Li 1

Stuart Li
Mrs. Wolstenholme
AP English
23 December 2008
Macbeth and Lady Macbeth: From Bad to Worse
Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have opposite personalities and characteristics. Macbeth
started out as a respectable, honorable general of Duncans army. Lady Macbeth, on the other
hand, was his greedy, ambitious, guiltless wife who manipulated Macbeth into executing acts of
treachery. Interestingly though, by the end of the play, Macbeths persona changed from being
noble and honest to downright wicked and evil because of the persistent influence of Lady
Macbeth.
After learning of Macbeths encounter with the three witches and their prophesies, Lady
Macbeth was determined to obtain the throne. She saw Duncans visit as the perfect opportunity
to steal the throne. Lady Macbeth rationalizes with Macbeth saying that he ...must do [kill
Duncan], if those have it; and that which rather thou dost in fear to do than wishest should be
undone (Act 1, scene V, ll. 22-24). And if he does not kill Duncan, all his dreams to be king are
over.
Lady Macbeth begins planting ambitious thoughts into Macbeths mind hoping to
persuade Macbeth of the rare opportunity they had to become king and queen and that all
[their] nights and days to come give solely sovereign sway and masterdom (Act 1, scene V, ll.
67-68). She effectively convinces Macbeth to ...put this nights great business into [her]
dispatch (Act 1, scene V, ll. 65-66).

Li 2
Lady Macbeths plot to kill Duncan was simple and logicalstab him during the night
and frame the drunken guards as the killers by putting the bloody daggers next to them. Macbeth
is very unsure and uneasy about committing such a crime. Lady Macbeth, in a desperate attempt
to convince Macbeth to carry out this act, attacks his courageousness and manliness. She asks
him if he would regret not doing this later on in life and live a coward in thine own
esteem (Act 1, scene VII, ll. 42-43). She exclaims that when you durst do it, then you were
a man; and, to be more than what you were, you would be so much more the man (Act 1, scene
VII, ll. 49-51).
Macbeth argues and reasons with himself the consequences, his motives, the results, the
logic behind this planthat to plague the inventor; this even-handed justice commends the
ingredients of our poisoned chalice to our own lips (Act I, scene VII, ll. 10-12). Someone might
try to kill him because he murdered Duncan. He battles between his conscience and Lady
Macbeths words. In the end, his vision of the dagger stabbing Duncan and Lady Macbeths
persuasion convinces him to go through with the murder. This is the beginning of the decline of
Macbeths character. He had a repugnance towards evil all along, but now, his disdain of evil
beings to lose out to his vaulting ambition (Act I, scene VII, ll. 27).
On the night of the murder, Lady Macbeth says to Macbeth, Had he not resembled my
father as he slept, I had done it (Act 11, scene II, ll. 13-14). She gives her reason why she could
not commit the act, and why Macbeth had to commit the act. Macbeth, finally convinced, sneaks
into Duncans chamber, stabs Duncan, and places the bloody daggers by the unconscious guards.
The act is committed; the act is covered up.

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Macbeth still feels very guilty after murdering Duncan. He asks Lady Macbeth, Will all
great Neptunes ocean wash this blood clean from my hand? No, this hand will rather the
multitudinous seas incarnadine, making the green one red (Act II, scene II, ll. 60-63). Lady
Macbeth replies that my hands are of your color, but I shame to wear a heart so white (Act
II, scene II, ll. 64-65). She is just as guilty as he is yet does not feel much guilt, and in fact she
says that a little water clears us of this deed (Act II, scene II, l. 67).
During Macbeths feast with other noblemen, he leaves his seat to talk to the murder
about the successful assassination of Banquo. When he returns, he finds the ghost of Banquo,
which only he could see, sitting in his seat; and he refuses to sit down. Lady Macbeth struggles
both to persuade the thanes that Macbeth is not crazy and also to convince Macbeth to sit down
and stop making a fuss out of nothing. She tells the guests calmly that her lord is often thus,
and hath been from his youth (Act III, scene IV, ll. 53-54). She then turns to Macbeth and
ineffectively tries to convince him to sit by accusing him of being a coward and unmanly saying,
This is the very painting of your fear (Act III, scene IV, l. 61). Macbeth, frightened and almost
speechless, almost tells all the guests that he was the one that killed Duncanthe appearance of
the ghost was too much for Macbeth, and there was nothing Lady Macbeth could say to placate
him, so she dismissed all the guests before Macbeth got worse. In this scene, Macbeth begins to
make decisions on his own, ignoring Lady Macbeths persuasion and influence. Macbeth begins
to act without the need of Lady Macbeths persuasion.

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Learning of MacDuffs departure to England through a spy, Macbeth voluntarily sends
soldiers to annihilate everyone at MacDuffs castle, including MacDuffs wife and son. These
last scenes show how Macbeth has turned into a callous despot. Lady Macbeth no longer has any
control and influence over him. He is acting on his own evilness now.
Through the progression of this story Macbeth turns from being an honorable general, to
being a heartless tyrant. He went from being just ambitious for a position, to becoming a mass
murderer. He went from bad to worse under the influence of his evil wife. Through Lady
Macbeths constant bombardment of wicked ideas, through her relentless and imposing schemes,
and though her effective use of persuasion, Macbeths evil and ambitious side surfaced and
caused the death of many.