Scene 1: Macbeth's Castle, The courtyard-There are no stars in the sky, Banquo is with Fleance, then Macbeth joins them. Banquo tells Macbeth that the King is very grateful for the hospitality shown to him. Banquo says that he dreamed of the witches, Macbeth replies with a barefaced lie, saying that he hasn't that about them at all. Macbeth tries to tempt Banquo into betraying the King, but Banquo will have none of it. Then Macbeth is left on his own and he hallucinates about seeing a dagger, guiding him the way that he was going-towards Duncan's chamber to kill him. A he approaches the chamber his thoughts become filled with evil images. A bell rings and he goes to do the deed.
Key Phrases:
'There's husbandry in heaven' - Banquo says that they economise in heaven, because there are no stars.
'Thou marshll'st me the way that I was going' Macbeth believes that the dagger he sees guides him towards Duncan's chamber.
Scene 2: Macbeth's Castle, Near Duncan's Room-Lady M is exhilarated by drink, she has that she has drugged the drinks of Duncan's bodyguards, but that she is worried that Macbeth won't have gone through with the murder. He returns to tell her that he has. Macbeth is worried because he could not say 'Amen' after he had murdered Duncan, what he had done deserves no blessing. Also he is hearing voices saying that he has murdered sleep, which may be telling us that he has killed tranquillity. That he shall not ever get any more rest. Lady M says that he is being foolish and tells him that he must return the daggers to the scene of the murder. He says he can't look on what has done again so she returns them. Knocking frightens Macbeth, Lady M tells him to pull himself together.
Key Phrases:
'That which hath made them drunk, hath made me bold;/What hath quenched them, hath given me fire'-Lady M saying that the drink she has had has given her power and that the same has made others drunk.
'A foolish thought to say a sorry sight'-Lady M telling M that he is being foolish.
'These deeds must not be thought/After these ways; so, it will make us mad'-Another example of the above. Lady M trying to control M, to calm him down.
'The multitudinous seas incarnadine'-M thinks that he will turn all the seas red if he tries to wash his hands in them.
'My hands are of your colour, but I shame/To wear a heart so white'-Lady M saying that she too now has blood on her hands, and that she is ashamed for them to be so as she has a clear conscience, because she was not the murderer.
'Wake Duncan with thy knocking: I would thou couldst'-M telling the person knocking at the gate to try and wake Duncan, saying also that he wishes that Duncan could wake up. He regrets the murder instantly.
Scene 3: Macbeth's porter imagines that he is the keeper of the gates of hell rather than of M's castle, he s drunk. He then opens the gate to Macduff who he talks to about the effects of drink. M enters and Macduff says that he has come to meet Duncan. M takes him to Duncan's chamber. Then he talks to Lennox about the strange events in the night. It should be noticed that his reply is so very short and abrupt, compared to the long description that Lennox gives. He is trying not to draw attention to himself, but in doing that he may have the opposite effect. Macduff returns from Duncan's chamber horrified, he reveals the murder and tells M and Lennox to go and look for themselves, then he shouts to awake Banquo and the king's sons. Lady M and Banquo enter. Banquo asks Macduff to say that it's not true. M and Lennox enter; M talks a lot, saying that Duncan's death empties the world of meaning. The Duncan's sons enter and hear the news from Macduff. M says he killed the bodyguards and defends this by saying that he was in a rage, yet what he says in line 83 and onwards is not what a man in a rage would say. Then Lady M faints to draw attention away from the murder. Malcolm and Donaldbain, fear that they too will follow in their father's footsteps. Banquo says that they should go and get dressed and then investigate the murder. Everyone agrees that this is a good idea. The sons decide to flee, Malcolm to England and Donaldbain to Ireland.
Key Phrases:
''The spring, the head, the fountain of your blood/Is stopped, the very source of it is stopped'-M telling Duncan's sons that their father is dead.
'This murderous shaft that's shot/Hath not yet lighted'-Malcolm, saying that he and Donaldbain are going to be next to be killed if the person who killed Duncan wants to get rid of the King's of Scotland
Scene 4: Outside Macbeth's Castle-an old man is talking to Ross about the strange goings on, the night of Duncan's murder. They mention that there is no sun, that an owl killed a falcon and that Duncan's horses ate each other. Everything is UPSIDE DOWN! Macduff enters and says that Macbeth killed the murderers (the bodyguards). Then he says that Duncan's sons have fled and that now they are suspected of bribing the killers. Says that Macbeth will become King and that he has gone to be crowned in Scone, but he will not go to see M crowned, Macduff leaves.
Key Phrases:
'That would make good of bad, and friends of foes'-Old man in his farewell to Macduff-will Macduff be the one who fixes everything, who puts the world back round the right way?
I am going to prove that in the play Macbeth, a symbol of blood is portrayed often (and with different meanings), and that it is a symbol that is developed until it is the dominating theme of the play towards the end.
To begin with, I found the word "blood", or different forms of it forty-two times (ironically, the word fear is used forty-two times), with several other passages dealing with the symbol. Perhaps the best way to show how the symbol of blood changes throughout the play is to follow the character changes in Macbeth. First he is a brave honoured soldier, but as the play progresses acknowledged and trusted by his king, he becomes a treacherous person who has become identified with death and bloodshed, and ends up killing Duncan who put so much trust in him. This is ironic because the previous thane of Cawdor was executed for treason, which is the first thought that comes into his mind when he is appointed thane. He knows that the king´s trust was misplaced; the fact that he murdered his king plays upon his conscience and shows his guilt in different forms. The situation worsens for him after he murders Banquo, who was one of his most loyal and trusted friends. A similar idea can also be applied to lady Macbeth, as her character changes dramatically throughout the course of the play. Hers and Macbeth´s roles can be seen to swap in a way. When the idea of killing Duncan comes into the minds of Macbeth and lady Macbeth, Macbeth is uncertain, he seems withdrawn about the whole idea. Lady Macbeth comes across as evil and bloodthirsty, for it is she who ensures that the murder takes place. Towards the end of the play though, although both characters show the immense guilt of what they have done, it is lady Macbeth who is now withdrawn, and Macbeth who comes across as evil, for the full spell of the witches has now taken effect, he does not believe that the Scots will be defeated, so he ridicules the idea of an English invasion.
The first reference of blood is one of honour, and occurs when Duncan sees the injured sergeant and says, "What bloody man is that?" This is symbolic of the brave fighter who has been injured in a valiant battle for his country. In the next passage, in which the sergeant says, "Which smok'd with bloody execution", he is referring to Macbeth's braveness in which his sword is covered in the hot blood of the enemy.
After these few references to honour, the symbol of blood now changes to show a theme of treachery and treason, mainly centred on the murder of Duncan. Lady Macbeth starts this off when she asks the spirits to "make thick my blood," What she is saying by this, is that she wants to make herself insensitive and remorseless for the deeds which she is about to commit. Lady Macbeth knows that the evidence of blood is a treacherous symbol, and knows it will deflect the guilt from her and Macbeth to the servants when she says "smear the sleepy grooms with blood." and "If he do bleed, I'll gild the faces of the grooms withal, for it must seem their guilt." When Banquo states "and question this most bloody piece of work," and Ross says "is't known who did this more than bloody deed?" they are both inquiring as to who performed the treacherous acts upon Duncan. When Macbeth is speaking about Malcolm and Donalbain, he refers to them as "bloody cousins". Throughout the whole of this section of the play, blood has the imagery of being wicked, evil and deadly, and is used to portray that effect.
A final way, and perhaps the most vivid use of the symbol blood, is of the theme of guilt. First Macbeth hints at his guilt when he says "Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?" meaning that he wondered if he would ever be able to overcome the guilt due to the dastardly deed that he had committed. Macbeth is unhappy that he murdered Banquo; the ghost of Banquo, all gory, and bloody, is a further sign of Macbeth´s guilt. The sight of apparitions at the banquet represents his guilt for the murder of Banquo, which he instigated himself. Macbeth shows a bit of his guilt when he says, "It is the bloody business which informs thus," meaning that he did not have the courage to say "murder" after he had killed Duncan, so he says this instead.
Lady Macbeth shows the most vivid example of guilt using the symbol of blood in the scene in which she walks in her sleep. She says "Out damned spot! Out I say! One: two: why then 'tis time to don´t: hell is murky. Fie, my lord, fie, a soldier, and afeard? What need we fear who knows it when none can call out power to account? Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him?" This speech represents the fact that she cannot wipe the bloodstains of Duncan off her hands; the guilt is playing on her conscience, it is driving her insane knowing that she will always live with the knowledge that she committed an absolutely atrocious crime, under equally atrocious circumstances. It is ironic, that she says this, because right after the murder, when Macbeth was feeling guilty, she said, "A little water clears us of this deed." This represents the fact that she undergoes a large character change, for at this point guilt has failed to enter her thoughts, for she is relieved that the deed was successful, and she knows that she will now be queen to Macbeth, which was the point of the murder. When the doctor of the castle finds out about this sleepwalking, he tells Macbeth "As she is troubled with thick-coming fantasies," What this means, is that Lady Macbeth is having fantasies or dreams which are damaging her soul, although the doctor does not know why. He can see that the dreams are related to blood, but he cannot see that they are related in any way to guilt. Macbeth knows in his mind that she is having troubles with her guilt, but does not say anything about it.
Just before the ending of the play, Macbeth has Macduff at his mercy, and lets him go, because of his guilt. He shows that he is guilty, when he says "But get thee back, my soul is too much charg'd with blood of thine already." Of which, Macduff replies, "I have no words, my voice is in my sword, thou bloodier villain than terms can give thee out."
After the death of Macbeth at the hands of Macduff, the symbolic theme of blood swings back to the theme of triumph and glory that it was at the beginning of the play. It is the symbol of honour to Malcolm this time. The death of Macbeth is an honoured feat that Macduff is congratulated for.
In conclusion, as we have seen meaning of the symbol of blood change from honour to treachery, and then to guilt, after this, it returns to the symbolic meaning of honour once again after the villain that changed the meaning from honour to tyranny is killed. Due to these many changes, it has been proved that the symbol of blood has many different meanings, which can be attributed to it throughout the course of this play.
In the play there are many evil deeds that Macbeth committed. These include the murders of Duncan and Banquo, Lady Macduff and her son. Macbeth is also responsible for Scotland's disorder. Macbeth plays the main role in each incident, with the other characters being only minor and undeveloped; acting as vehicles for Macbeth's actions. It is possible that it is not entirely Macbeth's fault for the evil deeds in the play.
In Act II, Scene II Macbeth is patented as a hero, when he defeated Norway in war for his country.
'O valiant cousin, worthy gentleman'
Initially, the Elizabethan audience consider Macbeth as a respectable and well like character. We do however learn that appearances can be deceptive which corresponds with the main theme; 'Fair is foul, Foul is fair' which is referred to a lot throughout the play. This theme is first introduced in Act I, Scene I where the witches foretell the struggle between the forces of evil and good in which Macbeth is to be involved. It is also an indication that all will not be as it seems. This portrays a character as being much worse if the audience's first impressions of that character were positive.
Macbeth's meeting with the witches brings a prediction which symbolises the beginning of Macbeth's downfall.
FIRST WITCH: All hail Macbeth, hail to thee Thane of Glamis
SECOND WITCH: All hail Macbeth, hail to thee Thane of Cawdor.
THIRD WITCH: All hail Macbeth, that shalt be King hereafter.
Macbeth is startled when he hears this prophecy. He believes that his title is still Thane of Glamis; yet here he has just been told that he shall be King. He does not know Macdonwald who has been sentenced to death for betraying ...
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Macbeth's meeting with the witches brings a prediction which symbolises the beginning of Macbeth's downfall.
FIRST WITCH: All hail Macbeth, hail to thee Thane of Glamis
SECOND WITCH: All hail Macbeth, hail to thee Thane of Cawdor.
THIRD WITCH: All hail Macbeth, that shalt be King hereafter.
Macbeth is startled when he hears this prophecy. He believes that his title is still Thane of Glamis; yet here he has just been told that he shall be King. He does not know Macdonwald who has been sentenced to death for betraying his country. The witches plant the idea of being King into Macbeth's mind, which has encourages Macbeth to consider his future.
In his soliloquy, the audience learn about Macbeth's initial plan to murder Duncan so that he shall have power and position earlier, thus destroying the natural order.
'My thought, whose murther is yet but fantastical.'
Macbeth sent a letter to Lady Macbeth outlining the witches' prophecy. He also consults her concerning his plans. This is how Macbeth reduces some of the responsibility of the incident of the murder by accepting her guidance and advice.
It becomes apparent that Macbeth is somewhat of a moral coward. This could be seen as a positive attribute as it shows the weaknesses of Macbeth, and asks could Macbeth be fully responsible if he is not totally independent? He changes his mind about the murder a number of times. He deceives Banquo by telling him he is going to let the natural order prevail but then changes his mind again when Duncan announces that his son Malcom is to be his successor. Macbeth intends to destroy this. Macbeth has a change of heart before he reaches home until his wife persuades him that it can be done safely. Macbeth leaves the banquet that is to be Duncan's last, deciding not to do it. Finally Lady Macbeth questions Macbeth's manhood and persuades him to go through with the murder.
To be a man in Shakespearean times meant to have strong personality and being able to fight and kill with no remorse. This is a recurrent theme in the play as Macbeth's masculinity is undermined on several occasions by Lady Macbeth. Macbeth is brave when it comes to thought but when he is faced with the action, he hesitates and has to be persuaded into action by his wife. He does, however use the knowledge of the prophecy of the witches, as security.
'All hail Macbeth, that shalt be King hereafter.'
During this intense time, Macbeth is hesitant and his weakness is shown in the way he seeks to put off the murder. He had doubts. Macbeth came under constant pressure from Lady Macbeth.
'Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain?'
This shows that Macbeth is not purely evil and that he has a conscience. This could make it easier for Macbeth by reducing some of the blame that could be placed on him for the evil deeds, when we have seen that Macbeth did not commit this crime acting under his own intentions; but rather Lady Macbeth's.
What follows illustrates Macbeth feeling guilty. He cannot sleep, he feels that he has murdered sleep. In Shakespearean times sleep represented innocence. Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth that if he washes his hands there will be no reminder of the murder.
'A little water clears us of this deed:'
This is an ironic comment on what Macbeth continues to say.
'Will all great Neptune's Ocean wash this blood.'
Macbeth responds by saying that water will not get rid of his guilt. Blood symbolises evil and for Macbeth it is suspicion as he has become paranoid. Macbeth is not a cold blooded killer otherwise he would not be feeling these emotions.
Banquo harbours suspicion about Macbeth. He realises that the guards had no motive to kill the king so he does not suspect them. He says that he is going to investigate the murder as there are hidden motives. He does not mention however his suspicions of Macbeth as his sons may also be kings too and is content that they should be. Banquo was much more naive than Macbeth. His was not totally surprised when he found out about the murder which would indicate that that he was prepared for such an event.
The next evil deed committed is the killing of Banquo, whom Macbeth fears knows too much.
'To be thus, is nothing, but to be safely thus.'
Macbeth is indicating that he needs security to be King. His intention is to remove any threat to his throne. Macbeth is very calculated; he really knows what he is doing, more so than in the murder of Duncan. He acquires two murderers to kill Banquo. He manipulates them into believing that it was Banquo's fault that they are poor.
'That it was he in times past, that held you so under fortune,'
Macbeth uses the same taunt that Lady Macbeth used against him, by insulting the masculinity of the murderers. Macbeth did not kill Banquo himself for a number of reasons. The detection was an issue, which also lead to the fear of Banquo's honesty. He feared Banquo would tell about Macbeth if he detected anything.
After the death of Duncan, in Act III, Scene IV, Lady Macbeth once again undermines his masculinity by saying;
'Are you a man?'
Macbeth has become deeply involved in the game. Macduff, because he did not turn up to the feast, probably has suspicion about Macbeth. Macbeth has to carry on killing so that he will not feel that because he is only a beginner, that this is where his fear is coming from.
He took it one step further when he began to kill good, innocent people. He killed Lady Macduff and her son. This shows his deterioration, also associated with Scotland's disorder.
'Sighs and groans and shrieks
That rend the air, are made, not mark'd.'
Lady Macbeth can be seen as partly responsible for the deeds her husband committed. She had the main involvement in the murder of Duncan. In Act I, Scene V Lady Macbeth seems to be a woman unlike that of a typical Elizabethan stereotype. The audiences perception of this would have been that Lady Macbeth was purely evil. After reading the letter in her soliloquy, it is clear to the audience that she intends to help Macbeth achieve his ambition.
'The illness should attend it.'
Lady Macbeth is claiming that without the inherent evil Macbeth will not be King. The audience would have been shocked at the way Lady Macbeth was acting as it was unnatural for a woman of that time. She prays to the powers of darkness to make her become less feminine when she says 'unsex me here' so that she can have no natural feelings of pity and carry out the procedure selfishly.
'Stop up th' access and passage to remorse,
That no compuctious visitings of Nature.'
At the banquet, Lady Macbeth presents herself as a hostess. She acts like a woman with a warm heart and charm. This makes the murder a much more horrible crime; and more of a shock to the audience. She has no difficulty in hiding her real thoughts. This is another reinforcement of the theme 'Fair is foul, Foul is Fair.'
Shakespeare's graphic and vulgar use of language for lady Macbeth would have made the audience appalled and sickened.
'I would, while it was a smiling face,
Have pluck'd my nipple out, from his boneless gums
And dash'd the brains out, had I sworn
As you have done to this.'
This clearly indicates Lady Macbeth's motive for the crime. She would rather kill her own child than break a promise to Macbeth. She would wish for Macbeth to get to the throne so that he might achieve his highest ambition. Her greed for the throne and power has made her become so deeply involved in this murder that some of the blame is reduced on Macbeth's part.
Macbeth, who is reluctant about his wife's plans is questioned by her on a number of occasions about his masculinity. She puts him under pressure to commit the murder.
However, like Macbeth she shows moments of humanity. She would have carried out the murder herself had Duncan not looked like her father.
'Had he not resembled
My father as he slept, I had don't.'
This shows the audience that she is not as evil as was once thought. She may still poses a conscience. It makes her more feminine so her downfall is even more pitiful. The audiences perception of this would have been that she was going to become isolated and that Macbeth was inevitably going to become independent.
After the death of Duncan, Macbeth became more independent. In his planning of the death of Banquo and Fleance he did not tell his wife anything about it. There could have been a number of reasons for this. He probably felt that she would take control like she did when she found out about the witches' prophecy. He could have been trying to gain control, to prove he could do things himself. He could have also wanted to prove her innocence and so that she would not have to take the strain. It is important to note that Macbeth is doing this without the consultation of his wife and that none of Macbeth's actions to plunge deeper into evil have much to do with Lady Macbeth. She is devoid of responsibility.
We see the isolation of Lady Macbeth towards Macbeth when her only concern for his welfare is;
'You lack the season of all natures, sleep'
We do not here about her again until Act V, Scene IV, where we witness Macbeth disclaiming ownership of his wife;
'How does your patient, doctor?'
Her death is sudden, as represented by the stage directions (shrieks of woman), and self- inflicted.
'Tis thought, by self and violent hands
Took her life.'
Macbeth is too weary to feel more than just a dull sense of loss and regret. He does not miss her influences though. She lost her influence along time ago when Macbeth became independent. Shakespeare makes the characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth very much as a linked pair. When Macbeth is weak, Lady Macbeth is strong; when Macbeth is determined, Lady Macbeth is tormented.
In conclusion, Macbeth is, for the most part, responsible for the evil deeds. In Shakespearean times it may have been said that he was the victim of the powers of darkness such as when Lady Macbeth conjured up the powers of evil and prayed to the powers of darkness. Similarly, the witches who the Elizabethans would have believed to be a very real thing.
In modern times though it is greed which most people are overcome by, and this is where this conclusion stems from. Lady Macbeth can strip Macbeth of some of the blame. She was tempted by the title and with her dominating ability that showed a hardness and cruelty, was able to pursuade Macbeth to commit the murder. Duncan was too trusting, he did not believe that his friends would betray him.
This aroused suspicion from Banquo. Macbeth felt he had to do something about it to get his peace and security back. He had to remove all threats. There was heavy irony when Macbeth said;
'But Banquo's safe.'
Where Macbeth saw being dead as a safe alternative. This is because he would have no worries about having to be suspicious of others, to remain safe.
Macbeth always had free will from his first encounter with the witches. He independently decides to believe the supernatural powers of the witches will help him; and it is him and Lady Macbeth that make the witches prophecy come true. There is no evidence to suggest that the witches made the future even though Macbeth could have waited for natural order to proceed; but he couldn't wait.
The witches and evil can play a small part in the final conclusion. Their prophecies encouraged Macbeth's ambition to be king. The witches told him he had nothing to fear because he could not be killed by a man born from a woman.
'The power of man: for none of woman born
Shall harm Macbeth.'
With the minority of people today believing in the powers of the supernatural, it would be quite ludicrous to say that it was the witches that controlled the plot. Shakespeare writes his plays for the audience to not know what is going to be the final outcome before finishing the performance. If we knew this then consequently the action would become dull and predictable.
The witches only played a small part in the evil deeds. It was Macbeth that chose his own fate by believing in the witches and giving into temptation both from the witches and the guidance from his wife.
Macbeth's strive for power affects every aspect of his life, and this motivation eventually leads to his demise. Many different factors play a pivotal role in deciding his ill-fated future. With his wife's cajoling, and the three witches' foretelling of his future Macbeth, will stop at nothing to gain position as King of Scotland.
The witches and their prophecies are the first major influence on Macbeth's actions. Macbeth, Thane of Glamis is content with his position, until the three witches tell him, "hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor, thou shalt be King hereafter." (I, iii.). After hearing this, Macbeth and Banquo, his loyal friend, find out that King Duncan has named Macbeth "Thane of Cawdor." They contemplate about how the rest of the prophecy will come true. The witches also advise them that Banquo's son would be King one day. Macbeth writes a letter to Lady Macbeth explaining what has happened.
Macbeth comes to the realization that for him to in fact become King, he will have to defeat recently named heir to the throne, Malcolm, the King's son, and also prevent Banqou's son from gaining access to the throne. Macbeth returns home and he and his wife must play host to the King. Lady Macbeth begins to contemplate what "impedes thee from the golden round" (I, v). She desperately wants her Macbeth to be King and she calls upon the "aids of sprits"(I, v) to help her in her quest for the throne.
Lady Macbeth requests that the, "sprits that tend on mortal thoughts," to unsex her, and fill her with the "direst cruelty." (I, v.). The supernatural world will aid her in the hardening of her heart and make it possible for her to carry out her malicious plan. Lady Macbeth wishes to throw out her morality for the sake of gaining a title. With the help of invisible sprits, she wants to make herself able to commit a heinous act of murder to make her dreams of the royal life come true, without having reservations or remorse. She approaches Macbeth with her intent to kill King Duncan. Macbeth, although wanting the prophecy to come true, and become king, lacks the enthusiasm as his wife does, to commit the murder. Lady Macbeth urges Macbeth to act on his desires or he will think of himself as a coward.
King Duncan is invited to Macbeth's castle, and it is there that he will be killed. Lady Macbeth encourages Macbeth to "look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under it." (I, v). Lady Macbeth wants Macbeth to act as he normally would, to appear to be happy with the King's visit and keep his malevolent plan in the confines of his mind. Macbeth still has reservations but, Lady Macbeth has already taken preparations towards the evil act, and his mind begins to wander. Macbeth shows signs of insanity, as he follows a dagger up stairs to King Duncan's bedroom, "is this a dagger which I see before me, let me clutch thee." (II, i) He chases it and King Duncan's reign as King of Scotland ends. Macbeth tells Lady Macbeth the "deed is done." (II, ii)
Macduff, Macbeth's once friend refuses to attend Macbeth's coronation to be King of Scotland. Macduff feels uneasy about the circumstances surrounding the king's murder, and Macbeth's rise to power. Banquo feels that Macbeth may have had something more to do with the murder as a result of trying to fulfill the prediction.
After he is named king, Macbeth's misery and eventual downfall is caused by his own insecurities and misguided determination to take control of his future. The witches' prophecy concerning Banquo's descendant's and Macbeth's feeling of inferiority to Banquo lead Macbeth to arrange for the murder of Banquo and his son Fleance. Having Banquo around reminds Macbeth of the evil deed that he had committed. Also, the thought that it will be Banquo's son to take over the thrown from Macbeth rather than his own children makes him very angry. Macbeth believes that "none but he [Banquo].I do fear." (III, I)
At a banquet, Macbeth sees an apparition of Banquo and speaks to him amongst his guests. Lady Macbeth makes light of the situation and asks that her guests leave and that Macbeth retire to his room. Macduff does not attend the feast and this sparks suspicion in Macbeth, he wishes to have him killed, not knowing that Macduff has gone to England.
Macbeth goes to visit the three witches. He asks them questions and three ghosts give him the answers: "beware Macduff, laugh to scorn the power of man, for none of woman born, Great Birnam Wood.shall come." (IV, I) Macbeth feels that he does not have to fear any man, because all men are born from women, and trees cannot walk. He also asked the apparitions if Banquo's sons would take over the throne, and they showed him a string of eight kings, the last one with a glass in his hand, reflecting the image of the line of kings continue to go on and on.
When Macbeth learns that Macduff is in England, he makes a cowardly decision to get revenge upon Macduff's family, by murdering them. During the time that Macduff is in England, he meets with Malcolm, and the two decides to wage war on Macbeth. They fear that he is ruling Scotland under tyranny, and will assist in the demise of the country. Macduff wants action, but Malcolm wishes to wait in order to test Macduff's loyalty. They plan to go to Scotland.
Macbeth's sanity is deteriorating and his wife, Lady Macbeth, is slowly going mad herself. She sees red spots of blood on her hands and tries to constantly wash them, saying, "out, out damn spot." (V, I) She is afflicted with the guilt of the evil deed for which she took a part in. Her conscience has caught up with her, and has tangled her into a maze where she may never find the way out. Macbeth is miserable by the deterioration of Lady Macbeth. He begs the doctor to "find her disease and purge into a sound and pristine health," (V, iii) but the doctor tells him that only "god" can save her.
Macduff and Malcolm are going to Scotland and are going to try to get Macbeth off the throne. His lack of sanity and reason are factors for his weak leadership. They are going to meet in Birnam Wood.
They know that Macbeth is scared about how the prophecy will come true. He will however, fight, 'til from my bones my flesh be hack'd." (V, iii) and then he asks for his armour. He also asks that the doctor cure his wife of her ailment. Macbeth is told that the forces are coming.
The men are preparing for battle and then they hear a "cry of a woman." (V, iii) Macbeth is told, "The Queen, my lord, is dead." (V, iii) Macbeth is so enthralled in the imminent battle that he has little concern for his dead wife, he wishes that she had, "died hereafter, there would have been time for such a word." (V, iv) He wished her to die at a more convenient time. He feels that death is, "told by an idiot, full of sound and fury." (V, iv) and signifies nothing. At this point in the play, Macbeth does not care about death, he cares only for the battle. Death signifies nothing to him, whereas the approaching battle means so much to his own future as King.
One of Macbeth's people comes in and tells him that he though he saw the "Wood begin to move." (V, iv) Macbeth now knows that the end is near. Macduff comes to his castle and the two fight. Macbeth feels that he has nothing to fear of Macduff because he was born of a woman, however "Macduff was from his mothers womb. Untimely ripp'd." (V, viii) Macbeth now knows that it is Macduff that will kill him. Macduff does kill him.
Macbeth entire demise was due to his pursuing his goals. The witches awakened Macbeth's ambition and Lady Macbeth encourages the crime necessary for his ambition to be realized. Both of these influences helped lead to his failure and death. His insecurities paved the way to fast decions and rash actions to get rid of his perceived enemies, actions that he later often regrets.
Only at the end does he realize that he has made mistakes. He "struts and frets his hour upon the stage." (V, iv) He is like an actor that cannot make a mistake. If a mistake is made, it is too late, the audience has seen it, and all you can do is apologize. Much of his life was based on, "Fair is foul, foul is fair," meaning that you can disguise how things really are. He disguised his whole life; the evil that he caused, his insanity, his wife's mental health condition, and the fact that he murdered people and destroyed lives, just to guarantee a seat on the throne and play King of Scotland. This also shows that time catches up with, even when the "perfect crime" is committed, eventually you will suffer, by your own doing, and the faÇade that you once hid behind, will crumble.
This has to be the most violent and intense part of the play although we do no actually witness the murder of King Duncan. It is interesting that Shakespeare chooses to have Macbeth kill Duncan offstage. We can only guess why he wrote the scene that way, I think that Shakespeare wanted to focus not on the murder but on Macbeth´s reaction to it; the bloody details supplied by the audiences imaginations will be much worse than anything that could be done onstage. It is also the most crucial part of the play; it is the first of many murders. This scene takes place at night; I feel the darkness represents what is unnatural, cruel and evil. Everything that happens within the play appears to revolve around this particular scene. Not only is this important because it contains the murderous act, it also conveys to the audience the rapid disintegration of the relationship between the two main characters, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.
In act 2, scene 2, the murder of Duncan takes place. The audience should be on the edge of their seats by now, wondering if Macbeth will actually have the nerve to murder his king.
The tension increases dramatically when we see Lady Macbeth pacing about in a nervous but excited state, awaiting Macbeth´s return increases the tension dramatically. We get a peek at Lady Macbeth´s softer side. She says that she would have killed Duncan herself, but the old man looked too much like her father. This small reminder of Lady Macbeth´s humanity will be important to our understanding of what happens to her at the end of the play.
As she waits she decides that she heard a screech owl, and she takes that as a good omen, because the screech owl is nature´s own 'fatal bellman´. A 'fatal bellman´ would emphasize the idea of death/ execution in the audience´s minds, which makes it all the more eerie, 'He´s at it´. This particular part of this scene has to be the climax of the play. When Macbeth and his wife are re-united they are both highly charged with nervous energy and excitement. Macbeth and his wife at first do not speak in sentences. Their speech is syncopated and highly charged emotions tell the audience all is not well. The fact that Macbeth still has hold of the daggers intensifies the tension felt in the scene. His hands would be covered in blood, which would make the drama explosive. Macbeth however, describes the horrors of the murder and cannot seem to believe he has committed such an evil crime, 'This is a sorry sight´.
Thoughts of the murder plague his mind. He appears transfixed and very troubled by his deeds. Whilst Lady Macbeth in a way mocks him, she remains steadfast and tells him to 'Go get some water, and wash this filthy witness from your hand´. Macbeth does not agree with her. He knows he will never be cleansed of this vile deed. Macbeth says, 'Not all great Neptune´s ocean can wash then clean´. Lady Macbeth mocks her husband for dwelling upon the murderous act.
Macbeth and his wife seem to lose their rapport; Shakespeare makes it obvious to the audience that Macbeth has the weaker spirit and that the relationship is rapidly falling apart. He shows this via the nervous ramblings of Macbeth, he appears to have lost all insight, whereas Lady Macbeth appears to have become more evil, calculating and in control. Tension is increased by the thought of the words heard by Macbeth, whilst committing the murder, 'Glamis hath murther´d sleep, and therefore Cawdor shall sleep no more: Macbeth shall sleep no more´. Is this yet another of the witches prophesies?
The tension is increased yet again by the loud knocking on the door. Macbeth in his highly anxious state knows now, weather is crime is found out or not, he will never be cleansed of this murderous act. He says, 'Not all great Neptune´s ocean can wash them clean´. A midst all this tension, Lady Macbeth keeps her head. In her highly nervous state, she is aware that it is still possible; that their evil acts may be discovered. Lady Macbeth returns the bloodstained daggers to Duncan´s grooms. Shakespeare makes the audience aware of how much more confident than Macbeth she is by taking control of the situation. Macbeth is still in turmoil after the murder of Duncan.
Shakespeare makes it known that the relationship between Macbeth and his wife is beginning to disintegrate almost immediately. Macbeth appears to be losing his mind, whilst Lady Macbeth remains evil, cold, calculating and in control.
The repetition of knocks increases the tension more so, Lady Macbeth appears agitated and ushers her disturbed husband to his chamber, where they can rid themselves of the signs of their horrific acts.
Shakespeare´s use of language and structure manages to create tension right up to the murder of King Duncan. He manages to gradually build it up and then release it a little, and then increase it until finally the act of regicide takes place. His use of dramatic irony, the supernatural and indecision all combine to keep the audience on the edge of their seats throughout these scenes. His use of the right language in the right places helps the characters and the play to become really believable.
Throughout the play, the supernatural plays a major role. A wise choice by Shakespeare at the time and it still works today
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Imagery also plays an important part in creating the tension in act 2 scene 2. The first thing we see as Macbeth enters are the two daggers in his hands and we know that Macbeth has deviated from the plan by not leaving the dagger with the guards framing them. Lady Macbeth is furious and returns the daggers her self. When she returns she turns on her husband calling him a coward, "My hands are of your colour, but I shame
To wear a heart so white", this is a fine example of Lady Macbeth taking control of the situation she tells her husband that
Imagery also plays an important part in creating the tension in act 2 scene 2. The first thing we see as Macbeth enters are the two daggers in his hands and we know that Macbeth has deviated from the plan by not leaving the dagger with the guards framing them. Lady Macbeth is furious and returns the daggers her self. When she returns she turns on her husband calling him a coward, "My hands are of your colour, but I shame
To wear a heart so white", the image shows Macbeth shocked and terrified at what he has just done. At this point Lady Macbeth takes control of the situation she tells her husband to put on his night gown and go to bed and not to think anbout what he has just done.
Lady Macbeth tells him "wash this filthy witness from your hands", Macbeth is now incapable of returning the daggers back to the guards room claming that, "Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood
Clean from my hand?"
Macbeth is presented as a mature man of definitely established character, successful in certain fields of activity and enjoying an enviable reputation. We must not conclude, there, that all his volitions and actions are predictable; Macbeth's character, like any other man's at a given moment, is what is being made out of potentialities plus environment, and no one, not even Macbeth himself, can know all his inordinate self-love whose actions are discovered to be-and no doubt have been for a long time-determined mainly by an inordinate desire for some temporal or mutable good.
Macbeth is actuated in his conduct mainly by an inordinate desire for worldly honors; his delight lies primarily in buying golden opinions from all sorts of people. But we must not, therefore, deny him an entirely human complexity of motives. For example, his fighting in Duncan's service is magnificent and courageous, and his evident joy in it is traceable in art to the natural pleasure which accompanies the explosive expenditure of prodigious physical energy and the euphoria which follows. He also rejoices no doubt in the success which crowns his efforts in battle - and so on. He may even conceived of the proper motive which should energize back of his great deed:
The service and the loyalty I owe,
In doing it, pays itself.
But while he destroys the king's enemies, such motives work but dimly at best and are obscured in his consciousness by more vigorous urges. In the main, as we have said, his nature violently demands rewards: he fights valiantly in order that he may be reported in such terms a "valour's minion" and "Bellona's bridegroom"' he values success because it brings spectacular fame and new titles and royal favor heaped upon him in public. Now so long as these mutable goods are at all commensurate with his inordinate desires - and such is the case, up until he covets the kingship - Macbeth remains an honorable gentleman. He is not a criminal; he has no criminal tendencies. But once permit his self-love to demand a satisfaction which cannot be honorably attained, and he is likely to grasp any dishonorable means to that end which may be safely employed. In other words, Macbeth has much of natural good in him unimpaired; environment has conspired with his nature to make him upright in all his dealings with those about him. But moral goodness in him is undeveloped and indeed still rudimentary, for his voluntary acts are scarcely brought into harmony with ultimate end.
As he returns from victorious battle, puffed up with self-love which demands ever-increasing recognition of his greatness, the demonic forces of evil-symbolized by the Weird Sisters-suggest to his inordinate imagination the splendid prospect of attaining now the greatest mutable good he has ever desired. These demons in the guise of witches cannot read his inmost thoughts, but from observation of facial expression and other bodily manifestations they surmise with comparative accuracy what passions drive him and what dark desires await their fostering. Realizing that he wishes the kingdom, they prophesy that he shall be king. They cannot thus compel his will to evil; but they do arouse his passions and stir up a vehement and inordinate apprehension of the imagination, which so perverts the judgment of reason that it leads his will toward choosing means to the desired temporal good. Indeed his imagination and passions are so vivid under this evil impulse from without that "nothing is but what is not"; and his reason is so impeded that he judges, "These solicitings cannot be evil, cannot be good." Still, he is provided with so much natural good that he is able to control the apprehensions of his inordinate imagination and decides to take no step involving crime. His autonomous decision not to commit murder, however, is not in any sense based upon moral grounds. No doubt he normally shrinks from the unnaturalness of regicide; but he so far ignores ultimate ends that, if he could perform the deed and escape its consequences here upon this bank and shoal of time, he'ld jump the life to come. Without denying him still a complexity of motives - as kinsman and subject he may possibly experience some slight shade of unmixed loyalty to the King under his roof-we may even say that the consequences which he fears are not at all inward and spiritual, It is to be doubted whether he has ever so far considered the possible effects of crime and evil upon the human soul-his later discovery of horrible ravages produced by evil in his own spirit constitutes part of the tragedy. Hi is mainly concerned, as we might expect, with consequences involving the loss of mutable goods which he already possesses and values highly.
After the murder of Duncan, the natural good in him compels the acknowledgment that, in committing the unnatural act, he has filed his mind and has given his eternal jewel, the soul, into the possession of those demonic forces which are the enemy of mankind. He recognizes that the acts of conscience which torture him are really expressions of that outraged natural law, which inevitably reduced him as individual to the essentially human. This is the inescapable bond that keeps him pale, and this is the law of his own natural from whose exactions of devastating penalties he seeks release:
Come, seeling night...
And with thy bloody and invisible hand Cancel and tear to pieces that great bond Which keeps me pale.
He conceives that quick escape from the accusations of conscience may possibly be effected by utter extirpation of the precepts of natural law deposited in his nature. And he imagines that the execution of more bloody deeds will serve his purpose. Accordingly, then, in the interest of personal safety and in order to destroy the essential humanity in himself, he instigates the murder of Banquo.
But he gains no satisfying peace because hes conscience still obliges him to recognize the negative quality of evil and the barren results of wicked action. The individual who once prized mutable goods in the form of respect and admiration from those about him, now discovers that even such evanescent satisfactions are denied him:
And that which should accompany old age, As honor, love, obedience, troops of friends, I must not look to have; but, in their stead, Curses, not loud but deep, mouth-honour, breath, Which the poor heart would fain deny, and dare not.
But the man is conscious of a profound abstraction of something far more precious that temporal goods. His being has shrunk to such little measure that he has lost his former sensitiveness to good and evil; he has supped so full with horrors and the disposition of evil is so fixed in him that nothing can start him. His conscience is numbed so that he escapes the domination of fears, and such a consummation may indeed be called a sort of peace. But it is not entirely what expected or desires. Back of his tragic volitions is the ineradicable urge toward that supreme contentment which accompanies and rewards fully actuated being; the peace which he attains is psychologically a callousness to pain and spiritually a partial insensibility to the evidences of diminished being. His peace is the doubtful calm of utter negativity, where nothing matters.
This spectacle of spiritual deterioration carried to the point of imminent dissolution arouses in us, however, a curious feeling of exaltation. For even after the external and internal forces of evil have done their worst, Macbeth remains essentially human and his conscience continues to witness the diminution of his being. That is to say, there is still left necessarily some natural good in him; sin cannot completely deprive him of his rational nature, which is the root of his inescapable inclination to virtue. We do not need Hecate to tell us that he is but a wayward son, spiteful and wrathful, who, as other do, loves for his own ends. This is apparent throughout the drama; he never sins because, like the Weird Sisters, he loves evil for its own sake; and whatever he does is inevitably in pursuance of some apparent good, even though that apparent good is only temporal of nothing more that escape from a present evil. At the end, in spite of shattered nerves and extreme distraction of mind, the individual passes out still adhering admirably to his code of personal courage, and the man's conscience still clearly admonishes that he has done evil.
Moreover, he never quite loses completely the liberty of free choice, which is the supreme bonum naturae of mankind. But since a wholly free act is one in accordance with reason, in proportion as his reason is more and more blinded by inordinate apprehension of the imagination and passions of the sensitive appetite, his volitions become less and less free. And this accounts for our feeling, toward the end of the drama, that his actions are almost entirely determined and that some fatality is compelling him to his doom. This compulsion is in no sense from without-though theologians may at will interpret it so-as if some god, like Zeus in Greek tragedy, were dealing out punishment for the breaking of divine law. It is generated rather from within, and it is not merely a psychological phenomenon. Precepts of the natural law-imprints of the eternal law- deposited in his nature have been violated, irrational acts have established habits tending to further irrationality, and one of the penalties exacted is dire impairment of the liberty of free choice. Thus the Fate which broods over Macbeth may be identified with that disposition inherent in created things, in this case the fundamental motive principle of human action, by which providence knits all things in their proper order. Macbeth cannot escape entirely from his proper order; he must inevitably remain essentially human.
The substance of Macbeth's personality is that out of which tragic heroes are fashioned; it is endowed by the dramatist with an astonishing abundance and variety of potentialities. And it is upon the development of these potentialities that the artist lavishes the full energies of his creative powers. Under the influence of swiftly altering environment which continually furnishes or elicts new experiences and under the impact of passions constantly shifting and mounting in intensity, the dramatic individual grows, expands, developes to the point where, at the end of the drama, he looms upon the mind as a titanic personality infinitely richer that at the beginning. This dramatic personality in its manifold stages of actuation in as artistic creation. In essence Macbeth, like all other men, is inevitably bound to his humanity; the reason of order, as we have seen, determines his inescapable relationship to the natural and eternal law, compels inclination toward his proper act and end but provides him with a will capable of free choice, and obliges his discernment of good and evil.
The play of Macbeth is all about power and greed. It is about ambition overriding inhibitions and the conscience of a good man. We know that most people consider Macbeth to be a good and a brave man at the start of the book, for example King Duncan himself refers to him as "O valiant cousin, worthy gentleman!" He is admired for his skills in battle by everyone. It is hard to say what driving force underlies the events of the story, and it is equally hard to know what emotions or convictions drove the characters to do what they did. Parts of the text give us detail and insight as to the relation and power balance in the marriage of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, this can be interpreted and used to try to work out who actually made the major decisions concerning murder.
From the very beginning Lady Macbeth is presented as ambitious and driving.
"That no compunctious visitings of nature
Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between
Th´effect and it..."
When she says this she means that nothing will prevent her from fulfilling her aim, and that pity will have no effect on her. This purpose does seem to stand strong for the first few scenes, in which the most important crimes are committed, but as she and Macbeth grow apart, and her involvement in the play lessens, so does her resolve.
When she first greets her husband, on his return, it is clear how proud she is of his newly gained titles. It is also clear how eager he is to gain her praise, after the conversation with the weird sisters he immediately thinks to write home and tell her. This is very unusual for the time in which the play was set; there would usually be more dominance from the husband, whereas Macbeth and Lady Macbeth seem to be equally powerful in the relationship, perhaps even Lady Macbeth has more of the power over decisions. She says "Hie thee hither, That I may pour my spirits in thine ear." on reading his letter, she wishes to fill him with her ideas, ambitions and boldness. After only a few scenes it becomes apparent that it is Lady Macbeth who makes the decisions for them both. She is a very determined person; she also seems very unfeminine and sometimes even evil. She is also highly ambitious. However, although at first she appears completely heartless, saying she would have "dashed the brains out" of a child of hers in order to become queen, she rarely actually commits an important crime. Her first sign of weakness is that she would not actually kill Duncan herself, saying that,
"Had he not resembled
My father as he slept, I had done´t"
In the first few scenes she seems to be as evil as she proclaims she is, but as the play develops, so her conscience catches up with her and she becomes mentally ill. She shares the symptoms of sleeplessness and hallucinations with Macbeth that hark back to when he heard the voice call "Sleep no more!" immediately after Duncan´s murder. This seems to be a curse, as does the vision of bloody hands. If indeed it is an actual curse then this would mean some greater force is involved in the story, but it could alternatively be nothing but their consciences and feelings of guilt and remorse.
Lady Macbeth had many reasons for wanting her husband to kill the king; mostly she was driven by ambition. She lusted after a royal title and power. "The golden round" is the euphemism she uses for the crown, to her this symbolises both wealth and power. The power was perhaps the most important thing to her, control seems to be a major factor in the marriage and her main reason for the murder. Alternatively she could be driven by the pride she felt in her husband´s success when he won the first titles. Or she could be driven by greed. She could long for a higher social status, or there could be other, larger factors in the murder...
When she pleas that fate should remove her womanliness and talks of killing babies it is becoming clear that she is becoming infatuated with the idea of power and titles. She does not seem merely preoccupied by power she is completely obsessed with control and dominance...at whatever cost. Even if it means losing that part of her which is human, her soul perhaps, she wants to be queen. This does not seem to me like the result of greed, she appears to be either truly evil, or mentally unstable, or both. I think it is very likely that her manipulative nature was played upon by fate, a recurring theme in the play. Maybe the witches control her mind. The witches are the personification of a twisted and evil force. Maybe the devil speaks through them, or maybe they themselves can manipulate fate by building on the vices of people around them. I think it is more likely that they have control over Lady Macbeth, either through her mind, or external factors, than that they left detail concerning the execution of the murder to chance.
The witches may not be real at all, they too could be a hallucination, just figments of Macbeth´s imagination. They reflect what his thoughts are, and make him realise what is likely to happen, or what he wants to happen when they appear. The only flaw in this argument is that Banquo too can see the witches so they are definitely manifesting themselves as a physical presence. At first the witches seem to be on Macbeth´s side, they want to help him gain power, but when he does as they say and becomes so far entangled that he has no way out they turn against him and predict not success, but his downfall.
Maybe the murder was not due to any plan or force, other than a combination of chance and circumstance "fate and metaphysical aid". Many stories and plays rely upon good or bad fortune to help the plot unfold. Usually, however Shakespeare´s plays are more sophisticated and there can usually be found a reason for an event.
I conclude that Lady Macbeth was a tool of fate. I believe the witches manipulated her, or their controller did so, to in turn exercise her influence over Macbeth and play out a series predetermined events. I do not think there is meant to be a reason in this play, but there is a moral, a mystery, and a great underlying evil. I do not know what Shakespeare wanted this evil to represent, perhaps he did not know himself; or perhaps it represents the vulnerability of all humans to fate, or chance; perhaps it pessimistically represents a basic evil in humans; or perhaps he wrote it to enthrall his audiences and leave them wondering...
Changes through the play
Lady Macbeth is the wife of Macbeth who has just come from a battle and has just been named Thane of Cawdor. The first time we see her in the play, she receives a letter from Macbeth talking about three witches and what they said to him. It reads that the witches have predicted that Macbeth will be the new king. Lady Macbeth is already of how to get rid of Duncan who is the present king.
Lady Macbeth is told that King Duncan will be coming to stay at their place. She is startled by the news and calls on evil spirits to change her and lose her femininity. "Come you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty, make thick my blood... etc. She is saying to the evil spirits give me murderous thoughts, make me have no sympathy for humanity at all.
When King Duncan arrives at Macbeths' house, Lady Macbeth has already thought of a plan to get rid of him. She treats Duncan as if she is the perfect hostess and hides all her feelings better than Macbeth.
Later, Macbeth has felt that he cannot go through with it. Lady Macbeth who is very sly urges him to continue with the murder. The words that Lady Macbeth gives him are very persuasive. She accuses him of being a coward and makes him think he does not love her. "Wouldst thou have that which thou esteem'st the ornament of life, and live a coward in thine own esteem".
Lady Macbeth explains her plan to Macbeth. He is impressed and carries on with the murder. He asks her "If we should fail". She says, "We fail?" as if it is inevitable that they should succeed. She has control over Macbeth in this part of the play.
"To alter favour ever is to fear". Lady Macbeth says this to Macbeth. Lady Macbeth is saying that if you change your mind, you had better watch out!
In Act 2 Scene 2 Lady Macbeth has prepared for the murder and waits for Macbeth. In the Beginning of Scene 2, she has different moods. "That which hath... made me bold". She sounds bold and courageous when she says that. The next line she says is "What hath quench them hath given me fire, Hark! Peace", she is startled from outside noise. She realises it is a bird shrieking. "It was the owl that shrieked, the fatal bellman, which gives the stern'st good night" she says as she is relieved.
When Macbeth has returned from the murder and Lady Macbeth is worrying. Macbeth then tells his wife that he has done the deed.
Around this part, iambic pentameter is being used: "Did not you speak?" " When?" " Now" " As I decended?". The words may not be in the same line but is spoken in a sort of rhythm. All the words spoken are spoken in fear and many questions.
Lady Macbeth later says to Macbeth " These deeds must not be thought, after these ways, so, it will make us mad"" She is saying to him to sort himself out, otherwise, he will just go mad. Later, she sees he has brought back the daggers. Lady Macbeth realises that it was a bad idea to bring them back. Macbeth refuses to take them back to the scene so; Lady Macbeth takes the daggers and puts them back in the bedroom. She says "Infirm of purpose', Give me the daggers". She seems to have no fear about the situation, but there seems to be some sort of nervousness in her. Macbeth's wife returns with blood stains all over her hands. She points out that they both have bloodstained hands by saying, "My hands are of your colour, but I shame, to wear a heart so white". She makes Macbeth feel that they are both equal to blame for the murder of Duncan. Lady Macbeth is trying to straighten out Macbeth although he is still quite fearful. She also mentions "Had he not resembled my father as he slept, I had done't". She tries to make Macbeth feel reassured and that Macbeth can justify to what he has done.
Lady Macbeth does not reappear until Act 2 Scene 3. In this scene Macduff is appalled by Duncan's death Lady Macbeth is told of Duncan's death but says "What, in our house?". She seems puzzled but not at all shocked. She does not show feelings of what a natural woman would do. After a while Macbeth has killed the guards assumed of killing the king. Lady Macbeth has now fainted and is taken for treatment. She has maybe because of Macbeth's speech that he gives, so she faints to distract attention from him. There could be something concerning her or worrying her. It could be real after all that she has been through, and is affected by physical weakness.
Macbeth is now king, but Banquo suspects him of foul play. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth invite Banquo to a formal banquet. Macbeth and his queen are very concerned to make their first public entrance as impressive as possible. In Act 3 Scene 2 Lady Macbeth deals with Macbeth's mood of depression. Macbeth believes that they have only "scorched the snake, not killed it". He cannot stop thinking about the murder, but Lady Macbeth urges her husband to put the past behind him. She does not know that Macbeth has a plot to kill Banquo. Macbeth has calmed down towards the end of the scene.
Banquo has now been murdered but Fleance escapes. At the banquet, Macbeth is told of Banquo's murder. He also hears of Fleance's escape and is very unsatisfied. Macbeth turns his attention back to the banquet. Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth "My royal lord, you do not give the cheer". She is telling Macbeth to please his people as a good host should do. While Macbeth is talking, he sees Banquo's ghost in his seat. His reaction startles his guests so; Lady Macbeth makes excuses for her husband. "Sit, worthy friends." My lord is often thus, and hath been from his youth" are the words that Lady Macbeth explains Macbeths' actions. The ghost disappears but reappears again making Macbeth go insane. Banquo's continues to haunt Macbeth, but Macbeth insists his guests stay. Lady Macbeth urges the guests to leave. She fears Macbeth will say too much. Lady Macbeth then tells everyone "A kind good night to all".
After the banquet, Lady Macbeth is very quiet. She seems tired and drained. Maybe it is because of tiredness or even more than that.
By this time, Macbeth has seen the witches again, to ask of his future. Lady Macduff has been killed with her son.
In Act 5 Scene 1, we see Lady Macbeth again, but this time she has been through different moods. Lady Macbeth's waiting gentlewoman has called in a doctor to view Lady Macbeth's actions in her sleepwalking. She speaks of references concerning Duncan and Lady Macduff's deaths. Lady Macbeth refers to her hands that seem to have specks of blood by saying, "Out damned spot, out I say!". She seems haunted by what she has done. The doctor tells the gentlewoman to call on a priest rather than a doctor and to keep a close eye on Lady Macbeth.
Macbeth is now ready to fight a battle, and hears of his wife's' illness which cannot be explained. The doctor tells Macbeth of his wife and says, "Cure her of that" as if he is not concerned. Since the murder the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth has deteriorated and does not seem to be getting any better.
Macbeth has turned very confident. Seyton brings him news that Lady Macbeth is dead. Macbeth feels drained and tells of how she should have died older. To reflect on his wifes' life he says "She should have died hereafter, there would have been a time for such a word". He reflects upon her life, and does not hear of Lady Macbeth again.