Comparative Essay of Macbeth and Lady MacbethIn the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Macbeth and his wife; Lady Macbeth becomes greedy for power after receiving a prophecy from three witches. Ultimately, though, their greed only gets them killed. In the play Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are different in terms of their reaction to the prophecy, gender identity and guilt. Their opposing views are the reason why Macbeth and Lady Macbeth both end up dying. When the Three Witches give Macbeth the prophecy that he will become king, Macbeth is shocked and afraid. He is aware that he cannot be king because King Duncan has two sons who could replace Duncan. Macbeth is very surprised as to why the witches would say such a thing. This reaction can be seen from Macbeth's words “Stay ye imperfect speakers, tell me more. Since Sinel's death I know I am Thane of Glamis, but what about Cawdor? The Lord of Cawdor still lives, a rich gentleman, and to become king is not within the scope of faith” (Mac. 1.3.72-76). Macbeth says that this prophecy is not even within his scope of belief. There isn't a single part that makes sense to him, which is why he's so interested. Because this prophecy is so far-fetched, he wants to know more and doesn't just ignore the witches. When Lady Macbeth receives the letter from Macbeth about the prophecy, she is very happy and can't wait for the prophecy to come true, however she is worried. I'm not sure Macbeth can pull it off. “Great Glamis! Worthy Cawdor! Greater than both; for the hail of the afterlife! Your letters have transported me beyond this ignorant present, and I now feel the future in the instant” (1.5.57-61) Lady Macbeth says to Macbeth. She is grateful to the greater power she has given them... middle of paper... guilt Lady Macbeth becomes even more ruthless. She doesn't let her guilt come out at all, and then the guilt eats her alive. Lady Macbeth begins to walk and talk in her sleep, tries to wash off the blood she doesn't have on her hands. After she can no longer bear the guilt she didn't let slip in the first place, she kills herself. The deaths of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are the result of their differences in terms of reaction to the prophecy, gender identity, and guilt. Macbeth is confused and shocked by the prophecy, and Lady Macbeth is pleased. Macbeth is feminine and Lady Macbeth is masculine. Macbeth feels guilty at the beginning, but not at the end, and Lady Macbeth only feels guilty after the words. It is evident that these two characters are different and these differences affect them greatly. Works Cited Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. New York: Washington Press, 1992