Comments on: Lady Macbeth’s Motivation?

By: Rhonda/remlane

Rhonda/remlane — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 14:04:04 +0000

Wow, thanks, Sheryl. I was hoping you’d give us the biographical info on her. Finding out the real story behind the story is interesting. Thanks for stopping by.

By: Sheryl Clay

Sheryl Clay — Sun, 04 May 2008 13:56:54 +0000

Well, I can tell you something of the little bit we know about the real Lady MacBeth – and in my opinion, Shakespeare may have played a little fast and loose with the actual history (to the extent we know about it) but I feel he pretty much nailed the characterizations.

The real Lady MacBeth was the granddaughter of the late deposed king of Scotland, who was murdered by MacBeth’s own grandfather. The real Duncan, by the way, was MacBeth’s cousin. Anyway, Gruoch ingen Bodhe was very likely to have been brought up to understand that her own royal prerogatives had been stolen from her – and the opportunity to regain her place through her husband would have been powerful. Not something one leaves to the chance of prophecy. If she had been forced by circumstances to grow up in relative poverty – especially if raised by a bitter father – she would have been even more driven, perhaps, to control events rather than sit back and wait for fate to make good. Shakespeare would have known all this, and there is evidence that he used many of the secondary histories available during his time (John Fordun, etc.) to draw his characters and events for “MacBeth.”

Lady M’B also had “given suck,” by the way – she did have a child with her first husband, though none who lived to grace history with MacBeth. MacBeth murdered her first husband and chances are pretty good he took her as a war prize, which makes their relationship even more interesting. MacBeth adopted her son when he married her, and Lulach did succeed MacBeth briefly before Malcolm III killed him, too.

If you’re interested in the real MacBeth, or Lady M’B, I highly recommend Nick Aitcheson’s “MacBeth: the Myth and the Man.”

By: kathleenrowland

kathleenrowland — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 22:54:42 +0000

In the beginning, Lady Macbeth encourages the murder. Her conscious grows and her husband’s lessens. In addition to Shakespeare’s amazing insights, I love the passages of great poetry. Not to mention, bitter humor.

By: Rhonda/remlane

Rhonda/remlane — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 21:02:04 +0000

Lady M as necessary element for the predictions to come true … Hmm.

I have this mental image of the witches peering into their cauldron (or in this case, body bags) and saying, “Oooh, that wife of his. She gets things DONE.”‘

Shakespeare’s insights into people are part of what makes these plays timeless. Four hundred years old and they still play to packed houses of people who love to see the stories re-told. His characters have almost become archetypes themselves.

By: bethyarnall

bethyarnall — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 06:44:24 +0000

Freud had nothing on Shakespeare. That man was a genius when it came to knowing what makes people tick.

By: Debora Dale

Debora Dale — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 19:40:58 +0000

Who is to know if what we do is by choice or by fate? Lady Macbeth’s actions could indeed have been necessary for the predictions to come true. I love your take on her though… ‘what ifs’ are always endless and intriguing.
~Debbie

By: Lyndi Lamont

Lyndi Lamont — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 16:43:53 +0000

Rhonda,

Glad you enjoyed the production of MacBeth. Patrick Stewart is an amazing actor.

Interesting thoughts on Lady M. If she hadn’t acted, the witch’s predictions might not have come true. Maybe it was her destiny to kill Duncan. Some kind of karmic payback from a past life. Who knows? LOL, being writers, we always have to as “why” and “what if”.

Lyndi