WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE'S MACBETH: How does Lady Macbeth persuade Macbeth to murder Duncan?

How does Lady Macbeth persuade Macbeth to murder Duncan?

Lady Macbeth is adamant to become queen after she reads the letter that Macbeth sent to her about his unusual meeting with the witches. The letter also declares Macbeth’s promotion as the Thane of Cawdor. Lady Macbeth then delivers a vicious soliloquy that amplifies her strength and will to murder Duncan which completely overshadows Macbeth’s will to do the same.

Before Macbeth returns home, Lady Macbeth criticizes Macbeth’s flaws and feels that he will not kill the king. In Act 1 Scene 5, she says “ Yet do I fear thy nature, it is too full o’th’ milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way.” This shows that she thinks Macbeth is too noble to carry out the murder. She is afraid that Macbeth’s kind nature will threaten their chance of gaining power and achieving their goals. She plots ways to convince her husband to murder Duncan.

Firstly, she uses the form of flattery. She calls him, “Great Glamis, Worthy Cawdor, Greater than both by all hail hereafter.” Macbeth is convinced because usually wives do not address them by their titles. Lady Macbeth is manipulative and tries to increase self-pride so that he would do as she commands. She also tells him on what he could achieve once he becomes king. She tries to boost his confidence so that the plan to murder King Duncan can be executed. She agrees to take on most of the work by saying, “Leave all the rest to me.” She is afraid of giving Macbeth too much work least he spills the beans.

When Macbeth declares that he has changed hi mined to kill Duncan, Lady Macbeth is enraged. She calls him a coward and disgraces his manhood. She retorts, “When you durst do it, then you were a man” (Act 1 scene 7). She also compares his willingness to carry through the plan of murder with his ability to carry out a sexual act. “Was hope drunk where you dressed yourself……such I account thy love.” She is using aggressive rhetorical questioning and compares his commitment to the measure of his love for her. In this way, she makes Macbeth guilty.

Lady Macbeth tries to conceive n image of a mother murdering her innocent child ad contrast it as a reminder of his duties as a husband. She says,” Have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums and dashed the brains out, had I so sworn as you have done to this.” It is clear that lady Macbeth’s affections are conditional and unless Macbeth gives in to her, she will continue to question his role as a protector and husband. Lastly, when Macbeth is worried of failure, she promises him that they would be successful as long as they are confident, bold and strong.

 Lady Macbeth is stronger, cold-blooded and more ambitious than her husband, Macbeth. At one point she wishes that she were a woman so that she could execute the plan herself. Even so her husband implies that she is a masculine soul in a female body, undaunted and with remarkable strength of will.