Macbeth

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Lady Macbeth Responsible For Duncan's Death

John Keating English Honors Lady Macbeth Must Take Some
Blame for Her Husband’s Destruction In Macbeth, a play
written by Shakespeare, Lady Macbeth is partially responsible
for the destruction of her husband. Lady Macbeth is not a
monster without feelings, however she is tricky and cunning
when she influences Macbeth to kill Duncan. Lady Macbeth’s
ability to influence her husband leads the audience to believe
that she is the primary cause for the destruction of Macbeth.
The audience is also led to believe that Lady Macbeth is
responsible because she makes up the details of the plan to
kill Duncan, while Macbeth was considering not even going
through with the murder. Although Macbeth had the thought of
killing Duncan, he would not have acted on that thought
unless Lady Macbeth persuaded him. Lady Macbeth is sly
person, able to manipulate her husband, and this ability to
manipulate Macbeth makes her partially responsible for the
destruction of Macbeth. Lady Macbeth knows that her
husband is too kind to kill Duncan without her help she fears
“thy nature; / It is too full o’th’ milk of human kindness / to
catch the nearest way” (I.v.16-18). She is very much aware of
the fact that she needs to push Macbeth to kill Duncan or else
he will not do it. We see Macbeth’s hesitance to murder the
king when he lists reasons not to kill Duncan in Act 1, when
he says, “He’s here in double trust: / First, as I am his
kinsman and his subject, / Strong both against the deed; then,
as his host, / Who should against his murderer shut the door,
/ Not bear the knife myself” (I.vii.12-16). Macbeth then says,
“Besides, this Duncan / Hath born his faculties so meek, hath
been / So clear in his great office, that his virtues / Will plead
like angles, trumpet-tongued, against / The deep damnation
of his taking off” (I.vii.16-19). We s...