lady macbeth change essay

The Change Of Lady Macbeth: The Change Of Lady Macbeth

Show More The Change of Lady Macbeth and Macbeth Shakespeare’s Macbeth shows the downfall of two entities conjoined by marriage with the gain of power. It is incredible to think of how much someone changes when given power. The play documents a man’s desire to be in power and the murderous acts he is willing to commit to get there. Ambition isn’t a precise concept. While “ambition” and a “love of honor” may not be synonyms, they do run hand in hand. “We praise the quality we think of the man who loves honor more than most people, and when we blame it we think of him who loves it more than is right” (Langis). Macbeth is praised for his valiant abilities and he receives the title of Thane of Cawdor. If he hadn’t had fought and killed, he would have never …show more content… In the letter Macbeth praises his wife of how special she is to him. As she reads his note, Lady Macbeth states “I fear thy nature; / It is too full of the milk of human kindness / To catch the nearest way”. She feminizes his actions, declaring him too kind. Upon the discovery of Duncan being between the Macbeths and the throne, Lady Macbeth plots out a murder. When Macbeth hesitates she repeatedly tears at his manhood with lines like, ‘‘I dare do all that may become a man; / Who dares do more is none’’, until he believes committing murder will be the only way to prove himself (Langis). After the crime is committed, Lady Macbeth soothes her husband as he struggles with paranoia , all while falling apart herself. While it may seem that Lady Macbeth is merciless, she does show some humanity. After the murder of Duncan she declares she could not have killed him herself because of his resemblance to her …show more content… In this scene you see that her mental state has been altered to the point she sleepwalks, mutters, and cannot quit washing her hands. “Out, out damned spot!” is her unconscious beggary of the guilt to be taken from her. She is fixated on the atrocities her and Macbeth have caused. She cannot distinguish the “real world” from her haunting nightmares (O’Rourke). At the very end of the play, Lady Macbeth reads aloud the letter her husband wrote her before he became the King of Scotland. She is so overwhelmed with the personal torment of guilt that she commits suicide. Macbeth heard the scream but confesses in a brief soliloquy that such noises of horror no longer have the power to frighten him. Upon finding of her death Macbeth is solemn and empty but he shows no remorse for his actions. Some see the lines “She should have died hereafter; / There would have been a time for such a word”, as him seeing her death as an inconvenience others see it as wishing he had time to mourn. However, in his famous “tomorrow, tomorrow, and tomorrow” speech he does take the time to say if he and his wife had remained honorable, maybe their deaths could be more dignified than they are destined to

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Essay on trust in macbeth.

He leaves in a sense of good character, thinking that if Macbeth did show up at their home that if he wasn 't there he wouldn 't hurt his family. However, what he didn 't realize was Macbeth had gone so far as to kill whoever he needed to get at certain people or to simply make sure they weren 't in his way. It is Lady Macduff who considers her husband to have ruined the trust that they had because she was afraid of being left alone without his protection. It is in this moment that she even ends up calling her husband a traitor while she is speaking to her son. This is said in act four scene two of the play in lines 44 her son asks, "Was my father a traitor, mother?"…

Lady Macbeth's Loss Of Innocence

In Shakespeare’s time, the act of opening oneself up to evil spirits would have been scandalous, and Lady Macbeth does exactly that for the benefit of Macbeth. Aware that her husband will be required to go against his nature, the Lady sets herself up as a stoic wall of support for him. Unfortunately, she goes too far due to her flaw of unbridled ambition. After the initial murder, the responsibility of keeping Macbeth sane falls to Lady Macbeth. Unwilling to allow her king to falter, she continues to push him on in his evil endeavors until he no longer needs her.…

Diabolical Control Of Lady Macbeth

This proves that Macbeth was not fully convinced into killing Duncan, and that he only did it to hide his doubts to avoid appearing a coward in front of his wife. This shows us that Macbeth is overshadowed by his wife’s decisions and has somewhat humanity in him. Overall, Lady Macbeth runs over Macbeth like a doormat and takes control of their relationship and the decisions that they make. Lady Macbeth’s personality is diabolical, corrupted, and relentless while Macbeth is scared, nervous, and shameful for being ruled by his wife. Lady Macbeth uses rhetorical questions like questioning his bravery and courage in order to get Macbeth into following through with the murder, and without her persuasions, he wouldn’t have planned to kill Duncan on his own because of his…

The Destruction Of Guilt In Lady Macbeth By William Shakespeare

Lady Macbeth is forcing herself into becoming evil, and asking to not feel remorse for her plan of murder. Macbeth never pushes himself to be able to kill on his own, but rather having his wife pressure him. She is eager for this plan to work, and forces Macbeth to submit to the plan, despite refuting, by calling his manhood into question and mocking his concerns. “Art thou afeared/to be the same in thine own act and valor/as thou art to desire?”(I.vii.43-45). Macbeth is a noble and decorated soldier, and Lady Macbeth mocks him for having these attributes but not desiring anything great.…

Macbeth Case Study

In the first murder, Macbeth was hesitant to perform the deed, and backed out until she angrily spoke: “From this time/Such I account thy love.”(Act 1, Scene 7), which held him accountable to their love. He knew his wife would turn on him with anger, and to diffuse that, he reluctantly agrees. His wife sparked his killing spree and shares equal, if not more credit for the murder of Duncan as she implored Macbeth to do it when he wished not to. She urged him on, insulting his masculinity and bravery when she states: “When you durst do it, then you were a man”(Act 1, Scene 7). The next morning, she promptly faints to keep up appearances, so that even if Macbeth was caught, she could still act innocent.…

The Tragic Character In Macbeth By William Shakespeare

Originally, the murder of King Duncan was not going to take until Lady Macbeth persuades her husband into performing this terrible deed. This seduction is done through only one conversation in which she threatens, “…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”. With a quick pathetic agreement of Macbeth, it shows how he acts only as a pawn that is easily controlled through, in this example, his wife. As parallel to the male/female role stereotypes of the time this play was written, Lady Macbeth exploited this to “blackmail” her husband. The short line by Lady Macbeth, “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” (1.7.…

Irrational Action In Macbeth

As a result of Macbeth killing the guards, it is easy to see that his conscience is diminishing. Even before killing Duncan, he could barely bring himself to go through with the murder, let alone deal with the guilt after. Now, he kills two others and does not think twice about it. The hysteria that Macbeth is experiences causes him to hesitate less about killing people and feel less remorse after. Jarold Ramsey notes that, “When the murder of Duncan is discovered, Macbeth betters his wife’s instructions … and slays the grooms out right, before they can talk.…

Theme Of Emotion In Macbeth And Beowulf

This begins with the initial stress of seeing Banquo’s ghost, and only strengthens after seeing the daggers float midair. So, Macbeth goes into a fit, which worries the rest of the lords. Lady Macbeth then asks the lords to leave so that Macbeth may recover from his fit, but the reader knows that it is all downhill from this point forward for Macbeth (3.4.37-122). Even at his time of highest remorse and guilt, Macbeth is still not finished murdering innocent people. He now goes after Macduff.…

Essay On Faith In Macbeth

As punishment for her sins, Lady Macbeth had watch the only person she loved, her husband, descend into madness. Macbeth first showed signs of poor mental health when he hallucinated a dagger in the beginning of Act II that led him to murdering King Duncan (p. 20). This early in the play, Macbeth was still able to acknowledge the fact that he was hallucinating. Macbeth blamed his disorientation on a “heat-oppressed brain,” but it was not a one-time occasion. Lady Macbeth had to watch as her husband continued to deteriorate.…

Exploring The Theme Of Ambition In Macbeth By William Shakespeare

Lady Macbeth is a major influence towards macbeth because she believes he his not capable of this deed yet she is, which is why she asks the spirits to “unsex her” of her gender so that the crime can be committed. although Lady Macbeth rethinks her actions and backs off the deed, after reading Macbeth 's beloved letter, claims he “is too full o’ the milk of human kindness”, a metaphor describing that lady macbeth 's believes Macbeth is too soft for the deed, and that he has to man up and get over it. Throughout several nights of countless sleeps, Macbeth invisions bloody daggers, which is claims led him to Duncan 's chamber. Macbeth is at a stage of personal choice, whether is shall carry on with this horrifying yet satisfying deed, or let Lady Macbeth take lead. “[Macbeth] have no spur to pick sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition which o 'erlaps itself and falls on the other.” This quote symbolizes Macbeth 's thoughts about his future actions and justifications about ambition and how that is the only reason his thoughts are running wild out of his mind.…

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Lady Macbeth's Transformation into a Guilt Ridden Woman in Shakespeare's Macbeth

How does lady macbeth change.

The second murder caused him to hallucinate and see a ghost. This indicates that the assassination of Banquo also affected him mentally. Lady Macbeth in comparison is losing control of her relationship. Macbeth has just finished ordering the assassination of Banquo. Lady Macbeth wants to know what Macbeth has done. Macbeth tells her, "Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck,/ Till thou applaud the deed" (III, ii, 50-51). This quotation shows that Macbeth is an control of the relationship, because he tells Lady Macbeth that she does not need to know about the murder. At the beginning of play Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth what to do. For example she tells Macbeth he should kill Duncan and he does. Now Macbeth is in control making Lady Macbeth less powerful in the relationship. Macbeth, d is very much like how he was at the beginning, because the murder of Banquo at the middle of the play and the murder of Duncan at the beginning of the play both affect him mentally; on the other hand Lady Macbeth in has complete authority of her marriage in the beginning, but in the middle of the play she no longer does

The Power of Fate and Karma in Macbeth Essay

After murdering King Duncan, Macbeth returns ashamed of what he had done and becomes weak and morose. Lady Macbeth remains as bold and cold-hearted as she was at the moment she plotted to kill the king, but it was obvious that it would only be a matter of time before all of that bravery faded away and guilt would overcome her. She realizes that Macbeth is at one of the lowest points of his life and tries to give him that same sense of boldness that she has as she tries to cover up his weaknesses. Macbeth had a lot on his conscience that shortly after Banquo had been killed, he believed he saw the ghost of who was once his friend. No one else sees this apparition but Macbeth speaks to it as if it was

Macbeth essay conflicts

Macbeth is confused as he is arguing with himself on what he should do. He states reasons not to kill Duncan, because Macbeth is his noble kinsmen and the act would bring dishonor. However, he also states reason why he should kill him, because Macbeth will then become king and fulfill the witches ' fortune. Lady Macbeth, who appears in the beginning as the driving force for the murder of King Duncan, also develops internal conflict. At first, Lady Macbeth seems to be a woman of extreme confidence and will. But, as situations become more and more unstable in the play, guilt develops inside her. For instance, she exclaims; "Wash your hands. Put on your nightgown. / Look not so pale. I tell you again, Banquo 's / Burried; he cannot come out on 's grave" (Shakespeare V, ii, 65-67). Lady Macbeth sleepwalks and frets about her evil wrongdoings because she is extremely guilty of her influence on Macbeth to commit the murder. Lady Macbeth reacts emotionally and dwells on her actions as guilt eats at her soul.

Macbeth Gender Roles Essay

As the play goes on, Lady Macbeth begins to lose her fierce and intimidating persona as Macbeth becomes the more assertive and dominant one. Lady Macbeth starts losing her edge when it becomes less difficult to get Macbeth to follow through with his murderous acts. Anytime Macbeth thinks you’re interfering with his kinship, he’ll have no problem taking you down and getting you out of his way. Macbeth no longer needs Lady Macbeth to persuade him. This is very apparent when he shows no mercy planning the murder of Banquo, “There’s comfort yet, they are assailable/ Then be thou jocund: ere the bat hath flown/ His cloistered flight, ere to black Hecate’s summons/ The shard-born beetle with his drowsy hums/ Hath rung night’s yawning peal, there shall be

“Glamis thou art, and Cawdor; and shalt be What thou art promised. Yet do I fear thy nature; It is

Lady Macbeth has the power over her husband to persuade him into doing anything she requests. She manipulates Macbeth with incredible efficiency by overruling all of his thoughts and changing his perspective on the present. Even though the many tasks that need to be completed are difficult to understand why they need to be done, Lady Macbeth will always convince Macbeth to do it. Her husband often tells her that she has a “masculine soul” which is obvious due to her murderous and envious actions. When the time came to kill king Duncan, Macbeth believes that his wife has gone insane and tells her that the crime they were about to commit was a horrible idea. As a result of his questioning, Lady Macbeth says that executing the crime will show his loyalty to her. On the night of the assassination Lady Macbeth watched the guards of the castle become drunk and unaware of what was going on. Lady Macbeth sent her husband into the castle to kill King Duncan. The married couple fled the scene leaving the guards covered in the evidence. Lady Macbeth and Macbeth are stained with the blood of their victims and the feeling of guilt in their stomach.

Essay The Truth behind Lady Macbeth

In the play, “Macbeth”, the character that stands out the most is Lady Macbeth. Her role in this story is significant, she is an evil, ruthless, and ambitious person. She is responsible for the murders that her husband commits because she was bloodthirsty for the crown. In fact, she then becomes more eager to get the crown than Macbeth himself and soon realizes that once you commit one violent act, there is almost no way of ever turning back. An analysis of Lady Macbeth reveals that she is a powerful character who adds complexity and depth to a play about murder, madness, and revenge.

Role Reversal in Shakespeare’s Macbeth Essay

On the contrary, Lady Macbeth begins as a ruthless woman. She has a manipulative and controlling character, convincing Macbeth to kill King Duncan; she will do anything to gain power. When she says, “How tender ‘tis to love the babe…I would, while it was smiling in my face, have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums and dashed the brains out” (I.vii. 55-58), she shows her ruthlessness and her “bad” ambition. In her “role reversal” with Macbeth, she gains somewhat of a conscience and realizes her guilt. When she tells him, “You must leave this” (III. ii. 35), she wants Macbeth to forget about his plan to murder Banquo’s family. She is very hesitant about committing another murder and does not want Macbeth to follow through with his plan.

Guilt and Ambition in Shakespeare's Macbeth Essay

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A deadly combination of ambition and guilt poisons both Macbeth and his wife and leads to their deaths in the end. Ruined by her desire for power, Lady Macbeth’s descent into madness is more vivid and guilt seems to affect her more than her husband, even though he is responsible for more crimes. Her request to the spirits to “unsex [her] here,/ And fill [her], from the crown to the toe, top-full/ Of direst cruelty!” is contrasted as the more guilty she feels, the more weak and sensitive she become, a polar opposite of her usual masculine and bold self (1.5.44-46). As a result, she is unable to cope with the guilt and meets her ultimate demise by taking her life. This has an immediate effect on Macbeth: the almost always apparent tension of ambition and guilt disappears. He does not seem interested in living and is ready to face death in a manner more relatable to his former self rather than the murderer he has become. Moreover, Macbeth’s final remark is “Arm, arm, and out!”,

How the Relationship Between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth Changes and Develops During the Course of the Play

She tells Macbeth to put on a pleasant face and leave the rest to her.

The Changing Relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth Essay

Lady Macbeth is a strong character controlling her terrifying dreams at night and rescuing Macbeth from his weak conscience as in the scene when Macbeth sees Banquo’s ghost. She protects him and defends him at the banquet. However as the play progresses, Lady Macbeth’s relationship with Macbeth weakens and we see more of her defenselessness and delicateness. During the

Shakespeare's Macbeth - The Transformation of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth

   In the play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, the characters Macbeth and Lady Macbeth decide, in a great fit of ambition, to kill King Duncan.  Later in the play we see the same two characters undergo a transformation in their personalities after murdering the King.  Macbeth begins the play as a noble soldier and gradually changes into an ambitious and murdering tyrant.  Lady Macbeth begins as a strong, ambitious woman who dominates her husband and gradually changes into a weak and guilt-ridden woman.  This essay will explore the characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth before and after the murder of King Duncan.

Evil And Greeds Of Evil And Greed In Macbeth By William Shakespeare

The play Macbeth by William Shakespeare is overflowing in evil and greed. Lady Macbeth is the overriding source of evil in the play. She tries to convenience Macbeth to kill Duncan, but in reality she wants to kill him herself. She does does not want the prophecy to come true that states Duncan’s heirs will rule the throne. She desires to be Queen. As the character of Lady Macbeth progresses, she moves from evil and greed to showing some weaknesses and slight insanity. Lady Macbeth is bothered by her desire to become a queen and her willingness to sacrifice everything.

Lady Macbeth's Conscience in Shakespeares's Macbeth Essay

Lady Macbeth’s strength of will persists through the murder of King Duncan as it is she who tries to calm Macbeth after committing the crime by declaring confidently that, “a little water clears us of this deed,” (2.2.67). Afterward, however, Lady Macbeth’s strong and ambitious character begins to deteriorate into madness. Her first sign of weakness occurred when she confessed that she could not have killed the king, revealing a natural woman’s feelings, “had he not resembled my father as he slept, I had done’t” (2.2.13-14). Just as ambition has affected her before more so then Macbeth before the crime, the guilt plagues her now more effectively afterward as she desperately tried to wash away the invisible blood from her sin, “Here’s the smell of the blood still: all the perfume of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand,” (5.1.48-49). Lady Macbeth’s

Theme Of Paranoia In Macbeth

Lady Macbeth gives Macbeth the first push to kill Duncan, and she wants to be ruthless, feel no remorse so that she and her husband will successfully kill Duncan. She desires to “stop up th’ access and passage to remorse” (Shakespeare 1.5.51) so that she will not feel bad about the murder. She persuades Macbeth to kill Duncan, but he struggles afterward when he does not follow the plan and forgets to put back the daggers he cannot face the evil act he has committed. Lady Macbeth is satisfied after Macbeth is king, but that is not enough for him any longer. Eventually the killings take a toll on Macbeth’s mental state, and the guilt he begins to feel is unbearable. Macbeth kills Duncan and then says “this is a sorry sight”

The Negative Portrayal of Lady Macbeth in Shakespeare's Play, Macbeth

‘Macbeth’ is a play in which a Lord and his Lady come into supreme power through acts of injustice and despicable inhumanities. In the play Macbeth there is no main focal theme that overrules the others; the play however has several underlying themes, namely there are important themes i.e. good and evil (like ying and yang), greed and power, guilt and conscience, fear, ambition – this leads to the murder of other people illustrating to the reader that even the most sane of people can result to character diminishing methods to get what they want. These particular themes are the most prominent and when closely looked at, it can help to understand characters and meanings behind the play. The theme of ambition is very important in this play,

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How Does Lady Macbeth Change Throughout The Play

Lady macbeth in an abusive relationship.

As the story unfolds, it is evident that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are in an abusive relationship. Lady Macbeth seems to be the one that has the top say and final decision in the relationship. Macbeth, however, seems to coward under Lady Macbeth in most situations. He seems to be a lot more sympathetic that his wife, especially when he decided no to go through with killing the king.

Lady Macbeth Masculinity Quotes

William Shakespeare portrayed the character Lady Macbeth to be extremely ruthless, malicious and manipulative. Thus, being the reason she could easily convince Macbeth to do her will, yet still put on such a convincing performance in front of those who knew nothing of her and her husband’s actions. Lady Macbeth shows her complexity constantly throughout the story when she shares her view-point on masculinity by demasculinizing her own husband, when she strategically plans the murder of the King Duncan, and finally when she finally goes crazy because of the guilt she possesses for not only her own actions but also turning her own husband into a

Lady Macbeth Disturbed Character Analysis

Shakespeare, like any other man in the 16th and 17th century, saw ambitious and dominant women as evil and even disturbing or disturbed. From Macbeth, we can see Shakespeare feels women should be challenged and punished because they are trying to change society. Nowadays these ambitious and dominant women are regarded as brave and respected because of their ambition, such as Lady Macbeth’s ambition to become Queen.

Essay On Macbeth Is Responsible For Duncan's Murder

In Shakespeare’s play “Macbeth” Macbeth is seen to be as the one responsible for King Duncan’s murder, as Macbeth’s hands were the ones that actually killed King Duncan. However, while Macbeth may be thought of as ultimately responsible for his actions, but there are other influences that actually show on a closer inspection of the text, the three main influences to his decision are Lady Macbeth, himself, and the witches. This is (in my opinion) convincing evidence that Macbeth is completely responsible for the murder of King Duncan.

Lady Macbeth's Strong Character In Act I Scene V

Lady Macbeth is power hungry for the throne and she will do anything to achieve her goal. Her pleasure of having the thought of killing Duncan is revealed. These murderous thoughts that run through her mind shows how desperate she is to acquire power. Although it is the beginning of the play, her dark ambitions sets a dark tone for her character in the play. This coincidentally adds to the assurance of Macbeth’s prophecy which is that Macbeth will become king, but King Duncan is still alive. Moreover, this realization leads Lady Macbeth to think about murdering King Duncan for her and Macbeth to gain power. In addition to Lady Macbeth’s cruel character, she reveals her desirous thoughts towards the crown. Lady Macbeth continues her speech and mentions her unquenching thirst to take Duncan’s power. “Make thick my blood. Stop the access and passage to remorse, that no compunctious visitings of nature shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace with the effect and it!” (lines 33-37). Again, Lady Macbeth shows her lust for power. Her exceptional amount of greed continues to motivate

Similarities Between Macbeth And The Great Gatsby

She is malicious not only in words but also in her intent. Her sole object is to obtain power and wealth, with its attendant treasures. Lady Macbeth lacks humanity and regrets that she was not born as a man. She understands that power and violence are synonymous with manhood and bravery. Additionally, Lady Macbeth interests’ and ambition, override her love for even her husband, Macbeth. “Come, you spirits, That tend on mortal thoughts,/unsex me here, And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full/ Of dire cruelty” (1.5.41-44). Lady Macbeth is the personification of male dominance, ruthlessness and violence. She hopes that she could take control of all action. She yearns to be a man and her implication is that she is more masculine than Macbeth. Her drive and violent nature is more akin to men and their masculinity. It makes her more ferocious than her masculine counterpart and hence her dominance over Macbeth. As well as she invokes the spirits to deprive her of feminism and make her as volatile as men, so that she can fulfill her dream of being the queen. Lady Macbeth is a bold and ambitious woman. She has implicit faith in herself. She wants to remove every obstacle in her pursuit of becoming the queen. Her ambition is not only for herself but also for Macbeth. Nevertheless, with all her fervor, she wants him to be as strong as her. “Make thick my blood./Stop up the access and passage to remorse,/That no compunctious visitings of nature/Shake my fell purpose/Come to my woman’s breasts,/And take my milk for gall” (1.5.44-49). Lady Macbeth never wavers in her goal. Like men, she has the trait to be gruesome and diabolical in nature. She has determined for herself the course to be pursued and nothing can hinder her. She does not need the prophecy of the witches to urge her. She is aware of her strength and she is resolute in her aim. Knowing Macbeth’s weakness,

Lady Macbeth's Loyalty Analysis

Would you do anything to be loyal? William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is about a husband and wife who force their way to the crown but suffer in the aftermath of their actions. Lady Macbeth is not a monster. She is a loyal though misguided wife, not without tenderness and not without conscience.

Causes Of Macbeth's Downfall

As soon as she heard Macbeth’s prophecy, she was willing to do anything to get him into the position of king. She was even willing to aid in the murder of innocent people who stood in the way of Macbeth’s ascension to the crown like, King Duncan. Her greed led to Macbeth’s downfall. When Macbeth stated that he was questioning his intentions to kill the king, she pushed him and assisted in the plotting. “We will proceed no further in this business. / He hath honored me of late, and I have bought/ Gold opinions from all sorts of people” (1.7.31-33). After he said this, Lady Macbeth questioned his manhood. With his manliness being questioned, he pushed himself to kill the king. The greed of Lady Macbeth and her scheming led to Macbeth’s untimely

What Are Gender Roles In Lady Macbeth

When Macbeth displays uncertainty regarding the murder of Duncan, Lady Macbeth uses his fear of not adhering to the masculine gender role of being cold-hearted and ambitious and only “when [Macbeth] durst do it, then [he was] a man”. (1.7.56) Upon first glance, it would seem as though Lady Macbeth is strong and powerful. However, Shakespeare uses the downfall of both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to display that women in power are dangerous and corrupt. Due to Lady Macbeth’s coercion into the murder of Duncan, she allows and essentially encourages Macbeth to ravage all of Scotland. Lady Macbeth descends into insanity caused by lack of sleep and guilt. Using Lady Macbeth, Shakespeare supports his time period’s ideals of keeping women only in submissive roles. Shakespeare also allows the witches to possess a large amount of power, and these witches similar to Lady Macbeth use their power for corruption and destruction. The witches, “should be women, /And yet [their] beards forbid” that conclusion and betray their overruling masculine qualities and lack of feminine

Strengths And Weaknesses Of Lady Macbeth

Although Lady Macbeth appears strong and evil through her words, her actions throughout the play demonstrate differently. Lady Macbeth initiates the plan to kill King Duncan and convinces her husband to take part. However, when the time comes, she is unable to bring herself to follow through. “I laid the daggers ready; he could not miss em. Had he not resembled my father as he slept, I had done’t.” (II, ii, 11-13) Lady Macbeth is only strong enough to

Manipulation In Macbeth

Lady Macbeth persuades and manipulates Macbeth by pointing out his insecurities successfully and pressuring him into murdering the king. Along with this, Lady Macbeth also questions Macbeth’s manhood and masculinity when he does not want to carry out the plan when she says “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” (Shakespeare 1.7.49-51). By saying these things, Lady Macbeth persuades her husband to believe that murdering the king will be his redemption from being a

Consequences Depicted In Shakespeare's 'Macbeth'

specifically his relationship with his wife, Lady Macbeth. As he began to become more focused on holding onto his power, he began to ignore Lady Macbeth, quite possibly when she needed his attention the most. When Macbeth hears a noise and asks “wherefore was that cry”(V.v.18), Seyton, Macbeth’s attendant, replies with “the Queen, my lord, is dead”(V.v.19). Upon finding

How Does Lady Macbeth Influence Her Husband

The play Macbeth written by Shakespeare focuses on the rise and fall of the main character, Macbeth. Macbeth’s one critical decision was largely influenced by his wife, Lady Macbeth, and this influence is exemplified early on in the play. In Act I Scene vii, Macbeth seemingly decides against killing King Duncan; however, Lady Macbeth persuades him to go ahead with the deed through her compelling argument. Moreover, Lady Macbeth’s ability to influence her husband so greatly demonstrates the strength of their marriage. By appealing both emotionally and logically to her husband, Lady Macbeth very easily convinces him against his own conscience. Many rhetorical devices are used in this scene by both Macbeth and his wife, which are very effective in driving the argument. Macbeth is persuaded by his wife to murder King Duncan due to the couple’s strong marriage as well as Lady

Relationship Between Macbeth And Lady Macbeth

In the beginning of Macbeth, the readers are already aware of the fascinating relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth received a letter from her husband about the witches’ prophecies. He wrote, “This have I thought good to to deliver thee, my dearest partner of greatness.”( Macbeth, Act 1, Scene 5, Lines 9-10) Macbeth knows that his wife will be in love with the thought of being queen. She tries to make Macbeth reach his potential by making him ashamed of everything that prevents him from being evil. When Macbeth arrives, she greets him as if she was already the queen.

Lady Macbeth As The Fourth Witch Essay

She had the total control over her husband in plotting the murder of Duncan and chiding her husband for not acting more like a man; yet, despite this participation, she seems to be the main motivation for the revealing of the Macbeth’s stand in the usurpation of the throne:

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Lady Macbeth And Macbeth Change English Literature Essay

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• William Shakespeare
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How does Lady Macbeth Change During The Course Of The Play ‘Macbeth’

Lady Macbeth’s character changes a lot during the course of the play. The character at the beginning is so different to the one presented in her final scene would not even be recognised as the same person. The play accurately depicts the progression of Lady Macbeth from a dominating, confident, ruthless killer, to a weak, mentally unstable, dying woman.

The first scene she appears in shows Lady Macbeth reading a letter from Macbeth regarding his encounter with the witches after they predicted he would become King. This scene illustrates the immensely strong bond between her and her husband, in the way that she doesn’t doubt him for a moment. As soon as she finishes reading the letter, she immediately starts formulating and doesn’t question how or why or when he is to become king:

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“Glamis thou art and Cawdor and shall be

What thou art promised”

This scene can also be said to display impatience in her character. She accuses Macbeth of being:

“Too full o’th’milk of human kindness

To catch the nearest way”

…instantly deciding that murder is the quickest (and therefore preferable) method to ensuring this prediction is made flesh. Rather than accepting that Macbeth would not be willing to go to these lengths whatever the reward, she continues toying with this idea, planning how it could be done despite this.

Just to prove how much this would mean to Lady Macbeth, she states that since Macbeth suggested it in the first place, she would rather:

“while [our child] was smiling in my face, have pluck’d my nipple from his boneless gums and dashed the brains out”

than allow Macbeth to back out now. This once again shows her shrewdness, as she’s obviously deliberately using very violent imagery as a shock tactic to guilt Macbeth in to submission. She knows that if they are going to murder Duncan they have to do it tonight, so she’s using every method she can think of to persuade him before it’s too late and the prospect of power becomes seemingly unreachable.

The audience since her first soliloquy has established that she has more ambition, and craves more domination than a woman (particularly at that time) is thought rightly to have. The notions that she has conjured up do not seem to be likely of a particularly feminine personality. She shows very little compassion or worry.

Lady Macbeth has powerfully changed Macbeth, using his moral weaknesses exposed by his ambition, to change his mind. Macbeth has let his wife’s iron will destroy his conscience and his somewhat ‘sophisticated’ moral sense. The audience are nevertheless left with sub-conscience doubts about Lady Macbeth’s appearance of unshakeable strength.

There is an obvious change once the actual murder takes place, however. Once she returns from drugging the guards with alcohol she says:

‘That which hat made them drunk, hath made me bold

What hath quench’d them, hath given me fire…’

…which shows a lapse in her confidence. Although this may seem like a obscure reference, I believe that up until her last scenes Lady Macbeth puts on a convincing front to cover up any weaknesses. She seemed enormously self-assured when trying to persuade Macbeth, but now considers alcohol as a way to gain the ‘boldness’ she feigned earlier.

Despite how much she obviously wants Macbeth to be king and the lengths she went to convince him he wanted it too, she refuses to kill Duncan herself. Previously, Lady Macbeth had said:

“Leave all the rest to me”

…so she had maybe intended to do the deed herself, but once faced with the actual opportunity to do so, she looses her nerve and says that:

“Had he not resembled

My father as he slept, I had done’t”

This shows a very different attitude to the one she was hoping to adopt earlier on in the play. This is clearly not her being ‘unsexed’ as she is still showing compassion and sentimentality and must still have a conscience if it matters how much the victim looks like someone close to her. It seems surprising that the same woman who had previously stated that she would be willing to kill her own child than go back on her word, would be less willing to take the life of someone who merely resembles a family member, for which she would gain the reward of being Queen.

This action can show one of two things: she either honestly planned to let Macbeth ‘leave it to her’ or this is another exhibit of her scheming ways in the view that Macbeth most likely feel it’s too late to abandon the plot now and would probably be reluctant, due to Lady Macbeth’s constant persuasion, to allow power to slip away now after it was so nearly in his grasp. There is more evidence to suggest that she was building up a fa�ade to Macbeth to convince him that every deed she is ‘willing’ to undertake is completely necessary to their livelihood but is nothing worth being apprehensive about.

Not only did she contradict this by walking into the room in which Duncan was sleeping and walking straight back out again, but she is also obviously very nervous herself. A bird, which should be the least of her worries, startles her and the dialogue between the couple consists of very short broken-up sentences suggesting anxiety, and it is evident that they are both not listening to each other, practically talking to themselves. Lady Macbeth continues to suppress her unease with the situation and attempts to recover from the lapse of equanimity earlier, showing that she feels it’s important that Macbeth sees her as calm and collected in the hope that he will follow suit. She knows that she is the influential one in the relationship and so believes it is almost her duty to stay sane for Macbeth’s sake. She remains ever meticulous and tells Macbeth to wash his hands of blood and says:

“A little water will clear us of this deed,

See how easy it is then!”

Lady Macbeth remains composed during the rest of this scene, and is ensuring nothing seems out of the ordinary. She realises that if Macbeth answered the knocking at the door in his normal attire at this time in the morning it would seem suspicious and so tells him to get changed. This shows that even under the pressure Lady Macbeth is thinking of every possible clue that could be held against them.

In the scene set the morning after the murder, it is debateable if the character of Lady Macbeth has drastically changed or not as once again, it can be read two ways. She could faint because of the shock of Macbeth’s vivid descriptions, the murder itself or the following murders of the guards (She had only prepared for Duncan’s murder and was not expecting anyone else to be killed) are proving too much stress for her to take, or she’s remaining entirely in control and is merely trying to distract the attention away from her husband in case he starts to crack under the weight of suspicion upon him. Just before she faints she says:

“Help me hence, ho!”

…which to me suggests it’s the latter, as this would divert the congregations attention effectively if delivered in a theatrical way, whereas realistically she probably would have not thought to make it so known that she was about to faint.

Lady Macbeth is understandably fearful that homicide now is becoming way too easy for Macbeth. In my opinion she’s starting to feel guilt but not entirely about the murder itself, more for warping Macbeth. She is aware that he now finds it necessary to kill everyone in his way, and it was her allegation of being a coward that sparked this attitude as a way to prove his masculinity:

“When you durst do it, then you are a man”

The next few scenes mark the beginning of the deterioration of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s relationship. In the first scene that Lady Macbeth appears in, they seem -as previously mentioned- to understand each other perfectly and not doubt each other’s judgment. Now, however, he fails to consult her or even inform her on his actions which puts a great strain on their relationship as neither of them are used to the role they are taking on. Lady Macbeth is slowly becoming the weaker of the two. Now it is Macbeth who is scheming, and his failure to discuss any of his plans with her. The breakdown in communication between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth is illustrated in Act Three Scene Two where Lady Macbeth feels that it is required for her to ask permission to speak to her own husband. She says to a servant:

‘Say to the king, I would attend his leisure

For a few words.’

This formality would not be unusual heard from anyone else due his rise to the throne, but from his wife, this impersonal use of ‘the king’ rather than ‘my husband’ or his name suggests a mutual feeling of detachment. In Lady Macbeth’s four line soliloquy, she says:

‘Nought’s had, all’s spent,

Where our desire is got without content’

Here she is saying that nothing is gained, everything is lost when what they had wished for was brought without happiness, leaving her without the loving relationship demonstrated in the first half of the play and without any hope of it returning.

The Banquet scene is the first scene in which we see Macbeth and Lady Macbeth together as a couple in the public eye. There is obviously going to be another side shown of Lady Macbeth, the one she wants her people to see. There were certain expectations a Queen was meant to live up to and so it would be in her interest to conform to these as much as possible. Lady Macbeth sees their public image as imperative and she expresses this to Macbeth telling him to:

“Sleek o’er your rugged looks, be bright and jovial

Among your guests tonight.”

She also wants to make certain nothing seems dubious about the death of Banquo.

Lady Macbeth is trying not to let the details of her failing marriage be known to the congregation, as this may show weakness and although they don’t converse throughout the scene except to reprimand each other, they ensure this is done in private. The passion has left their relationship and leaves it on a totally formal basis. Lady Macbeth refers to her husband as “My Royal Lord” whereas much more colloquial terms would be expected from a wife in normal circumstances.

When Macbeth starts to see the apparition of Banquo, this worries Lady Macbeth. It is a possibility that his guilt-ridden mumblings will cause the guests to doubt him. If it doesn’t arouse suspicion surrounding the murder of Banquo, it may instigate people questioning his suitability as King. When he first begins speaking to the ghost, she almost immediately comes up with the excuse that it is a frequent occurrence, and that the guests should take no notice of him.

She tries to cover this episode up and pass it off as “momentary fit”. This mirrors some of the qualities seen in Lady Macbeth in the murder scene, where even under pressure she manages to do everything in her power to avoid the suspicion, for example realising that Macbeth should change his clothes before answering the door. She tries to use the same techniques of persuasion she put in to practice successfully previously in the play, but as the situation has changed, so has Macbeth. She has no influence over him anymore and whereas before he strived to prove his masculinity once she challenged it, in this scene he responds to the question “Are you a man?” with:

“Ay, and a bold one”

This frustrates Lady Macbeth, as this is not the way he should be reciprocating. She continues to try to use this technique, but it becomes apparent that it’s not accomplishing anything and in desperation, she requests the guests leave before Macbeth makes even more of a spectacle of himself.

This scene is the final scene in the play where Lady Macbeth displays her quick witted nature, with the possible reasons for this becoming apparent in the next scene. As always, she delivers her excuses perfectly timed and without any sign of hesitation. She manages to completely rationalize Macbeth’s inner turmoil to their guests. This once again emphasises this side of her character, and leaves the audience convinced beyond reasonable doubt that despite the recent adaptations in her role she is nonetheless still the sharper of the two.

Almost to contradict this statement, Lady Macbeth goes in completely the opposite direction in her final scene. Although her wavering sanity has been subtly suggested throughout the last few scenes she appears in, it is only made concrete now, such as her overly nervous gesticulations shown in Act Two Scene Three and her confession later one to regretting the murder, which is unexpected for someone who had planned it so thoroughly.

Although after the murder she was assuring Macbeth that as soon as they wash their hands of the blood they are free of the guilt, ironically this is the subject of her hallucinations. She is sleepwalking in this scene and delivers one of the most famous lines of the play:

“Out, damned spot! Out, I say!”

…referring to the blood that was so easily washed off in the murder scene. What is not so effortlessly removed is the guilt and the dawning realisation of what she has done. her mind has rekindled the association with the blood on her hands, and this has made itself apparent in her fitful sleep.Lady Macbeth has finally been crushed under the weight of her own suppressed remorse. This proves that she does indeed have a conscience, contrary to her cold, unfeeling exterior.

There many reasons why Shakespeare could have chosen to make Lady Macbeth change so dramatically through the play. One possibility is that he is simply mirroring the attitude towards women at the time, which was they are not emotionally or physically capable of anything remotely strenuous or stressful. Lady Macbeth having to ask to be ‘unsexed’ to be able to carry out the murder could support this idea, along with her being reduced to what we see of her nearer the end after she carried out actions that were associated with men. This could be perceived as a kind of punishment for denying her femininity. Although this is a possibility I think that from what we see of women in other Shakespeare plays such as Twelfth Night his attitude seems to be very advanced for the time, and he does pretty much present the two sexes as equal throughout his work, and so I feel that he probably isn’t trying to convey a negative attitude to Lady Macbeth because of her gender.

Another suggestion is that he is trying to illustrate how emotions can be vulnerability in the way that the murder was a success until Lady Macbeth started to cave under the guilt and allowed her more emotional side to take control. Personally however, I feel that it’s simply exemplifying how everything has consequences and has the ability to escape your control. I think this because Lady Macbeth was an extremely important part in the beginning of the play but wasn’t even on stage for her death, which is unusual because without her the murder of Duncan would have probably not happened at all and so the whole plot is dependant on her character.

One way to explain this is that Lady Macbeth ‘created a monster’ so to speak, and although their relationship was matriarchal (which was very unusual for the time), Macbeth started to break away from her and she began to lose control of him; for example, the murder of Banquo. She presents an outwardly stable foundation of control in which she grasps. As Macbeth becomes less dependent on his wife, she loses more control. She loses control of her husband, but mostly, of herself, proving her unstable truth. She no longer matters to Macbeth and it becomes impossible for her to finish what she started. The consequence of Lady Macbeth’s insistence to make Macbeth more ambitious and to take the life of the King was that it made him feel he had to prove his bravery even more and ended up seeing murder as the only way to achieve what he wanted and he slowly but surely became a slave to his own ambition.

Ironically, both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth died because of the very things they saw as the most important, whether directly or indirectly. In conclusion, the ultimate reason in my opinion that Shakespeare chooses to allow Lady Macbeth’s character to change so considerably, leading to her seemingly inconsequential death, is to demonstrate that although some people may be easily influenced, it is impossible to control someone. Lady Macbeth tried to control Macbeth for her own means to become Queen, but made it so he got to a point where no-one mattered, and once she couldn’t make him prove his love for her anymore, she was left with nothing but her guilty conscience to contend with, which became the death of her.

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How Lady Macbeth changes throughout the play

                                                                  Shakespeare GCSE Coursework

                                                    How Lady Macbeth changes throughout the play                        

In Elizabethan times, Lady Macbeth would most definately have made a big impression to an audience watching this performance. The women who lived when Elizabeth I was on the throne were to keep a healthy family or to substain the well-being of a wealthy man. Lady Macbeth on the other hand was a woman of power, a bit like Elizabeth, or so it seemed........

We first meet Lady Macbeth in Act 1 scene 5 where she reads the letter she has recently recieved from Macbeth. It is immediately obvious that the couple are close. Macbeth addresses Lady Macbeth as

'my dearest partner of greatness' referring that they share their successes and do everything together. He says

'........what greatness is promised thee.' which shows that he is willing to share the things they are promised by the witches.

  As soon as Lady Macbeth hears about the riches that the witches had forseen, she says  

'Glamis thou art and Cawdor and shalt be/what thou art promised'  There is no doubt about it, Macbeth WILL be King. She doesnt ponder on what Macbeth might say or how it will be done, she knows that Macbeth can and will be King.

  When she hears that the current king, Duncan will be coming to their castle that evening, her first instincts are to kill him as she says to herself in Act 1 sc 5;

'..........The raven himself is hoarse that croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan......' (The raven croaking above a house was the sign that death was near.) This line makes Lady Macbeth seem a very murderous character.Although Lady Macbeth has made her mind up, she is also very worried that she cant do the deed without Macbeth's help. Lady Macbeth believes that he is ‘too full of the milk of human kindness’ to commit the murder and become king. She says that he is, ‘not without ambition, but without / The illness should attend it;’ in which Shakespeare shows this contrast between herself and Macbeth and her belief that he is weak and not evil enough to make the most of his ambition. So Lady Macbeth does the most she can by inviting the evil spirits to enter her. She says  

'Come, you spirits/That tend on mortal thoughts! unsex me here,/And fill me from the crown to the toe top full/Of direst cruelty;' Here she is saying that she wants all the spirits to come and take away all the traces of her femininity and make her as mentally strong as a man so that no kind feelings can get through and prevent her from murdering Duncan.This sounds like she is casting a spell and her language is black and witch-like as she calls on the spirits. Also what she is demanding - having her femininity and conscience removed - is completely unnatural and this is how the witches are seen by the audience.

  In this scene, Lady Macbeth is portrayed as a strong-willed, determined character. She is very ruthless and ambitious, and knows what she wants.

 When Macbeth arrives,  Lady Macbeth congradulates him on what the witches have forseen...maybe she isnt as bad as she seems... She then gets straight to the point. '....The future is instant' She is carried away with delight, and what has been promised has become real and actual to her. She doesnt hesitate to tell Macbeth her plans, so it shows that she isnt worried by what Macbeth might say and trusts him completely. She is also seen as the most dominant of the two, as she is the first to speak when he arrives, and doesn't let him speak until she has told him her plans. Lady Macbeth's 'And when goes hence?' can be interpreted in many ways, but it is most likely that Shakespeare has her trying to discover Macbeth's feelings and whether he is plotting to kill Duncan without actually asking him. Once Macbeth has given her the answer she does not want she makes it quite clear to him what she intends to do. Instead of saying, 'The sun may never see that morrow' she states it as a fact that Duncan will not survive the night, which makes it very difficult for Macbeth to disagree with her. She then says,  

'look like the innocent flower, / But be the serpent under't.' which is an example of the recurring theme of the difference between appearance and reality. Again she makes it difficult for him to disagree by telling him to do something rather than suggesting it or asking. She is acting to move events forward as quickly as possible and now she has made up her mind she will not let anything get in the way of her ambition. She says, 'you shall put / This night's great business into my dispatch;' and when Macbeth tries to suggest that he does not want to go ahead with the scheme and says, 'We will speak further,' she ignores him and says 'leave all the rest to me.' In this scene Shakespeare makes it quite clear that she is in control of her husband and the situation and shows more of the strength of her character. It also seems that Macbeth may be a bit afraid of Lady Macbeth when she says 'We will speak further', he doesnt answer back or say what he thinks but instead puts the conversation off.                                    

  Lady Macbeth finishes with the line   'Leave all the rest to me' suggesting that he should step aside and let her deal with the rest in case he ruins her plans. She is definately the more dominant character, and seems a very strong woman to take the role that the man usually plays.

When Lady Macbeth greets Duncan as he arrives in her castle, she acts very welcoming and promises Duncan that the people of her castle remain nothing but people who can pray for him, for they can not pay him in any other way, as shown in Act 1 sc 6; 'We rest your hermits'. She uses this act to cover up her feelings, mind you without Macbeth, Lady Macbeth wouldnt be feeling this way. Lady Macbeth is planning the murder for their benifit and not just hers. Like in the letter, she still feels they work together for each other (Although she is taking the deed into her own hands)    

 Lady Macbeth seems much more kind and sweet in this scene, compared to how she was in scene 5.

In act 1 sc 7, Lady Macbeth is seen in a new light. She spends most of the scene trying to pursuade Macbeth to agree with her plans. The most reasonable explanation for this behaviour is that now she has met Duncan along with his fellow Lords and all that are there with him, and realised what a kind character he is, some of the evil has drained out of her and she is now realising what she is going to have to do in order to get the crown for her husband, seeing as she is taking it into her own hands.

  Once Macbeth has decided in his soliloquy not to kill Duncan, he tries to be assertive in communicating this to Lady Macbeth and says, ‘We will proceed no further in this business.’ However she scorns him, suggests he is a coward and undermines his manliness. She says,

‘Woulds’t thou have that … (you) live a coward in thine own esteem, Letting “I dare not” wait upon “I would”?’ and, ‘When you durst do it, then you were a man;/And, to be more than you were, you would/Be so much more the man.'      

  Lady Macbeth is trying to convince Macbeth that the murder can be done. Here, her attitude has changed completely from where she first told Macbeth that the murder was going to happen. Macbeth is hailed by Duncan as 'Worthy Macbeth' and is obviously seen to have manly qualities such as bravery, but this does not satisfy Lady Macbeth whose vision of manliness involves putting ambition first and doing everything possible to make ambition reality. As a woman in this society she is expected to be gentle and fade into the background behind her husband and so any power she can have must be through Macbeth and the knowledge of this is what drives her to her dominance over him in private. Macbeth knows what her view of a man is and that he has to satisfy it and so Lady Macbeth manages to manipulate him by suggesting that he is not a man in her eyes.  

  Lady Macbeth is a very pursuasive character, and is obviously very impressionable because the murder does take place in the end.

With all the panic and desperate excitement of the murder, Lady Macbeth still seems to be in control. It isnt actually Lady Macbeth who drives Macbeth to commit the dreadful crime, Macbeth has visions as he is walking about the castle in the dark. The dagger he sees before him leads the way to the King.

  After the murder, Macbeth appears shocked and afraid. Lady Macbeth comforts him and assures him he has done well. Lady Macbeth was really there as the power of the plan. She told Macbeth what to do, and he reported back to her when he had completed the task. The result was to share between them, so they worked together. Lady Macbeth although she seems evil, is actually a loving wife. She cares what Macbeth feels after he has killed Duncan, and stays with him as he washes his hands, instead of leaving to go to bed. They go together. Shakespeare has portrayed the two of them to be totally dependent upon one another and to complement each other perfectly.

  After the murder of Duncan has been committed, it is Lady Macbeth who tries to convince the remorseful and ashamed Macbeth that 'what's done cannot be undone' and that there is no need to feel guilt. She says,

‘These deeds must not be thought/After these ways; so it will make us mad.’

She is uneasy and tense and is worried when Macbeth says that he thinks he has heard voices but she hides this concern and takes control of the situation, trying once again to spur Macbeth on and taunt him with suggestions that he is weak and unmanly. She says, ‘You do unbend your noble strength to think/So brainsickly of things’ and calls him ‘infirm of purpose’.

  It is vital that one of them remains in control and even though she is anxious herself, it is Lady Macbeth. She is the collected one of the pair and the one able to conceal her feelings and keep her calm.

The first turning point of the relationship comes in Act Two Scene Two when Lady Macbeth asks Macbeth to do the deed of killing Duncan. She says, ‘Had he not resembled/my father as he slept, I had done’t.’. This is the first indication Shakespeare gives that Lady Macbeth has a conscience and is not pure evil.

The morning after the murder, Lady Macbeth performs her eye-catching faint. This is either because she is actually quite nervous now that everyone has found out that the king has been brutally murdered, and is finding all the accusations quite hard to take in or is trying to get the attention on her. She may think that Macbeth might say something, and that the people around him will see through him and find out who actually killed the king.While Macbeth is talking so much, Lady Macbeth is almost silent. It is possible that she is trying to assume the expected role as the lady of the house and therefore tries to be ladylike and gentle, but it could also be interpreted that Shakespeare is showing her to be uneasy about the murder and the beginning of a reversal of the roles of herself and Macbeth as he takes over. I think its a genuine faint, because ever since the king arrived, Lady Macbeth seemed to get weaker, especially as she pictured her father after the murder of Duncan.

Now that Macbeth is king, Lady Macbeth and Macbeth seem to be drifting further apart. The breakdown in communication between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth is illustrated in Act Three Scene Two where Lady Macbeth has to ask permission to speak to her own husband. She says to a servant, ‘Say to the king, I would attend his leisure/For a few words.’ This formality is probably partly due to Macbeth’s rise to th throne, but this and the impersonal use of ‘the king’ rather than ‘my husband’ or his name suggest a drift between the two characters. In Lady Macbeth's four line soliliquy, she says; 'Nought's had, all's spent/Where our desire is got without content'

Here she is saying that nothing is gained, everything is lost when what they had wished for was brought without hapiness. She is basically saying that she is not content with what is going on between her and Macbeth. They are drifting apart and she knows it, although he may not. She still supports him; She says, ‘Be bright and jovial among your guests tonight:’ and tries to be cheerful herself. Macbeth is seeing himself to be superior to her. He says, ‘Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck,’ which is an example of the patronising language he is beginning to use. Macbeth speaks far more than Lady Macbeth in this conversation and is certainly becoming more dominant which shows a role-reversal from previous scenes where she has dominated him.

Lady Macbeth really shows her caring side at the banquet, when Banquo's ghost arrives. As soon as Macbeth starts seeing Banquo in his place, Lady Macbeth reassures the guests that Macbeth is having a fit and that he has been having them since he was a child; 'The fit is momentary.....' Even though she doesnt really know whats happening, and what he is really seeing, she still supports him. She knows that their marriage is breaking down, but she doesnt hesitate to help him out and avoid embarrassment, because she still loves him and hopes for their marriage to continue.

  Lady Macbeth is suddenly portayed as a more caring character-a major comparison to when she was inviting the evil spirits to enter her, in Act1 sc 5. She notices that he hasn't his full strength here, so slips in a word or two to get him to his feet. She knows that her pursuasion was successful before the murder, so she uses it here. 'Are you a man?' she demands. He says he is and she replys; 'O proper stuff!' in other words, Rubbish! Lady Macbeth talks more than she usually had in this scene. Its mainly because Macbeth is so weak that he can't reply so strongly. The ghost finally disappears, and Lady Macbeth orders the guests to leave so that Macbeth has space and time to recover. She has been quite motherly in this scene, as though she has got her old Macbeth back at last, and its the only time that the two of them have a reasonable conversation together after he became king.

Lady Macbeth starts to lose her mind in Act 5 sc 1 when she sleepwalks while being observed by the doctor and gentlewoman. In this later scene, Lady Macbeth has lost all of her control and this is immediately shown by the breakdown of her sentence structure. She is speaking in prose rather than verse and the sentences and ideas do not appear to be linked. For example she says,  'Out, damned spot! out I say! One; two; why then ‘tis/time to do’t. Hell is murky! Fie, my lord, fie! a soldier/and afeard?’ She seems to be hallucinating and is obsessed with blood and washing her hands (of guilt). It appears that she feels guilty for all of the murders that have taken place even though it was Macbeth and not her who committed them. She refers to the scenes after the murder was committed, and we suddenly realise that she wasn't all that evil, as these memories have stuck in her mind, and must have affected her in some way. We were thinking that Lady Macbeth was heartless to have murdered a living being, and not felt too ashamed, but all along she was hiding her guilt and trying to act strong. Without Macbeth she can have no power and her ambition for him made her the strong woman she was. Gaining power for Macbeth was the meaning of her life and what she dedicated her whole life to. Now she and Macbeth are distant, she is powerless, has no reason to be strong and has lost the meaning of her life, which has led to her breaking down.

  Now that her marriage was breaking in two, Lady Macbeth was having all these nightmares of all the things that she had done with Macbeth and the fact that they were her fault when they weren't.

  Lady Macbeth is a very loyal character seeing as even though she drove herself to this madness, she has always stood next to Macbeth and protected him, and know she's blaming herself for all the things that he has done. She loves him so much, and this is shown in all scenes, but especially in this one.

Lady Macbeth is finally driven to taking her own life by the confusion and heartbreak that is caused.

Malcolm refers to her as a 'fiend-like queen' This tells us that although she tried so hard to convince people that she was a harmless quiet woman, her power showed through. I don't think fiend-like is a good description of her, as she was only trying to find power for her husband in the first place.

Lady Macbeth’s madness shows how incomplete she is without him by her side and I think that he is also incomplete without her. In the beginning of the play Shakespeare shows how well they work together, how they complement each other’s characters and how much he needs her. Although he believes he can work alone, once she is dead it is inevitable that surely he must die too. Much of the play shows events turning full-circle and so because she fell from being a strong character and he now appears to be the strong one, he too must be expected to fall. I believe that the breakdown in communication and distance between the Macbeths is a significant cause of the tragic ending to the play as each of them is one of a pair and when the pair is broken neither of them can function properly or cope alone.

You can see at the beginning of the play, that Lady Macbeth is very close to her husband and wishes for them each to share their success together, but her character completely changes through the play. At the start, she is a single-minded, strong character and uses strong, clear,emphatic language. Definately the stronger of the two, her ideas are focused unlike Macbeth.

  She has a very masculine side to her character in some ways. She bemoans the fact that she is a woman; 'unsex me here...' and wishes for 'direst cruelty' to help her towards her goal.

  Lady Macbeth knows that Macbeth isnt very strong minded so she is very critical of him all the way through the play, but not nastily. She treats him like a child as if its a motherly instinct she has picked up, which shows her more feminine side, and helps Macbeth murder Duncan for ambition and for her husband instead of just for her.

  Lady Macbeth is also a good actress, welcoming Duncan and concealing her feelings. Most importantly, she is always in control.

  After the murder, her character starts to change, becoming tense and uneasy, as if she has finally realised what her ambition has done. Once Macbeth is King, Lady Macbeth starts to adopt a less dominant role as if she has swapped roles with her husband.Her language reflects this when she asks to speak to Macbeth instead of just walking in on his privacy. She seems a little unsure of herself and has doubts about their relationship. She is still supportive though, as shown when Macbeth sees Banquos ghost at the banquet. She still seems anxious as she makes excuses for his behaviour, saying he has had fits like this ever since he was young.

  Lady Macbeth is more caring towards Macbeth through this scene, but still taunts him about his masculinity. Her character starts to deteriorate with the sleepwalking scene and she begins to lose her reason, with disjointed ideas and speech. She is apparently now haunted by guilt where before she was prepared to commit murder. She may be afraid that Macbeth doesn't need her and this adds to her insecurity. Now that her ambition fo her husband has been forfilled, she feels unwanted and alone. She is in effect incomplete without him, and drives herself to suicide.  

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