An Analysis Of Lady Macbeth

Lady Macbeth is one of the most intriguing characters in Shakespeare’s works, often referenced as a powerful female in English literature. She is perceived as a kind hostess, sending servants to tend to her guests’ needs. She is regarded as a ruthlessly ambitious woman who yearns for power and position. Despite her husband’s success in the battlefield, Lady Macbeth is viewed as stronger than Macbeth. She is firm and absolute on her desires. She is consumed by masculinity and finds flaws in femininity hence her appeal to take out her feminine qualities to achieve her goal in being queen. This is also handed by her belief that her husband lacks the gull to do the dirty work necessary to become king.

Fueled by the three witches’ prophecies that Macbeth will be king and the future kings will descend from Banquo, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth committed regicide to claim the crown. They murdered King Duncan in his bedchamber and killed primary witnesses as well. With heavy suspicion in King Duncan’s murder, his two sons, Donalbain and Malcolm flee the country for safety and Macbeth led Scotland as king. The second prophecy is rooted on Lady Macbeth’s inability to give birth to a child that will carry on Macbeth’s lineage. To address this, Macbeth arranged for the murder of his fellow soldier Banquo and his son, Fleance. The murderers were successful in killing Banquo but his son escaped. Born out of guilt, Macbeth sees the ghost of Banquo on the banquet. Lady Macbeth bore the same guilt on the murder of King Duncan. She fell ill and walks in her sleep, often reliving details of the murder.

More than the result of her guilty conscience, Lady Macbeth’s somnambulism is caused by the disintegration of her personalities. At first, she exudes a character of a strong woman, possessing bravery and firmness. However, her complex ambition has dominated her will that she intends to stop at nothing until it is accomplished. This fixation is deemed to be the cause of her downfall. Moreover, she trusted to have bravery and courage when she does not. Lady Macbeth’s inability to find redemption in the hand she played in the murder of King Duncan continued to terrorize her existence leading to her decision to end it. While considered tragic, her violent death at the end of a violent reign, in a way constituted justice.