Batch : M.A (First semester) 2022-24
Roll No.20
Enrollment number :4069206420220007
Paper Name :
Literature of the Elizabethan and Restoration Period
Assignment Topic : Critical Analysis of 'Lady Macbeth'
Paper Number : 101
Paper code : 22392
Critical Analysis of 'Lady Macbeth'
All the students, teachers, writers and critics,who have read the play 'Macbeth' are having one picture of the character of 'Lady Macbeth' or aware of the character of 'Lady Macbeth'.As a part of the literature and Shakespeare had written it,the play 'Macbeth' becomes a masterpiece and how does the character of 'Lady Macbeth'is true to contemporary time will be discussed in my assignment of her Critical Analysis.
Introduction of the play 'Macbeth'
William Shakespeare had given four most famous tragedies to English literature and 'Macbeth' is one of them which tells the story of a Scottish nobleman, and his own ambition to become King published in 1623.
Characters of the Play
Macbeth :
Macbeth is initially presented as a Scottish nobleman and a valiant warrior. However, after listening to the prophecy delivered by the Three Witches in which he is told he would be king, he is overcome by blind ambition, and, strongly encouraged by his wife, he kills the king to usurp the throne. His thirst for power is counterbalanced by paranoia, which leads to his downfall.
Lady Macbeth :
Macbeth's wife, she thinks her husband's nature is too full of kindness. She is the one who devises the plot for her husband to murder King Duncan, and is initially less fazed by the deed than her husband. However, she eventually unravels too, and commits suicide.
The Three Witches :
Whether they control fate or are merely its agents, the Three Witches set the tragedy in motion: they deliver Macbeth and his companion Banquo with a prophecy that the former shall be king, and the latter shall generate a line of kings. These prophecies have a great influence on Macbeth, who decides to usurp the throne of Scotland.
Banquo.
Banquo is another Scottish thane who was with Macbeth when the witches delivered their prophecy. He is told that he will father a line of kings while not becoming king himself. After the king's murder, Macbeth feels threatened by Banquo and has him murdered by hired assassins. Yet, Banquo returns as a ghost at a banquet, visibly startling Macbeth, who is the only one who can see him.
Macduff.
Macduff finds King Duncan's body after he was murdered and immediately suspects Macbeth. Eventually, he murders Macbeth.
King Duncan.
The wise and firm king of Scotland at the beginning of the play, he is murdered by Macbeth so he can usurp the throne. He represents moral order in the play, which Macbeth destroys and Macduff restores.
These are the characters and their introduction of the play 'Mackbeth'.
Now let's begin with the Critical Analysis of 'Lady Mackbeth' amongst them 😊.
Lady Macbeth :
Lady Macbeth is the wife of protagonist Character of 'Mackbeth' who is having clear Sense of herself.
She appeared at first time in the play by reading the letter of her husband and the letter scene is telling a lot about her character.
SCENE V. Inverness, Macbeth's castle.
Enter LADY MACBETH, reading a letter
LADY MACBETH Reading the letter :
They met me in the day of success: and I have learned by the perfectest report, they have more in them than mortal knowledge. When I burned in desire to question them further, they made themselves air, into which they vanished. Whiles I stood rapt in the wonder of it, came missives from the king, who all-hailed me 'Thane of Cawdor: by which title, before, these weird sisters saluted me, and referred me to the coming on of time, with 'Hail, king that shalt be!! This have I thought good to deliver thee, my dearest partner of greatness, that thou mightst not lose the dues of rejoicing, by being ignorant of what greatness is promised thee. Lay it to thy heart, and farewell."
Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and shall be What thou art promised: yet do I fear thy nature;
It is too full o' the milk of human kindness To catch the nearest way: thou wouldst be great; Art not without ambition, but without The illness should attend it: what thou wouldst highly, That wouldst thou holily; wouldst not play false, And yet wouldst wrongly win: thou'ldst have, at That which cries 'Thus thou must do, if thou have it: And that which rather thou dost fear to do
Than wishest should be undone. Hie thee hither, That I may pour my spirits in thine ear, And chastise with the valour of my tongue All that impedes thee from the golden round, Which fate and metaphysical and doth seem
To have thee crown'd withal."
Many of the critics are considering Lady Macbeth as a loving and supportive wife who is happy with her husband's success and supporting him in 'Every way' she is able for.
In the play she is a ambitious lady who can do anything to reach at her goal which is highly problematic.
After reading the letter she determines to make predictions real for her husband and thinks for actions they need for it and that is the murder of king Duncan.
Personality of Lady Macbeth :
LOVED AS AN EQUAL
"my dearest partner of greatness"
WITCH-LIKE of
"Come, you spirits..."
MASCULINE
"...unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty!"
MANIPULATIVE/GOADING
"Art thou afeard to be the same in thine own act and valour as than art in desire?"
HONOURABLE
"I would [...]have[...]dash'd the brains out, had I so sworn"
SOME CONSCIENCE
"Had he not resembled my father as he slept, I had done it"
CONTEMPTUOUS
"Infirm of purpose!"
FEARFUL
"She has light by her continually"
GUILT-RIDDEN
"What, will these hands never be clean?"
"All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand"
"Doctor: more needs she the divine than the physician"
COMMANDING
"Go get some water, and wash this filthy witness from your hand"
ADMIRED
"...They understand mettle should compose nothing but males"
DETERMINED
"...Screw your courage to the sticking place and we'll not fail"
SELF CONFIDENCE
"Leave all the rest to me"
CUNNING
"... Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under'+"
RUTHLESS
"O, never shall sun that morrow see!"
EAGER TO INFLUENCE
"Hie thee hither, that I may pour my spirits in thine ear"
As shown here in these dialogues which are showing personality of Lady Macbeth that she had determined that her husband is willing to become a King then he must become,when she comes to know that there is only the one way to make Mackbeth a King is 'Death of king Duncan' and she finds the opportunity to kill him she didn't wait it to happen by natural death of Duncan.
Her strong point is that after determination,she never looked back till she gets it, this kind of personality is still lacking in many women and men that they are not true to their ambition and are always waiting for some sources to do it for them.
Lady Macbeth herself didn't killed Duncan she inspired Macbeth because he was willing to become the king As Macbeth became ready to kill mackduff she denies.
When Mackbeth is regretting the murder he had done she tells him that whatever is done can not be undone.
Dark side of Lady Macbeth
Lady Macbeth have achieved success to lead her husband towards kingship but she killed a good King Dunken for that.
She had done it for her husband and guide him to murder it was good if she had done by thy self rather than guiding someone.
In her opinion,to have human kindness or the milk of kindness is not a good thing for an ambitious person.
If Duncan would not resembled her father, Lady Macbeth would kill him that is significant here that she can do anything with any person out of her family to reach at her goal.
Conclusion
In the time of the Elizabethan Age, women were doing household work well but Shakespeare made his character doing arrangements for the plan and supporting the another.Having courage and strong will power is the positive side of Lady Macbeth.
When there is the matter of Psychology, when Lady Macbeth is different from all the women arround her that she didn't discussed her guilt and that is the reason she is having nightmares, sleep walking and feeling guilty because she had driven her husband to murder.
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