How Is Lady Macbeth A Disturbed Character

A disturbed character is presented in Macbeth and the poems Havisham and Medusa, more specifically it is the female characters who shown to be disturbed. The disturbed character is presented by Shakespeare in his portrayal of the blood thirsty and ambitious Lady Macbeth. In Carol Ann Duffy's poetry, she shows that the disturbed mind of a female character is still a thrilling topic for readers in her poems ‘Havisham’ and ‘Medusa’.

Women in both Macbeth and Havisham are presented as having disturbed minds through acts violence and madness. In act 1, Scene 7 Lady Macbeth states how she would have ‘dash’d the brains out’ of her child. This quote shows that she would have had the strength to bring her own baby to if she had promised to do so.

Lady Macbeth’s instability is shown when she realises the consequences of her sinning actions. In Act 5, Scene 1, Lady Macbeth says ‘Out, damned spot! Out, I say!’ This line in Act 5 is said by Lady Macbeth as she sleepwalks which demonstrates is her guilt. The word ‘spot’ highlights the fact that this is not just any old spot; in fact, this is a bloodstain from the murder that was committed. The bloodstain is impossible to wash, scrub or even clean it which is symbolic of her guilt that never, like the bloodstain, can be washed away. Even Macbeth had said that the ocean couldn’t wash his hand clean of Duncan’s blood. However, the word 'spot' is not what suggests abnormality about the spot itself; it’s the manner in which it is said using an exclamation mark. Shakespeare message is that even though she and Macbeth just murdered someone they will always carry their guilt. To a Jacobean audience, it would be fair to assume, that they would be shocked by this nature as during the Jacobean era women never had the right to manipulate their husband. It is clear to see how Lady Macbeth’s mind is disturbed due to the guilt she feels. In contrast, Carol Ann Duffy uses different techniques to Shakespeare, which show disturbance through the use of extreme language. In Stanza 2 Line 5, Medusa says ‘bullet tears in my eyes’, this emphasises that her tears are as rapid as bullets from a gun. The Gorgons were

One of the key themes in the Havisham poem is that deep loss and tragedy can affect a character and their mental stability. In this poem, we are shown a character who is so hurt that she has stopped living and now wallows in her grief and loss. The quote ‘Give me a male corpse for a long slow honeymoon’ shows that she there is still a little bit of desperation for a man. Havisham's psycho nature is also presented as she asks for a 'male corpse'. She is so affected by this man that she is asking for a dead corpse to take for 'long slow' honeymoon. Furthermore, the phrase ‘male corpse’ and ‘long slow honeymoon’ is an example of dark imagery. The last line of the poem "don't think it's the only heart that b-b-b-breaks' is an example of onomatopoeia which is used disturbingly to mock the sound of a heartbreak or the human heart slowly breaking into pieces. Carol Ann uses the repetition of the letter ‘b’ to create the effect of stammering and stuttering on the last word of the poem is ultimately making the statement so powerful. This emphasises how long her heart has been broken and that she herself has finally reached the state of being mentally disturbed. In Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, his wife; Lady Macbeth is presented in many ways, but her character is mainly presented as a woman who is both crazy and disturbed. In Act One, Scene 5 when she has received the letter