Lady Macbeth

Lady Macbeth is sure that being king is what Macbeth really wants and that this is the best for both of them.

Lady Macbeth manipulates him by questioning his manhood and his love for her. She is successful because regardless of his own conscience Macbeth carries out the plans.

The almost superhuman strength Lady Macbeth rallies for the occasion and her artful and sly ability are shown through her attention regarding the murder.

When Macbeth returns to their chamber she goes back to the murder scene and cleverly smears the grooms with Duncan's blood.

Perhaps Lady Macbeth felt that suppressing her conscience for the deed was enough and that later the thought of the deed would just dissipate. The outcome is not this way, because Lady Macbeth often couldn't go to sleep due to her terrifying dreams.

Lady Macbeth is able to maintain her sanity and composure during the day, even more than her husband.

Lady Macbeth urges him to be light hearted and merry. Once she practically rescues Macbeth from the frailty of his own conscience. When Macbeth sees Banquo's ghost she creates an excuse to explain his odd behavior. She attempts to chasten Macbeth by again questioning his manhood. When the situation grew worse, she took charge and promptly dismisses the lords from the feast.

Lady Macbeth's burdened conscience becomes too great for her and her mental and physical condition suffers.

Lady Macbeth starts sleepwalking. The doctor and a lady observe her sleepwalking, madly trying to clean her hands of the blood of Duncan and Macduff's family.

Lady Macbeth foresees that she will never have peace of mind. She also retells events of the day Duncan was murdered.

Lady Macbeth's condition worsens, and she goes in and out of sleep with visions. Macbeth asks the doctor to cure her or give her a drug that will erase the troubles of the heart. Later, as the battle outside of Dunsinane, by unspecified means Lady Macbeth commits suicide.