The Relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth
The Relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth Throughout the play of "Macbeth" written by William Shakespeare there is a good on-going relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. This relationship is one of the functions of the play that creates most of the reactions, moods, feelings and attitudes. In Macbeth’s relationship with his wife, things weren’t always in good form. This is shown in one of there conversations; MACBETH: "We will proceed no further in this business: He hath honour'd me of late; and I have bought Golden opinions from all sorts of people, Which would be worn now in their newest gloss, Not cast aside so soon."(Macbeth,I,vii, ) LADY MACBETH. "Was the hope drunk wherein you dress'd yourself? hath it slept since? And wakes it now, to look so green and pale at what it did so freely? From this time such I account thy love. Art thou afeard To be the same in thine own act and valor As thou art in desire? Wouldst thou have that which thou esteem'st the ornament of life, And live a coward in thine own esteem; Letting "I dare not" wait upon "I would," Like the poor cat i' the adage?"(Macbeth,I,vii, ) In this little conversation we see that there is a disagreement that continues through the entire scene. Macbeth decides that he does not want to murder Duncan and that is final, and that the discussion is over. On the other lady Macbeth hand feels that Macbeth is being a coward and that he should think about what he is doing before he makes up his mind. Slowly throughout the scene Lady Macbeth convinces Macbeth that he
should kill Duncan and he finally agrees. This is due to the fact that Macbeth listens to his wife and finally takes what she has to say into thought and carries through with it. Everyone can't believe that Lady Macbeth is encouraging her husband to kill someone and it really makes them uncomfortable and shifts there mood of love towards Lady Macbeth to hate. This mood of the audience is hyphened in Act 2 Scene 2 when Macbeth again has decided that he is going to stop what he is doing although he had already killed Duncan; MACBETH. "I'll go ...
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should kill Duncan and he finally agrees. This is due to the fact that Macbeth listens to his wife and finally takes what she has to say into thought and carries through with it. Everyone can't believe that Lady Macbeth is encouraging her husband to kill someone and it really makes them uncomfortable and shifts there mood of love towards Lady Macbeth to hate. This mood of the audience is hyphened in Act 2 Scene 2 when Macbeth again has decided that he is going to stop what he is doing although he had already killed Duncan; MACBETH. "I'll go no more: I am afraid to think what I have done; Look on't again I dare not." (Macbeth,II,ii, ) LADY MACBETH. Infirm of purpose! Give me the daggers: the sleeping and the dead Are but as pictures: 'tis the eye of childhood That fears a painted devil. If he do bleed, I'll gild the faces of the grooms withal, For it must seem their guilt. (Macbeth,II,ii, ) This shows that again Macbeth was filled with guilt but again his wife contradicted him, and lead him down the path of evil. This is the example of the relationship at opposite ends. Macbeth is wanting to do the greater good and Lady Macbeth wanting to do the most evil. Evil prevails and it shows a sense of death and darkness through the couple. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are also on the same boat at some points in the play. This is mentioned in Act III Scene iv when Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are talking about the feast that is about to take place in the castle; MACBETH. "Ourself will mingle with society, And play the humble host. Our hostess keeps her state; but, in best time, We will require her welcome."(Macbeth, III,iv, ) LADY MACBETH. "Pronounce it for me, sir, to all our friends; For my heart speaks they are welcome." (Macbeth,III,iv, ) Immense happiness has spread amongst Macbeth and Lady Macbeth after Macbeth has become king and once again they feel free of guilt and full of love. They talk of having their guests to the feast and the mingling, that will take place with there society of Scotland. This shows that the relationship has taking a turn to the best but at the same time to the worst. Both, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, have cleared themselves of guilt from the killing of Duncan and have portrayed that they are pure evil wrapped in a loving exterior. This is a symbol of the step towards darkness that they are both taking and that they are both taking without stopping. The turn to good is that they are happy and are agreeable again. Now, the audience fears is a horrific sight that will slowly lead them down to darkness. So while they are good, then it seems that all of this evil will turn around. Their relationship is changed again later in the scene when Macbeth experiences a tale of woe and already it seems the evil has come back to haunt him. Again in Act III Scene iv Macbeth is visited by the ghost of Banquo which does not visit Lady Macbeth. This creates a sense of discomfort and urgency which is shown by Lady Macbeth; LADY MACBETH. "Sit, worthy friends:--my lord is often thus, And hath been from his youth: pray you, keep seat; The fit is momentary; upon a thought He will again be well: if much you note him, You shall offend him, and extend his passion: Feed, and regard him not.--Are you a man?" (Macbeth,III,iv, ) MACBETH. "Ay, and a bold one, that dare look on that Which might appal the devil." (Macbeth,III,iv, ) LADY MACBETH. "O proper stuff! This is the very painting of your fear: This is the air-drawn dagger which, you said, Led you to Duncan. O, these flaws, and starts,-- Impostors to true fear,--would well become A woman's story at a winter's fire, Authoriz'd by her grandam. Shame itself! Why do you make such faces? When all's done, You look but on a stool." (Macbeth,III,iv, ) We see here that Lady Macbeth loves her husband so dearly that she will, lie to many noble guests to try to protect his secrets. She urges that he has a sickness and that sometimes he just has fits and that it will go away. We can understand that in her speech she is sad and uncomfortable but at the same time full of love not wanting her husband to give himself away. Lady Macbeth continues this behaviour until all of the guests have left and it is just the two of them. Now we see that it is them against the world and although the odds seem impossible they try to fight through the guilt, the rumours, and try to continue their love, ruling and try to keep their secrets amongst each other. This functions the story to more of an evil power manner. It seems that evil is trying to succeed and it scares the audience that if this is happening in this play, why can it not happen in real life? How is such a couple united and bonded but at the same time filled so much darkness. Lastly we see a relationship that has slowly drifted apart and one that is more of a deed then a show of affection. This is finally seen in Act V Scene iii when the good doctor tells Macbeth that Lady Macbeth is sick and his mood of calmness and uncaring is a mere showing of his evil; DOCTOR. "Not so sick, my lord, As she is troubled with thick-coming fancies, That keep her from her rest." (Macbeth,V,iii, ) MACBETH. "Cure her of that: Canst thou not minister to a mind diseas'd; Pluck from the memory a rooted sorrow; Raze out the written troubles of the brain; And with some sweet oblivious antidote Cleanse the stuff'd bosom of that perilous stuff Which weighs upon the heart?" (Macbeth,V,iii, ) This shows that Macbeth is so overpowered by greed that not even his demon infested wife cannot take his eyes away from his ambitions. Macbeth just tells the doctor to cure her and that is all. He doesn’t talk to her and think much of her. Mean while she commits suicide. But the evil in Macbeth has greaten such a smog that it is barely even noticeable to him that the woman he once loved so dearly, is now gone. This portrays how deep Macbeth has actually gone down the staircase of evil. The function of this foreshadows the collapsing of an empire. Not only has Macbeth have soldiers leave him but now his most loyal and trusted companion has also now abandoned him, he should feel alone and ashamed but he is so clouded by evil that he still carries on and feels that he can rule Scotland and everything that gets in his way. But happened to Macbeth in the end? This really leaves you mind thinking and wondering whether or not this relationship was for love or to fulfil ambition. I believe that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth loved each other so much that they tried too hard to please each other and not disagree, that they forgot what exactly they were doing.
