Shakespeares Macbeth - Change in Relationship and Tragedy - Essay Example

Shakespeare’s Macbeth - Change in Relationship and Tragedy One can see that ambitiousness human beings tend to indulge in unethical deeds. Still, they never admit this because they consider that an unmotivated individual never gain material success. When this idea is superimposed into the scenario of the drama Macbeth, it is evident that Lady Macbeth knew that she can motivate, manipulate, and transform her husband into an ambitious ruler with criminal instinct. But she expected that her motivation can help him to be the king, not a murderer who covers up his wrong deeds. Thesis statement: The bond between Macbeth and his wife is complex and unpredictable because it changes according to situation; it accelerates Macbeth’s ambitiousness, converts him into a pitiless murderer, and forces him to face the consequences. Discussion: This section is divided as: relationship, change, tragedy, and path: same or different. Relationship The bond between Macbeth and his wife is complex and unpredictable because the same undergoes change. In the opening, Macbeth is not portrayed as a weak person but as a military leader. But his wife knew that he will not try to change his status from a leader to a king. So, she decided to ignite ambitiousness in him. In the play (say, Act I: Scene V), Lady Macbeth makes clear that, “He that’s coming must be provided for: and you shall put This night’s great business into my despatch;” (15). Still, she was aware that he will not try to assassinate the ruler. So, one can see that Macbeth was not under his wife’s influence. But Lady Macbeth’s effort to change their fortune forces Macbeth to be under her enchantment. She plots the king’s murder and she knows that Macbeth is totally under her control. After this incident, Macbeth totally ignores his wife’s presence and continues his wrong deeds to sustain his status as the king. So, one can see that dependency and self-reliance overlaps within the relationship between these characters. Change The change in relationship between the central character (say, Macbeth) and his better half is interconnected with his opinion on authority. To be specific, Macbeth knows that his scope is limited because he does not have any blood relation with the royal family. Besides, he does not possess the courage to act against the king. When Lady Macbeth motivates him, he decides to forget his limitations. So, one can see that Lady Macbeth’s motivation is an important factor that changes the relationship. In the initial stages, Macbeth does try to go beyond the limits of his status as a military leader. In the play (say, Act I, Scene IV), Macbeth opines that, “The service and the loyalty I owe, In doing it, pays itself” (12). Still, he expected more from the king because he valued his status as a military leader. So, the king’s hesitation to provide ample importance to Macbeth’s leadership, added with Lady Macbeth’s negative influence, forces Macbeth to be under his wife’s spell. Change in relationship and tragedy If Macbeth decided to be under the king, he may not be forced to undergo emotional turmoil. To be specific, the change in relationship between the central characters resulted in their downfall. If Lady Macbeth decide to be a loyal wife who accepts the weaknesses of her husband, their private life may be happier. To be specific, Lady Macbeth decides to change her husband’s fortune, motivated him, and led him towards evilness. This rapid change from faithfulness to supremacy accelerated Macbeth’s downfall. For instance, after gaining the throne, Macbeth was forced to do more cruel deeds to cover up his crime. In the play (say, Act I, Scene VII), Macbeth states that, “False face must hide what the false heart doth know” (20). In the end, he came to know that he cannot sustain his throne. On the other side, Lady Macbeth was forced to give up her life because she was not able to withstand her guilty consciousness. So, one can see that this change results in tragedy. Path: same or different In the beginning, Macbeth and his wife were on different paths or courses of action. To be specific, Macbeth fought for his king and was happy with his status as a military leader. On the other side, Lady Macbeth was not happy with her husband’s social status. So, she decided to change his attitude by influencing his mind. In the play (say, Act I, Scene VII), Lady Macbeth opines that, “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 pluck’d my nipple from his boneless gums And dash’d the brains out, had I so sworn as you Have done to this” (19). After the king’s murder, Macbeth gains upper hand and begins to act like an autocrat. He provides less importance to his wife and suspects that others are against him. On the other side, Lady Macbeth did not expect this change because she expected that her husband will be under her control forever. Now, they are on different paths because the protagonist becomes ambitious and the heroine becomes guilty conscious. But towards the end, both the characters were victimized by fate. To be specific, Macbeth was forced to be the victim of internal insurgency, initiated by his enemies. On the other side, his wife becomes mad and commits suicide because she was not able to withstand emotional turmoil. In short, both of them were in different paths but their aim forces them to share the same path and to meet their fate. Summing, the bond between Macbeth and his wife is utmost complex because Lady Macbeth’s greed forces both of them to be the victims of cruel fate. Moreover, Lady Macbeth ignited the flame of ambitiousness in her husband’s mind and the same resulted in their downfall. In the beginning, Macbeth was portrayed as a military leader who provides less importance to careerism. But Lady Macbeth transforms him to a murderer and accelerates his fall from his status as a military leader. In short, the change in relationship is the reason behind the tragedy in the play. Works Cited Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Macbeth. USA: Aquitaine Media Corp, 2009. Print. Read More