In Act2 Sc1, after murdering Duncan, Macbeth says “this is a sorry sight,” this is where Lady Macbeth, again shows her authority over Macbeth. “A foolish thing to say a sorry sight.” This shows that she is very unfeeling as she thinks that its “foolish” for Macbeth to feel guilty at the murder he committed. She instructs him to not think “so deeply” saying that thinking of his actions “will make us mad” and “unbend your noble strength.” This is where we see a more vulnerable side to Lady Macbeth, as she begins to feel weak with guilt almost immediately after the murder. This is shown when she says “will make us mad.” The “us” shows that she is not only worried for Macbeth, but about her own state of mind as well. Worrying that she might go mad with guilt. However, very quickly after this Lady Macbeth gets her control over Macbeth back and begins to get her priorities back in order. “Go get some water and wash this filthy witness from your hand.”
In Act 3, we see Lady Macbeth’s vulnerability coming through, but only when she’s on her own. We can see that she is troubled by guilt “tis safer to be that which we destroy than destruction dwell in doubtful joy.” This shows that she is feeling very guilty and is starting to regret murdering Duncan. Macbeth is also full of guilt, “better be with the dead than on the torture of the mind to lie in restless ecstasy.” This suggests that he would rather be dead with Duncan, than alive, feeling guilty. Although they are both feeling guilt, Lady Macbeth tries to stay strong when she is around Macbeth, “things with without all remedy should be without regard: what’s done is done.” This again shows Lady Macbeth telling Macbeth that the murder has happened and that he should get over it, as nothing can be done to change it. However when Macbeth says, “O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife,” shows that regardless of Lady Macbeth’s best efforts to make Macbeth forget his malevolent actions, he can’t let it go. This makes Lady Macbeth’s power over him falter, as she starts to lose the capability to manipulate Macbeth.
At this point in the play there seems to be a defining moment, as Macbeth starts to take the murder in to his own hands, as he says he is going to perform a “deed of dreadful note.” There roles have been reversed and now Macbeth is in control, saying to her that she should be “innocent” of the act, this quote echoes Lady Macbeth’s “innocent flower,” quoted previously in the play. This shows how their relationship has been twisted and their roles been reversed. This now shows us that Macbeth has the control over Lady Macbeth, “tomorrow I will go to the weird sisters,” this shows that Macbeth is beginning to make choices for himself, instead of having his wife do it for him. Macbeth also starts to plan things for himself, as can’t wait any longer. “I am in blood, stepped in so far that should I wade, no more returning were as tedious as to go over.” Even though Macbeth didn’t want to kill Duncan, it is now apparent that, ///f he was to stop murdering, to make things right now would be as bad as committing the offence itself. He then decides to carry on murdering and when he says, “We are but young in the deed” it shows how far Macbeth is prepared to go and how serious he is. However, Lady Macbeth has no say in this; this shows the audience how the power and control has changed.
In Act 5, Lady Macbeth is portrayed as a guilty wreck; she is sleepwalking and talking nonsense. She says, “what, will these hands never be clean?” this also echoes her words before, when she talks about washing her “hands of this deed” as she now accepts the fact that the guilt has triumphed over her, will never go away. All the murders that have been committed have had a deep effect on her. Because earlier on in the play she was a calm, composed, controlling wife, who could make Macbeth kill whenever she felt it had to be done, but now she is overcome by the guilt.
Later on in the play, Macbeth admits that all the murders he’s committed are wrong, but that he is sorry, however he only admits this when he is on his own. “I have loved long enough,” this shows that he wants to die for what he has done. He also says, “honour, love, obedience, troops of friends I must look not to have.” This implies that he doesn’t show/have any respect or friends related with achievements of this kind. This shows how his love and respect for Lady Macbeth has now vanished in their relationship, he now feels that their relationship is lacking in both these things. This is a contrast to before, even though Lady Macbeth was being cold, she was always there to help him. However now we see a change in their roles, as Macbeth now starts to make his own plans, we can see that Macbeth is in control and can come to terms with his own guilt. “I will fight till form my bones my flesh be hacked.” This not only shows courage in Macbeth even with the guilt he is feeling, but also echoes his words before of; “those of the brave captain” (in Act 1). This shows how Macbeth has changed since he killed Duncan.
Again, in Act 5 Sc5 we see the transformation in Macbeth’s character. He has gone from a man who is “appalled by every noise,” to a man who has “almost forgot the taste of fears.” This shows that Macbeth doesn’t fear anything anymore, because he has seen too much violence and fear for it to affect him anymore. This is a massive contrast to the nervous wreck he was in the beginning of the play, when he killed Duncan, this shows just how much he’s changed. When Macbeth hears that Lady Macbeth has died, he looks back on the pointlessness of his actions. “Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more. It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury signifying nothing.” This shows that Macbeth has reflected back on his life and realised that he has accomplished nothing. This is a very important moment for Macbeth, as he has ruined his life because of his and his wife’s greed and ambitions. However in this speech, he realises that his actions were pointless, despite how hard “one struts and frets” in life, it is “but a walking shadow” and “signifying nothing,” and Macbeth has thrown away “his hour,” as his life or his play was “full of sound and fury.” However, we must ask whether it is this futility in life discovered by Macbeth, or the fact that their relationship has been deteriorating that Macbeth almost shrugs off his wife’s death?
Perhaps it is Lady Macbeth’s callous ways that have taught Macbeth not to care. By the end of the play, we see how their relationship has deteriorated weakened to such a state that Macbeth no longer cares whether she is alive or dead, where as at the beginning of the play he had trouble with Duncan’s death, someone far less close to him than his own wife.
