Lady Macbeth realises that this will be their only opportunity to kill King Duncan and is outraged when she hears that Macbeth has changed his mind and doesn’t want to carry on. She uses her scornful and manipulative ways to get Macbeth to change his mind. She knows how much Macbeth loves her and uses this against him. ‘Such I account thy love’. She also tests Macbeth’s manhood. She asked if the strong words Macbeth had spoken about Duncan’s murder were just drunken boasting and since then, had he woken up without any courage in him.
Lady Macbeth tells her husband that if she had made such a promise to him then she would ‘dash the brains out’ of her own child before she would break it. In my opinion that statement shows her to be very clever in the way she puts her femininity against Macbeth’s manliness. To say that she would sacrifice her own baby rather than break a promise to him tells Macbeth that she is very determined and he would not want to seem weak compared to her. Questioning his manhood makes Macbeth more strong willed because he wouldn’t want his wife to doubt him, he becomes confident and determined to kill the king.
In Act two Scene two Lady Macbeth is waiting for Macbeth to return from the murder. She mentions that if Duncan had ‘Not resembled / My father as he slept, I had done’t.’ This seems a strange thing for such a bold woman, who had previously said she would kill her own baby, to say. It seems like the spirits had not taken away all of her feminine feelings. When Macbeth returns he is in a terrible state and says that ‘this is a sorry sight’. Lady Macbeth reassures him and tells him that his act should not be looked upon in that way or ‘it will make us mad’ She tries to make the situation more relaxed so Macbeth would calm down. Macbeth is in unwilling to take the daggers back to the bedroom so Lady Macbeth is forced to return them. After she had placed the daggers back in the king’s room her hands are covered with blood like Macbeth's. She says to Macbeth ‘My hands are of your colour; but I shame/To wear a heart so white’. She seems so heartless about what has just happened. I think she takes this approach to show to Macbeth that everything was all right and he is over reacting. Lady Macbeth says that ‘A little water clears us of this deed.’ Showing no regret or remorse for their treacherous deed.
When the body of Duncan was found Lady Macbeth became the innocent, carefree hostess again. She faints at the description of the blood-drenched king. She could have done this for a number of reasons. One, she could have been covering for her husband before he gave anything away by taking the attention away from him and Duncan. This suggests that she does not trust Macbeth and feels that he could break and confess. Lady Macbeth may have fainted because of the reality of what she had done and felt overwhelmed with all the commotion and blood that she and Macbeth had spread. In my opinion Lady Macbeth does not trust Macbeth and fears that he might implicate himself or her in the murder. By fainting, Lady Macbeth takes attention off Macbeth and there for there is no risk of him confessing.
At he beginning of Act three Scene two Lady Macbeth reveals to us that she regrets what she has done to Duncan, she says that nothing has been gained from this and ‘Tis safer to be that which we destroy’. This shows that she would rather be dead than have to live a life full of lies and deception. This is the first time she admits her doubts. As soon as Macbeth enters the room her personality changes. She acts free of doubt that what they have done is wrong and she puts on a bold front. She says that ‘Things without all remedy/Should be without regard.’ When Macbeth reveals that life would be ‘better with the dead.’ Lady Macbeth retracts her own feelings to comfort her husband. She knows that if she tells him that she feels the same that Macbeth will break down and lose his sanity. Lady Macbeth seems to care a lot about her husband as she is willing to repress her own feelings just to keep her husband from going insane but by doing this she is slowly losing her own sanity. Making her husband believe that what they did was not wrong seemed to boost his confidence and made him believe that killing was the way to resolve things. This sense of power draws Macbeth away form lady Macbeth as he is becoming more confident and does not need the reliance of Lady Macbeth being there to encourage him anymore.
Lady Macbeth finds out that Macbeth has planned a murder of his own and asks him ‘What is to be done’. This could have been said in a variety of ways. She could have seem excited and relished the idea of another murder or she could have shown weakness and seemed frightened as she did not know of his plans. She is shocked at his independence and that he has managed to do things for himself. This makes her feel very vulnerable and isolated. Here is where we can see the relationship of the Macbeth's start to change as Macbeth starts to take control not needing any encouragement from Lady Macbeth. At the beginning of the play she seemed so passionate to welcome the evil spirits into her to help her husband. She was very committed and took the initiative to make sure the murder took place. Now, the fact that she has no involvement makes her anxious and sensitive.
At the banquet Macbeth sees the ghost of Banquo sitting on his chair. In this scene Lady Macbeth is quick thinking and conjures up with a good and believable story to their guests. She stays calm and tells the guests that ‘My lord’s often thus / And hath been from his youth’ to stop any suspicion arising and asks them to ‘Keep seat / the fit is momentary’ She also tells them to ‘regard him not’ as all he wants is attention. Although she cannot see Banquo she seems to immediately realise what is happening to Macbeth. She is a good wife and actress, making up excuses for Macbeth’s unusual behaviour. Her acting skills have previously been seen when she played the humble hostess, welcoming Duncan into her house. Also when she faints, taking attention off of Macbeth.
When talking to Macbeth she again tests his manhood, this seems to be her main source of manipulation. She asks him ‘Are you a man.’ This would enrage him and take his mind off of his hallucinations. She reassures him that it is all in his imagination and that he should be ashamed of himself as he is making a fool of himself shouting at a stool. I feel that she handles the scene very well. She stays calm knowing that Macbeth might reveal their secret and implicate them in the murder. She knows her husband well and knew exactly how to handle his behaviour.
The last time we see Lady Macbeth is in Act five Scene one. This is an interesting reversal, as the first scene we see her in is Act one Scene five. Lady Macbeth has been suffering terrible nightmares where she had been sleep walking and talking. The guilt has slowly taken over her and she is unable to control her feelings turning her into a weak, disturbed woman. As she is sleep walking she rubs her hands vigorously. She is trying to wash the blood off her hands. She had become obsessed with blood and can not seem to get rid of it ‘out damned spot out I say!’ She is reliving the murder of Duncan. She says that ‘all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand.’ When before a little water would wash the blood away. She has now been left alone to wither away in all her guilt. Eventually the guilt becomes too much for her and she commits suicide. In Act one Scene five Lady Macbeth is a strong ruthless woman who welcomed the spirits of darkness into her but now, in Act five Scene one she will not leave her bed without light by her side. A lady who in Act one Scene five was willing to kill a person for her husband’s ambition, now is an insecure, vulnerable woman who is obsessed with the sight of blood. Lady Macbeth’s power and self-control at the beginning of the play was shown by the way she spoke in verse, with a controlled and articulate rhythm. By the time we reach Act five Scene one, Lady Macbeth is not the ruthless, merciless woman she was, but a broken lady overwhelmed with guilt. The way she talks in this scene is disjointed and in prose, showing complete loss of the self-control and sanity she had, at the beginning of the play.
Lady Macbeth puts on a façade to help her husband realise and achieve his ambitions. Lady Macbeth was aware that by himself and without encouragement Macbeth would not be able to commit the murder of Duncan. As the play progresses so does Macbeth’s confidence. His confidence leads him astray for Lady Macbeth’s dominance leaving her unable to cope with her guilt. Eventually she becomes so overpowered by this guilt that she is driven to commit suicide.