The Reversal of MacBeth and Lady MacBeth
... so my single state man That functions is smothered in surmise, And nothing is but what is not.”(I,iii,146-155). This is Macbeth’s first step towards evil. When this idea first crosses his mind to kill King Duncan he has started his demise downward towards becoming evil. Step 2. Doubt: But Macbeth also doubts his ability to carry out the murderous act. His wife, Lady Macbeth, also desires Macbeth to become king and pushes him hard towards a plan she has hatched. But she also does not believe that he can commit the murder. She thinks that he is incapable because of his good nature as a human being. She shows this when she says, “Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be What thou art promised. Yet do I fear thy nature; It is too full o’th’ milk of human kindness To catch the nearest way. Thou wouldst be great, Art no without ambition, but without The illness should attend it.”(I, vi, 15-20) What she means by this is that Macbeth is much too kind as a human being, his spirit is not one of evil. So she doubts that he will be capable of killing his friend Duncan. Lady Macbeth’s suspicions that her husband will not be able to kill Duncan are later proven when Macbeth says, “We will proceed no further in this business” (I, vii, 34). This means that he has decided that the murder is morally wrong and that he must not do it. Initially he is against the idea of killing Duncan because of his loyalty to him and his friendship with Duncan, unfortunately, because of his fate moral deterioration is to destroy everything he must gives in and change his mind. Step 3. Anger: Lady Macbeth has begun to doubt that Macbeth is dedicated to the plan that she has so carefully designed. She thinks that he will not be capable of killing a human. This angers Macbeth and in a this heated debate they say, “Prithee, peace. I dare do all that may become a man. Who dares do more is none.”(I, vii, 50-52) When Lady Macbeth says this about Macbeth it angers him and he shows that he is much more of a man than she thinks. She is so dedicated to this plan and shows it when she says, “I have given suck, and know 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”.(I, vii, 62- 67) This shows how her dedication to she is to the plan and Macbeth’s lack of dedication to the plan. It also shows that she is much more dedicated to the plan than Macbeth is. But she is still incapable of committing the actual deed. Macbeth is the only person who can commit the crime. Step 4. Action: When he finally commits the crime, “I have done the deed. Didst though not hear a noise”(II, ii, 18). Since he has committed the murder he is now a key part in the strife to become King. This marks the beginning of his enrollment in the foul plan. He Now that Macbeth has committed the murder has decides that he is damned to hell anyways so he might as well finish what he has begun. (Can you add a little more here to discuss the crime and maybe add a quote.) Step 5. Wickedness: Now Macbeth He has also realized that Duncan has a son that is the true heir to the throne so he must kill him. On his own Macbeth conjures a plan that involves two murderers. Before the murder of Banquo he tells them “Both of you Know Banquo was your enemy. |Murderers| True, my lord” (...