“Macbeth” by William Shakespeare is filled with many complex and intriguing characters. However one character in particular caught my attention because of her devious and conniving ways, Lady Macbeth.
Lady Macbeth is also a cold, calculating woman. She goes into great detail planning the murder of King Duncan (Shakespeare). She leaves no stone unturned and goes about her plan with great fortitude. She is quite different from many female characters in the sense that murder does not disturb her. She is quite a blood thirsty lady! She assists in the plan by dipping her hands in Duncan’s blood and smearing it on the grooms (Shakespeare). This was a cold gesture on her part.
She also shows her manipulative nature on several occasions throughout the play. She first plays on Macbeth by questioning his love for her, goading him on to commit murder (Shakespeare). She also manipulates others who question the murder turning suspicion from her and her husband. She has a great tenacity, never giving up on her plan and seeing it through to the end. She also is quite a dreamer; she had grand ideas of what life will be like when Macbeth comes to power.
Lady Macbeth eventually does show some qualities of sympathy. As the play progresses she becomes haunted by her conscious (Shakespeare). She finds herself unable to sleep soundly and in a depressed state. She also obviously has some morals, as she can’t commit the murder herself because Duncan reminds her of her father. She relies on others to do her dirty work for her. She dreams about the blood on her hands, suggesting she was remorseful for her actions.
She eventually ends up a tormented soul with obsessive tendencies. She is unable to let go of the event she perpetrated. She sinks into eventual madness. The trust between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth becomes apparent damaging their marriage. She ends up a bitter, obsessive, and tormented woman instead of the successful, powerful one she had dreamed of.
In conclusion, Lady Macbeth is a very complex character. As the plot progresses, more is revealed about her true nature. The reader first feels that Lady Macbeth is a cold, sly woman without emotion or remorse. Towards the end of the play it is revealed that Lady Macbeth has paid the price for her ambition and becomes a more sympathetic character as she descends into madness.
Works Cited:
Shakespeare, W. Macbeth. Penguin Classics, 1999. Print.
