him to go through with the murder of Duncan? To what extent is this the turning point in the play?

        The play of Macbeth epitomises everything that is great about Shakespeare. Relentless action, tragic deaths aplenty and, most importantly, several scenes that can be interpreted a number of ways, scenes that have sparked debate among actors, directors, students and scholars. Macbeth is one of the Bard’s most popular tragedies, a genre of plays made popular by the playwright thanks to his explosive writing style and complex characters. The play also encompasses many themes that were popular during the age in which it was written; witchcraft being one. The witches have a small but important role in Macbeth, and their presence no doubt made the play more popular to the watching crowds.  

        One of these such scenes is Act 1 Scene 7. The scene deals with Macbeth being persuaded to kill the King by his wily and determined wife. She ultimately triumphs due to her successful use of many persuasive techniques but is later overcome with guilt- guilt that leads to her apparent suicide. Conversely, in Act 1 Scene 7 and the scenes leading up to this pivotal part in the play she is steely and unremorseful, callous and cold. “Unsex me here!” being evidence of her disgust at the traditional roles of women and her determination to gain power. Macbeth is also portrayed as power hungry, he is deeply angry when the King’s son is made a Prince instead of him: “The Prince of Cumberland…that is a step, in my way it lies”. Instead he has to settle for becoming the new Thane of Cawdor. However his human side is revealed in the soliloquy that opens Act 1 Scene 7, further adding to the complexity and curiosity of the scene. Initially it seems that Macbeth’s complexity win him the audiences empathy directly after the scene, but it is likely that the majority of the audience will disagree with who to empathize with, as both characters represent different feelings and also the divide between the sexes.

        The play is rich in historical and social context. The play was performed not long after King James took the throne. James was known to be a firm admirer of Shakespeare’s talents, and the play could, in turn, of been a mark of respect directed from Shakespeare to James. The theme of regicide and a royal line in the play is startlingly similar to how James himself acquired the throne. In the play, Macbeth forcefully takes the throne from Duncan, until Macduff defeats Macbeth and returns the throne to the royal line. This could be related to Oliver Cromwell winning the English civil war, taking the crown from its royal line and making himself Lord Protector, until his death when the crown is given to James and the royal line.

        The association of the Thane of Cawdor with greed and treachery could also be related to a real historical event. Thomas Howard was cousin of the Queen and had a great desire for power. He was highly bitter about being made Thane of Cawdor by Queen Elizabeth, instead feeling he was worthy of a higher title. He saw in opportunity with Mary the opportunity to be “King hereafter”, yet he never gained the power he yearned for. Most of the audience would have been aware of Thomas Howard and his title could have influenced their opinion on Macbeth as a fellow Thane of Cawdor. Shakespeare would have deliberately made this association to warn the audience that Macbeth wasn’t as good as he seemed, whilst also hinting at the slightly “cursed” position of Thane of Cawdor.

        Lady Macbeth’s behaviour in Act 1 Scene 7 goes a long way in changing the course of the play, as she actively and passionately persuades (or bullies?) Macbeth into the murder of King Duncan. Lady Macbeth uses a variety of persuasive techniques, all used to help her achieve one goal: that of persuading Macbeth to go forward and carry out his promise.

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        In the Scene, Lady Macbeth is quick to point out the original plan was deceived by Macbeth: “That made you break this enterprise to me?”. She is accusing Macbeth of breaking a promise, made from husband to wife. This gives the impression that Lady Macbeth is questioning her husband’s manhood for; surely, any decent husband would uphold a promise he made to his wife. The line also contradicts an earlier image portrayed by Lady Macbeth, thus making her a compelling and unpredictable character, traits an audience love. In Act 1 Lady Macbeth spits the line: “Unsex me here!” however, just ...

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