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Compare and Contrast the Characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.

1. “Macbeth lives in the world of practical action, the sphere of making and doing, Lady Macbeth lives an inner empirical life, in which her powers and turned inward upon herself.

2 “Macbeth’s nobility is conventional; it means no more than virtuous education and surroundings. His soliloguy is of an eminently practical character. He rises with external deeds and sinks with internal conflicts. The two flaws in his character are his superstition and helplessness under suspense.

Lady Macbeth stands forth as an embodiment of the inner life. she has a quick, delicate sensitive-not hardened for the working -day world. She does not lack the softer qualities, but she sruggles against them and succeeds in representing them.

3. The original impulse to evil came from Macbeth, but his wife’s firm nature kept him to the path of wickedness from which he might have recoiled.

4. The ‘supernatural soliciting’ comes as a shock to Macbeth; but it makes no impression on his wife. When after the temptation, husband and wife meet, Macbeth is almost helpless because it is the stage of suspense his wife, who has, a better hold of her mental faculties, suggests a practical scheme for carrying out the murder and evading suspicion, and thereby nerves the practical man of action.

5. When the crime has to be actually committed. Lady Macbeth displays her feminine weakness. She has to take stimulants to brace up her nerves. With a repugnance, scarcely disguised, she carries back the daggers. Macbeth, with the characteristic directness of the practical man. rushes through the part allotted to him; but is unnerved when hearing voices in the night, he reads into the words he hears ominous meanings.

6. “In the Scene of the Discovery, Macbeth is perfectly at home. energetic action is needed, and he is dealing with the men. Lady Macbeth goes near to suggesting a personal interest in the crime by her over-anxiety to disclaim it”. Macbeth blundered by killing the grooms and spoiling his wife’s plan; Lady Macbeth retrieves the position by fainting at the critical moment.

7. After becoming king, Macbeth becomes impatient to kill Banquo, and therein commits another blunder. Lady Macbeth would have waited for a suitable opportunity to get rid of Banquo. Macbeth understands this; but finding it a severe of long concealment of the crime. Macbeth would have broken down. but not so his wife.

8. Macbeth surrenders to the supernatural; and the first shock of nemesis comes from the supernatural-the ghost of Banquo. Lady Macbeth is true to her character and boldly faces the double task of keeping up appearances for herself and for her husband, Macbeth is first unmanned, but recovers himself when the ghost finally disappears. Lady Macbeth bears herself up in the presence of the guests, but feels exhausted after they have departed. Although this was a weak point of Lady Macbeth.