Lady Macbeth as an instrument of destiny Macbeth's game is all about power and greed. It's about ambition overriding the inhibitions and conscience of a good man. We know that most people consider Macbeth to be a good and brave man at the beginning of the book, for example King Duncan himself refers to him as "O brave cousin, worthy gentleman!" He is admired by all for his skills in battle. It's difficult to say what the driving force behind the events of the story is, and it's equally difficult to know what emotions or beliefs drove the characters to do what they did. Parts of the text give us details and insights into the relationship and balance of power in Macbeth and Lady Macbeth's marriage, this can be interpreted and used to try to understand who actually made the main decisions regarding the murder. From the beginning Lady Macbeth is presented as ambitious and determined. "Let no scrupulous visitation of nature shake my diabolical purpose, nor keep peace between the effect and it..." When he says this he means that nothing will prevent it from achieving its purpose, and that pity will have no effect on her. This purpose seems to be strong in the early scenes, in which the major crimes are committed, but as she and Macbeth grow apart and her involvement in the play diminishes, so does her resolve. When she first greets her husband upon his return, it is clear how proud she is of her newly won titles. It's also clear how eager he is to earn her praise, after the conversation with the strange sisters he immediately thinks of writing home and telling her. This is very unusual for the era in which the play was set; usually there would be more domination from the husband, while Macbeth and Lady Macbeth appear to be… middle of paper… luck to help the plot unfold. Usually, though, Shakespeare's plays are more sophisticated and it is usually possible to find a reason for an event. I conclude that Lady Macbeth was an instrument of fate. I believe the witches manipulated her, or their controller did, to in turn exert her influence on Macbeth and stage a predetermined series of events. I don't think there is a reason to this play, but there is a moral, a mystery and a great underlying evil. I don't know what Shakespeare wanted this evil to represent, perhaps he didn't know it himself; or perhaps it represents the vulnerability of all human beings to fate or chance; perhaps it pessimistically represents a fundamental evil in man; or perhaps he wrote it to captivate his audience and leave them wondering… Works Cited: Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1977.