Macbeth murders Duncan and he immediately feels guilty. He is unable to plant the daggers on the guards.
‘ I’ll go no more. I am afraid to think what I have done. Look on’t again I dare not’
At the start of the scene, Macbeth is tense and edgy. To show he was scared he only said brief, formal statements. He still feels guilty and regrets murdering Duncan. (Act 2 sc 3)
‘Had I but died an hour before this chance I had lived a blessed time.’
In Act 3, Macbeth is now king and is afraid that banqo’s sons will rule after him so Macbeth orders the murderers to kill banqo. Banqo was his best friend. He needed both Banqo and Fleance (banqo son) dead but Fleance escapes. Macbeth is now panicking and is about to enter the banquet. He did not tell Lady Macbeth about the murder.
At the banquet, Macbeth sees Banqo’s ghost and loses control. At first Macbeth is terrified because he simply cannot understand the reappearance of banqo. The second time banqo’s ghost appears Macbeth is less afraid and tries to confront it.
‘Hence horrible shadow, unreal mockery, hence!’
He decides to return to the witches. The witches lead him to believe he is invulnerable. (Act 4 sc 1)
‘The power of man, for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth’
Macbeth orders murders to kill macduff’s family while macduff is in England. This shows me that Macbeth was totally in the witches’ power.
Lady Macbeth commits suicide in Act 5 scene 5. When he finds out his wife is dead he is very quiet and thoughtful. He realise, he can never return to where he was happy, before he became king. He also realise that the witches have fooled him. Macduff kills Macbeth in battle. This shows Macbeth was a fighter. Macbeth goes from being loyal, honourable soldier and husband to a violent, desperate tyrant.
Lady Macbeth
We do not see Lady Macbeth until she receives a letter from her husband Macbeth. Lady Macbeth’s reaction when she reads it is powerful and dramatic. As soon as she’s finished reading, she has decided she will make sure Macbeth is king.
‘Glamis thou art, and Cawdor and shalt be what thou art promised’ (Act1 Sc5)
It’s as if she and her husband are thinking exactly the same thing. She does not hesitate for a moment. Lady Macbeth invites the spirits of evil into her.
‘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’
To make Macbeth king they have to murder Duncan (the king). They have the opportunity to, when Duncan comes to spend the night with them.
In Act 1 Scene 7, Macbeth changes his mind about murdering Duncan. Lady Macbeth uses different methods to persuade Macbeth to change his mind. (Emotional blackmail) She says he has already promised to do it.
‘What beast wasn’t then that made you break your enterprise to me?’
She also calls him a coward. Lady Macbeth says that he doesn’t love her.
‘From this time such I account thy love’
She uses awful, cruel imagery. She says she would rather kill her own child than break a promise. She is in control.
In Act 2 Scene 3, Macbeth has killed Duncan and Macduff finds the body. In this scene lady Macbeth faints. She does that to either get attention or she is shocked and weak.
‘Help me hence, ho’
In Act 3 Scene 1, Macbeth orders the murder of Banqo, but Lady Macbeth Knows nothing of it. At the banquet Lady Macbeth loses touch with Macbeth. Macbeth’s vision of the ghost is beyond lady Macbeth’s control. She cannot hide or explain what is happening.
Macbeth has Macduff’s wife and children killed. Lady Macbeth has no part in these murders. Her husband no longer consults her.
In Act 5 Scene 1, Lady Macbeth begins to walk and talk in her sleep. The blood of Duncan haunts her. She tries washing the blood off her hands.
‘These hands never be clean’
Fear and guilt drives her to madness. She relives the night of Duncan’s murder again and again. She commits suicide.
‘To bed, to bed: there’s knocking at the gate. Come, come, come, come, give me your hand. What’s done cannot be undone. To bed, to bed, to bed.’
At the beginning Lady Macbeth was in control. After killing Duncan Macbeth becomes more violent. As the play progress Macbeth is in control and Lady Macbeth is weak and doesn’t know what is happening. Macbeth doesn’t tell Lady Macbeth about the murders until it has happened.
I think Macbeth is the strongest. He is scared at the beginning but after he murdered Duncan he begin to think that no-one can hurt him. He killed more people while Lady Macbeth was breaking down. He believed what the witches said.
