LADY MACBETH BY LAVINIA CRISTINA FENCIUC

LADY MACBETH LADY MACBETH IS MACBETH’S WIFE WITH ALL KNOW THAT SHE IS THE MOST POWERFUL FEMALE CHARACTERS IN LITERATURE. UNLIKE HER HUSBAND SHE LACKS ALL HUMANITY, AS WE CAN SEE WELL IN THE OPENING SCENE, WHERE SHE CALLS UPON THE ‘SPIRITS THAT TEND ION MORTAL THOUGHTS’ TO DEPRIVE HER OF HER FEMININE INSTINCT TO CARE. HER BURNING AMBITION TO BE QUEEN IS THE SINGLE FEATURE THAT SHAKESPEARE DEVELOPED SO FAR. LADY MACBETH PERSISTENTLY TAUNTS HER HUSBAND FOR HIS LACK OF COURAGE, EVEN THOUGH WE KNOW OF HIS BLOODY DEEDS ON THE BATTLEFIELD. BUT IN PUBLIC, IS ABLE TO ACT AS ENTICING HER VICTIM. LADY MACBETH WAS ABLE TO EVENTUALLY CONVINCE HIM TO CARRY THROUGH WITH THE PLAN BY KILLING KING DUNCAN. EVEN THOUGH MACBETH WAS THE ONE WHO EXECUTED THE PLAN, LADY MACBETH WAS THE MASTERMIND BEHIND THE SCHEME. HER GREED FOR POWER WAS THE ONE MAJOR FACTOR THAT POSSESSED HER TO

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HER EVILNESS'S WHEN MACBETH STATES THAT ‘WE WILL PROCEED NO FURTHER IN THIS BUSINESS’ LADY MACBETH USES RHETORICAL QUESTIONS TO PERSUADE HER HUSBAND. SHE QUESTIONS HIS AMBITION AND ASKS WHETHER MACBETH WAS DRUNK WHEN HE EXPRESSED THE DESIRE TO ASSASSINATE DUNCAN. SHE QUESTIONS HIS COURAGE, ASKING IF THAT WHICH HE HAD PREVIOUSLY SO BRAVE DECLARED HAS NOW BEEN OVERTAKEN BY A LACK OF COURAGE AND CONVICTION (TO BE GUILTY OF A PARTICULAR CRIME)

SHE THEN TENTS HER LOVE TO MACBETH IN TERMS OF HOW HE ACTS. SHE CONTINUES ASKING RHETORICAL Q. AND WANT TO KNOW IF HER HUSBAND IS NOW AFRAID OF PUTTING HIS WORDS INTO ACTION. SHE QUESTIONS HIS AMBITION TO OBTAIN ‘THEORNAMENT OF LIFE’(THE YELLOW CROWN) WHOULD RATHER LIVE A COWARD THE REST OF HIS LIFE THAN OBTAIN THAT WHICH HE SO MICH DESIRES? SHE USES A REFERENCE TO THE "POOR CAT IN THE ADAGE" REFERRING TO THE FACT THAT A CAT LIKES FISH, BUT DOES NOT WANT TO WET HER PAWS. IS MACBETH PREPARED TO TAKE RISKS TO ACHIEVE HIS AMBITION?