The spirits of evil and murder.
Lady Macbeth becomes very impatient and wants time to pass quickly so that she can proceed with her plans.
‘You wait on nature’s mischief! Comes thick night.’
She wants the night to fall quickly so that it can hide the murder she is planning in the shadow of its darkness.
‘That my keen knife sees not the wound it makes.’
After she says this, it is clear to the audience that he is serious about killing Duncan and will go ahead with the deed.
Lady Macbeth at this point has herself very excited. When her husband finally enters, we see him and her together for the first time.
In her excitement Lady Macbeth addresses him as '
Great Glamis', 'Worthy Cawdor' and then,
'All hail thereafter' –
The king! This excitement would cause her, I believe, to change the way she speaks This excitement and more importantly the will power she derives from it seems to overtake her husband. This again reinforces the audiences’ suspicion that Lady Macbeth is pushing herself further than is appropriate.
When she learns that Duncan will be coming the next day, she tells Macbeth that Duncan will not be seen on the face of the earth after tomorrow.
‘O, never
Shall sun that ‘morrow see.’
She clearly states to Macbeth her feelings and what she believes needs to be done, in a straightforward manner.
Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth that he needs to change his personality, and that he needs to put on an act.
‘To beguile the time,
Look like the time; bear welcome in your eye,
Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under’t.’
Lady Macbeth wants her husband to act innocent but have an evil soul. All of this shows how she enjoys dominating situations and people. Lady Macbeth likes to be in control of everything that happens. She is trying to persuade Macbeth to do the deed. Then also enjoy the end, which is becoming Queen herself.
‘The night’s great business into my dispatch.’
‘Leave all the rest to me.’
Lady Macbeth believes that she can sort everything out herself, as she knows what needs to be done, and how she is going to do it. She likes taking control of things. This shows she is single minded.
In Act 1 scene 6, Duncan finally arrives. Lady Macbeth now proves how deceptive and two faced she really can be. Duncan arrives with nothing but compliments for the castle and its hosts, ‘
This castle hath a pleasant seat’,
‘See our honoured hostess’.
Lady Macbeth shows herself as the perfect hostess,
‘All service in every point twice done, and then done double’.
Then she leads him triumphantly, almost as a trophy, into the castle and to his dreadful fate.
In act 1 scene 7 Lady Macbeth has her work cut out for her. She constantly has to reinforce her husbands’ resolve, pushing him on. Macbeth’s resolve fails him, in his soliloquy, he is in agony with his doubts, and he decides against following through with the plot. We see her talking to Macbeth about killing Duncan. He thinks of all the reasons why he cannot kill his king. – He sees him as an honourable king, an honourable man. He is
‘His Kinsman’,
And Macbeth was his ‘subject’. Macbeth had been honoured by Duncan, being made ‘Thane of Thife’. He also worries what will happen,
‘Tears shall drown the wind’.
He reaches his final decision; the murder will not go ahead. Macbeth seems to wake up, he doesn’t ask his wives permission, and he seems to have regained control from her dominating influence.
Lady Macbeth enters asking why Macbeth, as expected of a host, was present at the table, Macbeth asks
‘hath he asked for me?’
Lady Macbeth replies,
‘Know you not he has?’
I believe she would ask this question quite firmly; she wants Duncan to be oblivious to any negative feelings Macbeth may have.
Macbeth goes straight to the point and out lines his reasons,
‘We will proceed no further in this business’;
‘He hath honoured me of late…Which would be worn in its newest gloss, not cast aside so soon’.
Lady Macbeth is somewhat taken aback - staggered by her husbands’ decision. Here she thought she had the cat in the bag, her husband was prepared to take this amazing opportunity to grasp kingship. Her willpower had spurred him onto it. Now she saw she wasn’t as powerful and influential as she originally thought she was – She turns on Macbeth. In a moment she realises her willpower had not had its desired affect. Lady Macbeth changes, her tactics switch from ‘unsexed’ to using her feminine powers. As a woman, she will now humiliate and manipulates Macbeth as a man.
Lady Macbeth knows that it will sting Macbeth if she taunts him. At the beginning of the play, Macbeth had been mentioned to be,
‘A worthy bridegroom for the goddess of war herself!’
He has been honoured for his great roles in battle by the king himself. Naturally, it will provoke Macbeth if his honour or ‘masculinity’ is challenged.
She taunts him:
‘Was the hope drunk wherein you dressed yourself? Hath it slept since?’ Lady Macbeth I believe would utter this in mock disbelief. She would be sounding as if to be appalled at the lack of confidence in Macbeth’ conviction. It makes a fool of him, she asks,
‘Were the hope drunk Wherein you dressed yourself?’
She is saying, was your hope drunk? And now, wakes with a hangover – regretting what it had said? She uses the words, ‘pale and green’ to pictorially describe colours and shades that are normally associated with weak, and sickliness. She then continues, using her feminine power, to question his love for her, saying,
‘Such I account thy love’.
Meaning his love to her is as one of his drunken promises.
These are not words that Macbeth is accustomed to having directed at him. He is not used to having his courage mocked. He perfectly knows he is not a coward. He is one of the bravest men around. Lady Macbeth expects him to retort this way. He continues though, he puts his finger right on it, ‘Who dares do more is none’. Macbeth means whoever dares to do anything more daring, dangerous or maybe wicked, isn't human; they are supernatural, probably monstrous.
Macbeth is defending himself, he is suggesting that anything more brave wouldn’t make him a man, it would make him monster; and that is the truth. Macbeth knows it’s the truth, Lady Macbeth knows it is the truth, and importantly the audience realise this is the truth. He is prepared to do ‘all men can do’, but he draws the line at becoming a monster.
Lady Macbeth would perhaps falter at this. Yet again though, she picks up the offensive, though in a slightly weaker position perhaps. She takes a risk by replying
‘What beast was’t then, that made you break this wicked enterprise to me?’
Lady Macbeth shifts the blame back onto Macbeth, claiming he was the one to hatch the plan, the crucial words being ‘you break this…to me’. The audience will pick up on this, realising that it was never Macbeth who ever originated the idea, it was in fact Lady Macbeth. Macbeth fails to see this though and she carries on.
She reasons that when he (Macbeth) had proposed this ‘enterprise’ to her, then he ‘were a man’. Lady Macbeth tries to change Macbeth’s perception of what is manly. She tries to change what Macbeth perceives as man, being brave and daring to do
‘all that may become a man’,
to a man being almost a killing machine. She does this by saying
‘When you durst do it, then you were a man’.
Lady Macbeth thinks that a man is someone who would do anything to make himself bigger, stronger or more powerful.
Lady Macbeth then uses a slightly different tack; she uses shock tactics to demonstrate how she feels about following through with the murder. Lady Macbeth brings to mind the most grotesque image that she can think up. She says she would take a child, hers, and
‘while it was smiling in my face…and dashed the brains out, had I so sworn as you Have done this’.
By this, Lady Macbeth reveals a side to her to her audience. She is evil and she will stop at nothing.
What she meant by killing her child like this was to show her strength of conviction and willingness to carry out her word
‘had I so sworn to you [Macbeth]’.
It appears to work, and Macbeth falters saying (indicating a change of heart)
‘If we should fail?’
Lady Macbeth has now re-engaged him, and Macbeth is curious again. Again Lady Macbeth shows her strength of conviction and will,
‘Screw your courage to the sticking place – and we’ll not fail’,
Lady Macbeth I think hits these words with a real sense of belief, urging Macbeth to think about it. Failing? – Lady Macbeth declares that this is impossible. She proceeds to outline her plan, believing she now has Macbeth back onboard. She will make Duncan’s guard’s drunk and she and Macbeth will commit the murder, leaving the guards to take the fall for it. The plan is ruthlessly simple and cowardly. The audience cannot help but realise this; Lady Macbeth has thought this through non-stop and has made her plan as efficient and as fool proof as possible. Lady Macbeth makes it so safe, and has reconfirmed Macbeth’s original intentions – but still Macbeth will know in the back of his mind, this is all wrong.
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. Again though, the audiences are left with sub-conscience doubts about Lady Macbeth’s appearance of unshakeable strength.
In Act 2-scene 2 there is more talking between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, about killing king Duncan. Here she displays he having controlled and authority over Macbeth’s mind and actions, but also how support she can be towards him.
One of the things that particularly stood out was her inability to commit the murder herself. For all the boasting and the character she built up of herself, Lady Macbeth cannot do any of which she said she was so sure of. Lady Macbeth was supposed to commit the murder herself, but she goes in and comes straight back out again, being startled by a bird's cry as she stands there. Macbeth comes up the stairwell and sees Lady Macbeth there; she seems to make some excuses for her being there saying,
'I am afraid they have awaked', then she admits,
' And 'tis done. Th' attempt and not the deed'.
Lady Macbeth has faltered, and she cannot bring herself to the deed she swore she would do even if she had to dash her own child's brains out. She came into the chamber and almost I would imagine shouts the line, 'Hark! I laid the daggers ready'.
Lady Macbeth is angry I think with herself, as if she is ashamed. She makes the excuse that she entered, saw Duncan and saw he was like her father in his sleep - and could not kill him baring in mind she was prepared to kill her own child.
Macbeth nevertheless has killed Duncan. Macbeth is almost immediately feeling the consequences; he recounts it as if he suffered immediate guilt whilst he was doing the murder. Macbeth has started to crack; he is breaking down, saying that he heard voices saying he would no longer be able to sleep.
What Lady Macbeth now faces is what ultimately destroys her. She has now to bear up to Macbeth’s faltering conscience amidst her own despair. Lady Macbeth tries to silence Macbeth, trying to drive the thoughts of guilt out of her mind - trying to remain strong saying
'A foolish thought to say a sorry sight'.
A few lines on Lady Macbeth prophetically says,
'These deeds must not be thought. After these ways; so, it will make us mad'.
It is here that Lady Macbeth’s character has its biggest and final test.
Lady Macbeth now reverts into a controlling wife, as she tries to distract her mind from what has happened by snapping into gear and sorting out what has happened. She is practical and tells her husband to go and wash himself of blood, and then she summons whatever courage she may have left to go and put the daggers with the guards to ensure that they have the blame. Again Lady Macbeth is practical, there is a knock at the door of the castle and she restrains her husband from answering it. Lady Macbeth’s mind is in full gear with this murder. She sees that it would be strange if they were to answer the door at this hour of the night saying,
‘Get on you’re night-gown…And show us to be watchers’.
Lady Macbeth is in full control of her faculties at this point, whereas her husband is starting to really break down, already wishing he’d not done it
‘Wake Duncan with thy knocking. I would thou couldst’.
Lady Macbeth is not the strong person she appears to be though.
Following on in Act 2 scene 3, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth perform an amazing drama to dupe them, and prove their innocence. Macduff arrives at the gate and goes to see the king in his chamber, and returns with the news of his death. The blame obviously falls upon the guards and Macbeth convincingly puts up a show that he loved Duncan so much that he kill the guards on the spot, Thus, removing any ability for them to defend themselves. Now, this does temporarily shift suspicion towards Macbeth, but he gives such an intricate and heartfelt speech, that combined with Lady Macbeth swooning and starting to faint,
“Help me hence, ho!”
She draws the attention away from Macbeth, it is enough to convince the others of their innocence at least for the moment.
The murder also frightens Duncan’s sons; they fear that they might be next; this is probably true, since in order for Macbeth to have a good chance to become King, both of them must be killed. Therefore, they flee, and this puts them under suspicion. It could be reasoned that they might have killed their father in order to quicken their ascension to the throne. Again, all of which are complete lies. Such harmonious co-operation when under pressure shows that Lady and Lord Macbeth do indeed work well together, and have an excellent relationship.
In Act 3-scene 2 Macbeth is crowned King, one of the first things Macbeth does, is have Banquo assassinated. It is important to note that he does this independently of his wife; his coronation seems to have given him new courage. We see Lady Macbeth being impatient. Lady Macbeth is again telling Macbeth to put his past behind him,
‘What’s done is done’,
Putting more strain on their relationship. Macbeth obviously however has taken over, he hints to Lady Macbeth that he has a plan in action and she should be,
‘Innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck’.
Lady Macbeth knows something is going on, however see isn’t fully aware of it. She thinks this after a conversation with Macbeth as he means to be unsettled and sneaky.
Lady Macbeth tried to lighten things with Macbeth by telling him not regret anything.
“Things without all remedy “
She is telling him not to think about something that can’t be corrected.
Lady Macbeth is the opposite however; she is at heart a weaker woman than Macbeth is the stronger man. She does start to feel guilt and consequences for her actions; she cannot keep the ruthless monster image up.
Lady Macbeth wants to know what Macbeth is planning behind her back, however he refuses to tell her that he is plotting to kill Banquo.
“Whats to be done”
Lady Macbeth shows that she is curious and dislikes being left out with Macbeth’s plans. Macbeth even teasingly knows this, saying in affect that she would prefer not to know the details of his plan.
Lady Macbeth herself however, is doubtful in her new found power; she is troubled by their present state. However, she does tell Macbeth this, who is already worried, almost to the point of suicide by his speech. Instead, she comforts him again, advising him not to brood on the past. However, he is still deeply concerned. He tells his wife of his plan to kill Banquo, and for a change, she asks him what to do. He tells to do as she has told him; to put on a false face, and pretend nothing has happened. Macbeth does however, suggest his discontent about his deceitfulness, but recognises its necessity. This switching of roles due to Macbeth’s increased confidence and Lady Macbeth’s lack of is perhaps quite important. It shows that their relationship is changing.
The Lady Macbeth of Act-1 has lost its initiative in evil.
Act 3 Scene 4
Lady Macbeth becomes increasingly worn down by her husbands’ own mental deterioration. Macbeth makes quite a scene at his feast, holding a party to celebrate his title of king. It starts with him not sitting at the table and instead having a furious conversation with one of the murderers of Banquo. Lady Macbeth hurries in saying that
‘You do not give a cheer. The feast is sold’,
Macbeth is acting strangely to his guests, but this is not the strangest thing to happen yet by far. Macbeth becomes hallucinated and colour drains from his face and he begins to shout because of seeing a ghost, only visible to himself – a ghost of Banquo.
Lady Macbeth immediately covers for him,
“Sit worthy friends”
Lady Macbeth realises that Macbeth is about to give the whole game away and has to desperately rescue herself and her husband. She tells the guest that Macbeth is having a fit, but he will soon recover. She calms Macbeth down, by calling him out the room to ensure he doesn’t say anything he shouldn’t.
You have displace……………”
Lady Macbeth is totally confused to why he is acting like this; she then goes on by asking the guests, with a complete lack of ceremony, to leave immediately.
“Stand upon the order…….”
Lady Macbeth is very rude in telling the guest to go, as she fears that Macbeth might say something he shouldn’t.
This surely wears her down and worries her of what the guests may think.
Lady Macbeth tries to pull Macbeth together, but it has no effect. She is undergoing along with her husband a state of intense mental, physical and emotional exhaustion. This is the last time the Macbeth’s are seen together as one working unit. Lady Macbeth says little at this point and cannot seem to match her husbands’ vigour. Macbeth says,
‘I am…o’er’
Meaning he admits that he is too far-gone, it is simpler to carry on his bloody ways than to turn back now. Lady Macbeth urges him to stop, telling him he lacks sleep and needs to go to bed. Macbeth’s range of evil has outstretched Lady Macbeth’s, she is beyond it all.
This is the last time that Lady Macbeth is seen as sane. In fact, Lady Macbeth is not present in any of Act-4, not appearing until into Act-5. Scene I is where the most obvious change of Lady Macbeth unfolds. The long absence of Lady Macbeth until Act-5 reinforces her appearance as the mad, delusional woman in scene ii. Her mental stability reaches its terminal point and this once monster, becomes nothing but a nervous wreck. The human traits of guilt, conscience and common human feeling all catch up with Lady Macbeth. She could not run from them forever, and now they have reduced her to a pitiful state. Lady Macbeth walks around her bedroom, shuffling nervously, crying out when she cannot remove a figurative spot of blood – or guilt. Lady Macbeth recounts her guilty deeds but as a sign of her mental disarray, she cannot tell them in any chronological order. I would imagine an actor playing the part of Lady Macbeth telling each incident that she calls to mind, as if it cuts her mentally - breaking up her mind.
The agony that Lady Macbeth passes through will eventually lead to the last part of her deterioration. Her agony will drive her to despair and ultimately, she is mentioned to have committed suicide.
In act 5 scene 5, we learn that Lady Macbeth is dead.
This is a bad end for Lady Macbeth; though, a woman of powerful ambition and driving force, and a person in an influential position - she dies pathetically. This end runs parallel to the events of the play and reflects on the outcome of the theme of evil throughout. Lady Macbeth thought she was as evil as she could wish to be, as unconnected from other womanly and human qualities as she might choose. She believed ambition and will power were everything - yet it was all these things that ultimately lead to her end.
Lady Macbeth thought that her ambition and worldly success would justify any move she made. Lady Macbeth would not accept that evil is self-destructive. Her impressions of overpowering evil were in the end of a day - only an impression.
Her conscience first shows its greater power when she is unable to kill Duncan herself. Her next step was when she had to come to terms with her and her husbands reality of evil. The mounting guilt becomes heavier and heavier on her, with the killing of Banquo and the guards. She has to continue to keep up her appearances and her husbands resolve, excusing his behaviour, supporting him, all whilst keeping on top of her own mental condition until he overtakes her in evil. This has its obvious end; she has no way of escape, which further tortures her mental condition. The only way out of her self-created downward spiral was her own death.
