Relationship Between Lady Macbeth and Macbeth

Lady Macbeth is presented as a character that fulfils her role among the nobility and is well respected like Macbeth. She is loving to her husband but is the dominant figure in there relationship. Lady Macbeth is also a character who does not want to appear or seem weak but is very ambitious.

Para 1- Relationship between Macbeth and lady Macbeth
“Was the hope drunk Wherein you dressed yourself?” In the conversation between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth 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 the discussion is over. Lady Macbeth on the other hand feels that Macbeth is being a coward and thinks 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 goes to show that the relationship produces a sense of trust and openness. This is due to the fact that Macbeth listens to his wife and finally takes what she has to say into thought and decides to carry through with it. This shows that Lady Macbeths character as very determined in what needs to happen and is very manipulative over her husband

Para 2- receiving the witches prophecies news-
When she receives the witches news she immediately comes to the conclusion that the fastest way for Macbeth to fulfil the prophecies of becoming thane of Cawdor and king of Scotland is to make them happen. So to become king he has to first murder King Duncan. “Great Glamis, That which cries ‘thus thou must do’, if thou have it, At that which rather thou dost fear to do Than wishest should be undone”. This reveals about her character a cunning and planning side to Lady Macbeth. Her mind set is that for something to happen you must make it happen. This is so she can achieve her desire of becoming queen.

Para3-when she tells spirits to take her humanness away from her ” unsex” quote “ 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;” In act 1 scene 5 Lady Macbeth says this so she needs to arm herself against all normal human emotions, because she knows that the murder of King Duncan wrong. To be strong she needs to be stripped of her femininity as it is thought of as being a sign of weakness and to be turned into a warrior. Within her speech she also mentions ‘The raven himself is hoarse,’ the symbol of raven usually represents death of which reflects on the whole play of Macbeth.

Para 4- acting as an innocent hostess
In act 1 scene 6, Banquo and Macbeth arrive back from battle. This is when Lady Macbeth starts playing the good hostess as she tells Macbeth and Banquo she loves them and welcomes them to her home. King Duncan calls her “our honored hostess” as he enters her household. She starts flirting with Duncan so he is putty in her hands. This scene reveals her trait of being very two faced and controlling her emotions.

Para5- Good actress- In Act 3 Scene 3 King Duncan’s body is discovered. We discover not only is Lady Macbeth evil and persuasive she’s a good liar and actress too. She shows as this with the surprise tone of him being found in ‘what our house?’ ‘Help me hence’ then follows by fainting.

Para6- convincing Macbeth to kill Duncan
To convince Macbeth into killing Duncan, Lady Macbeth puts ideas pressures Macbeth by trying to make him feel guilty implying he would be a coward not to kill Duncan and saying he is not worthy to be called a man if he goes back on his promises. She also tries to make light of the murder – as though it would all be over in flash and then everything would be alright again. “Art thou afeard to be the same in thine own act and valour As thou are in desire?” This quote shows Lady Macbeth taunting Macbeth with being a coward and unmanliness if he goes back on his plans to kill Duncan and take the throne.

Para 7- killing Duncan and the effects it begins to have
After Macbeth had killed Duncan, Lady Macbeth had to go back to clear the evidence and had to frame the guards. But she went into the room where Duncan’s body was and this had a sociological effect on Lady Macbeth, as when she went into the room she had to smear Duncan’s blood on the guards and touch the dagger of which he was killed with. This is when she started to wash her hands and kept washing as she said, ‘Out, damned spot! Out, I say!’ The imaginary bloodstain is a symbol of her own guilt and her conscience is haunting her for the deed she did.

Para 8 – Acting innocent
Lady Macbeth is a very good actress as she acts flirty with Duncan so he is putty in her hands. Then faints trying to grab people’s attention to herself, acting like the fragile flower, when inside she is as empty and cold as a freezer. But the people who see through her act is Banquo, which is why Macbeth orders for him to be killed as it might jeopardise everything. “Look like the innocent flower, but be the’ serpent under’t”. Lady Macbeth thinks the best way of all to be successful, is to appear harmless but secretly be ruggedly ambitious, along with be the innocent soul.

Para 9- following on from this when she acts like a fragile soul ho hence In act 2 scene 3 Lady Macbeth gets told that Duncan is murdered. She acts as if it’s a big shock to her that she faints getting people around her to care for her and grabbing people’s attention. She grabs people attention before fainting by saying “Help me hence, ho!” They think Lady Macbeth is a gentle soul so they don’t let her hear of Duncan’s death because they say her ears are too fragile to hear of murder. Para 10-how she has to look and act a certain way to not be thought of as suspicious In act 3 scene 4 Macbeth sees the ghost of Banquo. Lady Macbeth tries and covers up his crazy behaviour by getting people to ignore him and that he is unwell, You have displaced the mirth, broke the good meeting, With most admired disorder.” This shows that she cares about the atmosphere and that if the atmosphere is destroyed she is afraid that someone may find suspicion. If her illusion is not complete of a happy couple and a normal atmosphere her image of being a cool collective, dainty soul might reveal the true Lady Macbeth and Macbeth revealing what they did.

Para 11- how killing has not fulfilled her wish with content In act 3 Scene 2 she is regretting and doubting the killing as it has not fulfilled her desire with content. “Nought’s had, all’s spent, Where our desire is got without content. ‘Tis safer to be that which we destroy Than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy.” Lady Macbeth has what she wanted. But she is surprised to find that she is not happy after she has her desire and that she is not content about it and how she gained it.

Para 12- Lady Macbeths Domineering and ambitious character
Lady Macbeth has a very strong and domineering character and very dominant in her relationship. She is also very ambitious this shows as she talks about “The future in the instant”. She shows ambition by forcing Macbeth to do things he doesn’t want to do so she can gain power in monarchy and in their relationship. It may seem unfair to push Macbeth to do things he doesn’t want to do but as long as she gets what she wants she doesn’t care. Para 13– Macbeth no longer confiding in Lady Macbeth making them no longer together Macbeth’s and Lady Macbeth’s relationship changes throughout the course of ‘Macbeth’.

In the beginning we see Lady Macbeth playing the more superior, more dominating role of the two. She lays all the plans and all Macbeth has to do is obey her commands. In the beginning of ‘Macbeth’ lady Macbeth and Macbeth confide in each other and trust each other. After the murder of Duncan is committed, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth begin to switch places in the relationship. Macbeth keeps secrets from Lady Macbeth, such as Banquo’s death as he says to her in act 3 scene 2, “Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck.” After the Banqueting scene you no longer see the couple together, they drifted apart after, almost like they were not even together. So there is no more trust in the relationship and little much to discuss since Macbeth is hiding the murders he has commit sending Lady Macbeth into a crazy state. Para14- banqueting scene

Furthermore, in the banqueting scene Macbeth receives news that Banquo has been successfully killed but that fleance has escaped. At his banquet he looks for a seat and cannot find one available and all his guest are pointing to a seat which Banquo’s ghost is sitting. Macbeth starts shouting at the ghost. This is where Lady Macbeth intervenes and tells the guest that he has been like this ever since he was a child and that they should ignore him. “Feed, and regard him not.” Lady Macbeths character says to Macbeth, “Are you a man,” in hope of getting his attention and snapping him out of the trance. She try’s and stops him because she is worried he will spill information about Duncan’s killing and is worried it might make them suspected for the killing of Duncan.

Para15-washing of her hands ” out damned spot out I say”
In Act 5 Scene 1 lady Macbeths repetitively washes her hand saying things such as, “Out, damned spot! Out, I say!” Lady Macbeth’s words reflect the workings of her conscience, which is driving her to madness. However there is one thing that troubles her, one thing that she can’t erase from her mind: the horror of the blood she has spilled herself. She is in fact disgusted by the sight of blood. “Yet, who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him”. She is disgusted by the smell of blood: “Here’s the smell of blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand.” This is all adding to the psychological effect on her, sending her into a spiral of madness and depression.

Para16- sleep talking revealing sleep walking -repeating every conversation she spoke revealing the secrets of what Macbeth has done Furthermore In Act 5 scene 1, a gentlewoman and doctor observe Lady Macbeth as she walks around speaking her conversations that she had with Macbeth and recalling the events. “The Thane of Fife had a wife; where is she now? What will the hands ne’er be clean? No more o’that, my lord, no more o’that: you mar all with this starting.’ With this she is revealing the death of Macduff’s family. Also she is still covering up the murders and trying to remove suspicion which is having a big impact on her mind and conscience causing her to sleep walk and talk. The doctor who had been observing her cannot heal her, “More needs the divine than the physician” meaning she needs some to heal her soul more than she needs someone who can fix the body. As it’s a great burden she has created for her mind and soul.

Para 17- the changes from the start of the play to the end of how lady Macbeth was ruthless then started to wither and become broken fragile and very vulnerable and weak after the deaths and so n and so forth Throughout ‘Macbeth’ we see a change in Lady Macbeth, mostly of her Mindset and attitude due to guilt. In the beginning she is ruthless and will do anything for her husband to become king to also make her desire of being a queen become reality. She continues throughout the play with a heartless attitude and mocks her husband when he is weak. When he feels guilty about the blood on his hands, Lady Macbeth says “a little water clears us of this deed.” Implying they will be rid of the guilt by clearing there hands of the blood.

Toward the end of the play, you see a very different side of Lady Macbeth. Gone is the powerful woman who cried out for the spirits to “unsex me here And fill me, from the crown to the toe, top-full Of direst cruelty”. In Act 5, scene 1, Lady Macbeth has become psychologically ill, sleep walking, repetitively washing her hands, and speaking her past conversations between her and Macbeth also about the murder. Her overwhelming guilt has made it impossible for Lady Macbeth to cope with her feelings or illness. Her suicide is reported to Macbeth in scene 5. Since Lady Macbeth found no peace or relief from her guilt in life, she went to death for peace. Para 18- her death

Finally, during the end of Lady Macbeths characters appearances she is very ill and damaged psychologically. This leads to her giving into suicide to be released of the pain. When news gets to Macbeth about her death his reactions are sadness mixed with regret. He says, “she should of died hereafter;/ There would of been a time for such a word.” He means he wished she would have died at a time where he could properly mourn her. But he has many things on his mind so he doesn’t really care that much and cares more about surviving and winning. Lady Macbeths early mindset would have been with his plan and probably would of been proud he had manned up.

Conclusion
I believe Lady Macbeth was a character who wouldn’t care in the world what happened to someone as long as she got what she wanted, power. For that reason I believe she is a cruel and viscous woman. However, at the end of her days I believe she earned the suffering. Due to the fact she had made people suffer for herself earning herself, bad karma. The Karma hit her twice as hard, turning her conscience against herself causing her pain and anguish. This forced her to suicide as she could not be cured of the emotional pain. Although she was an evil and domineering character she revealed her weakness. Underneath all the nasty stuff, she was an “innocent flower”. But she had deliberately become evil for power because she was a power hungry character. She does change in the ‘Macbeth’ in mind state and emotions. I don’t think she can be forgiven due to the things she had done during ‘Macbeth’.