Macbeth Response (Extra Credit)

Macbeth was a process that took three months, countless rehearsals, after school classes and a daily routine of pouring over lines night after night. As Lady Macbeth I had 54 lines, over ten monologues, and a full immersion into Shakespeare’s epic tragedy. At times this filled me with joy and sometimes with bubbling resent, but in the end I’m so glad to have gotten the chance to experience Macbeth by William Shakespeare, a tragedy with roots of love but in the end, driven by greed.
Although many people may see Macbeth having a plot steered by greed, it begins with love. Lady Macbeth states, “…yet do I fear thy nature. It is too full o’ the milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way.” This illustrates how well Lady Macbeth knows her husband, he is a kind man who would not take immediate advantage of chances that might come to him. She wants him to capture greatness, to hold power, not only because it would give her power as well but because of her love for him. I also saw this love in my blocking. Mr. Mceneny would often tell me to touch Macbeth’s face or hands. If Lady Macbeth didn't truly love her husband, these movements would be rough and forceful, yet they are delicate and gentle.
However, by the end of the play, Lady Macbeth’s loving wants for the couple evolves into Macbeth’s overwhelming greed. Macbeth begins to get paranoid, killing whole castles and becomes a hateful madman. For example, the apparitions tell Macbeth to fear Macduff, the thane of Fife. After hearing these omens, Macbeth sends assassins to kill Lady Macduff, her children and all the mansion’s staff instead of hunting down Macduff. In addition, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth do not speak at all during the second act. He has isolated himself, only trusting his own thoughts, however twisted they may be.
Both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth were greedy in their own right but as the epic continues, the greed is not present because of understandable desires but because of paranoia, malice and fear. These states of mind were all very interesting to act and messages I was hopeful able to convey to the audience during my performance.