0
In Shakespeare's time the only way for women to gain power was through their husbands. Lady Macbeth asks the spirits to make her evil and then she proceeds on to convince MacBeth to kill Duncan. If MacBeth becomes king then Lady MacBeth will become the queen. The opportunity presented itself and Lady MacBeth wanted her husband to act on it. She may be more greedy than ambitious however, because she wanted the fame without having to do it herself. Ambition has more to do with action while greed has more to do with desire.
Wiki User
∙ 16y ago
Shakespeare made Lady Macbeth powerful to challenge traditional gender roles and to emphasize the theme of ambition in the play. Her character adds depth to the exploration of power dynamics and the consequences of unchecked ambition. By creating a strong female character, Shakespeare also highlights the complexities of human nature and the lengths individuals will go to attain their desires.
Wiki User
∙ 11y agoIt's less important than you think. Certainly the fact that Macbeth is not one of those people whose ambition is to live in a cave and eat turnips, but rather one of those people who are interested in positions of power and authority does affect how he behaves. But Macbeth's actions are not motivated by ambition. In Act 1 he expressly says that "vaulting ambition" is no reason to go around killing people. Nor is he persuaded by Lady Macbeth pointing out to him how great it would be to be king. Instead she appeals to his fear of being called a coward, to his concept of manliness and to the ideal of being someone who keeps his promises. She knows that he is no more ambitious than the next man. And once Duncan is dead and Macbeth is named as his successor, he has no further ambitions to gratify. He is motivated by the desire to keep what he has, not to get anything further.
So basically, all ambition does to Macbeth is keep him interested in the idea of being king as opposed to being a turnip-eating troglodyte. It does not spur him into action.
Wiki User
∙ 11y agoBecause that's the story he wrote. The fact that she was powerful pushed Macbeth to become a murderer against his better judgment and better nature. It's on this that the plot of the play hangs.
Wiki User
∙ 10y agoDuncan has ambitions to establish his children as heirs to the throne even if they are not best suited to the job. This was not the practice in Scotland at the time. Therefore Duncan names his son Malcolm, who is a dweeb and a hopeless soldier, to the title of Prince of Cumberland, making him the heir to the throne, even though his cousin Macbeth would have been a better king. Malcolm goes along with this, showing that he has ambitions to be king himself.
And of course, the witches' prophecy makes Macbeth and Lady Macbeth think about the prospect that they might be king and queen. Macbeth is after all a close relative of Duncan's and it is not unlikely that he could be king. At least as far as Macbeth is concerned, he is just as ambitious as Malcolm. Lady Macbeth, on the other hand, takes it to another level. She not only thinks about the possibility of being queen, she is prepared to do whatever it takes to make sure that it happens. Or rather she will talk Macbeth into doing whatever it takes because she herself is all talk and no action.
Wiki User
∙ 6y agoHe was happy about being the king's cousin, and therefore being in line for the throne. He was happy about being a nobleman and living in a castle, as opposed to living as a hermit in a cave. His ambitions were normal ones for a person of his social standing: more wealth, more power. The thing is, everybody is ambitious. Even the humble McDonald's burger-flipper has ambitions to become the restaurant manager. But that does not mean that such a person would commit murder for the promotion. Maybe some would, but the ambition in itself does not lead to murder. In Macbeth's case, the ambition to become king is not so strong that he would commit murder to get it. It is strong enough that he thinks about it, but he rejects "vaulting ambition". Then his wife arrives.
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoTo rule Scotland
Add your answer:
Earn +20 pts
Who knew about the prophecies besides lady Macbeth?
In Shakespeare's play "Macbeth," the three witches are the ones who make the prophecies about Macbeth becoming king. In addition to Lady Macbeth, Macbeth himself learns about the prophecies from the witches and later seeks them out for more information. Ultimately, Macbeth's actions are driven by his desire to fulfill the prophecies and maintain his position as king.
Why was Lady Macbeth a good wife?
Lady Macbeth was seen as a "good wife" because she was supportive of her husband Macbeth's ambitions and willing to take decisive and ruthless action to help him achieve his goals. She manipulates and pushes Macbeth toward power, showing her loyalty and dedication to their shared aspirations. Ultimately, her unwavering devotion and strategic mindset make her a powerful and influential figure in the play.
Why did Shakespeare make mmacbeth a villen?
I assume you meant "Why did Shakespeare make Macbeth a villan?" Well, what could the storyline have been if he wasn't a villan? Shakespeare's Macbeth was based on the real Macbeth. He murdered his king, Duncan, and became king. I guess that means that the real Macbeth was a villan, and so Shakespeare only kept it that way, showing it wasn't Shakespeare that made his character of Macbeth a villan.
What does a woman have that can influence a man to make a bad decision?
The only thing I can think of is Shakespeare's Macbeth, where the main character (Macbeth)'s wife influences her husband to kill. You should look for the perswasive techniques Lady Macbeth uses to achieve this.
When Macbeth agrees to murder the king he and the lady Macbeth plan that?
(Apex Learning) Lady Macbeth will make sure the guards are drugged, allowing Macbeth to sneak in and stab the king to death.
Who is the fourth witches in Shakespeare's Macbeth?
Lady Macbeth is thematically linked to the Witches, as both are female figures who play a part in Macbeth's downfall. Like the witches, whom Banquo reports have "beards," Lady Macbeth defies conventional gender stereotypes by being bloodthirsty and ambitious, traits considered un-womanly in Shakespeare's day. She also has hints of witchcraft in his invocation of the "spirits that tend on mortal thought" to "make thick [her] blood, and fill [her] from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty." In the text of the play, however, Lady Macbeth does not appear onstage with the witches at any point, nor is there a character designated "Fourth Witch."
Did shakespeare make any changes to the historical plot of Macbeth?
ur bad
Which motif is MOST present at the banquet Macbeth?
The theme of manliness, which Lady Macbeth used in Act 1 Scene 7 to persuade Macbeth to do the murder, reappears in this scene. Lady Macbeth hopes to make Macbeth behave according to her wishes by questioning his manhood as she did before: "Are you a man?", "these flaws and starts . . . would well become a woman's story . . .", "Quite unmann'd in folly?". Macbeth buys into it: "protest me the baby of a girl", "I am a man again." But what Macbeth is dealing with is far too powerful to be controlled by this kind of talk.
How does Shakespeare show Macbeth?
There is a sort of conflict in Lady Macbeth's mind between what she wants to do (i.e. kill Duncan) and what she suspects rightly Macbeth will want to do (i.e. not kill Duncan). She therefore sets about persuading him to let her plan the murder, so she can overcome the objections she knows he will make.
How did history affect Shakespeare writing Macbeth?
Though Macbeth existed in history, Shakespeare was more interested in what kind of tragic character he could make of him, and altered historical facts for the sake of the drama.
Why does Lady Macbeth question Macbeth Lady Macbeth questions Macbeth because she doesnt want to scare Macbeth in a way she wants to reveal his other side which will make him a coward?
Lady Macbeth questions Macbeth to provoke him into taking action. She challenges his masculinity and questions his resolve in order to manipulate him into following through with their plan to kill King Duncan.
Why did William Shakespeare write MacBeth?
Shakespeare wrote all of his plays for the same reason--to make money. It was his job.
