From the death of King Duncan the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth has changed to the extent it was the reason why they were driven to death. Lady Macbeth was
the catalyst for Macbeth’s plunge into murder and insanity, so in comparing the relationship before and after the death of King Duncan, the major factor that should be evaluated is Lady Macbeth’s influence over Macbeth and the key role she played in the death of Duncan. Lady Macbeth begins to manipulate Macbeth and challenges his feelings of guilt and pity over the death of Duncan. “Look like th’ innocent flower, but be the serpent under’t.” Lady Macbeth is encouraging Macbeth to be deceitful and she is also trying to fill him with spiteful feelings
When the murder has been committed, I believe Macbeth realises what he is doing is wrong, but the temptation is too strong. He deliberately chooses the road of evil. We start to see his conscious and unconscious mind battling with each other which leads to his spiral conflict with madness. After the death of Duncan we also see the tables turning. We see Lady Macbeth suffering from remorse and has now got a guilty conscience, however Macbeth becomes more bloodthirsty and starts to alienate himself and his deeds from Lady Macbeth.
In Act two scene three Macbeth and Lady Macbeth discuss the murder of King Duncan. In this scene we see how their characteristics have changed in which Macbeth says, “I am in blood stepped in so far that, should I wade no more, returning were as tedious as go over.” Macbeth is implying that he has killed a life and he feels he cannot turn back, so he is going to commit more murderous and crimeful deeds until he is caught and Lady Macbeth replies, “ You lack the seasons of all natures sleep” This response is different from the character we saw before the death of Duncan. Before she was bitter and passionate, But now she feeble and her passion has disappeared mainly because of her guilty conscience. She has now lost the character trait that makes her and Macbeth a good couple.
Towards the end of the play Lady Macbeth is overcome by guilt and becomes mad. She hallucinates, “Out dammed spot. Out I Say.” Lady Macbeth is now sleepwalking and is speaking to herself. She can see blood and tries to wash it off but nothing will make the blood disappear. I believe the blood represents the guilt she feels because of the realisation of her plot to kill King Duncan. She is now reduced to being afraid of the dark and gradually spirals into suicide.
At the end of the play Macbeth has changed from the ‘noble Macbeth’ he was at the start to the ‘evil Macbeth’ hated by everyone. Macbeth contains himself into his dark world and his own battle between his conscious and unconscious. The battle ends with his death at the hands of Macduff. It can be said that this could have been Macbeth’s unconscious desire in order to end his torment.
So to conclude, I believe they have committed the crime and evil deeds together and share the same sins and guilt over the death of King Duncan. One hates the other as much as they hate themselves and this pulls them apart, and guilt has now driven them to death.
