Another person who contributes to Macbeth’s downfall is his wife, Lady Macbeth. When temptation of murder enters Macbeths mind, the evil thoughts begin to develop immediately, Macbeth cannot keep this extreme thought to himself so therefore he makes a decision to tell Lady Macbeth “The hearing of my wife with your approach; So humbly take my leave” this is what he announces to King Duncan after he returns from battle.
Macbeth writes a letter to Lady Macbeth informing her of the witches’ predictions, she knows of her husband’s ambition but thinks that he is too kind and caring. “Yet I do fear thy nature, It is too full o’ th’ milk of kindness, To catch the nearest way” she thinks that her husband is too weak to commit a murder, and she is not prepared to wait forever.
In this particular scene Lady Macbeth appears to be a totally committed woman whose every effort is to strive for the greater glory of her husband. There is also an element in Lady Macbeth’s attitude, which is strongly reminiscent of the witches, “That I may pour my spirits in thine ear, and chastise with the valour of my tongue” this is where she talks of pouring in a potion into Macbeth’s ear to alter his character. She is willing to do anything to succeed in killing King Duncan, whom arrives at Macbeths castle that very night, “That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan under my battlements. Come you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here” this is when Lady Macbeth summons the evil sprits to lose her feminity and have the courage of a man so that she alone can commit the murder.
”Of direst cruelty; make thick my blood, Stop up th’ access and passage to remorse, That no compunctions visitings of nature, Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between Th’ effect and it” this quotation which Lady Macbeth says, suggests that she wants no pity to flow through her veins. In addition, she wants to make sure that she can feel no compassion and so that no feelings of humanity upset her ruthless intentions.
At this point, she is planning to do the murder herself as she is convinced that her husband is not capable. “Come to my woman’s breasts, And take my milk for gall” here, again she is telling the evil spirits around her to replace the milk in her breast with bitterness. Macbeth is shocked by how definite she is, and how he is not.
Eventually when Duncan arrives later that night, Lady Macbeth has transformed into a gracious hostess, and this scene is a perfect example of dramatic irony where the audience know something that the actor does not. Shakespeare has also provided extreme hyperbole in this scene too in Banquos speech “This castle hath a pleasant seat; the air nimbly and sweetly recommends itself, unto our gentle senses” this shows deliberate exaggeration for effect. It really shows that the victims of Macbeths crime, Banquo and Duncan are extremely relaxed and are not at all aware of what Macbeth is going to do.
In the next scene, Macbeth leaves the dinner hall, and has severe second thoughts about murdering Duncan. He becomes very aware of the seriousness of his proposed crime as it is an act of treachery against his innocent death “He’s here in double trust: First, as I am his kinsman and his subject, Strong both against the deed; then as his host”. This part of the speech shows that as his kinsman and as his host should be more of a protector rather than a traitor. Macbeth’s will is weakened by speculation whereas Lady Macbeth’s will is strengthened by a concentration of the act of killing Duncan.
When Macbeth announces that he cannot go through with the murder, Lady Macbeth explains her plan, her main argument is that her husband needs to prove his manhood by acting decisively. She uses emotional blackmail to convince him that it is the right thing to do “How tender ‘tis to love a babe that milks me- I would while it was smiling in my face, Have plucked my nipple from its boneless gums, And dashed the brains out, had I so sworn as you, Have done this”. This speech provides the reader and the audience with a truly repulsive image, and although it is a very appalling description, it is extremely persuasive. Macbeth is very impressed with her, and I think that at this point he is nearly convinced. He asks her a question after this remarkable speech, “If we should fail?” Lady Macbeth has not even contemplated failure, and in reply, she insults her husband by referring to his courage “But screw your courage to the sticking-place, And we’ll not fail”. At the end of this scene, Macbeth is determined to murder Duncan. Lady Macbeth’s emotional blackmail, persuasive language and insulting behaviour eventually convinces her husband to kill another human being.
In addition to that, she actually helps him to kill Duncan by drugging the guards, “I have drugged their possets”. She takes utter control too, when Macbeth returns from killing Duncan “These deeds must not be thought, After these ways; so, it will make us mad,” she is trying to reassure her husband, as he is panicking and feeling extreme guilt. When he returns from the murder scene, he brings the bloodstained daggers with him, this infuriates Lady Macbeth “Why did you bring the daggers from this place? They must lie there. Go carry them, and smear, The sleepy grooms with blood.” However, Macbeth cannot bear to look at the horrific sight of the murdered King so Lady Macbeth takes complete control and orders him to do what she thinks is best “Give me the daggers.”
To conclude the scene, Lady Macbeth returns from the murder scene, and begins to feel some guilt “My hands are of your colour; but I shame, To wear a heart so white”. This beginning to the speech shows that now she has the blood on her own hands, she too, is just as guilty and unable to have an innocent heart or soul.
At this time, most people were extremely religious, this meant that in those days, if someone killed someone else, they were not so worried about the guilt they would feel, but more about the punishment, they would receive from God. Macbeth shows that in the play, he describes what would happen if he commits that murder, “I had most need of blessing, and ‘Amen’, Stuck in my throat,” this shows that if he was to kill, he cannot pray for forgiveness. “’Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep’- the innocent sleep, Sleep that knits up the ravelled sleave of care, The death of each day’s life, sore labours bath” this is again referring to the evilness which would be inside Macbeth if he was to kill, he is saying that only the innocent can sleep soundly and that he would be cursed with eternal damnation.
Religion is mentioned again, at the end of the play when Siward learns of his sons death, he is not upset and does not feel any emotion, however he feels he has done Gods duty and therefore he feels that God will look after him “Why then, God’s soldier be he”.
In a way, the opinions on murder at this time were extremely hypocritical. If you killed someone whom many people believed to be evil, then you would be rewarded, but if you killed someone whom only you thought you thought was evil, you would be punished.
Civilians during this time, had their hearts set on going to heaven when the time came to die, the thought of going to hell terrorized them. They were also extreme beliefs in both ghosts and witchcraft; I think this is why Shakespeare refers to ghosts (the murdered Banquo) and to witchcraft (the three witches) in the play. As he knew that, as it was so near to real-life at the time, it did generally scare people. There was also a very large belief in life-after death. This is also referred to in the play when Macbeth considers killing Duncan. He is unsure whether to commit the murder, as he thinks the ghost of Duncan will haunt him.
This was also roughly around the time of the Gunpowder Plot, which was a plot against the King. Macbeth completely echoes this, as Macbeth plats a murder against King Duncan in the play. In addition, at this time in history, many people were killing, and this worries Macbeth in the play that if he kills Duncan, someone may kill him “Bloody instructions, which being taught return.”
Ambition is one of the qualities which Macbeth has too much of, and I think this is another reason for his downfall. At the beginning of the play, he is mentioned by the captain, as a brave and courageous soldier “Till he unseamed him from the nave to the chops, And fixed his head upon our battlements.” This is the bloody execution, which Macbeth performed on Prince Macdonwald. It shows even at this start in the play that Macbeth is capable of real violence, and that maybe even the violence of this particular battle, may have influenced him as well as the witches and Lady Macbeth.
By being crowned Thane of Glamis at the beginning of the play, Macbeth became more ambitious, and began to think of what he could become. The witches also added to this and the thought of becoming King remained in his mind after his first meeting with them. When he finally becomes King, he is very desperate to show authority, and he wants to gain the respect and trust which Duncan had when he was King. He holds a lavish feast at the castle, but the civilised atmosphere is interrupted by the sly appearance of Macbeth’s hired killer, “My lord, his throat is cut; that I did for him”. The murderer is referring to how he killed Banquo, following orders from Macbeth.
The ghost of Banquo appears when Macbeth mentions him at the table “Were the graced person of our Banquo present.” At first Macbeth is not sure if he is hallucinating as he did before murdering Duncan, but the ghost is a harsh reminder of Macbeths wickedness and is also a form of guilt and fear of discovery, although a reality to himself and invisible to others. He begins to wonder why no one else can see the ghost. Lady Macbeth becomes anxious of her husbands behaviour at the banquet. This becomes a key moment in the play for the reader and the audience because Macbeth is in a terrible state of mind, and is not composed as a King is supposed to be. This shows his ambition getting the better of him and he is unable to control it. His mind is spiralling out of control and it is all because he wanted to a little bit more successful. When murdering Duncan he had Lady Macbth to reassure him and keep him in a clear and concise state of mind. This time with Banquo, he has no one to turn to and no one to help him. I think this is why he hallucinates and begins to go slightly insane.
I think that the most important factors in Macbeths downfall are the extreme ambition which Macbeth’s personality contains, and also Lady Macbeth, who persuades him to go through with killing Duncan. I think when he killed Duncan he felt more power and therefore felt as if he could get away with killing someone else. I think he felt extreme capability, and this made him become more ruthless throughout the play.
The time in which the play was set, also adds to Macbeths downfall, as it was not unusual to kill someone of a higher status, as at this time, many men and women craved power and respect.