With the praise from the King fresh in the audience's mind, Shakespeare opens the next scene with a new character; Lady Macbeth. Through her first speech the audience is bombarded with hints as to the character of Lady Macbeth.
“Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be
What thou art promised;”
Lady Macbeth is seen here to be determined as she is sure he will be what he is promised. The way in which Shakespeare has phrased the lines also suggests that Lady Macbeth has some sort of hold over her husband, and plays quite a dominant role in influencing his actions.
The idea of her dominant role influencing Macbeth is also supported later on in her speech when she reviews Macbeth characters. She knows that Macbeth does not want to do what he fears, but she suggests he should come to her so “I may pour my spirits in thine ear.” This suggests to the audience that Lady Macbeth not only has an influence over Macbeth, but is knowing of it, and that she knows how to convince him to do deeds that he would otherwise be unwilling to perform.
However when Macbeth appears later on, bearing the news of the King's visit, the relationship pictured between the two seems innocent, rather than heavily influenced by Lady Macbeth as previously suggested. As the scene progresses and Macbeth continues to discuss the arrrival of the King, the audience sees Lady Macbeth's influence in action. As Macbeth worries about appearing nervous, Lady Macbeth takes the lead role demanding that he “look th'innocent flower, but be the serpent under't.”. Macbeth is seen to accept this with little argument, and promptly leaves.
As Act 1 draws to a close Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have another scene together where much about their character and relationship is revealed. Macbeth seems hesitant and cowardly as he knows he is doing the wrong thing. “If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well it were done quickly.” Macbeth is having second thoughts about assassinating the King, and is clearly unsure about the issue.
Macbeth is keen to deliberate over the issue, and shows clear unwillingness to murdering Duncan. Macbeth considers himself “as his host who should against the murder should shut the door, not bear the knife myself.” During his soliloquy in Act 1 Scene 7 Macbeth has a clear battle with his conscience as he knows his wife will persuade him to murder King Duncan but he himself does not want to. The audience can clearly see here that Lady Macbeth is the more dominant in the relationship rather than Macbeth, and that she is highly influential.
When Lady Macbeth arrives and cuts Macbeth's soliloquy short the atmosphere becomes more tense, and Macbeth is unwilling to tell Lady Macbeth his fears and unwillingness. Lady Macbeth appears nervous when she addresses her husband. “He has almost supped. Why have you left the chamber?” By using two short sentences Shakespeare portrays a sense of urgency and nervousness. As Lady Macbeth shows her worry to Macbeth his reply becomes straight to the point, conveying his nerves as well.
Macbeth follows this with a response that seems out of character judging by his previous behaviour but may just be him playing his true character as he is in the sole presence of his wife. When Macbeth says “We will proceed no further in this business,” the audience sees what appears to be a dramatic change of character, but as the scene progresses it appears that Lady Macbeth is used to his unwillingness and his opposition to her dominant decisions as well as his sense of conscience, as she is quick to follow with words that she knows will clearly sway Macbeth's judgement.
Lady Macbeth clearly presents herself in Act 1 Scene 7 as dominant. When Macbeth so much as mentions his doubts, and begins to show some sense of a conscience Lady Macbeth is keen to smother them and seems to know exactly how to control her power over his decisions. To the audience it appears with little protest that Lady Macbeth manages to persuade Macbeth that to not kill Duncan would be uncourageous, and “like the poor cat i'th'adage”. The audience also gather the sense that Lady Macbeth is well aware of the extent of the influence over her husband as by the end of the scene Macbeth concludes that “False face must hide what false heart doth know.”
As Act 2 begins Macbeth appears to show his true colours once more again to the audience. When alone in his castle Macbeth embarks on a guilt-provoked soliloquy showing his true unwillingness to do the deed. Macbeth knows that killing Duncan is a terrible thing to do and he knows that once it is done it won't be the end of hid guilt or indeed the end of his conquest to reach the throne.
“ If th'assassination
Could trammel up the consequence and catch
With his surcease, success, that but this blow
Might be the be-all and the end-all-here,
But here, upon this back and shoal of time,
We'd jump the life to come.”
As the play continues the audience sees an alternate side to Macbeth. Up until now Macbeth has had doubts and a sense of conscience, portraying him as unwilling to murder. However now Macbeth has murdered Duncan he is happy to murder anyone if it will help him achieve his goal, and claim the throne as his own. He concludes that he is “stepped so far in that shall I wade no more, Returning would be as tedious as go o'er.” To the audience this is a dramatic change of character, especially as he soon sentences his loyal companion Banquo to death.
Lady Macbeth is also affected by the murder of Duncan and her character becomes more feminine and fragile. She starts to feel the guilt of what they have both done. Whilst Macbeth's character has become more dismissive and dominant, his wife has become more fragile and guilt-ridden.
Macbeth's downfall is not dominantly regarded as tragic, due to the fact that he brought it upon himself, and had many an opportunity to own up, or to stop killing in an attempt to rule Scotland. Time after time Macbeth uses phrases to use his high status to get more power. He repeatedly commands others to take the lives of people who were once his colleagues. Instead of following the examples and advice of others, such as Banquo, Macbeth makes no attempt to change what he has done, and does nothing to change the course of action he plans to take. Whilst others like Banquo decide to do the right thing, Macbeth believes he has no choice but to kill them. Instead of learning from the mistakes he has already made Macbeth repeats them.
However, some see Macbeth's downfall as tragic as it would have happened at some time after Duncan's murder, and killing others to protect himself can be seen as Macbeth's way of trying to prolong his downfall, and have power for longer. Before Duncan's murder Macbeth had little choice as to whether he should commit the deed, and saw it as wrong. After heavy influence from his wife Macbeth sees little other choice than to commit the murder. However once the murder has been committed Macbeth becomes more powerful, and makes a desperate attempt for more power. Despite still seeing the original murder as wrong Macbeth makes a desperate frenzy to escape from the knowledge and tries to hide the knowledge not just from the world but from himself.
As the play draws to a close the audience hears of the death of Lady Macbeth. Macbeth seems rather dismissive of this fact and simply replies “She should have died hereafter; There would have been a time for such a word.” The audience are unsure here as to whether Macbeth actually cares of his wife's death or whether he believes he has more important things on his mind.
Once Macbeth has been killed, Malcom calls his a “dead-butcher” and refers to Macbeth's wife as “his fiend-like queen.” Unlike the dominant reading I believe that Lady Macbeth is named here correctly as is her husband. Many people would disagree that Lady Macbeth is a “fiend-like queen” but I think that she knew the true extent of her influence over her husband and used it in ways she should not have. After the murder she is plagued with guilt but before hand she was very keen on the idea, but also keen not to commit the murder herself.
As for Macbeth I am sure of his guilt as well. For the first murder he was heavily influenced by his wife, but overall his desire for the witches' proficy to come true was his main influence. After his first murder Macbeth killed many more in order to protect himself from being discovered for who he really was. During his murder of Banquo and Fleance Lady Macbeth is kept out of all knowledge so has not opportunity to influence Macbeth. Therefore, although Macbeth was at first influenced and encouraged, he had the opportunity to stop the murdering as he was free from all influence, but he did not.
