Lady MacBeth plays an important role in the events of Shakespeare's play
The Tragedy of MacBeth. Her intentions and actions directly influence MacBeth;
however the results do not always come out as she intends them. For instance, "They
strike into the existing order of things in pursuance of their ideas. But what they achieve is
not what they intended; it is terribly unlike it" (Bradley 59). Lady Macbeth falls victim to
Shakespeare first introduces Lady MacBeth into the play in Act I, Scene v when
she asks the spirits to "unsex" her and "fill me, from the crown to the tow, top-full of
direst cruelty!"(313) and give her the strength to make a plan to kill Duncan. Lady
MacBeth intends to have her husband kill Duncan so he can ascend to the throne and be
the King of Scotland. All Lady MacBeth wants is for MacBeth to be successful and
become king, but she does not believe that he has the ability to do the things needed, such
as kill Duncan, on his own. She believes that he needs an extra push, and that is exactly
At first, the result of her intentions are exactly as she plans them out to be.
MacBeth kills Duncan just as she tells him to. Here, her intentions turn out as she wants
them to. Duncan is dead, and MacBeth is now able to rise to the throne. After MacBeth
kills Duncan, the results of Lady MacBeth's actions start to go wrong. It is first possible
to see this in the banquet when MacBeth sees the ghost of Banquo and Lady MacBeth has
to hide everything he has done. She tells the guests, "Think of this, good peers, But as a
thing of custom: 'tis no other; Only it spoils the pleasure of the time." Here she is telling
everyone to ignore MacBeth's strange behavior. She then proceeds to kick them out
...