When Macbeth says he is not interested in continuing with the business of killing Duncan, Lady Macbeth calls him a coward. Then she tells him that if he were a man, he would do it.
When Macbeth hears about the witches’ prophecies, he writes a letter to his wife telling her about them. He is all ready to do it until he actually gets home and realizes he has to kill Duncan in his house. ...
When Macbeth says he is not interested in continuing with the business of killing Duncan, Lady Macbeth calls him a coward. Then she tells him that if he were a man, he would do it.
When Macbeth hears about the witches’ prophecies, he writes a letter to his wife telling her about them. He is all ready to do it until he actually gets home and realizes he has to kill Duncan in his house. Then he loses his nerve.
He tells Lady Macbeth that he doesn’t want to do it anymore, and it turns out she was right when she said he was “too full o' the milk of human kindness” to do it. She decides that she is not going to turn back and proceeds to goad and nag him into it.
First, she calls him a coward.
… Art thou afeard
To be the same in thine own act and valour
As thou art in desire? Wouldst thou have that
Which thou esteem'st the ornament of life,
And live a coward in thine own esteem,
Letting 'I dare not' wait upon 'I would,'
Like the poor cat i' the adage?(Act 1, Scene 7)
Then, she tells him that he is not a man if he doesn’t do it.
What beast was't, then,
That made you break this enterprise to me?
When you durst do it, then you were a man;
And, to be more than what you were, you would
Be so much more the man. (Act 1, Scene 7)
When Macbeth asks if they should fail, she tells him “But screw your courage to the sticking-place,/And we'll not fail.” She is convinced that once Macbeth does it and kills the king, they will be fine. No one will suspect them, because Macbeth wasn’t in line to be king. Malcolm was named successor. Lady Macbeth thinks they’ll be in the clear if her husband will just be a man.
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