Lady Macbeth - A fiend like queen or lady of remorse?

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Natalie Jackson 12E

Lady Macbeth: fiend like queen or a lady of remorse?

 In the play, Lady Macbeth fits into the historical context as she fulfils her role as that of a hostess. At the time of Macbeth, women were expected to play the role of a hostess in their homes. We discover Lady Macbeth enacts the role of a hostess very well as she receives praise and compliments from Duncan:-

        "Fair and noble hostess..." [Act One Scene Six Line 23]

There is definite irony in this situation. She is respected by Duncan but Lady Macbeth has plotted his murder.

We first encounter Lady Macbeth when she is reading the letter from Macbeth, describing his meeting with the witches. Lady Macbeth's first words are:-

        "Glamis thou art, and Cawdor; and shalt be..." [Act One Scene Five Line 14]

At this early stage, we come across Lady Macbeth's objective to be crowned Queen, but this drive is not supplied by the sole purpose of having such a title; it is based on support and love for Macbeth. Lady Macbeth also exposes her evil intentions in order for her plot to prosper:-

        "That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan..." [Act One Scene Five Line 38]

This is Lady Macbeth's plot to murder Duncan, but she has an obstacle in her path, her husband, Macbeth. Lady Macbeth knows her husband well and is aware of his limitations, she feels Macbeth may be too kind and gentle to murder:-

        "Yet do I fear thy nature:

          It is too full o' the milk of human kindness..." [Act One Scene Five Line 15]

This is unusual as women were generally and stereotypically seen as being nurturing and gentle at the time.

To combat her husband's kind nature, she finds methods to manipulate him:-

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        "That I may pour my spirits in thine ear..." [Act One Scene Five Line 25]

While her husband has his limitations, Lady Macbeth also has a restriction, her feminine nature. If it were not for her femininity, she would be able to go through with the murder herself:-

        "That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here..." [Act One Scene Five Line 40]

She then calls on "murdering ministers" to divest herself of her feminine nature. This desire to be associated with "murdering ministers" links Lady Macbeth with the Witches, as they are both now affiliated with evil. Another connection Lady ...

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