Act 1 Scene 5, line 40
Although this is the first scene in which Lady Macbeth features, her soliloquies allow the audience an insight into her mind and the audience would feel hatred towards her already as she is planning to commit sacrilege. This is a further difference between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, he has had murderous thoughts, but Lady Macbeth is already planning the murder to get what she wants. In Lady Macbeth’s soliloquy (page 13) she is asking for strength to be rid of her conscience from the spirits that she refers too as “murdering ministers”.
When Macbeth enters the castle Lady Macbeth greets him with his new title and tells of how she is no longer interested in what is happening at present, but is only interested in what is to happen very soon in the future. Duncan had decided that he was to make a visit to Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s castle for an overnight stay. When Macbeth informs Lady Macbeth of this visit, she sees it as a perfect opportunity to commit the murder and so Duncan shall not live to see tomorrow, when he is supposed to leave. Macbeth seems to hesitate at this moment as I think he is unsure about whether he could actually murder Duncan. However, Lady Macbeth is quick in reassuring him to leave it all to her. This shows Lady Macbeth’s domineering nature over husband and the audience can see that she is controlling over her husband and that she is the power behind the plot to kill Duncan.
Duncan’s visit to the castle shows more of Duncan’s character to the audience, especially when he first arrives. Duncan is shown to be a weak and naïve man who does not like to think badly of anyone. When staged, Duncan’s frailty would be emphasised through his appearance. His hair could be white and thin; he could be dressed in white gowns to show his sanctity. Wearing many crosses would also show this and being being helped with walking may also show his frailty. He talks of how “pleasant” the castle is, showing his naivety, as he does not realise what is planned for his night. The audience would despise Macbeth and, especially, Lady Macbeth, as at the time it was a great honour for a Thane to be host to a King and that it was expected of the Thane to care for the King. The Thane had a lot of trust placed upon him. Duncan greets Macbeth with his new title, and Lady Macbeth’s two-faced personality shows, acting extremely hospitable to his face whilst he is totally oblivious to her plans for her husband.
Macbeth’s soliloquy on page 15 gives the audience an insight into Macbeth’s mind and his thoughts on what is planned against Duncan. He believes that if they are to act, they must act now. Macbeth begins to state reasons as to why the murder should not be committed. His practical reasons against the murder are that if he was to kill Duncan, in turn he may be killed. He then gives his moral reasons against sacrilege. He has had a lot of trust placed in him by Duncan. As his Kinsman and subject he should be loyal to his king and that it is he who should be protecting Duncan from being murderers, not himself be the murderer. This creates sympathy for Macbeth as it can be seen that he is trying to talk himself out of the murder. Macbeth here admits that he is his own ambition and that is the only thing that is urging him on. This is Macbeth’s fatal flaw, ambition. In a Jacobean revenge tragedy, which ‘Macbeth’ is, the main character always has a fatal flaw. Macbeth’s fatal flaw being ambition.
Macbeth seems to have decided not to commit the murder, however when Lady macbeth realises this, she tries to convince him back into the murder with means of blackmail.
“And live a coward in thine own esteem”
Act 1 Scene 7, line 43
Lady Macbeth tell Macbeth that he shall be a coward for not daring to murder, and tells of how he must not love her if he shall not commit the deed. The use of emotional blackmail by Lady Macbeth shows her evil nature and is blinded by power and greed. Macbeth retaliates by claiming that he shall not be a real man if he insists on killing an old man in cold blood. However, Lady Macbeth still insists on using more emotional blackmail, telling of how she would rather dash out the brains of a baby than go back on her word. There is only one argument left for Macbeth, and that is by enquiring what would happen if they fail, but Lady Macbeth insists that they will not fail. From here, Lady Macbeth informs Macbeth of the plan she has prepared, telling of how she shall get the guards drunk, so that their memory “Shall be a fume” and so when Macbeth kills Duncan he shall be unguarded. Macbeth begins to warm to the plan, to which the audience would be horrified.
Banquo is used as a contrast to Macbeth’s character soon after Macbeth has decided that he shall kill the king. Banquo would never betray his king, unlike Macbeth. The dagger scene shows the effect of the plan to kill Duncan on his mind. Macbeth hallucinates that a dagger, with the handle facing towards him, appears before him. The dagger moves towards Duncan’s room as if to show him what to do, and as the dagger is covered in blood, this also is a sign of what he must do. The power of evil is working his mind now and he is not completely in control of himself. The supernatural seems to be leading him, showing that it could be the witches who are in control of him. The audience sympathise with Macbeth as they can see the full horror of his reaction to this hallucination.
This is the point at which, had Shakespeare chosen to stage the murder of Duncan, it would have been committed. However, the murder is not staged as all sympathy and empathy for Macbeth would be lost through his disrespectful actions. As Shakespeare does not stage the death, the murder of Duncan is created through the dialogue of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. We can first see that Lady Macbeth’s character seems to be changing in some ways. Whilst waiting for Macbeth to return from committing the deed, she claims that she would have killed Duncan herself, if it were not for him resembling her father. This may be seen as quite compassionate, a female trait.
“Had he not resembled my father as he slept, I had done’t”
Act 2 Scene 2, line 13
When Macbeth enters to tell Lady Macbeth that he went through with the plan,he seems to realise what he has done, and is totally horrified by his own actions. The audience also find out that Macbeth had killed the guards, for fear that they may have seen something, through him telling his wife. Macbeth knows that he has done wrong and shows this by telling of his inability to pray. Throughout this scene we as the audience can still see that Lady Macbeth shows little compassion towards her husband. All she is interested in is covering up the murder, so that nobody is to find out. They realise that they can now pace blame for Duncan’s death upon the guards.
“If he do bleed, I’ll gild the faces of the groom withal, for it must seem their guilt”
Act 2 Scene 2, line 55
The juxtaposition of scene three with the drunken porter is used as a break between the murder and the finding of the body. Banquo is used as a contrast to Macbeth again when their reactions to the finding of the body are staged. Banquo’s reactions are very humanely, Macbeth does not behave in such a ‘normal’ way, as he seems to have a speech prepared for this moment. Macbeth insists on telling of how he wishes he had died an hour before they found Duncan’s body, so to spare him the heartache. This is ironically true, as if he had died before, there would have been no murder committed in the first place. Lady Macbeth appears to faint at the news of the death. This may be seen as a female trait, and so she may have used it as an attempt to hide her evil nature.
The other two main murders in the play, those of Banquo and Lady Macduff, differ to that of Duncan in various ways. The most obvious being that the Duncan murder is the only murder not to be staged. Duncan’s murder is the only murder with a particular motive in mind - for Macbeth to succeed as King. Duncan’s murder is the one that Lady Macbeth plays a major role. She is the one who plans the murder and who is blinded by determination, power and greed. The other murders however are committed as a result of the murder of Duncan, to which Lady Macbeth plays no part in. Macbeth planned the murder of Banquo and the murder of Lady Macduff, in some way to cover up the murder of Duncan, but also to make sure that there is no way that he shall not be the next on the throne. A pattern can be seen to emerge through the murders. The murder of Duncan has a main motive, but is not shown on stage so that the violence used is not seen. The murder of Banquo is committed as Macbeth is afraid that Banquo suspects him of Duncan’s murder. Banquo’s murder is staged, but is not extremely violent on stage. The murder of Lady Macduff and her children has no particular motive, yet is the most violent of the murders. As the play progresses, the motives for the murders decrease, yet the violence used increases.
Lady Macbeth is not featured in the murders of Banquo and Lady Macduff. This shows that Macbeth no longer needs her to convince him to murder, as he now has his own evil thoughts and his ambition is taking control of him. Gradually as the play progresses, and the roles of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth change places, the audience would feel pity towards Lady Macbeth. When Lady Macbeth hears the news of the death of Lady Macduff and her children, Lady Macbeth is horrified. When staged, Lady Macduff would be used as a contrast to Lady Macbeth. Lady Macduff is portrayed as gentle, kind and innocent, what a woman should have been in those days. Lady Macbeth is the opposite of this and shows evil, not compassion. When the play is staged, Lady Macbeth may be seen to be wearing black, whilst Lady Macduff would wear the same clothing, in white however.
When the murder of Duncan takes place, the audience despise Lady Macbeth for being so ruthless and evil. However, Lady Macbeth does not play a part in the murder of Banquo and Lady Macduff, and so the audience see that she is now behaving differently. When the ghost of Banquo appears at the banquet, Lady Macbeth does not know of his death and so believes that it is Duncan’s ghost Macbeth is seeing. Lady Macbeth is then the one to try to calm down her husband in front of the guests, so to protect them both from suspicion of murder. Lady Macbeth is genuinely horrified to hear of the death of Lady Macduff. Later one in the play it can be seen that the murder of Duncan has a psychological effect on her mind. She begins to sleepwalk and whilst doing so she appears to be attempting to wash blood from her hands. This would represent Duncan’s blood as she tries to rid her conscience of guilt. At the same time it would appear that she is being told to confess her sins. Shakespeare uses the doctor and the gentlewoman to direct the audience’s reactions and feelings towards Lady Macbeth. The audience would take pity on Lady Macbeth.
“What is it she does now? Look how she rubs herhands.” (Doctor)
Act 5 Scene 1, line 23
“It is an accustomed action with her, to seem thus washing her hands” (Gentlewoman)
Act 5 Scene 1, line 24
The supernatural plays a major part in ‘Macbeth’. At the time ‘Macbeth’ was written, people believed in many aspects of the supernatural. King James believed strongly in witchcraft. The apparitions and the prophecies were the main use of supernatural in ‘Macbeth’. The apparitions were who were believed to blame for the hallucination of the dagger. The murder of Banquo also features many aspects of the supernatural. The ghost of Banquo appears at Macbeth’s banquet. In Elizabethan times, ghosts were used to represent two things – revenge and betrayal. Shakespeare makes use of both of these with the murder of Duncan. Banquo’s ghost appearing shows the guilt that Macbeth feels, as it is on his obviously on his mind. Lady Macbeth believing that it is Duncan’s ghost shows her guilt of the murder of Duncan.
