Macbeth is seen at the start and end of the play as being a brave warrior fighting The Thane of Cawdor and the Norwegians. Macbeth proved himself to be a noble patriotic fighter.
"For brave Macbeth - well he deserves that name."
Even during the play Macbeth shows bravery. Towards he end in the final fighting scene, even after all the killings, when he could've run away, but he stayed to fight. This tells me that he still feels e has an honour to defend.
Even though Macbeth and his wife seem heartless, this is proved wrong when Macbeth's hallucinations begin (demonstrating a conscience). Before the murder of Duncan, Macbeth sees a dagger.
"Is this a dagger I see before me?"
I believe that Macbeth knows what he is doing is wrong, but still goes ahead. A part of him wants to be king and have the almighty power that comes with it, but there is also a part which says ' I must not betray the king. He has put trust in me.'
"He's here in double trust."
Macbeth shows remorse for his actions. He does not tell his wife about Banquos murder. It could be thought he is shutting her out, but I believe that he still cares for her at this point in time. Macbeth is an ambitious commander but even stops short of this deed. He manages to control it and suppresses it but his ambition still never really goes away. He is normally always talked round by Lady Macbeth.
Lady Macbeth cares dearly about her husband, as seen at the banquet scene.
"You have displac'd the mirth, broke the good meeting with most admir'd disorder."
She tries to calm down Macbeth so that no one gets suspicious.
Just like Macbeth, Lady Macbeth has a conscience and shows remorse. Constantly rubbing her hands, Lady Macbeth tries to get rid of the dirt and blood as a result of killing the king.
"Will these hands never be clean?"
Lady Macbeth also has ambitions. She seems to persuade Macbeth into killing the king. She tells Macbeth that she'll kill him and then backs out.
"This nights great business into my dispatch."
This can be seen as wanting more power, as women of this time had nothing, and only got power through their husbands. I believe that Lady Macbeth does want power, but on the other hand would like to see Macbeth succeed as king.
Before the death of Duncan, Lady Macbeth asks the spirits to unsex her.
"Unsex me here and fill me from the crown to toe topfull of direst cruelty."
She wants to be filled up to block her conscience as her guilt has already begun. She wants to be unsexed to have power. Lady Macbeth's lack of sleep shows how guilty she really feels.
Lady Macbeth does not judge her husband that well. She did not think ahead about how the murders would affect him. She did not think about the chain of reactions that would occur.
I have now shown some of Lady Macbeths and Macbeths redeeming features. Even though they killed so many people, they are after all humans and have emotions and feelings.
