Macbeth Act 1

Shakespeare's Macbeth wastes no time in contributing to a rising action in the plot. In just the first act, Shakespeare already manages to introduce so many aspects about Macbeth and his wife Lady Macbeth. This allows the reader to very quickly begin to make his or her own conclusions and inferences on what will occur later on in the play. For example, Macbeth's indecision when thinking of the prophecy and what he will do about it makes the reader almost do a double take when thinking of his character. Does he want to murder the king? Can he do it? Macbeth himself says "...why do I yield to that suggestion / Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair..." (Line 147-148 Act 1 Scene 4). The very idea of killing Duncan scares Macbeth, and he, in this regard, is one of the more noble murderers I have heard of in any work of literature. Macbeth's indecisiveness is further illustrated when he says "If chance will have me king, why, chance may / crown me / Without my stir" (Line 157-159 Act 1 Scene 4) literally lines ahead of him contemplating to murder Duncan in cold blood. Macbeth's wish to become king and his morals are clearly at war throughout this act, and the actions of Lady Macbeth can be considered to be the tipping point for what may happen later on in the play. 

Lady Macbeth, from the first few lines she utters, is portrayed as the ultimate evil in this play. She has all of Macbeth's lust for blood, but none of his morality. Lady Macbeth very clearly wants her husband to be king. She takes measures into her own hands - "That I may pour my spirits in thine ear / And chastise with the valor of my tongue / All that impedes thee from the golden round, / Which fate and metaphysical aid doth seem / To have thee crowned withal" (Line 29-33 Act 1 Scene 5). She outwardly says that she will do everything in her power to make sure that Macbeth kills Duncan and becomes king. Even more gruesome is the fact that she wishes more malice upon herself, to compensate for her husband's apparent lack of viciousness "...Come you spirits / That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, / And fill me from the frown to the toe top-full / Of direst cruelty. Make thick my blood. / Stop up th'access and passage to remorse" (Line 47-51 Act 1 Scene 5). Lady Macbeth's thoughts in this scene especially bring about some room for discussion in the apparent roles of the male and female in her relationship with Macbeth, as it seems like she is the one calling most of the shots in this case, and seems to be confident in her abilities to ensure Macbeth ends up committing murder in the end. She even wishes to be "unsexed", which appears to be a commentary on how her role as a woman should be played off as irrelevant in this case, and ensure that she can impart all of the levels of viciousness she can to Macbeth, all the while gaining all that malice and negativity along the way.