Character of Lady Macbeth:-

The character of Lady Macbeth is one of the most confusing and intriguing in all of
Shakespeare’s works. No definitive Lady “M” has been agreed upon. Directors and
actors cannot even agree as to whether or not she is a prominent character, as she
disappears after the banquet scene not to reappear until the infamous sleepwalking
scene. In this analysis of the role of Lady Macbeth, the focus is first on critical
views of Lady Macbeth.

Lady Macbeth is introduced to the play in act 1, scene 5. She is necessary for the
tragedy since the main character simply needs an interlocutor, someone he can be
open with and a person who is familiar with everything the central figure does.
When Lady Macbeth enters with the letter in scene 5 she gets to know of what the
witches prophesied Macbeth. Her monologue illustrates right from the beginning
her evil intentions.

“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!” (1.5.40-43)

Thus she also fulfills the function to urge Macbeth to commit the crime when
Macbeth is reluctant. “When you durst do it, then you were a man; [...]” she tells
him later (1.7.49). The tragedy calls for the character of Lady Macbeth since she is
the one who drives her husband to the murder of Duncan. She gives rise to
Macbeth’s decision to do that crime and deadens all scruples in him. Being his
wife she has the biggest influence on him. Her determination and unconcern is of
great importance with regard to the commitment of the murder.

It is also clear that Lady Macbeth’s true aim is her wish to be on top of the social
order; a rise in the society is therefore her greatest temptation.

Lady Macbeth is (at least until her “illness“) a truly evil character. Right from the
beginning of the play we get to know her devilish nature and cruel intentions. She
appears with Macbeth’s letter that reports that the witches met him “[...] in the day
of success; and [...] they have more in them than mortal knowledge. “ (1.5.1-3)
Macbeth calls his wife “my dearest partner of greatness“ (1.5.10-11) and therefore
gets the audience the impression of a tender relationship between the couple.
Nevertheless it must be kind of astonishing when Lady Macbeth instantly states:
“Yet do I fear thy nature: It is too full o’th’milk of human kindness, To catch the
nearest way.” (1.5.16- 18) “Humanity” is obviously something she cannot
reconcile with her conscience. It is striking that the terms “fear” and “human
kindness” are brought together. One would say that the witches are something to
fear, but Lady Macbeth simply fears a quality which is normally a positive feature!
Her plan to have Duncan killed is therefore in her mind right from the start. It is
not certain whether Macbeth had this plan in mind as well or not. He is at least
very reluctant in the beginning which makes one think that murder was not his
initial intention. However, the contrary can be proven as well.

Act 1, scene 5 serves to summarize the preceding events on one hand and on the
other hand to characterize and introduce Lady Macbeth. In this scene she shows us
that she knows the nature of her husband very well. She is also presented in
contrast to her husband who seems to be less cruel (at least up to this point). Her
plan to drive Macbeth to the deed is expressed when she intends to “[...] pour my
spirits in thine ear, [...]” (1.5.26). In her famous monologue before the entry of
Macbeth she turns her aim to destruction and cruelty:

“The raven himself is hoarse, That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan Under my
battlements. 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! make thick my
blood,…”(1.5.38-54)

The speech is full of images deriving from a “world of darkness“. The raven i.e.
heralds horror and disaster. Words such as “mischief“ or “wound“ foreshadow the
murders later in the play. But before she can even keep hold of such “mortal
thoughts“ she needs the help of evil spirits to “unsex“ her. She rejects her own
nature and is ready to give up all her female qualities in the favour of the killings.
In most of the scenes Lady Macbeth actually seems to be more a man than
Macbeth is. This “confusion in human gender roles“8 can be found throughout the
whole play. Lady Macbeth questions Macbeth’s manliness in act 1, scene 7. When
he decides they “[...] will proceed no further in this business [...]”(1.7.31), she calls
him a coward.

“When you durst do it, you were a man; And, to be more than what you were, you
would Be so much more the man.” (1.7.49-54)

Manhood here is associated with the ability to kill. By equating manliness with
killing she demonstrates that compassion and love are something effeminate. Lady
Macbeth actually utters what is expressed from a man in a world that values
violence.9 Ironically she does not behave like it is expressed neither. Instead of
doing justice to her female nature she explains she would even kill her own child to
achive royal dignity.
“I have given suck, and know How tender ‘tis to love the babe that milks me: I
would, while it was smiling in my face, Have pluck’d my nipple from his boneless
gums, And dash’d the brains out, had I sworn As you have done to this.” (1.7.54-
59)

Soft words such as “tender“, “love“ or “smiling“ are contrasted to the harsh term
“dash’d the brains out“. The juxtaposition of these words increases the cruel
impression Lady Macbeth has on the audience. The renunciation of all her female
qualities lead (in the long term) to the murder of the king. As a result the natural
and social order will be destroyed. The crime effectuates unnatural events in the
whole kingdom.

Macbeth recognizes his wife’s ambiguous nature when he says: “Bring forth men-
children only! For thy undaunted mettle should compose / Nothing but males.”
(1.7.73- 75) Again being male is equated with courage. During the night of the
murder of Duncan Macbeth still seems to be very reluctant and unsure. After the
killing he decides to “[...] go no more [...]”(2.2.49); he is afraid. But Lady Macbeth
pushes all his doubts aside. Her cruelty and heartlessness becomes visible in this
scene again. Even though Macbeth commits the murder she is the more active one
since she keeps driving him on.

Lady Macbeth faints after hearing of the murder of Duncan. (2.3.117) One could
think that she just plays this fainting since she remained cool when Macbeth
committed the murder. Besides that she said “Who dares receive it other, As we
shall make our griefs and clamour roar / Upon his death?” All these aspects can
be linked to the motto “fair is foul, and foul is fair“which is the thread running
through the story.

There is no hesitation or doubt in her. This makes it easier for Lady Macbeth to
overcome her husband’s scruples and drive him to the murder. The only thing that
makes her hesitate is the fact that Duncan resembles her father (2.2.12-13). After
the murder we recognize a change in both persons.

The crime now separates them just as it brought them together. Lady Macbeth does
not see why Macbeth is so concerned. She advises him not to think of the crime
anymore because she fears: “[...] it will make us mad.” (2.2.33)

So Lady Macbeth and Macbeth both change in different ways in the course of the
play. She may seduce him into murdering Duncan, but he is responsible alone for
the following crimes. Lady Macbeth turns passive whereas Macbeth gets entangled
in more and more murders. The image of the babe with the dashed out brain she
uses in act 1 occurs again when Macbeth slaughters the son of Macduff (and his
wife

The change in Lady Macbeth’s character is abrupt. We had the impression that no
cruelty in the world can harm her, but in her last appearance she is broke.She
thought that the deed would not affect her. In act 2 she seems almost naive when
she argues: “A little water clears us of this deed: How easy is it then!” (2.2.66-67)
She is carefree here but shortly before dying she is full of worries. The crime
catches up to her (she cannot get rid of the blood stains). After her fainting in act 2
which showed us maybe the soft part of her nature she seems to be indifferent to
what happened.

The sleep-walking scene grants a view of Lady Macbeth’s wrecked psyche. She
has to suffer hell since this is the adequate form for a devilish person. With her
help Macbeth “murther’d Sleep“, but it is her now that “shall sleep no more“
(2.2.40-42). She did not behave like it was expected from a woman; instead she
violated the natural order. Now she has to pay dearly for that violation. She is
crushed by denying her female nature. Lady Macbeth’s barrenness emphasizes this
aspect: She is - like the witches - no real woman. Sigmund Freud saw a connection
between her barrenness and her breakdown.However, after Lady Macbeth’s death
her husband cannot show any sympathy for her anymore. His feelings for anyone
in this world are now simply non-existent. All the blood-shed corrupted him.

However, we also see a change in Lady Macbeth’s character in the end. Her
frailness (illness) in the sleep-walking scene portrays the other side of her nature.
She seems to feel guilty and remorse. But besides this there are also positive traits
in her, regardless whether her character changes in the end or not. Several critics
underlined the good nature of Lady Macbeth since she is a woman who suffers for
her husband’s career. She wants to see him as king and therefore puts all her
energy into pushing him to that aim. She encourages and supports him. One could
even say that Lady Macbeth is the examplary wife. It can be argued that it is not
really her who is to blame for the murders. She may have forced Macbeth into
doing these crimes but it is a fact also that he was willing to listen to her! Macbeth
contrary to her shows no remorse. Nowadays we may say that Macbeth is the only
true villain of the play because it was not the Weird Sisters who killed the king,
and it was not Lady Macbeth either.