How does Lady Macbeth promote Macbeth's plot? How does she manipulate other characters, especially her husband, and what is the aftermath? What effect does her behaviour have on herself? These questions will be answered in the examination of the role of Lady Macbeth.
Lady Macbeth sets up her plan immediately after having read Macbeth's letter in which he reports of three witches' prophecies of him being thane of Glamis, becoming thane of Cawdor and finally King. After the fulfilment of the first prophecy that Macbeth would become thane of Cawdor, it is no question for Lady Macbeth that her husband should and will become the King of Scotland. So she does not hesitate to take the decision to talk him into murdering the present King. The consequences of her decision and her following behaviour will be examined in this term paper.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Gender Roles in the Shakespearian Play Macbeth
3. Lady Macbeth's Influence on the Plot of Macbeth
3.1 Act One – Lady Macbeth as Decision-Maker
3.2 Act Two – The Plan Succeeds
3.3 Act Three – Keeping Up Appearances
3.4 Act Five – Getting to Feel the Consequences
4. Conclusion
5. Bibliography
Objectives & Research Focus
This paper examines how Lady Macbeth’s assertion of masculine traits and subsequent manipulation influence the tragic trajectory of William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth. It explores the tension between her performative masculinity and the eventual collapse into psychological distress, analyzing whether her actions act as the primary catalyst for the regicide and the ensuing catastrophe.
- Analysis of gender discourse and female evil in the Elizabethan era.
- Lady Macbeth’s influence on the decision-making process regarding the murder of King Duncan.
- The psychological impact of regicide on both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.
- The role of "keeping up appearances" and the eventual unraveling of the conspirators' mental states.
Auszug aus dem Buch
3.1 Act One – Lady Macbeth as decision-maker
The first act contains two key scenes for the development of the role of Lady Macbeth. In scene five and seven she makes the decision to kill King Duncan on the basis of the letter she receives from her husband in which he explains the prophecies given by the three witches (cf. Lott 1960, 33/33) and on the information that the King will visit their castle to stay overnight (cf. ibid., 33/37).
In her first appearance, Act One, scene five, she is alone and reads out Macbeth's letter. After she has done this, her monologue starts with the words: "Glamis thou art, and Cawdor; and shalt be | What thou art promised." (ibid., 33). She repeats Macbeth's prophecy and immediately comes to the decision that this prophecy "shalt" be fulfilled completely. For her, there is no doubt about that, however, she knows that her husband might hesitate to come to this decision as well: "Yet do I fear thy nature: | It is too full o' the milk of human kindness | To catch the nearest way." (ibid.). In this passage two things become obvious: Lady Macbeth has decided "t[o] catch the nearest way" which is to kill the King (cf. ibid., 32), and she sets up Macbeth as a risk for her plan because his temper is too soft. It is as if she knows her husband very well because she estimates that he would like to become King as soon as possible but he fears to do the act that is necessary to fulfil this wish (cf. ibid., 32 – 33).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Presents the research question concerning how Lady Macbeth promotes Macbeth’s plot and the lasting effects of her behavior.
2. Gender Roles in the Shakespearian Play Macbeth: Discusses Elizabethan gender models and the expectations of masculinity and femininity in relation to Lady Macbeth.
3. Lady Macbeth's Influence on the Plot of Macbeth: Examines how the protagonist influences the play's action through her manipulation of Macbeth.
3.1 Act One – Lady Macbeth as decision-maker: Analyzes the pivotal moment when Lady Macbeth decides to pursue the crown regardless of her husband’s hesitation.
3.2 Act Two – The Plan Succeeds: Details Lady Macbeth's role in the actual commitment of the regicide and the immediate management of the aftermath.
3.3 Act Three – Keeping Up Appearances: Focuses on the maintenance of social facades during the feast as Macbeth begins to succumb to hallucinations.
3.4 Act Five – Getting to Feel the Consequences: Explores the mental deterioration of Lady Macbeth as the true cost of their actions manifests.
4. Conclusion: Summarizes the finding that Lady Macbeth is the primary instigator of the tragedy and its eventual outcome.
5. Bibliography: Lists the academic sources used to support the analysis of Shakespeare’s drama.
Keywords
Lady Macbeth, Macbeth, William Shakespeare, Gender Roles, Regicide, Elizabethan Age, Female Evil, Psychological Manipulation, Tragedy, Galenic Medicine, Plot Development, Ambition, Guilt, Unsexing, Femininity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this paper?
The paper focuses on the character of Lady Macbeth and her pivotal influence on the development of the plot in William Shakespeare's tragedy, Macbeth.
What are the central thematic areas?
The core themes include the intersection of gender roles in the 17th century, the exercise of female power, the psychological consequences of regicide, and the distinction between masculine and feminine behaviors.
What is the primary research question?
The work investigates how Lady Macbeth promotes the plot, how she manipulates those around her, what the aftermath of her decisions entails, and how her behavioral shifts affect the resolution of the play.
Which scientific method is applied?
The author uses a literary analysis approach, drawing upon historical gender discourse, Aristotelian views on gender, and Galenic medicine to interpret Lady Macbeth’s actions and motivations.
What is covered in the main section?
The main section analyzes Lady Macbeth’s progression from "decision-maker" to her ultimate mental breakdown following the murders of King Duncan and Banquo.
How can this paper be summarized by its keywords?
The paper is defined by the study of Lady Macbeth's specific brand of "female evil," her manipulative strategies, and the inevitable catastrophe resulting from her influence on Macbeth.
Does Lady Macbeth regret her choice to "unsex" herself?
The paper suggests that while she initially rejects her femininity to pursue power, she eventually falls back into perceived "female weakness" and guilt, leading to her mental health crisis.
How does the author characterize Lady Macbeth’s influence on the plot?
The author argues that Lady Macbeth acts as a "decisive pivot" in the tragedy, noting that without her influence, the regicide would likely not have occurred.
- Citation du texte
- Master of Education Marie Sophie Jendrusch (Auteur), 2015, Female Evil in Shakespeare, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1236021
