Matthew Meas 11KL Task 12: Literature Essay: Macbeth Due Date: 5 November 2009 Question 1 All for

the sake of love they say People say that if you truly love someone, you will do anything for them to prosper. Despite good intentions, one could harm others in the process. Was Lady Macbeth responsible for the downfall of Macbeth and were her intentions upright or malicious? All hail, Macbeth!... Thane of Glamis! Thane of Cawdor! King hereafter! These were the prophecies made by the witches in the first act, which seemed good at the time. The instruments of darkness tell us truths, Win us with honest trifles, to betrays Banquo warns Macbeth that the witches intentions are not good when he sees his ambition.. Thus, they can be blamed, but that would be ignoring Lady Macbeths provoking words and the fact that Macbeth made the choice to listen to them. Lady Macbeths soliloquy after reading the letter from her husband expresses her love for him with the words: And chastise with the valour of my tongue All that impedes thee from the golden round, Which fate and metaphysical aid doth seem To have thee crowned withal. Initially, this resembles normal, supportive behaviour that any wife would have towards their husband, who has been away for long, returning with good news. But as Lady Macbeth continues: Come you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here And fill me Of direst cruelty it becomes evident that she is hungry for success, obsessed with her husbands bright future and is going to extreme measures, calling on spirits to assist her in helping her husband achieve all he has been told he is capable of achieving. It is at this point that Lady Macbeths innocent , supportive behaviour becomes rather unsavoury. Macbeth informs his wife that Duncan will be coming over to spend the night in their dwelling. Lady Macbeth plots Duncans murder, and from here on, begins to provoke Macbeth to commit numerous murders. Lady Macbeth also used the following belittling words to provoke him to murder Duncan: Art thou afeard to be the same in thine own act and valour As thou art in desire? Wouldst thou have that which thou esteemst the ornament of life, and live a coward in thine own esteem, Letting I dare not wait upon I would Macbeth later becomes so accustomed to murder that he no longer involves his wife. Before Macbeth dies, Lady Macbeths regrets her overzealous behaviour and Macbeths downfall can thus be seen as her fault too. In conclusion, I feel that neither the witches, nor Lady Macbeth are solely accountable for the downfall of Macbeth, but both of them. If Macbeth heeded Banquos advice, he could have spared his own life, and the lives of many others. 443 Words