How does the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth change throughout the play?

Macbeth’s soliloquy in Act I Scene 7 reveals the decline of his moral sense. He cannot bring himself to reject the idea of assassinating Duncan and yet his conscience is deeply troubled. He wants to be king if “It were done quickly” and would be successful. However, Duncan is his lord, a relative and a guest and Duncan is a good king and “Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been so clear in his great office, that his virtues will plead like angels.” He tells her that he cannot kill Duncan because “He hath honoured me of late” and that this would cause him to lose the “Golden opinions” won by victory in battle. In response, Lady Macbeth berates him, angrily accusing him of being “a coward in thine own esteem”. Her tirade is full of contempt and she says that his failure to act shows that he does not love her enough. By attacking his weak points, which are his pride in his courage and his manhood, she leads him further into moral ambiguity. It also shows how the balance of power in the relationship is leaning towards her. He questions the likelihood of success not the immorality of the act of murder but she dominates him, firing up his courage. She says “but screw up your courage to the sticking place and we’ll not fail.” (Act I Scene 7). In turn, Macbeth is persuaded saying “false face must hide what the false heart doth know” which echoes Lady Macbeth’s plea to Macbeth in Act I Scene 5 to hide his true feelings when she says “to beguile the time look like the time… But be the serpent under’t.”

By Act II the decision has been taken to murder King Duncan. However, Macbeth is tortured by doubts. In his soliloquy in Scene 1, Macbeth’s hallucination of the dagger from his “heat-oppressed brain” is the last time when he could turn back. Macbeth seems overtaken by the inevitability represented by this “fatal vision” and commits to “the heat of deeds” rather than the “cold breath” of his conscience. Lady Macbeth’s criticism of his courage and manhood has decided the issue. Polanski actually showed the dagger in his version of the film and this was very unrealistic and did not seem at all frightening, where as in the Royal Shakespeare Company version Macbeth imagined the dagger but the audience were not shown it, which was very effective. In Scene 2, Lady Macbeth enters saying “I laid the daggers ready, had he not resembled my father as he slept, I had done’t.” Although she seems exhilarated- “that which hath made them drunk hath made me bold” she reveals a softer side in that she could not commit the murder because Duncan resembled her father. When Macbeth returns after murdering the king, he is shattered and almost hysterical. He is disturbed by noises and has failed to plant the bloodstained daggers on Duncan’s guards. Macbeth is guilty and tormented that he will “sleep no more” and becomes concerned to wash his hands clean of blood (Act II Verse 2 Line 60). Lady Macbeth calms and rationalises his fears. She plants the daggers to make it seem that the guards murdered Duncan and continues to show strength and control. Her dominance in the relationship is settled here.

In Act III Banquo begins to suspect that Macbeth may have become king by evil means but he draws comfort from the witches’ prophecy that one day his descendants will be on the throne. Macbeth sees this as a threat and becomes anxious and suspicious of everything happening ‘‘There is none but he, whose being I do fear’’. However Macbeth backs away from “bare-faced power” and will not murder Banquo himself. Although he distrusts and despises the murderers he employs them whilst keeping his plans from Lady Macbeth. She is unhappy, scolding him about brooding on “what’s done is done” (Scene 2) and isolating himself. Here they are both uncertain and insecure. He is caught up in his own plans and she senses his withdrawal from her. When Macbeth reveals that he plans to deal with Banquo, he shows that he has become more dominant in the relationship by dominating the conversation. Lady Macbeth defers to him and he is affectionate and protective of her saying “Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck,”. Their roles are now beginning to reverse and Macbeth begins to assert his dominance.

After Banquo’s murder, Macbeth’s mental fragility increases. Each time he tries to praise Banquo at the banquet, Banquo’s ghost appears making him visibly distressed and causing the banquet to end in chaos. Lady Macbeth acts quickly to cover up Macbeth’s guilt being revealed by claiming that he is ill but they are both under increasing strain. Macbeth begins to talk of himself alone and his speeches are full of “I” not “we” as before. Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth reveal increasing feelings of guilt by their references to sleep which signifies peace of mind. Lady Macbeth says, “You lack the season of all natures, sleep.”

After meeting Hecate and the witches in Act VI Scene 1, Macbeth becomes increasingly dehumanised. He is describes as “something wicked” not someone wicked and the witches treat him as one of them, evil personified. Macbeth no longer consults Lady Macbeth about his plans and he no longer agonises about them and he says “ this deed I’ll do before this purpose cool”. However he cannot sink lower than to order the murder of women and children. The planned murder of Lady Macduff and her children and the scene between Macduff and Lady Macduff, two good people, contrasts with the evil coupling of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.

In Act V Scene 1 we hear of the disintegration of Lady Macbeth, who has been sleepwalking and talking in her sleep. She reveals her guilt and constantly tries to wash it away from her hands. ”What, will these hands ne’er be clean.” Her mental breakdown is well advanced here. The past is ever present in her mind saying “What’s done cannot be undone”. She speaks in prose instead of blank verse here and the deterioration of her language reflects the deterioration of her mental health. The constant attempt to clean blood from her hands and to get rid of the ‘devil’s spot’ plays upon the common belief at the time in witchcraft, a belief shared by everyone from the ordinary people to King James I.

Although Macbeth appears to be coping better we learn that he is not sleeping showing that his conscience is deeply troubled as sleep is a precious gift from the gods. His concern for Lady Macbeth’s health seems superficial when he says, “Cure her of that". His concern for the prophecies is obsessive excluding all human concerns. Macbeth becomes increasingly uncaring and depraved ordering the hanging of those who speak of fear. There is some compassion for his wife when he thinks what might have been. He grieves for “honour, love, obedience, troops of friends, I must not look to have; but, in their stead, Curses,” - here we see Macbeth’s tragedy because we see his possibilities and the fatal choices he has made.

Towards the end of the play, we learn of Lady Macbeth’s death. For Macbeth this confirms the meaningless of life but he cannot mourn for her saying “she should have died hereafter.” and that “life… is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.” Macbeth is emotionless, indifferent and cynical filling us full of pity for his decline and revulsion for his evil acts. He becomes increasingly isolated when the Birnam Wood prophecy comes true in a way he did not expect. He becomes fatalistic and no longer cares if he lives or dies saying “I’gin to be aweary of the sun.” When Macduff challenges him, Macbeth learns that the prophecies have betrayed him because Macduff was delivered by caesarean and so not “born of woman”. He forces himself to be courageous and fights Macduff to the end like a true soldier but is killed, thus making the audience pity the fall from grace of a brave and noble warrior.

The relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth is the central theme of the play and as the plot develops, their relationship changes also.  At the beginning it is one of love and affection, then follows a shift of power as Lady Macbeth takes control and dominates the marriage.  Finally Macbeth’s ruthless ambition and moral degeneration causes the exclusion and isolation of her and in the end leads to his tragic downfall.