Gradually during the play, Lady Macbeth starts to become weaker and less corruptive, whereas Macbeth starts to become stronger. This is demonstrated in Act 3, Scene 2, where we can start to see a change in Macbeth and Lady Macbeths’ relationship. They aren’t as close as they were in Act 2, Scene2. Macbeth doesn’t confide in his wife as much. This is demonstrated before the murder of Banquo, Macbeth hadn’t even confided in Lady Macbeth by telling her what’s going to happen. Lady Macbeth says, “What’s to be done?” Macbeth replies, “Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck,
Till thou applaud the deed.” Act 3, Scene 2. Page 97. This is important because before Lady Macbeth and Macbeth told each other everything about their plans and now it’s changed. It is now Macbeth controlling the events. The balance of their relationship is changed so much by Act 5, that Lady Macbeth is on her own whilst Macbeth is off doing his deeds on his own.
The development of Macbeths’ character reaches a turning point when at the end of the banquet he realises that there is no going back. “I am in blood Stepped in so far, that should I wade no more, Returning were as tedious as go o’er.” Act 3, Scene 4. Page 115. This shows that Macbeth is going to keep on killing people to protect his position as King. Macbeths’ mind has started to become stronger and devious. “O full of scorpions is my mind dear wife.” Act 3, Scene 2. Page 97. So now the audience knows that Macbeth is going to keep on being evil and not turn back to be good.
However, at the beginning of the play, Lady Macbeth was the strong one. To create the Dramatic Effect of Lady Macbeth as a cruel and powerful woman who won’t let anyone get in her way, Shakespeare uses Imagery, which is associated with death and the supernatural.
In Act 2, Scene2, in one of Lady Macbeths’ speeches, she talks about the owl. “The owl that shrieked, the fatal bellman, which gives the stern’st goodnight.” Page 53. The owl represents death and the fatal bellman is a sign that an execution is going to happen. These images are used to make the audience tense, as they know that something is going to happen. The owl is also associated with the supernatural. People during the Shakespearian time saw owls as associated with witchcraft, particularly in the forest at dark where supernatural things would occur. The bellman rings at midnight and that’s when strange things happen.
Before the death of Banquo, Macbeth has very similar images in his mind that are associated with death. “Ere the bat hath flown His cloistered flight, ere to black Hecate’s summons. The shard-borne beetle with his drowsy hums Hath rung nights’ yawning peal.” Act 3, Scene 2. Page 97. Black Hecate is the chief witch. Nights yawning peal is a curfew to let people know that they should be at home before dangerous things happen. This is linked to the bellman, which Lady Macbeth talks about in Act 2, Scene 1. It would have a great impact on the audience, who will expect something to happen. These images reflect back to what Lady Macbeth said before Duncan’s murder.
Shakespeare uses Irony to build up the Dramatic Effect of Lady Macbeth once being a strong woman to now becoming a weaker woman. At the beginning, Lady Macbeth talks about how Macbeth should not feel guilty about the death of Duncan and to go and wash his bloody hands. “My hands are of your colour; A little water clears us of this deed.” Act 2, Scene 2. Page 59.
Shakespeare takes the same image and reverses it so that in Act 5, Scene 1, Lady Macbeth is obsessed with washing her hands; she starts to go mad and is at her breaking point. “Out damned spot, out I say! Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him?” Page 173. Here we see how low Lady Macbeth has sunk. The extra impact it has, is that the spots could be interpreted as the mark of the Devil.
Shakespeare creates an impact in the change in Macbeth and Lady Macbeths’ relationship by reversing their roles and images to give to one what the other one had. Another example of this is when Macbeth tells Lady Macbeth “ Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?” In Act 2, Scene 2, Page 59. This image falls back to her “Here’s the smell of the blood still; all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand.” In Act 5, Scene 1, Page 173. This shows the fear and guilt Macbeth had in the beginning in Act 2, Scene 2, which had then transferred back to Lady Macbeth in Act 5, Scene1.
Shakespeare uses these images and Lady Macbeths’ illness to create the effect of her being punished for being cruel and evil, as the witchcraft and evil she used seems to come back to her. Shakespeare also uses the Structure of the scenes to show the audience a change in Lady Macbeths’ character and in Macbeth and Lady Macbeths’ relationship. In Act 2, Scene2, Page 53, we see how strong Lady Macbeth is, due to the Poetry that Shakespeare uses. “That which hath made them drunk hath made me bold; What hath quenched them hath given me fire.” This contrasts with Lady Macbeths’ speeches in Prose, in Act 5, Scene 1. “Wash your hands, put on your nightgown, look not so pale. I tell you yet again Banquo’s buried; he cannot come out on’s grave.” Page 175. This reflects how Lady Macbeth has lost control of herself and the situation.
Shakespeare uses the Structure in each individual scene to create the Dramatic Effect. An example of this is when Lady Macbeth has said her speech in Act 2, Scene 2, when Macbeth enters after the deed. The audience are curious to know whether Macbeth has committed the murder or not because Lady Macbeth had been talking about death and the supernatural. She gives the audience an idea that something is going to happen, so when Macbeth enters, Shakespeare changes the Structure from a long speech to quick words between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, to keep the audience interested.
“When?”
“Now.”
“As I descended?” Act2, Scene 2, Page 55.
Another example of this is in Act 5, Scene 1, when the Gentle Woman and the Doctor are gossiping about how strange Lady Macbeth has been acting. At this point the audience are curious to find out more. Then when Lady Macbeth walks in the room, the audience are tensed and even more curious to know whether Lady Macbeth is going to let out all of whats been going on.
Shakespeare changes the Structure of this scene from the Gentle Woman and the Doctors’ conversation, to a sudden interruption by Lady Macbeth to cause the Dramatic Effect.
Lady Macbeth says, “Yet here’s a spot!” The Doctors’ alarmed reaction “Hark! She speaks. I will set down what comes from her, to satisfy my remembrance the more strongly.” In Act 5, Scene 1, Page 173.
Macbeth and Lady Macbeths’ relationship in the beginning was strong, they confided in each other, about everything, but she was strong and he was weak. Gradually Macbeth starts to become stronger and more evil, whereas Lady Macbeth starts to become weaker and goes mad, due to her conscience. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth don’t confide in each other as much, though Lady Macbeth helps Macbeth to become stronger in his strength of character. This starts to cause their relationship to fall apart. Towards the end of the play, Macbeth and Lady Macbeths’ relationship falls apart completely. Macbeth is the strong one and is powered by evil, while Lady Macbeth is weak and has totally gone mad that she dies.
The message of this play, tells us that to kill a King in Shakespearian times was a sin and no good could come out of killing a King. This is the reason why Banquo is made out to be one of the good natured characters in the play because Banquo in real life did actually commit a crime but because he was a descendent of King James 1st, who Shakespeare wrote this play for, nothing bad could be said about the Royal Monarchy.
