Sample Law Essays on Macbeth
Masking Murder
In Act I Scene 7, Macbeth reveals to Lady Macbeth the witches’ prophecy regarding his eminent rise to the throne. Macbeth resolves to wait for his time to become the King of Scotland and shows no hurry in becoming the king. However, Lady Macbeth is solely concerned with immediate power and demands that her husband kill King Duncan so he can ascend to the throne (Shakespeare and Nicholas 59). Despite Lady Macbeth’s emphasis on murder and death, Macbeth thinks about his legacy and does not want to kill Duncan. The thoughts about his legacy and his lack of concern to kill to acquire immediate power are reasons why he avoids using the words “murder” and “kill” in 1.7.1-28. Evidently, at this stage of the play, Macbeth has a clear state of mind and cares for the well-being of others unlike in the succeeding stages of the play where he exhibits tyrannical and murderous behaviors.
Power of Persuasion
After learning of the witches’ prophecy concerning her husband’s eminent rise to power, Lady Macbeth does everything possible to have Macbeth kill King Duncan. Lady Macbeth strongly believes that manhood is defined by murder and goes ahead to question Macbeth’s manhood (Powell et al. 26). She implicitly compares Macbeth’s willingness to carry through his intention of killing King Duncan with his capability to carry out a sexual act. Whenever Macbeth shows hesitance, Lady Macbeth mocks him and implies that he is less than a man. Through this, she convinces Macbeth to kill Duncan. From a personal point of view, asking for a favor from another person means requesting something in a humble manner. This is different from Lady Macbeth’s tactic where she is impolite and shows a high level of intimidation, blackmail, and manipulation.
Soliloquies
From the phrases at the beginning of Scene 5 and Scene 7, it can be seen that Lady Macbeth is an irrational and less understanding character whereas Macbeth her opposite. Lady Macbeth’s character is depicted as a selfish lady with ill motives that wants everything for herself and can do everything possible to accomplish her missions. These traits are so prominent because she is concerned with murdering Duncan to have Macbeth ascend to the throne. On the other hand, Macbeth is a selfless man who cares for others but has his instincts influenced by other selfish people around him. At the beginning, Macbeth is not concerned with killing Duncan but becomes ruthless and murderous after Lady Macbeth convinces him to do it.
Works Cited
Powell, Martin, Daniel Pérez, and William Shakespeare. Macbeth. Mankato, Minn: Stone Arch Books, 2012. Print.
Shakespeare, William, and Nicholas Brooke. The Tragedy of Macbeth. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998. Print.