Lady Macbeth is portrayed as a typical femme fatal, using manipulation to effectively control her husband and convince him to commit murder. She continuously questions his masculinity until he feels he has no choice but to prove himself by killing. Even after the murder, Lady Macbeth remains strong, providing support for her husband. So far in the play, Lady Macbeth learns about the impending visit of the king and hears about the witches and their prophecies.
Despite being a bold and ambitious woman with worldly views, she strongly believes in witchcraft and magic, which was widely accepted in Scotland during this time. While she shares her husband’s ambition, she lacks his loyalty to the King, causing him to hesitate in following her advice. Once she learns about the King’s visit, she immediately decides that he will not survive his time at Machete’s castle.
Believing the witches’ prediction about her husband becoming king, Lady Macbeth resolves to remove any obstacle to its fulfillment by urging Macbeth to commit murder. She reads a letter from her husband, revealing his encounter with the witches and their prophecy of him becoming King of Scotland and Lord of Castor. Lady Macbeth eagerly anticipates these future distinctions and fails to consider that Duncan and his sons may also be fated to die before Macbeth’s ascent to the throne. Macbeth himself briefly entertains the possibility when he remarks that chance may crown him without his own doing. However, Lady Macbeth, driven by her ambition and ruthlessness, immediately suggests the appalling idea of killing Duncan, which she forcefully pressures onto Macbeth against his will.
Such a crime, involving intentional regicide and a horrifying violation of the responsibilities of a capitalist, was never even considered by the real Lady Macbeth. Although she was a determined woman, when she learns about the royal visit, she praises her husband for his newfound status and potential royalty. However, the thought of murdering their guest and sovereign immediately comes to her agitated and unwilling mind. She is an entirely hardened and ambition-driven woman, lacking any moral scruples. In relation to her status and personal motives, her supposed love for Macbeth, which has been emphasized greatly, appears to deserve little, if any, praise.
The Macbeths are depicted as ruthless and ungrateful, exhibiting shrewd conduct. Their primary objective is to acquire power and wealth, disregarding any repercussions. They will do whatever it takes to accomplish their aspirations, solely driven by their selfish ambitions. Their actions lack justification. Moreover, there is a poignant moment in which Macbeth, who is still innocent and loyal to his king, implores his wife to abandon their plot for murder. Nevertheless, she manipulates him with even greater malevolence than the witches had attempted.
Despite his interview with them, he maintains a trace of moral guidance that she completely lacks. Gradually, he fully submits to her wishes and manipulation. Ann-feminism, the notion that masculinity is vital for gaining power, dominates Lady Machete’s immediate mindset. Nevertheless, this viewpoint is deceptive; she is not solely detached or ambitious regarding religion. To prepare herself for what she deems necessary, she calls upon malevolent spirits to ensure an absence of remorse and retain unwavering determination.
Otherwise, her conscience would hinder her from taking action, but she eventually wants to become a man in order to carry out the deed herself. Lady Machete’s character revolves around the interplay of gender and power: her husband implies that she has a masculine essence within a female form, which links masculinity to ambition and violence. However, Shakespeare seems to use her and the witches to challenge Machete’s notion that only men have unwavering determination and bravery.
The crafty women in the play use manipulation to achieve power, which is considered a female method. The play suggests that women can be just as ambitious and cruel as men, but societal constraints restrict their ability to pursue their ambitions. Lady Macbeth believes that femininity is associated with compassion and kindness, while masculinity is linked to extreme cruelty. She criticizes her husband for being too kind, implying that he lacks the necessary power to be a monarch. Lady Macbeth later uses this perception of his kindness to manipulate him into murdering the king, challenging his masculinity in the process. Lady Macbeth tries to reject her feminine traits and adopt a more masculine mindset, as she believes that society views feminine qualities as weak.
According to Robert Cumbrous, in his article titled “Macbeth: The Prisoner of Gender,” he suggests that in Elizabethan literature, specifically in Macbeth, there is a belief that being “manly” means displaying aggression, courage, bravery, determination, and strength when facing death. On the other hand, Cumbrous argues that Lady Macbeth desires to be cruel because she sees it as a characteristic associated with calculation. However, in order for her to achieve cruelty, she must suppress the emotions of love that reside in her heart – the place where “remorse,” pity, and compassion stem from; all of which are inherent aspects of human nature.
Lady Macbeth dares to question Machete’s manhood, claiming that he must adopt masculine traits and collaborate with her in their quest for kingship. She opines that only by having the audacity to kill Duncan will Macbeth truly earn her respect as a man, transcending ordinary masculinity. Lady Macbeth acknowledges Machete’s weaknesses but remains unwavering in her scheme; moreover, she displays profound insight into her spouse’s nature.
Lady Macbeth doubts whether her husband, Macbeth, has the capacity to kill King Duncan because of his gentle nature. In order to guarantee that he follows through with the murder, she suppresses her own guilt. Initially, Macbeth agrees to the scheme but later becomes unsure. Nevertheless, Lady Macbeth remains convinced that becoming king is Macbeth’s true desire and insists it is in their best interest. To overcome his hesitation, Lady Macbeth manipulates him by questioning his manhood and his love for her. Her manipulation proves successful as Macbeth eventually executes their plan without considering his own conscience.
The similarities between Lady Macbeth and the three witches are evident. Lady Macbeth’s dangerous nature is comparable to the “bearded” sisters who are linked to an external force that drives Macbeth towards committing murder. Lady Macbeth’s speech about being “unsexed” aligns her with witchcraft and the supernatural as she calls upon spirits and mentions the “smoke of hell” and “murdering ministers.” While the three witches make the prophecy and indicate that Macbeth will succeed Duncan, Lady Macbeth is often considered the fourth witch because she compels Macbeth to ultimately order Duncan’s death.
Witches were seen as an extreme form of anti-mother, even believed to have the ability to cook and consume their own offspring. While Lady Macbeth may not exhibit violence towards her child with the same level of grotesqueness, she certainly displays a sense of brutality when she declares her willingness to crush the baby’s skull. Lady Macbeth’s cunning and almost supernatural strength are showcased through her careful focus on every minute aspect of the murder.
When Macbeth returns to their chamber, Lady Macbeth cunningly smears the grooms with Duncan’s blood following the murder. It is possible that she believed suppressing her conscience for the act would suffice and that eventually the memory of it would fade away. However, the outcome does not align with her expectations. Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth frequently struggle to sleep, with Lady Macbeth experiencing an even greater loss of sanity and composure during daylight hours than her husband does. She implores him to maintain a cheerful and carefree demeanor. Nevertheless, as time goes on, her simulated strength diminishes as she battles against the torment of her guilt.
Lady Macbeth’s moral conscience overwhelms her and makes her unable to support Macbeth against Malcolm. Despite her efforts to suppress her conscience, she fails. Eventually, she chooses death because she can no longer bear the torment of her guilt. In Inverness, Macbeth’s castle, Lady Macbeth reads a letter from Macbeth announcing his promotion and his encounter with the witches. Lady Macbeth acknowledges Macbeth’s ambition but worries that he is too kind-hearted to take the necessary actions to become king.
In this scene, Lady Macbeth determines to persuade her husband to do whatever it takes to seize the crown. A messenger enters and informs her that the king is approaching the castle, with Macbeth on his way as well. While waiting for her husband’s arrival, Lady Macbeth delivers a famous speech where she implores, “you spirits / That tend on mortal thoughts, unsexes me here, / And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full / Of direst cruelty.” She is determined to set aside her natural femininity in order to carry out the ruthless actions necessary for seizing the crown. Macbeth arrives, and he and his wife discuss the impending visit from the king.
Macbeth informs his wife that Duncan intends to leave on the following day, but Lady Macbeth confidently asserts that the king will never live to see tomorrow. She advises her husband to be patient and entrust the plan to her. In Act 1, Scene 6, Duncan commends the pleasant atmosphere of the castle and expresses gratitude towards Lady Macbeth, who has come forward to greet him, for her hospitality. Lady Macbeth explains that it is her duty to show hospitality as she and her husband are indebted to their king. Within the castle, as oboes play and servants prepare a table for the evening’s feast, Macbeth paces alone, contemplating his thoughts on assassinating Duncan.
Macbeth considers several reasons why he should not kill Duncan: Duncan is Macbeth’s relative, ruler, and host; furthermore, he is widely respected as a virtuous king. Macbeth acknowledges that his only motive for murdering the king is his own ambition, which he realizes is an unreliable guide. Lady Macbeth enters and informs her husband that the king has finished dinner and has been asking for Macbeth. Macbeth declares that he no longer plans to kill Duncan. Infuriated, Lady Macbeth accuses him of being a coward and questions his masculinity, stating, “When you dared to do it, then you were a man.”
He asks her what will happen if they fail; she assures him that as long as they are courageous, they will succeed. Then she reveals her plan: while Duncan is sleeping, she intends to intoxicate his chamberlains with wine and then she and Macbeth can enter unnoticed and kill Duncan. They will then place the blood of Duncan on the sleeping chamberlains to shift the blame onto them. Impressed by the genius and audacity of her plan, Macbeth expresses his belief that her fearlessness gives him hope that she will only give birth to male offspring. He then agrees to proceed with the assassination.
As Macbeth walks towards Dunce’s chamber, Lady Macbeth enters, commenting on her audacity. She envisions Macbeth assassinating the king at that very moment. Upon hearing Macbeth’s cry, she worries that he might fail – she had personally prepared the daggers for the chamberlains. She declares that she would have committed the regicide herself right then and there if the king hadn’t resembled her father while sleeping. Macbeth emerges, his hands stained with blood, and confirms that the deed is accomplished. Profoundly disturbed, he mentions hearing the chamberlains wake up and say their prayers before going back to sleep.
When they said “amen,” he attempted to say it as well, but found that the word got stuck in his throat. He mentions that while he killed the king, he thought he heard a voice cry out: “Sleep no more, / Macbeth does murder sleep”. Lady Macbeth initially tries to calm her husband, but she becomes furious when she realizes that he forgot to leave the daggers with the sleeping chamberlains in order to frame them for Duncan’s murder. He refuses to go back into the room, so she enters the room herself with the daggers, stating that she would be ashamed to be as cowardly as Macbeth. As she departs, Macbeth hears a mysterious knocking.
Lady Macbeth is the most memorable character in the play, as her violent and powerful soliloquies in Act 1, scenes 5 and 7 demonstrate her willpower, which surpasses that of her husband. The portentous sound frightens Macbeth, causing him to desperately ask if the ocean can cleanse the blood from his hands. Lady Macbeth returns to the hall, and as the knocking continues, she guides her husband back to the bedchamber to wash away the blood. “A little water clears us of this deed,” she assures him, emphasizing how easy it is.
She is aware of the difference in their resolutions and knows she will need to manipulate her husband to act on the prophecy from the witches. Her soliloquy in Act 1, scene 5, starts to explore gender roles in the play, specifically the value and essence of masculinity. In her soliloquy, she rejects her feminine traits, declaring “unsex me here” and desiring her breast milk to be replaced with “gall” so she can kill Duncan herself. These statements reveal Lady Macbeth’s belief that being a man means being capable of murder.
In Act 1, scene 7, Lady Macbeth taunts her hesitant husband about his manhood, pushing him to murder Duncan. Throughout the play, she continues to mock Macbeth’s masculinity whenever he shows weakness. Macbeth even suggests that Lady Macbeth should only give birth to sons because of her boldness and courage. This statement implies that he admires her bravery and agrees with her belief that courage and intelligence are masculine qualities.
However, the comment indicates that Macbeth is also contemplating his legacy. He admires Lady Macbeth’s boldness and masculinity, seeing them as admirable qualities, while Lady Macbeth uses her supposed masculine traits for sinister and cruel intentions. Unlike Macbeth, who is conflicted, Lady Macbeth is solely driven by the desire for immediate power. She appears forcefully when her husband is unsure and forcefully dismisses his rational and moral arguments, questioning his manhood. She challenges him to commit the murder, using taunting words instead of persuasion.
Under Lady Macbeth’s influence, all of Machete’s objections vanish and he can only weakly respond with “If we should fail?” to counter her passionate challenge. The notion of a moral order is present as Machete acknowledges that there will undoubtedly be consequences. Nevertheless, Machete’s resistance is not strong enough to withstand his wife’s manipulation. The impact on Lady Macbeth after her visit to Duncan’s bedroom is particularly noteworthy. She asserts that she would have murdered Duncan personally if he didn’t resemble her sleeping father.
Lady Macbeth’s vulnerability is displayed for the first time when she compares Duncan to her father. This indicates that despite her desire for power and her harsh treatment of Macbeth, she views her king as an authority figure deserving of loyalty. When Macbeth expresses his distress over the blood on his hands that cannot be washed away, Lady Macbeth remains rational and suggests that water can remove the blood. However, she eventually recognizes that the guilt represented by the blood requires more than just water for cleansing.
