Cruelty/Macbeth

"And fill me from the crown to the toe, top full of the direst cruelty"(Macbeth/Shakespeare Lines 42-43). This line in Shakespeare's Macbeth said by Lady Macbeth is of great significance. This statement shows how even though Lady Macbeth felt that her husband was too nice and kindhearted to commit such a crime such as killing the king, she was not. However, this still shows that even Lady Macbeth is aware that it takes a cruel, almost heartless person to kill a perfectly innocent man like the king. The significance of this is so great because it sort of shows Shakespeare's view on things such as killing. Only a truly, purely cruel person like the sort that Lady Macbeth says she wants to be would be able to commit this crime with no remorse. Also, someone of this same level of cruelty in their body would be able to kill a perfectly innocent person for their own gain. This too also shows greed. Macbeth had already been promoted to the Thane of Cawdor which was a big accomplishment for him, but for his wife it seems that was not enough. The thoughts and strong considerations of her killing the king for her and her husband formed almost immediately after the promotion. Macbeth on the other hand, was beginning to consider it but his good virtues prohibited him from acting upon it and it seemed that he was fairly content with where his current position was. To be filled from the crown to the toe would be to fill one's entire body in every section with cruelness and evil. For one to want to be royal this badly is very significant in the play of Macbeth.