How did the witches affect Macbeth?
In the play the witches, with their spells, plan the downfall of Macbeth. They cannot directly harm him themselves, so they tell Macbeth predictions for his possible future, in order to make him act on them. The witches tell Macbeth that he will become the thane of Cawdor and then king of Scotland.
Are the witches to blame for Macbeth’s eventual death?
The witches are not responsible for Macbeth’s downfall, he chooses to kill the king because he suffers from unchecked ambition, which is at the heart of his decision. She becomes inspired with the idea to kill the king, once she receives the news from her husband about his elevation to Thane of Cawdor.
What causes Lady Macbeth’s breakdown?
Summary and Analysis Act V: Scene 1 Lady Macbeth has gone mad. Like her husband, she cannot find any rest, but she is suffering more clearly from a psychological disorder that causes her, as she sleepwalks, to recall fragments of the events of the murders of Duncan, Banquo, and Lady Macduff.
What is Lady Macbeth’s tragic flaw?
Lady Macbeth might be better understood as a tragic hero, in the mould of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, whose fatal flaw is her vaulting ambition; like Caesar she flew too close to the sun and paid the ultimate price.
What is Lady Macbeth’s biggest weakness?
Once the sense of guilt comes home to roost, Lady Macbeth’s sensitivity becomes a weakness, and she is unable to cope. Significantly, she (apparently) kills herself, signaling her total inability to deal with the legacy of their crimes.
Is Lady Macbeth based on Macbeth?
“Lady Macbeth” is based not on the iconic Shakespearean character but on Nikolai Leskov’s Russian novella “Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk,” which tackled the ways in which the female spirit could be stifled in the 19th century, particularly in rural communities.
How is Lady Macbeth presented as a powerful character?
Being a female herself, Lady Macbeth commands the ‘sprits’ to ‘unsex [her] here,’ so she can rid herself of her female traits so she can be more male and thus powerful enough to commit evil. In other parts of the play, Lady Macbeth exhibits her power by being manipulative, conniving, and persuasive.