Macbeth

The Shakespearian play ‘Macbeth’ is a play filled with violence, conflicts and mysterious environments. Many intriguing and intelligent characters litter the plot, grabbing the viewer, or reader’s interest and carrying them into the story. Perhaps the most interesting and deceitful of characters was Lady Macbeth. When we first meet Lady Macbeth, she is powerful and courageous, but as the plot progresses we witness her plummet to her own horrifying demise. Strong minded, fearless, and intellectually powerful are just a few of the terms that can be used to describe Lady Macbeth when we first meet her. She was the mastermind behind the killing of Duncan, which led to the downfall of Macbeth as well. Her cunning plan to end the king’s life was nearly flawless, she had planned how to frame someone else for the deed, and who would expect the owners of the household to be the murderers' This plan helps us understand her intellectual level, which is far higher than what most of the other characters of the play expect her to be sitting at. She does not carry out the act of killing for one simple reason, she sees her father when she looks at the sleeping Duncan and cannot bring herself to kill him. This shows us that she does have some compassion and respect for human life. Macbeth carries out the act after Lady Macbeth challenges his ‘manhood’. When the dazed and blood-covered Macbeth emerges, Lady Macbeth is slightly angered with her husband’s incompetence but quickly rushes off with the bloody daggers to frame the two servants. Upon her return she states. “A little water cleans me of this deed.” These words show us that she is confident with her actions, and does not see herself or her husband being caught. In the beginning Lady Macbeth is the strongest character but soon her seemingly unbreakable character shatters. Her guilt seemed nonexistent, but as the plot progressed we could see her guilt slowly emerge from her subconscious and ultimately consumer her. The acts she and her husband committed were beginning to strain her more and more, until she cracked, and fell into pieces. Her calm exterior after the death of Duncan, slowly progressed as Banquo was killed, then as Macduff’s family was slaughtered we saw her demons come out, and consumer her. The once unbreakable character known as Lady Macbeth had fallen to pieces by Act five. Her famous words “ A little water cleans us of this deed.” Were now coming back to haunt her. The blood that the water cleansed her of, was not washing off any longer and her hallucinations were becoming all the more vivid, driving her to the point of insanity. She ranted and mumbled about the people who had been murdered. She spoke of Banquo. “Banquo is buried. He cannot come out on his grave.” Were her words regarded his current state. She also spoke of Lady Macduff. “The Thane of Fife had a wife. Where is she now'” Her words show us how her guilt had led to her downfall and ultimately her death. After we hear her speak those words we never see her again. A few scenes later we are informed of her death by suicide. Even the strongest walls can fall, and the same goes for Lady Macbeth. Once the strongest character in the entire play, she became the weakest when she was consumed by her demons. Even the toughest, strongest, and most powerful people can succumb to guilt, which was exactly what happened to Lady Macbeth. We were pulled into this plot, and saw exactly how one can succumb to the feelings of regret. After one succumbs the time before they deteriorate is short, and with lady Macbeth it was only a short while until she went mad and killed herself to escape the feelings that were eating her alive.