Lady Macbeth Essay

Lady Macbeth: In the play â€Å"Macbeth† written by Shakespeare the character Lady Macbeth is duplicitous. â€Å"†¦look like th’innocent flower, But be the serpent under’t† (I, vi, 64-65). The snake and the flower was a reference towards Macbeth although it depicts Lady Macbeth as well. Since she is under the same curse as Macbeth, because she has the same name, she is equally affected by the witches as he is. He is captured into the prophecy of the witches and so is Lady Macbeth. She might look kind and loyal to the king but above that, she is masked with greed and ambition.Lady Macbeth’s duplicity is also shown through the black permitting from behind her body. This displays her real true self that is covered by the cracked, masked bewitched image on the top. This was created through the witch’s interpretation of fate. â€Å"†¦look into the seeds of time†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (I, iii, 56) Lady Macbeth is holding the bloody dagger to demo nstrate that it was because of her ambitious attitude â€Å"Leave all the rest to me† (I, v, 73) and confidence â€Å"We fail? But screw your courage to the sticking-place, And we’ll not fail. † (I, vii, 59- 61) that was the reason to Duncan’s death.Lady Macbeth was the one with the plans and motives; Macbeth was only the man who executed what his wife had told him to do like a puppet. That is why Lady Macbeth is holding the murder weapon because she the one who is ultimately responsible for the King’s death. Lady Macbeth is holding a bloody crown to her head. This is to symbolise how she (Like Macbeth) are king and queen but have a worthless throne. The gold in the crown (riches and wealth that come with being king/queen) show that they may have had more riches/wealth if they were pronounced the heirs other than through murder.The blood wiping out the gold is to show how since they killed Duncan, they are now no longer given riches or promised the throne forever. All of this shows to us how impulsive Lady Macbeth is. â€Å"what cannot you and I perform upon th’unguarded Duncan? † (I, vii, 69-70). She didn’t think of the consequences or the results of her actions. Of how their sacrifice will be futile until they have a son to claim and secure their throne and line of kings. Lady Macbeth’s green clothing is to show her desire in getting to a higher position in the Great Chain of Being.First it is trying to become a man â€Å"Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me her†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (I, v, 39-40). Her greed then is what took her above and beyond to killing the king and reaching his high and grand status. â€Å"†¦our hostess keeps her state†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (III, iv, 5). Lady Macbeth has a letter hanging from her body. This is to show how she is literate. â€Å" they met me in the day of success†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (I, v, 1-13). During this era, women were thought to be lower than men and were not supposed to be educated. However, the first time Lady Macbeth was introduced was through her reading a letter.It also reveals to us that she is ahead of her time. She is quite distinctive compared to other typical women during that era. Another reason why she is ahead of her time is because she finds herself to be on par with her husband. It’s showing us a more dominant side to her where she’s elevated herself to his status. In addition to herself, Macbeth also finds her to be an equal to him. â€Å"This have I thought good to deliver thee, my dearest partner of greatness† (I, v, 9-10). Lady Macbeth is well-dressed in rich clothes to show that she is well-respected. An example of this is through King Duncan â€Å"See, see, our honour’d hostess. (I, vi, 11). She is thought to be worthy in every aspect and is therefore fit for clothes for a queen. Yet the clothes seem too big for her. Lady Macbeth is in a position of status that she does not f it to be in. Also, the reason why her clothes are too big for her is because she has belittled herself so much in the act of killing the King that any level of the Great Chain of Being would be too high in moral ground for her. (The size of clothes would all be too big for her). Her red hair is to symbolise how she is unappreciative and unaccepting towards her husband.She is always trying to change him â€Å"yet do I fear they nature, it is too full o’th’milk of human kindness†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (I, v, 15-16) Lady Macbeth doesn’t see him as a man and is always pointing that out to him. She is bullying him around because she needs him to achieve her desires and goals in life. â€Å"Are you a man? † (III, iv, 58) Lady Macbeth has a very guilty conscious. It is symbolised through one of her eyes. It’s to show how Lady Macbeth feels it is alright to do any evil deed as long as it is veiled by the cover of darkness and she doesn’t need to see it hers elf. Come, thick night, and pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell, that my keen knife see not the wound it makes, nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark to cry, ‘Hold, hold. ’ (I, v, 49-53) Another way to look at it is by saying that she feels it’s alright to commit a deed with her hands without letting her eyes (conscious) see it. This shows she has strong faith in fate and God because she doesn’t want to be held accountable for her actions. (Predestined) Lady Macbeth isn’t smiling because she is insecure. She is alarmed and nervous after killing the king.Even the slightest of sounds make her go abrupt. â€Å"Hark, peace! It was the owl that shriek’d†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (II, ii, 3) She isn’t at peace and she isn’t satisfied by her actions. Still in shock during and after the murder, Lady Macbeth is troubled and unable to remain contempt. Lady Macbeth has an unusual personality. She is two-faced, ambitious, confident, impul sive, greedy, literate, distinctive, dominant, well-respected, unappreciative, unaccepting, conscious, and insecure. She is a lady who has a rare combination of traits that together make up her villainous character.