How does Shakespeare use language to show the changes in Lady Macbeth's character?

Lady Macbeth is introduced to the audience as a very euphemistic and strong woman. After reading Macbeth’s letter, she is filled up with the desire to attack her husband’s masculinity. The audience are dramatically introduced to the other shocking, foul side of Lady Macbeth. No audience would expect a woman married to such a noble and worthy warrior, to be so wicked, cold hearted and evil. Instead Lady Macbeth appears to be a woman who appeals to ‘murdering ministers’ and is clearly set upon ‘providing’ for the King. Clearly Macbeth’s recent promotion; one of them which is when Macbeth is announced as the thane of cawdor, penetrate the desire of wanting more which is so prevalent in this play within this character and a Shakespearean audience would have been shocked. Dramatically Shakespeare uses images of nature, hell and disease to convey Lady Macbeth’s strength and, at times, hatred towards her obsessions. Shakespeare uses the three witches to emphasise the ambitions of Lady Macbeth and how much her ambitions are leading her to evil. Lady Macbeth’s desperation is clearly shown because she says ‘unsex me’. From this quote Lady Macbeth is appealing to the supernatural to take her femininity away and give her the masculinity.

Shakespeare is slowly making his language in the play more dark. This is shown because gradually Lady Macbeth is more emotional and most threatening, especially towards Macbeth. After killing King Duncan Lady Macbeth’s and Macbeth’s hands have King Duncan’s blood on them, Lady Macbeth says,

‘ A little water clear us of this deed’

this shows us how deeply Lady Macbeth has been sucked into her dedication of getting more power. This quote suggests that Lady Macbeth is very sure and calm of what she is doing. Shakespeare shocks his audience when Lady Macbeth says she once had a child, at this point Shakespeare has changed his language in such a way that some audience’s might feel sorry for Lady Macbeth however Shakespeare still keeps that dark side of Lady Macbeth visible. This is shown when Lady Macbeth says, ‘keen knife’ and

‘This nights great buisness’

to Macbeth, at this point of the play, Lady Macbeth is very much in control because Shakespeare uses euphemism in her language and she talks in verse. At a later stage in the play, Macbeth is tortured by his conscience and although Lady Macbeth tries to comfort him, she too is racked with anxiety,

‘Nought’s had, all spent.’

This quote shows that Lady Macbeth and Macbeth have achieved their ambitions at great costs but suffer the psychological consequences. This is also shown because Shakespeare is gently taking out the euphemism in Lady Macbeth’s language which shows that her confidence is starting to drop, this drop of confidence in Lady Macbeth is shown with,

‘The Thane of Fife had a wife.

Where is she now? What, will

these hands ne’er be clean? No

more o’that, my lord, no more

o’that.

This quote shows that Lady Macbeth does have a weakness because the killings of the Macduff family remind her of having her own children and is a sign of regret and innocence. The part of the quote ‘No more o’that, my lord’ shows that Lady Macbeth has had enough and her conscience is taking over her.

 In act 5 of the play, Lady Macbeth becomes very feeble and unaware. Initially she has been affected of what nasty things she said to Macbeth and it is all reflecting back to her. Lady Macbeth has been so badly overcome by what she did to King Duncan that she has been driven mad by the stain of King Duncan’s blood, in her dream she says,

‘here’s the smell of the blood’.

Shakespeare makes Lady Macbeth take back of all the nasty things she said to Macbeth. Shakespeare makes the character of Lady Macbeth feel defenceless and at a point of breaking down because Lady Macbeth says,

‘Here’s the smell of the blood still;

all the perfumes of Arabia will not

sweeten this little hand.’

Shakespeare is saying through Lady Macbeth that this deed can never be cleansed away which suggests that Lady Macbeth is regretting the actions she did/ Another quote to support this is,

‘What’s done cannot be undone’.

In act one Lady Macbeth was aggressive and cold hearted. Initially she was very euphemistic because she says to Macbeth,

‘this nights great buisness’

this phrase also makes her look very masculine and thuggish because this phrase is a masculine like saying. This proves the impact of change in Shakespeare’s language.

After Lady Macbeth’s death, Macbeth reacts in a very masculine way to his wife’s death, he says,

‘she should have died there after’

meaning that she should have died after the battle with him. Macbeth is clearly influenced by his wife’s death in a way which leaves him for nothing to live for. Therefore he fights Macduff till the end.