Whose Fault is It?

Lady Macbeth was the root of the decisions and actions that were done by Macbeth. She provoked Macbeth by questioning his manhood, telling him that she would kill her own baby for this kind of an opportunity, and awaking Macbeth’s desires. Although the three witches did trigger the situation, it wasn’t until Lady Macbeth persuaded Macbeth to take the foul steps to make the future come true. Lady Macbeth was not the average woman of the period this play was written. Women were not considered equal to men, they were meant to stay at home and have a lower education than men. They were all housewives and not to be involved in major matters outside their houses, and because of all that they were always quite and considered weaker than men (physically and mentally).

Lady Macbeth knew her husband was emotionally weak and respected humanity. In order for Macbeth to make any moves towards the prophecy she knew she had to take over, plan everything out and persuade Macbeth to doing it. Macbeth believed in the prophecies as the first one came true instantly, but to be king it was completely different from he thought. King Duncan had announced his sons as the heir to the crown. Lady Macbeth had figured that the prophecy had to come true one way or another and that is how she persuaded Macbeth. After she reads the letter and tells Macbeth her plan, Macbeth refuses and Lady Macbeth questions him about his manhood. “I dare do all that may become a man; who dares do more, is none” [7.1.50]. This quote shows that Macbeth knows what it means to be a man and have humanity within him. Lady Macbeth tells her husband that he is backing off when the opportunity is given to him. “How tender.....dash’d the brains out”[7.1.60], she tells Macbeth what she would do as a woman if she was given the opportunity and puts Macbeth into a question whether he should agree to what his wife is planning.

Macbeth never had intentions of claiming the throne at any cost, at most he would have thought that the prophecy that came true is a coincidence, since the heir of the throne was Duncan’s son. Macbeth was loyal to the king, but Lady Macbeth made changed his thoughts to that he is the real heir as the witches predicted, and the king must pay for his wrongdoings. The witches were just the trigger, but Lady Macbeth was the “brain” behind the entire plan and actions. Macbeth had desires, but Lady Macbeth was the one who changed it into evil greed. Macbeth still had humanity within him and this was obvious when he regretted about what he had done. In the end Macbeth faces his consequences like a brave soldier that he was known for, and not the traitor Lady Macbeth had turned him into.