A
five-paragraph essay has an introductory paragraph that states your thesis (whether or not your
think Lady Macbeth is responsible for Duncan's death), then three body paragraphs, then a
conclusion.
I would argue that Lady Macbeth is not responsible for Duncan's
death. I would use the second paragraph as my "admittedly" paragraph and, in it, list
reasons why people might think she is responsible. For instance, she goes to great lengths to
goad Macbeth into killing Duncan by implying she is more fearless and masculine than he
is.
Then I would offer evidence for why Lady Macbeth is not primarily
responsible for Duncan's death. I would argue that Macbeth himself is. He did not have to allow
his wife to push him into the murder. He could have said no. But he wanted this: he wanted to be
king. He was the one who actually performed the murder, not his wife. She was hardly standing
over him with a dagger to his heart, forcing him to do this.
I would argue,
too, that Macbeth is more evil than his wife. After all, he does the deed of killing his
monarchand then goes on a killing rampage that takes the lives of his close friend Banquo and
Macduff's young children. Lady Macbeth does nothing like this. Furthermore, Lady Macbeth, for
all her brave words, cracks and goes mad, ultimately committing suicide because she can't bear
the guilt she feels at having pushed her husband to murder the king. Macbeth, in contrast, grows
harder and harder as evil takes him over.
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