Shakespeare represents the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth and distant, violent and manipulative.
In Act 1, Lady Macbeth’s characterisation is particularly used in continuing the use of tension between distance of Lady Macbeth and Macbeth whilst she is reading the letter. The distance could represent how Elizabeth used spies during her reign in 1571. Mary queen of Scots quickly became the focus of plots to overthrow Elizabeth and return to England and the Catholic faith. In 1569 the Northern Uprising failed when the Catholic Earls discovered that Mary had been moved from Tutbury to Coventry and their plans to rescue her were disturbed. The Ridolfi Plot of 1571 enlisted Spanish support to dispose of Elizabeth and replace her with Mary. It was certain that, as long as Mary Queen of Scots was alive, Elizabeth's life would be in danger. Francis Walsingham, one of Elizabeth’s ministers, was aware of this and he set out to nail Mary. In 1586, Walsingham’s spies discovered that Mary was secretly plotting with a group of Catholics. They forged a postscript in her hand after discovering the letters between them and Mary was proven guilty. By having Macbeth and Lady Macbeth apart whilst reading a letter could represent the letters intercepted of a plot between Mary Queen of Scots and the plotters, this shows how Lady Macbeth is plotting of treason whilst reading the letter just as Mary was. The fact that Macbeth is not present tells the reader that they do not cooperate with one another at this point and foreshadows that Macbeth will be found out, just as the plotters were. Lady Macbeth is also seen to lack all humanity, as seen well in her opening scene since she has no mercy towards the king to eliminate him to “catch the nearest way” to the royal throne. This could be used to represent Elizabeth 1st ‘eliminating’ her opposition to her thrown, Mary Queen of Scots, Mary had hoped Queen Elizabeth would support her cause but her arrival in England put Elizabeth in a difficult position. Mary had a strong claim to the English throne so Elizabeth had her imprisoned and kept under surveillance. Over the next 19 years, Mary became the focus of numerous Catholic plots to assassinate Elizabeth and put her on the English throne. As Mary was not directly involved in these plots Elizabeth was reluctant to act against her. This could represent the reluctance towards Macbeth killing King Duncan as he is his king, but the willingness to eliminate any obstacles of an aim could represent Lady Macbeth influencing Macbeth and inevitably killing King Duncan, represented as Mary Queen of Scots. The suspense of this passage is enhanced by the fact that Lady Macbeth’s soliloquy, after the messenger has left after delivering the letter, is used in blank verse between the dialogue is an opportunity for her to consider her own feelings and responses to the unfolding events before Macbeth enters with the ‘weakness’ of humanity that would require her ‘tending’. Throughout the soliloquy, the audience are offered a series of images that speak of Lady Macbeth’s own contradictions and anxiety about the acts that her, and her husband are about to commit. This device of soliloquies was an accepted dramatic convention, especially in the theatre of the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. Long, ranting soliloquies were popular in the revenge tragedies of Elizabethan times.
Argument of voice-effect on audience.
Quotes
Manipulation is used by Lady Macbeth In Act I, Scene ii Macbeth is described as being a 'brave' warrior, well respected by others including Duncan. However, when we see him with Lady Macbeth there is a subtle submission into a weaker man. Macbeth is easily controlled by Lady Macbeth; for example when Lady Macbeth learns of the witches' prophecy, she is clearly fixated by the possibility of usurping the crown to Scotland for instance when Lady MacBeth says "Come, you spirits, that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe topfull, of direst cruelty" by asking the spirits to ‘unsex’ her, Lady Macbeth is trying to become masculine to have the strength to kill King Duncan herself, and get rid of all of her femininity to acquire more strength, especially since women were seen as an object of affection during the Shakespearen era.
Manipulation on behalf of Lady Macbeth towards Macbeth is used throughout Act one scene five , when Lady Macbeth is reading a letter from Macbeth, in which he tells of the witches’ predictions. Lady Macbeth starts to relate herself to the witches, for example, her words "shalt be" reflect those of the words of the witches prophecy.
As Lady Macbeth is excited by the predictions of the witches she disregards the consequences, of loss of life and treason for both herself and Macbeth. The audience, in Elizabethan times believed in supernatural powers and witchcraft, making this scene effective by highlighting Lady Macbeth's wicked nature, and determination to force Macbeth to fulfil the prediction full of sin and witchcraft . Also James the 1st had an obsession with witchcraft. James 1st's obsession with witchcraft can be traced back to his childhood. The violent death of his mother, Mary, Queen of Scots, seems to have inspired a dark fascination with magic. “His Highness told me her death was visible in Scotland before it did really happen,” related Sir John Harington many years later, being, as he said, “spoken of in secret by those whose power of sight presented to them a bloody head dancing in the air” This could be used to represent Lady Macbeth as the witches during the witch hunts and James 1st as Macbeth to show James's hatred for manipulation and vulnerability to the obsession of witchcraft taking over his life. King James 1st was vastly concerned about the threat of the existence of witches. He believed that a group of witches had tried to kill him by drowning him while he was at sea , a curse by the first witch "Posters of the sea and land,". During his reign thousands of people in Scotland were put on trial for witchcraft. In 1604 under the rule of James 1st as king of England and Wales, witchcraft was made a capital offence, anyone who was found guilty of being a witch could be executed. When Shakespeare wrote Macbeth in 1606, he knew that his audience would have felt a mixture of fear and fascination for the three ‘weird sisters’, due to such a controversial and deathly topic to be presented, especially when the witches did not directly cause Macbeth to commit treason, instead, Lady Macbeth. In Act I, Scene v; when Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are first seen together, Lady Macbeth says "Great Glamis, worthy Cawdor." praising Macbeth by using his titles, this suggests that she is attracted to the idea of more power. However, when Macbeth greets Lady Macbeth he says "My dearest love." using affectionate and loving words; there is an imbalance of dependence within their relationship. In the beginning their relationship is seen to be quite strong, but it is also clear when they start discussing the prophecy that Lady Macbeth is very strong willed and has a compassion for controlling Macbeth, "My dearest partner of greatness". When they are discussing the witches' prophecy, they plan how they are going to make the prophecy come true; "Stars, hide your fires/Let not light see my black and deep desires."
The use of manipulation is also present when relating to the chain of being. Religious thinkers during the Middle Ages had upheld the idea of the ‘Great Chain of Being’, the belief that God has appointed an ordered system for both humankind and nature that every person had an allotted place in the world. To alter one’s station in life was considered a sin. Since the royal hierarchy was bestowed by God, it was a sin to aspire to the royal rank. When Elizabeth died in 1603, she was without any children or close relatives such as nieces or nephews. So, the throne was offered to James Stuart, who then became James 1st of England. He was a distant cousin of Elizabeth and the son of Mary Queen of Scots. His appointment was not a popular choice to the public. Since he was not a direct descendant of Elizabeth, other relatives believed that they also had a strong claim to the throne. This disrupted the chain of being and is further shown in Macbeth, as Macbeth commits treason and disrupts the royal hierarchy, he suffers from illness and is ultimately killed for not being a rightful heir for the chain of being. Macbeth may be interpreted as King James I of England taken to extremes. Macbeth was excessively paranoid that people might find out about his sin and betrayal upon King Duncan, and therefore kills countless innocent people even before he has proof of their suspicion or wrong-doing. "Perhaps Shakespeare is sending James a subtle warning about his suspicious nature, showing him how it may spiral out of control and result in ruin for James and his line,"-as quoted by BBC News. King James I refused to abandon the belief that everyone was capable of treason and that as a monarch he had the right to execute the suspected ones even without proof.