Arthur Koestler, a British journalist and author once said, "Courage is never to let your actions be influenced by your fears. " This quote would prove true in the story of Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare. Macbeth is one of the leaders in King Duncan's army, and is known as a fierce warrior with a lot of ambition. Three witches tell Macbeth that he will one day be king which leads Macbeth to kill Duncan, for the throne. Macbeth travels down a path which eventually leaves him distraught and paranoid. One flaw Macbeth has is that he is very easily influenced, and it is this flaw, that eventually leads to his downfall. Macbeth is negatively influenced by mainly three different sources, Lady Macbeth, The Apparitions, and the three witches.
Lady Macbeth has a huge influence on Macbeth. So much so that she is able to convince him to kill Duncan. This is evident when Lady Macbeth says, "O, never Shall sun that morrow see! Your face, my thane, is as a book where men May read strange matters. To beguile the time, Look like the time. Bear welcome in your eye, Your hand, your tongue. Look like th' innocent flower, But be the serpent under't. He that's coming Must be provided for ".
Lady Macbeth is telling Macbeth that the day where he will be king will never come; Lady Macbeth is explaining to Macbeth that he shouldn't wait to be king, but that he must take care of this matter as soon as possible. Lady Macbeth is telling him he must act as if nothing is out of the ordinary, but finish the deed without hesitation, using the metaphor of looking like an innocent flower, but being the serpent hiding underneath It. .
On another occasion Macbeth attempts to talk Lady Macbeth, and himself, out of killing Duncan, and Lady Macbeth replies, "I have given suck, and know How tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me. I would, while it was smiling in my face, Have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums And dashed the brains out, had I so sworn as you Have done to this.