y are notresponsible for his actions throughout the play.Lady Macbeth is shown early in the play as an ambitious woman with a singlepurpose. She can manipulate Macbeth easily. This is shown in the line "That I may pour myspirits in thine ear". (I,V, 26) She is selfless, and wants what is best for her husband. Beforethe speech that Lady Macbeth gives in act one scene five, Macbeth is resolved not to gothrough with the killing of the king. However, Lady Macbeth manipulates Macbeth’sself-esteem by playing on his manliness and his bravery. This then convinces Macbeth tocommit regicide. It is like a child who is easily guided. Lady Macbeth knows this and acts onit accordingly. Although Macbeth has the final say in whether or not to go through with the initialkilling, he loves Lady Macbeth and wants to make her happy. Lady Macbeth is thedominating individual in the relationship which is shown in her soliloquy in Act 1 Scene. Itseems that she can convince him to do anything as long as she pushes the right buttons in. (I,VII, 39) She says “ Art thou afeard/ To be the same in thine own act and valour, As thou art indesire?”On the other hand, as the play progresses, and Duncan is killed, there is a reversal ofnatural order, and Macbeth becomes the dominating partner again. Lady Macbeth becomessubservient. She becomes pathetic and only a shadow of her former self. Ambition plays alarge role in this tragedy. Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have "vaulting ambition" thatdrives them. Lady Macbeth’s ambition drives her to manipulate Macbeth into committingregicide. Macbeth’s fierce ambition is present before the witches' prophesies. He would neverhave thought seriously about killing Duncan without the witches. Yet the combination of bothhis ambitious nature and the initial prophesies leads him to kill the king. It is Lady Macbethwho states "Thou wouldst be great/ Art not without ambition." Macbeth states that it is "hisbeset...
