Macbeth And Lady Macbeth's Relationship example essay topic

530 words
In a relationship, intimacies change over time. In The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare, the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth changes. Lady Macbeth is a supportive wife to Macbeth and persuades Macbeth to do things for her. After the death of Duncan, lady Macbeth slowly fades into the shadow of Macbeth.

The roles of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth switch as the play progresses. In the beginning of the play Lady Macbeth shows us that she is supportive to Macbeth. When deliberating the plans surrounding King Duncan's murder she says to Macbeth "Leave all the rest to me" (I. vs. 86). Lady Macbeth also regards her husband as "too full o'th " milk of human kindness" (I. vs. 17).

Macbeth uses affectionate words to Lady Macbeth at the beginning of the play, "my dearest love" (I. vs. 67). These statements show that Lady Macbeth and Macbeth dote on each other at the beginning of the play, although this does change as the play progresses. Lady Macbeth begins to manipulate Macbeth. She challenges his feelings of guilt and pity for King Duncan and replaces them with malicious and spiteful feelings: "look like th " innocent / flower, / but be the serpent under't" (I. vs. 76-78). Lady Macbeth now instructs Macbeth on how he should act, encouraging him to be deceitful to King Duncan.

Macbeth becomes so absorbed in his mixed feelings about the murder that he withdraws from the loving relationship that he had with Lady Macbeth in the beginning of the play. Soon after the murder of Duncan, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth's relationship begins to change. During the planning of the murder, Lady Macbeth is in charge, instructing her husband on what to do. After hiring the murderers to kill Banque and Flea nce, Macbeth tells his wife to "Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck, / till thou applaud the deed". ( . ii. 51-52). Macbeth is showing that he is beginning to take control, plotting on his own and not even telling his wife what he is planning to do.

The changing of the roles of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth become evident in Act. Lady Macbeth's character change is apparent in Act, Scene ii when she backs out of Macbeth's mysterious murder plan and tells him, "You must leave this" ( . ii. 40). Now that Duncan is dead and Macbeth is hopelessly headed toward a life of immorality, Lady Macbeth fades into the background. It is noticeable that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are equal partners in the killing of Duncan, but that after Macbeth becomes king he excludes her from his plans. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth grow more distant after the death of Duncan and Macbeth begins to leave Lady Macbeth out of his murder plots.

At the beginning of the play Macbeth needs Lady Macbeth's persuasion to carry out an unjust murder. Macbeth begins not to need Lady Macbeth to carry out unjust murders. A relationship between a man and his wife changes as time goes by.