Lady Macbeth: A True Villain

One of the most significant characters in Macbeth, and one of Shakespeare's most famous villains, is Lady Macbeth. People generally gravitate towards the idea that the antagonist in Macbeth is Macbeth himself, when in fact, the true villain and the one who made Macbeth into the villain he could be perceived as, is none other than Lady Macbeth. Through her dialogue and actions, she is a bold and relentless woman and even more ambitious than her husband. Nevertheless, she still has a concious and in the end it is her undoing. It is her cunning and manipulative nature that convinces Macbeth to murder Duncan and sets the play into action. In Act I, after Macbeth and Banquo are met by the witches and given their prophecies, Macbeth writes a letter to his wife and tells her that he will become Thane of Cawdor and the King of Scotland. Lady Macbeth immediately reacts to this news by saying, "Glamis thou art, and Cawdor; and shalt be what thou art promised" (1.5 359-60). By saying this, it's evident that she's aware of the impact that she is capable of having over Macbeth and his weak will. It's clear that she is willing to do whatever it takes to get what she desires and receive the benefits that would come hand in hand with Macbeth being

After learning this, she feels faint and has to be physically carried from the room. When Macbeth suggests killing Banquo, Lady Macbeth protests because she doesn't find it neccessary and is uncomfortable with the idea. After the murders of Banquo and Lady Macduff and her children, Lady Macbeth's mental health is on a downward sprial. She is so consumed by guilt and has gotten so sick that the doctor treating her says that the only thing that could help her now is "the divine" (5.1 2197). Unable to cope with her guilt, Lady Macbeth eventually loses her mind. This ultimately is her undoing and at the end of Act V, she commits