An Underworld Journey into 'Sleep No More'

CLAIRE UNDERWOOD AND LADY MACBETH:

There is a direct correlation between Macbeth and Frank Underwood of House of Cards. Hey both are highly skilled men in their particular fields, be it politics or war, they both start out two positions below the ruler of the country and commit themselves to a journey of treachery and blood to attain that power. (Use illustration of Frank’s chain of power and Macbeth’s) Who stands behind Macbeth, goading him, directing him and convincing him…Lady Macbeth. From the moment Lady Macbeth hears the news of Macbeth’s interactions with the weird sister, she sets herself on a path to lead her husband to become king. Her “unsex me here” scene shows her conviction to the point where she wants them to “Come to my woman’s breasts, and take my milk for gall” (1.5). With her new goal, she cunningly convinces her husband to kill Duncan. The conversation between Lady Macbeth and Macbeth is similar to the One between Frank and Claire in House of Cards. After greeted by her husband, Lady Macbeth wastes no time and asks “when is (Duncan) leaving” (1.5) getting right down to the business of murder. In the similar scene with Claire and Frank, the couple also gets right down to business in the same professional manner that Lady Macbeth achieves it. Throughout much of the show the couple never takes time to be around each other for their own joy and instead use each other to advance themselves in their lives. This is seen when Claire convinces Frank to let her be a UN ambassador. Claire guilts Frank into giving her the position by acting as if she is a victim making Frank feel bad. Frank caves and gives her the position showing that their relationship is more mechanical and business like than normal. Like Lady Macbeth, Claire is also able to convince Frank to do almost anything. When Claire thinks that it is time that Frank started to exercise, he is reluctant at first, but eventually after making him feel bad about himself, she convinces him to work out on the rowing machine.  Lady Macbeth convinces her husband to kill by insulting his manliness, instead of his physical appearance, to fit popular tropes of either era. “What beast was ’t, then, That made you break this enterprise to me?” (1.7) shows Lady Macbeth calling Macbeth an animal or beast to imply that he is not a man because he doesn’t not hold to his convictions. This “pep talk” convinces Macbeth to follow through with the murder and let himself be controlled by Lady Macbeth. Both women, Lady Macbeth and Claire, suffer from their “sins” of leading their husbands to do evil. Lady Macbeth leaves her husband in the form of death by insanity while Claire flat out leaves her husband because of the monster he has become. Along with their punishment, both women feel slightly guilty for what they are doing. Lady Macbeth asks for smoke so “That my keen knife see not the wound it makes” (1.5) sheltering her from her sin. Claire's guilt is seen when, after forcing a raped female soldier to appear before the media and eventually driving the girl into depression, she sits on her stairs crumples and starts to cry. This shows that Claire along with Lady Macbeth are fully aware of the power and influence they have over their husbands but realize that what they are doing is wrong.
 

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