Question

How do Lady Macbeth's actions compare to those of the witches in Macbeth?

Accepted Answer

Lady Macbeth's actions are comparable to the efforts of Witches in that they negatively impact Macbeth's life, create destruction and death, and are nefarious in nature. Lady Macbeth and witches successfully manipulate Macbeth, contribute to the chaotic environment of Scotland, and influence the trajectory of Macbeth's life.

Answer

Lady Macbeth's actions compare to those of the witches in that they heavily influence Macbeth's decisions, are considered diabolical, and contribute to Macbeth's demise. Lady Macbeth is depicted as an ambitious, selfish woman who is primarily concerned with becoming queen and willing to manipulate her husband to commit regicide. She calls upon evil spirits to consume her soul and carefully plots King Duncan's murder. Lady Macbeth's actions influence Macbeth to dismiss his concerns and follow through with the assassination. Similarly, the witches are also portrayed as malevolent forces of evil determined to manipulate and mislead Macbeth. When the witches meet Macbeth and Banquo on the heath, they proceed to give them seemingly favorable prophecies which incite Macbeth's ambition. Later in the play, the witches purposely mislead Macbeth into becoming overconfident, which contributes to his demise.
Despite their many similarities, the witches function in the supernatural realm and do not play a direct role in King Duncan's murder. Their primary motivation seems to be focused on causing chaos throughout the world, and they exercise no remorse for their actions. Unlike the witches, Lady Macbeth's actions serve a specific purpose, which is to become queen and enjoy the privileges of being Scottish royalty. Lady Macbeth also directly contributes to Duncan's murder by planning and participating in the crime and experiences guilt and remorse following the murder, which influences her decision to commit suicide.

Answer

Lady Macbeth's actions are every bit as diabolical as those of the witches, but there's a crucial difference. Though utterly treacherous and immoral, Lady Macbeth's plot to murder Duncan does at least have a recognizable purpose behind it, namely to advance her husband's career by putting him on the throne. The witches, on the other hand, engage in evil for the sake of it. They enjoy doing foul, depraved things—like making a sailor drown because his wife wouldn't share some of her chestnuts with one of them.
In her actions, Lady Macbeth is focused purely on this world and what she and her husband can get out of it. The witches' focus, however, is on the supernatural, which is the world that they inhabit. What makes Macbeth's actions after taking the throne so diabolical is that he increasingly seems to inhabit the same world as the witches rather than that of his wife—who goes out of her mind with guilt over the part she played in Duncan's murder. Here, we can see another difference between her actions and the witches': there's simply no way that the witches' devilish activities would ever stir up the slightest feeling of guilt among them.

Answer

Lady Macbeth's actions and the witches' actions are very similar. Lady Macbeth and the witches aid in bringing about Macbeth's downfall. At the outset of the play, the witches begin by greeting Macbeth as the Thane of Glamis, the Thane of Cawdor, and "king hereafter" (I.iii.51–53). The promise of Macbeth being named the Thane of Cawdor and later becoming king spurs on his ambition and begins his downward spiral. The witches' predictions appear to be true when Macbeth receives the title of Thane of Cawdor from Duncan. Later, Lady Macbeth receives the letter from Macbeth that tells of the witches' prophecies. Immediately, Lady Macbeth seizes on the plan to get rid of King Duncan to enable the witches' greeting to come to fruition:

Hie thee hither, That I may pour my spirits in thine ear; And chastise with the valour of my tongue All that impedes thee from the golden round, Which fate and metaphysical aid doth seem To have thee crown'd withal. (I.v.27–33)

Lady Macbeth has decided to persuade Macbeth to do whatever he must to obtain the "golden round," the crown. Additionally, she announces the "metaphysical aid" in the plan, by way of the witches' predictions. Lady Macbeth and the witches work their will together to bring about Macbeth's total corruption, a result of his ambition.

Answer

Lady Macbeth and the witches both manipulate Macbeth, but while the witches are just playing around and putting ideas in his head, Lady Macbeth gives him specific plans and basically forces him to commit murder.
Although the witches are definitely vile creatures who like to stir up trouble, they only tell Macbeth that he will be king.  They do not tell him to go out and kill Duncan straight away to make it happen.  Lady Macbeth does that.  The witches plant a seed, and Lady Macbeth nurtures it and makes it grow.
THIRD WITCH:

All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be King hereafter! (Act 1, Scene 3, p. 13)

When Duncan does not name Macbeth as the next king, he gets angry.  He never thought he would be king before, but since the witches have put the idea in his head he wants it.

[Aside.] The Prince of Cumberland! That is a step(55)
On which I must fall down, or else o'erleap,
For in my way it lies. (Act 1, Scene 5, p. 18)

Now Macbeth is interested in becoming king, and when he sends a letter to Lady Macbeth she is ready to make it happen. She gives him a specific plan, and makes sure he follows it to the letter—right down to leaving the daggers by Duncan’s body.

Go, get some water
And wash this filthy witness from your hand.(60)
Why did you bring these daggers from the place?
They must lie there. Go carry them, and smear
The sleepy grooms with blood. (Act 2, Scene II, p. 30)

In the end, it is Lady Macbeth’s insistence that her husband act that causes him to act, more than the witches’ giving him the idea.

Macbeth

How do Lady Macbeth's actions compare to those of the witches in Macbeth?

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