... tragic figure who has succumbed to her own fiendish desires. The same can be said for her husband. He begins the play as a noble, loyal general and through his own fault succumbs to the witches' promises and his wife's manipulation. More pointedly, though, when he determines that 'the very firstlings of [his] heart shall be the firstlings of [his] hand', he sends others to complete ... the dirty deeds of killing Banquo, attempting the murder of Fleance his son, and he orchestrates Lady MacDuff's family's deaths. ... These actions, regardless of his righteous qualities, leave Malcol...

• Word Count: 1419
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... are acting as active pursuers, able to choose who it is that they want to woo, with subjects of pursuit who are unlikely to refuse the hand of a noble gentleman. In addition, the men in the play have the option of courting a woman of lower social stature, as Don Armado does with Jacqenetta, who he recognizes as a country girl, yet undeterminably declares that he ... that of action rather than reflection, further illustrated in Act 5, Scene 1, when Malcolm advises MacDuff not to dwell on the loss of his family, but rather to "[d] ispute it like a man" (221) with his sword and "[l] et gri...

• Word Count: 1704
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... and greed. However, these women, as hated and immoral as they are, do exist within Shakespeare's plays. They are shown as powerful, evil and ultimately independent beings such as with the character of Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth, a prime example of a powerful, independent female faces rejection within her respective society. This potential rejection forces her to mask her cravings for power behind ... and unbending. It is this very quality that makes Lady Macbeth an admirable person; it is her courage, individuality, independence and determination that grant her forgiveness for her role ...

• Word Count: 911
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... This statement reinforces her manipulative manner, which provides crucial and important information about Lady Macbeth's character. In essence, this attack towards Macbeth introduces a pivotal theme of the play: the relationship between gender and violence. Lady Macbeth links masculinity to violence and thereby she has to resort to influential measures in order to achieve her goals. She claims that ... is in a state of near unconsciousness revealing the reality of her thoughts). These regretful feelings inherently lead to her downfall through her suicide. By dying by her own hand she is...

• Word Count: 1026
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... his facial expressions and body language, they surmise what passions drive him and what dark desires lie in wait. Realizing that he desires the kingdom, they prophesy that he shall be king. They cannot thus compel his will to evil, but they do arouse his passions and stir up ... judges, "These solicitings cannot be evil, cannot be good." Still, he is provided with so much natural good that he is able to control the apprehensions of his imagination and decides to take no step involving crime. His decision not to commit murder, however, is not in any sense based ... love, obedience, troo...

• Word Count: 1619
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... and other bodily manifestations they surmise with comparative accuracy what passions drive him and what dark desires await their fostering. Realizing that he wishes the kingdom, they prophesy that he shall be king. They cannot thus compel his will to evil; but they do arouse his passions and ... "These solicitings cannot be evil, cannot be good." Still, he is provided with so much natural good that he is able to control the apprehensions of his inordinate imagination and decides to take no step involving crime. His autonomous decision not to commit murder, however, is not ... the form ...

• Word Count: 2254
• Approx Pages: 9
• Grade Level: Undergraduate