Friday, October 19, 2012

What attitudes emerge from Lady Macduff's characterization in "Macbeth"?Macbeth act4

Although Lady Macduff has a brief appearance in Macbeth, I don't think her lines really represent her significance in the play.

She is a representative of the death of innocence in Scotland.  Her death is also closely linked with Lady Macbeth's descent into madness.  Lady Macduff's murder, along with her children and servants is heinous and senseless.

Lady Macduff is a good mother, devoted wife and reveals herself to be confused by her husband's sudden departure.  She is suspicious of his behavior. She still has faith in Scotland, she does not want to leave, she feels that she has done nothing wrong. But she realizes that right is wrong in Scotland now and wrong is right, just like foul is fair and fair is foul.

"Whither should I fly?
I have done no harm. But I remember now
I am in this earthly world, where, to do harm
Is often laudable, to do good sometime
Accounted dangerous folly; why then, alas
Do I put up that womanly defence,
To say I have done no harm?"

However, when murderers storm into her house, she is very brave, as are the people of Scotland during Macbeth's tyrannical reign. 

Lady Macduff gives us the opinion of the people of Scotland through her dialogue, her honest loving life and her tragic symbolic death.

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