Essay Sample on Lady Macbeth Manipulates Macbeth

Masculinity is something every man, including me, takes to heart. It is very important and when threatened can make a man do things he would never ordinarily do. A common saying for kids my age is “no balls” which is more or less exactly what Lady Macbeth says throughout the play to manipulate Macbeth into doing what she wants him to do. In the play, Lady Macbeth uses the concept of masculinity to twist and manipulate Macbeth to control his actions. The first reason that proves Lady Macbeth manipulates Macbeth is that she wished to be less womanly and more like her husband. The first place that this is present is when she says“COME, YOU SPIRITS THAT TEND ON MORTAL THOUGHTS, UNSEX ME HERE” (1.5.40-41 Shakespeare). This shows how Lady Macbeth wishes her femininity would go away so that she would be treated with more respect. She wants to be able to kill Duncan herself but to do so she would need to be a man which is why she wishes for this. It shows how little she values her femininity and how selfish she is. This second quote shows her manipulation. “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” (1.7.49-51). This is the start of her taking control over Macbeth. She is going against the usual gender roles of this era and is trying to usurp his masculinity and take it for herself. The second reason that shows Lady Macbeth's manipulation is the constant and public ridicule of her husband The first quote takes place when Macbeth hears a voice in his head.“YOU DO UNBEND YOUR NOBLE STRENGTH, TO THINK SO BRAINSICKLY OF THINGS” (2.2.44-45). She scolds him for being childish and baby-like and for lack of better words, basically tells him to grow a pair. Lady Macbeth is starting to take full control of their relationship by degrading and ridiculing him here. This second quote also shows Lady Macbeth's Ridicule. “O, THESE FLAWS AND STARTS, IMPOSTERS TO TRUE FEAR, WOULD WELL BECOME A WOMAN’S STORY AT A WINTER’S FIRE, AUTHORIZED BY HER GRANDAM” (3.4.64-67). Here not only does she ridicule him, but she also does it in front of everyone at the dinner. Macbeth sees the ghost of Banquo, whom he had killed, and Lady Macbeth was just not having it at all. She says that he is acting like a woman and by saying that the gender roles have truly reversed for the married pair. The final reason that shows Lady Macbeth's manipulation is that even as they are both creeping towards their demise the reversal in gender roles due to her manipulation is very prominent. This first quote shows Lady Macbeth keeping her masculine demeanor. “FIE, MY LORD, FIE! A SOLDIER AND AFEARD?” (5.1.38–39). Even as she is sick and close to killing herself, she still acts like a male figure. Here she reveals the murder of King Duncan and still manages to throw in an insult towards her husband by once again calling him a coward. This quote shows the detrimental effects Lady Macbeth has caused on Macbeth. "Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow creeps in this petty pace from day to day to the last syllable of recorded time. And all our yesterdays have lighted fools the way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!"(5.5.21-26). Lady Macbeth has turned him into a shell of the former warrior self he once was. Macbeth has given up on life and says that nothing has meaning anymore. He has no hope or will to live and wants everything to end, all of this being due to his masculinity being in jeopardy. In the play, Lady Macbeth uses the concept of masculinity to twist and manipulate Macbeth to control his actions. The first time he was ridiculed by Lady Macbeth snowballed into Macbeth losing his mind and going on a murder spree. All of this was made possible solely due to Lady Macbeth knowing exactly what to attack her husband about; his masculinity.