Character profile: Lady Macbeth

Lady Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s most famous and complex characters. From her first appearance, she is shown as a dominant and ambitious figure, determined to see her husband, Macbeth, become king. Her character undergoes a significant transformation throughout the play, moving from confidence and ruthlessness to guilt and mental collapse.

Early Ambition and Influence

When Lady Macbeth first appears, she is introduced as a strong and assertive woman. After reading Macbeth’s letter about the witches’ prophecy in Act 1, Scene 5, she learns that King Duncan will visit their home. Immediately, she begins to plan Duncan’s murder, asking the spirits to “unsex me here; and fill me, from the crown to the toe, top-full of direst cruelty!” This shows her determination to abandon any sense of compassion or femininity that might stop her from committing the crime.

Lady Macbeth quickly becomes the driving force behind Duncan’s murder. In Act 1, Scene 5, she tells Macbeth to “Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under’t,” advising him to appear harmless while hiding his deadly intentions. She challenges his courage and masculinity in Act 1, Scene 7, saying, “When you durst do it, then you were a man.” Her persuasive and manipulative nature ensures that Macbeth follows through with their plan.

In Act 2, Scene 2, Lady Macbeth continues to lead. After Macbeth kills Duncan, he forgets to place the bloody daggers on the guards, and Lady Macbeth completes this task herself. She remarks, “Had he not resembled my father as he slept, I had done’t,” suggesting that her only restraint from committing the murder herself was a personal moral hesitation.

Confidence and Control

At the beginning of Act 3, Lady Macbeth is still confident and powerful as Scotland’s new queen. She and Macbeth are crowned King and Queen of Scotland at Forres. She appears to enjoy the success of their ambition and continues to assert influence over Macbeth. However, cracks in their partnership begin to show as Macbeth starts planning further murders without involving her. By Act 3, Scene 1, he secretly sends murderers to kill Banquo and Fleance, isolating Lady Macbeth from the decisions he makes. This marks the start of a growing separation between the couple.

Although Lady Macbeth is only directly involved in Duncan’s murder, her influence means she is indirectly linked to other deaths, including Banquo and Lady Macduff. By the end of Act 3, she begins to show signs of guilt and unease, although her remorse is still less pronounced than Macbeth’s.

Mental and Emotional Decline

Lady Macbeth’s absence in Act 4 reflects her fading role in the action, but when she reappears in Act 5, Scene 1, her mental and emotional decline is clear. She is tormented by guilt over her part in Duncan’s murder and the resulting violence. This guilt manifests in sleepwalking and hallucinations, as she tries to wash imaginary blood from her hands, repeating, “Out, damned spot! Out.” She also refers to Lady Macduff’s death, asking, “The Thane of Fife had a wife; where is she now?” showing that she is aware of the consequences of her actions and the murders that have followed.

Death and Legacy

Lady Macbeth’s mental breakdown ultimately leads to her death, reported offstage in Act 5, Scene 5. Although the play does not specify the exact cause, it is generally understood that her death is a result of suicide brought on by overwhelming guilt. Her transformation from a confident, ruthless instigator to a guilt-ridden and psychologically destroyed figure is one of the most powerful aspects of the play.

Lady Macbeth’s character demonstrates the emotional and psychological effects of ambition and immoral actions. Her journey serves as a warning of the moral and emotional cost of unchecked desire for power, showing how guilt and remorse can consume an individual.