Lady Macbeth: karakteranalyse i Shakespeares 'Macbeth'

The tragedy”Macbeth” is a play by the English poet William Shakespeare. The tragedy is a story about the lust for power, loyalty, kingship and good versus evil. One of the main characters, Lady Macbeth, is one of the most important characters in the play. She is a devoted wife, who sees her husband as a weak person with a lack of character “thou wouldst be great; Art not without ambitions, but without the illness should attend it” (act one scene V). Lady Macbeth pushes Macbeth into actions, and puts actions behind his ambitions of being king by killing Duncan. We are introduced to Lady Macbeth in act one scene IV, when Macbeth wants to let his wife know by letter, that king Duncan is about to visit their home and tells her about his meeting with the three witches. She likes the idea of Macbeth being king, but she questions his ambitions, and his good nature. Lady Macbeth has in contrast to Macbeth a malicious nature, and she is very cunning. She teaches him how to deceive people, and his face not to be like an open book. She wants Macbeth to act normal, and she will take care of the rest “only look up clear, to alter favour ever is to fear. Leave the rest to me”. She is very two-faced and treacherous. She is saying a lot of great things to Duncan when he visits, but she has plans of killing him at the same time “Against those honors deep and broad wherewith, your majesty loads our house” (act one scene VI). She is very rude towards Macbeth when he acts against her will, and is saying that he is a coward and doubts his manhood. This shows that Lady Macbeth has a greater lust for power than Macbeth, and she has a great temper” Have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums, and dashed the brains out, had I so sworn as you, have done to this” (Act one scene VII). She is very unlike the typical women in the time of period, she is very powerful and her role in their relationship is very dominant. She is no tender women, and she talks with an evil tongue through the play. Macbeth gives in and kills Duncan, but Lady Macbeth feels no remorse like Macbeth “My hands are as red as yours, but I would be ashamed if my heart were as pale and weak (act two scene II). In one part of the act, Lady Macbeth shows another side to her, she is saying that she would have killed Duncan herself, but he reminded of her father. So in a scene it shows us that Lady Macbeth has a humane side to her. One of the main themes in the tragedy is good versus evil. Lady Macbeth symbolizes the evilness in the story as the three witches, and Macbeths is saying in act one scene VII, that Lady Macbeth has a false and evil heart. She is very important to the plot because she is the main force that drives Macbeth into killing Duncan and the servants. She is very ambitious, and she will get rid of everyone who stands in her way. They are both loyal towards each other, but not to their king. If you committed treason in the Elizabethan time, you would be punished by death. Shakespeare and other Elizabethan poets were influenced by the ancient Greeks, such as, Plato and Euripides. In the Greek and Elizabethan tragedies, the heroes have a tragic flaw. Euripides’ character Medea and Lady Macbeth is very alike. The two women lusts for power and their men are characterized as weak and as cowards. The two women are both murderess, and they will do anything to succeed. One of the main comparisons is the fact that the heroes’ actions will lead to their downfall, and the other characters are the main reason for their fall and maybe flaws. If it weren’t for Lady Macbeth, the tragedy could have ended in another way. It’s considerable that Macbeth would settle for the title as Thane of Cawdor, and Malcolm would inherit the throne. But a tragedy must have a tragic ending.