Womens Sinister Roles in Shakespeares Macbeth :: Free Essay Writer

Womens Sinister Roles in Macbeth In reading Shakespeares tragic drama Macbeth, one meets only one good woman - Lady Macduff. The remaining womanly characters are basically evil. Lets consider mainly Lady Macduff and only briefly the three witches. Blanche Coles states in Shakespeares Four Giants that Macbeths wife had considerable leverage over her husbands thought This was her opportunity to do as she had promised herself she would do after she had read the letter - to pour her spirits into his ear, to chasten with the valor of her tongue all that might close down him from the golden crown. We may be sure she took this opportunity to use all her monstrous powers of persuasion. Thus he goaded himself, or was goaded by his wife, into searing the horrible oath, whether he had any clear purpose of keeping it or not. (48-49) In his book, On the Design of Shakespearean Tragedy, H. S. Wilson mentions the very wife-like manner in which the queen carry unwrap her essential role in the tragedy It requires an extraordinary exertion of will and persuasion from Lady Macbeth to strengthen his wavering purpose. Professor Kittredge used to point out to his classes that Lady Macbeth, in urging Macbeth to act, uses the three arguments that every wife, some time or other, uses to every husband You promised me youd do it Youd do it if you loved me If I were a man, Id do it myself But Macbeths mind is made up by her assurance that they may do it safely by fixing the guilt upon Duncans chamberlains. (72) In Fools of while Studies in Shakespearean Tragedy, Northrop Frye shows that a lady is the actual driving force in the play That Macbeth is being hurried into a premature act by his wife is a point unlikely to escape the most listless member of the audience, but Macbeth comes to regret the instant of fatal delay in murdering Macduff, and draws the clean-living that The flighty purpose never is oertook Unless the deed go with it. From this moment The very firstlings of my heart shall be The firstlings of my hand. That is, in future he will try to secure the successful rulers spontaneous rhythm of action. (91) L.C. Knights in the essay Macbeth describes the unnaturalness in the thoughts and words of the plays dominant female force, Lady Macbeth