Macbeth Rough Draft Josie Wank

Josie Wank

English 11A - 5th Block

Mrs. Wood

22 February 2016

Lady Macbeth

When the wife of a powerful thane by the name of Macbeth comes to the realization that a chance at becoming royalty is in her near future, it begins to climb to the of her priority list. Lady Macbeth turns into power hungry villain, intent on getting what she wants. But is the that all of the person that she really is, or is it only a temporary mask? Although Lady Macbeth is barbaric and ruthless in her search for power, her merciful and tender nature leads to her mental collapse.

The first object between Lady Macbeth and her crown is her husband, Macbeth. She decides to test his love for her by getting him to kill Duncan, the current reigning king. When Macbeth falters on going through with her plan, she voices to him:

Was the hope drunk

Wherein you dressed yourself? Hath it slept since?

And wakes it now, to look so green and pale

At what it did so freely? From this time

Such I account thy love. Art thou afeard

To be the same in thine own act and valor

As thou art in desire? Wouldst thou have that

Which thou esteem’st the ornament of life,

And live a coward in thine own esteem,

Letting “I dare not” wait upon “I would, ”

Like the poor cat i' th' adage? (Shakespeare 1:vii, 35-44).

By saying that if he doesn’t go through with killing the king, it only goes to show how weak his love is for her. After that she proves how far she would go to secure the crown by saying:

How tender ’tis to love the babe that milks me.

I would, while it was smiling in my face,

Have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums

And dashed the brains out, had I so sworn as you

Have done to this (Shakespeare 1:vii,56-89).

Killing one’s own baby for power is definitely a way to prove that someone has committed oneself to a cause to which they hold very dearly. Lady Macbeth wants the crown, and has made it known that she will have it no matter what the cost.

But soon enough, there seems to be a chink in Lady Macbeth’s armor. She was prepared to kill King Duncan herself and would have gone through with it “...Had he not resembled  [her] father as he slept, [she] had done ’t” (Shakespeare 2:ii,12-13). She then goes on to be rather philosophical towards her husband’s anxiety by saying “Naught’s had, all’s spent, Where our desire is got without content. 'Tis safer to be that which we destroy  Than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy” (Shakespeare 3:ii, 5-10). At this point, she learns of how tormented her husband has become and starts to show him a little bit of compassion. But her cruel ways still continue, especially the way she can “... keep the natural ruby of [her]cheeks, When [Macbeth] is blanched with fear” (Shakespeare 3:iv, 119-120). While Lady Macbeth is extremely talented at concealing her guilt, she begins to feel some remorse for what her evil ideas and plots have done to her husband.

Towards the end of the play, Macbeth, Lady Macbeth’s husband, has gone on a murdering spree and has become so anxious that he feels that he must eliminate every possibility of someone coming and taking his crown. While he’s off protecting his crown, Lady Macbeth falls into a sleepwalking state where she scrubs at her hands, and mutters “The thane of Fife had a wife. Where is she now?—What, will these hands ne'er be clean?—No more o' that, my lord, no more o' that. You mar all with this starting” (Shakespeare 5:1, 30-33). She, imagining the blood of the people her husband has killed, is making an attempt to wash it away and cleanse herself of her sins. And even while in this state, she still attempts to hide her guilt, but her audience is witnessing her falling apart within her own mind. While her husband wishes to take away her pain and suffering by having the doctor treat her, the only way for her to live is “... the patient
Must minister to himself” (Shakespeare 5:ii, 48) a cure or will to live with such a burden. She dies shortly thereafter from her psychotic break.

Lady Macbeth is the type of person that remains strong even when times get tough. She refuses to allow people to see the emotional and gentle side of her, knowing that those are qualities that at this time will not allow one to get very far. But the more feelings of compassion and guilt are compressed, when they are finally released, they take an even larger toll on their victim as they overflow. Living behind the curtain of evil, Lady Macbeth’s humanity continued to shine through.