William Shakespeare's Macbeth

William Shakespeare's Macbeth

Lady Macbeth first appears in Act 1, Scene 5 whereby she is reading a

letter from Macbeth informing her of his prophecies. This scene shows

just how close Macbeth and Lady Macbeth were at the beginning of the

play; it shows their original relationship. After reading the letter

Lady Macbeth is thinking about the opportunities open to her and

Macbeth. She is immediately conscious of the significance of the

predictions, and as the King will be paying a royal visit soon, this

will give them the opportunity to hurry the prophecy. She shows great

determination and ambition from the beginning, “shalt be/What thou art

promised”. This suggests that she is young for she has big ambition.

However, she may be old as she is determined to get her last chance of

power for in Shakespearean times mean were thought of first and women

occupied a lesser status to men in society.

Lady Macbeth is planning to put evil thoughts in Macbeth’s mind, “that

I may pour my spirits in thine ear” as she knows that she has to push

her husband in order for him to achieve greatness and hassle him on to

the murder he must commit. She is doubting Macbeth’s ability to gain

the title king as she fears that his nature is not ruthless enough, is

"too full o' th' milk of human kindness," to murder Duncan and assure

the completion of the witches' prophesy. She thinks he is too innocent

and pure as she relates his innocence and purity to milk which a baby

depends upon from their mother. She speaks of how he lacks ambition,

“art not without ambition” which adds to one of his weaknesses. These

establish the fact that she knows him so well, she know...

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...t 5, Scene1 as she

has become weak and less confident. She begins talking in her sleep.

She has become mad and starts ranting and raving, “Out, damned spot!”

Out I say!” which shows she is breaking down for in previous scenes

she was more in control. She shows excessive fear of blood as she

tries to remove blood from Ducan, “look, how she rubs her hands” she

cannot forget about the blood on her hands and the image haunts her.

AS well as seeing it, she can smell it and it cant be remove, “all the

perfumes in Arabia, will not sweeten this little hand” this links to

Macbeth’s point about the blood being unable to be washed away by

Neptunes oceans. Lady Macbeth reflects on what happened after the

murder of Duncan and her behaviour at the Banquet “to bed, to bed”.

She is echoing her husband’s behaviour and is hallucinating.