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The relationship between Lady Macbeth and Macbeth is explored thoroughly throughout the entirety of the play. Their relationship changes throughout and has an impact on one another's actions.
Right at the start of the play the first character we are introduced to out of the pair is Macbeth. Before he even enters the stage he’s described as “ brave “ and also a “ worthy man “ and has been said to have been in a fight and in fact won it. Straight away we are given the impression that he is a strong and noble character.
The first time the audience properly meets Macbeth himself is when he meets the witches. In this time witchcraft and the life of the supernatural was very looked down upon and believers of the sort were often punished, but straight away he’s intrigued by them. Although, at first, he seems startled by them and is questioned by Banquo. He asks “ Why do you start and seem to fear? “.
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Macbeth ignores the inquiry by Banquo and often asks the witches questions wanting to know more about them and what they have to say about him. These things they say include him being Thane of Glamis and Cawdor and also the future king. These predictions of the witches spawn a whole new idea into Macbeth’s head and illusion him into thinking that and nothing else. He very quickly becomes Thane of Glamis and Cawdor and suddenly gets ideas into his head about him being the future king and possibly murdering the current one to make the wishes predictions true as he believes that is the way it’s supposed to be now.
He makes his idea known to Banquo but describes it as “ Horrid image doth unfix my hair “ meaning it's a terrifying thought that makes his hairs stand. He then side tracks from this idea and says fate shall decide when that time will come and how it will. Given these points and our own knowledge of life in general and at home at the time and century Macbeth was written, 1606, and set, the eleventh century we’re tricked into thinking Macbeth will take the lead in the household. This is due to the fact that this was the case in those times, Men were the natural leaders and over rode the women while they were typically the caretakers of the men and the children. But as soon as we meet Lady Macbeth and the two as a pair we are very quickly proven wrong.
The audience first come into contact with Lady Macbeth when she enters Act 1 Scene 4 reading a letter in which she was sent from Macbeth. The letter reads how Macbeth has been greeted by the witches and how they hail him as the future king. Once she has read the letter Lady Macbeth looks up and expresses her concerns about regarding the information she has just been given. She’s unsure whether he’s capable of becoming all that the witches say. She proceeds to express her worry as Macbeth is “ too full o’th milk of human kindness “. This suggests that Macbeth is too pure and innocent, almost like a child and that according to Lady Macbeth to become king you must be powerful, ambitious and ruthless. Making it very obvious that she thinks Macbeth is neither of those things although before he was talked about in that manner while he was in a battle by characters such as Duncan and Malcom. She also says how he knows what he wants but is too afraid to do so, regarding the murder needed to take place, suggesting he’s a coward. Lady Macbeth wants him home quickly so she can persuade him. Later in the act a servant comes to deliver the news that the king will be arriving soon and once that servant leaves Lady Macbeth turns to the audience to give a ‘ speech ‘ which makes it very clear to us the exact person that she is.
She says things in such an evil spirit and way. For example “...come you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts “ regarding thoughts of murder. She’s trying to summon them to take over normal human thoughts and instead changing them for inhumane ones ( the idea of killing and murdering the innocent ). She wants her blood to be thickened so she won’t feel any remorse that could possibly and potentially prevent her cunning plan, “ Make thick my blood “. Other quotes indicating her true evil spirits can conclude of “ Take my milk for gall, you murdering ministers. “ speaking of turning a sweet natural substance ( a women's milk ) into poison. Shakespeare also interestingly uses harsh words such as “ thick night “ and “ smoke of hell “ supposedly to add to the sense of the inhumane topic and true raw evilnesses of Lady Macbeth and her thinking. This whole ‘ speech ‘ of Lady Macbeths is her taunting and downgrading him much little to his knowledge at this current moment.
As soon as Macbeth enters the stage he greets his wife with “ my dearest love “ and proceeds to inform her of the kings arrive. The use of this sentence could be Shakespeare's way of showing us that their relationship is either very one sided or Lady Macbeth completely puts up a fake front to her husbands. “ my dearest love “ is a very passionate and affectionate array of words portraying a very romantic and loving man towards his wife. Whereas on the other hand, Lady Macbeth acts in a nice way towards him, being very disingenuous as we know how she has previously spoken of him and addresses him as the “ Thane of Glamis and Cawdor and soon to be king “. Although we as the audience know that Lady Macbeth doesn't think that as she doesn't think he’s worthy. In my opinion, I think she is now forcing a nice upfront in order to manipulate him into thinking she believes in him and is on his side for this. She’s trying very hard to do so. This could be for multiple reasons but to me I think it’s so Macbeth thinks she’s supportive of him and with him throughout and so he begins to believe that if he doesn't do we she says he will disappoint her. Him thinking that would make it a lot easier for Lady Macbeth in the long run so she can manipulate and brainwash him into thinking and doing what she wants as Macbeth will think she's doing it out of the goodwill of her heart. Not for her actual intentions which we will later begin to explore. Throughout the entirety of the very key part of the play Lady Macbeth emasculates Macbeth and often criticized his flaws. An example of this being when he expresses his fears she calls him a coward.
By the time Act 1 ends Macbeth, under the persuasion of Lady Macbeth has killed King Duncan to now become king himself. He is horrified with the deed he has just done. Shakespeare makes a very clear and obvious link with faith and beliefs in this part of the play. He has Macbeth commonly referring to his faith and has him say things like “ I could not say amen when they did say god bless us all “ he’s referring to how the servants said god bless us all but he couldn't reply due to the guilt of him disobeying god and his views. The way Macbeth has gone and murdered an innocent soul, someone who he had respect for because his wife had influenced and manipulated him into doing so, truly shows the toxic relationship between the two. Shakespeare constantly reminds us of this by showing us the negative power Lady Macbeth has over Macbeth with her words and actions.
In Act 2 we see a different side to Lady Macbeth almost immediately. She is now expresses her own fears and showing anxiety towards what her husband has done although previously she criticized him for doing exactly that. I think Shakespeare does this to show that underneath the controlling side of her she is the same as Macbeth. Maybe she's insecure about those aspects of herself so she therefore tears those similar ones that she sees in Macbeth down to make herself feel better. But again, she criticizes him “ a foolish thought, to say a sorry sight “ making him feel stupid or strange for feeling remorse. Over the course of this act she continues to get her way and seizes her power over Macbeth even though he is now king.
In this Act we seem to see Macbeth suffer following “ the deed “. He’s afraid to go back and look at the body, the blood, the weapon, he says how he would rather be dead than live with the awful thought of what he has done. “Better be with the dead whom we, to gain our peace, have sent to peace…”. He also fears Banquo as he feels he knows what he has done. To fix the problem he is now ordering others to murder him for him. This is a dramatic change for him. Before he was terrified at the thought of murder although eventually doing it anyway and now he’s ordering a murder to take place but isn't doing it himself. Is this possibly Shakespeare's way of telling us he truly is afraid and cowardly?
Another change has also happened. This time not only has Macbeth made the decision to murder Banquo by himself but he hasn't told his wife, Lady Macbeth about any of it. This could mean he’s finally taking control over his own actions and words and its Shakespeare's way of showing us.
If we skip to the end of the play when Lady Macbeth dies in Act 5 Macbeth seems to show no emotion and doesn't care. He’s not remorseful in the slightest. This shows his true character development towards his wife massively. At the start of the play he was completely and utterly controlled by her and did whatever she said at the expense of murder. He also spoke highly of her, addressing her as his “ dearest love “ and now he seems like a completely different person who doesn't care about her at all. Which Shakespeare shows very well.
Overall, in conclusion, the relationship between Lady Macbeth and Macbeth is extremely complicated and the dynamics between the two are constantly changingthey are both completely driven and blinded by the concept of having power. which evidently makes them do inhumane things. Lady Macbeth's power in the relationship is completely gone before her death showing a major difference from the type of character and person she was in the beginning of the play. At the same point Macbeth has become a strong, independent character but at the same time being blinded by power.
Shakespeare shows this by his use of language.
How Does Shakespeare Portray The Relationship Between Lady Macbeth and Macbeth. (2024, Feb 10). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/how-does-shakespeare-portray-the-relationship-between-lady-macbeth-and-macbeth-essay
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