Lady Macbeth seems more committed to the murder of King Duncan than Macbeth, because she is wholehearted in her actions and Macbeth very much doubts the murder. He asks “If we should fail”, and she responds “we fail?”- this is an indication of her devotion to the murder and attempts to convince Macbeth it is inevitable. These quotes also tell us that Lady Macbeth has fated Macbeth to become a sinful murderer.
There is other evidence that Lady Macbeth is possessed; in Act 5 Scene 1 there is a scene of her sleepwalking and the words she muttered had tormented her since the death of Duncan. “Banquo’s buried; he cannot come out on’s grave.”- an example of murmuring past murders: a haunting of her history.
Shakespeare had portrayed Lady Macbeth as a stereotypical villain, because she has the practice of the invocation of spirits to “unsex” her, as femininity is often judged as a weakness. This collaborates with witchcraft, although femininity does not mix with the images she had created when drawing out spirits: “the raven himself is hoarse” and “take my milk for gall”. She provokes evil to control Macbeth, as she responds to him after reading his letter: “look like the innocent flower, But be the serpent under’t” – a malicious plan from her that degrades Macbeth’s masculinity as he follows her commands. This reaction gains confidence and power for Lady Macbeth, as she recognises Macbeth’s weakness.
The use of Lady Macbeth’s drawing of spirits manifests her being paranormal.
There is other evidence of Lady Macbeth’s intelligence and power; in Act 3 Scene 4, she carries out excuses Macbeth’s comportment; he was unable to rid his thought of his murder. The astonishment of this scene, is that Lady Macbeth does not realise that Macbeth had a malevolent plot to slaughter Banquo. He sees the ghostly apparition of Banquo, which changes his behaviour.
When Macbeth had murdered King Duncan in Act 2 Scene 2, he said to his wife “this is a sorry sight” and she powerfully responds “a foolish thought, to say a sorry sight.”, this indicates that Lady Macbeth is attempting to convince him that there is no sorrow murdering the King, which delineates more of Lady Macbeth’s immorality and determination. I believe this part of her drawing of spirits, created her remorselessness as she feels sexuality will not fail her. Throughout the play she has thoughts of a higher intelligence than Macbeth, and because she is a woman it most definitely persuades people to pay attention to her. This would probably have a connection to the evil spirits as they are asexual.
There is a responsibility of the Macbeths to be untrustworthy to King Duncan, because it is the plan of the Macbeths to lead him to his death. In Act 1 Scene 6 there is the specific use of dramatic irony, as the King meets their acquaintance. Lady Macbeth acts kindly, and welcoming towards the King: “at your highness’ pleasure”. The King had been greeted and welcomed by Lady Macbeth and he shows this gratitude by “kissing” her. This feeling inside the King was her intention, as Macbeth would have to murder the King by surprise. This also shows her loyalty to Macbeth and dedication for him. There is also the additional setting of the previous scene of the weather where a storm had happened, which denotes a reflection upon the connections of evil.
Lady Macbeth’s link to the supernatural world to rid sexuality, precipitates a more stronger woman and that is what emphasises the play. As she is growing stronger, we see a more intimate Macbeth. This greatly reflects upon her character. She believes that “human kindness” is a weakness, which explains her condemnation of remorselessness.
Macbeth is a dramatic melodrama play, which is famously known for its conventions of tragedy. We see it greatly in the eyes of Lady Macbeth, because her ambitions for her husband to kill the King for the throne were a doomed fate that was inevitable. We feel sympathy for King Duncan for his undeserved death, and this leads on to the downfall of a great person. As the King could do nothing, this play can tell us that evil fate is indestructible.
Lady Macbeth is the sinful icon that crystallises her character development, which improves the Macbeth story to keep us focused. Her association with witchcraft had made her more powerful and energetic for her intentions. She had demonstrated her manipulation of Macbeth and shown that evil prevails.
