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Summer Tran

Baudoin

English II: 1st period

9 March 2018

The Tragedy of Macbeth: Manipulating Forces within Relationships

Manipulation takes place on the daily basis, urging of all men in the human society. Manipulation is the

act of controlling or influencing in the clever or underhand way. In certain situations, women can become the

destruction of men. In William Shakespeare’s play, The Tragedy of Macbeth, a male protagonist, Macbeth,

shown severe cases during the five acts of the play. Macbeth is the primary example of how women influence

men to implement evil deeds of manipulation.

In the beginning of the play, the three witches forces within Macbeth's relationship is revealed when the

witches' prophecies were about Macbeth and his future reign. When the three witches stated to Macbeth, "All

hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Glamis!/ All hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!/ All hail,

Macbeth that shalt be King hereafter!..." (I.III.51-53) All the witches' prophecies for Macbeth was manipulating

their power to put Macbeth as king. In Act IV, the witches stated to Macbeth, "Be bloody, bold, and resolute;

laugh to scorn/the power of man, for none of woman born/Shall harm Macbeth.” (IV.I.90-92) Macbeth believes

that he is not capable to overcome by forcing of arms because of the visions from the witches. The manipulation

of the bloody Child gave Macbeth a false sense of confidence. Macbeth assumes that there are no humans that

have not been born from a woman, which is what makes him think he is more invincible. The witches show that

all of their prophecies that come true within Macbeth’s reign of the throne and the ruling.

As the play continues and the plot becomes more complicated, Lady Macbeth manipulating forces

within relationship developed when Macbeth murdered King Duncan and Banquo for getting in the way of his

throne. In Act I, Lady Macbeth stated to Macbeth, “When you durst do it, then you were a man;” (I.VII.56)

When Lady Macbeth was manipulating Macbeth within their relationship, telling him that he was not a man if

he doesn’t murder King Duncan and showing coward in him. In Act II, Lady Macbeth stated to Macbeth,

“These deeds must not be thought/ After these ways; so, it will make us mad.” (II.II.45-46) Lady Macbeth
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manipulating Macbeth of his guilt and regret of murdering King Duncan, discouraging about the crime that he

made. Lady Macbeth was a deeply, determined woman who have lust for authority and advantage to control

people, which shows Lady Macbeth has the ability to control Macbeth.

As the play comes to a close, his mental illness manipulating forces within his relationship is refined by

him. In Act II, Macbeth stated to Lady Macbeth, “Still it cried, ‘Sleep no more!’ to all the house./ ‘Glamis hath

murdered sleep and therefore/ Cawdor...” (II.II.54-56) Macbeth’s mental illness manipulates himself, telling

Lady Macbeth that he’s hearing voices, assuming that he will not sleep and he was cursed by Duncan. In Act V,

Macbeth stated to himself, “I have almost forgot the taste of fear...I have supped full with horror/ Direness

familar to my slaughterous thoughts/ Cannot once start me.” (V.V.11, 15-18) Macbeth’s mental illness

manipulates himself, telling himself that he haven’t tasted fear before he have murder former king, Duncan.

Showing that his mental illness manipulates himself, he prove himself that he is a “man.”

The witches, Lady Macbeth, and his mental illness all affected Macbeth in a negative way. The witches

make both Macbeth and his spouse believe that it is desirable and irresistible, his wife encourages him to step

forward “to be a man” and fulfill his destiny, and his mental illness encourages him to murder and have more

capability to “execute” innocent people. When one’s self and one’s surroundings agree with one another, a

particular path opens as a possibility to the mind. Macbeth is attached to his actions, as the message itself, is

clear enough; that no man is an island. Every person relies on the influences of those around him or her to form

conceptions and decisions. Macbeth is an example of a man who was manipulated and used for the

improvement of the others’ lives.