Macbeth

Compare Lady Macbeth in Act 5 Scene 1 with her character in earlier scenes.

Do you agree with Malcolm's description of her do being a “fiend like queen?”

From her introduction in Act 1 Scene 5 we see the character of Lady Macbeth evolve from that of an ambitious wife scheming for the advancement of her husband to that of a woman, who being filled with guilt about her actions, skirts on the edge of madness. Malcolm describes her as a “fiend of a Queen” and I believe that this description, although at times accurate, only deals with one aspect of her character though it may have been the person she aspired to be.

Act 1 Scene 5 opens with Lady Macbeth reading a letter from her husband. After reading about the prophetic words he has received she immediately concerned that her husband, though ambitious, is “too full o’th’ the milk of human kindness” and that he will not take the steps necessary for such a future to come to pass. At this stage Lady

Macbeth appears to be a strong woman who is willing to do whatever it takes for her husband to become king, therefore fulfilling the prophecy given from the witches. In Act 1 scene 5 we read from the letter, “These weird sisters saluted me and referred me to the coming on of time, with “Hail, king that shalt be.” Macbeth refers to his wife as “my dearest partner of greatness”. I think Macbeth uses is wife as an agent to fulfil his temptation knowing that he himself is not able to accomplish this on his own.

In Act 1 scene 5 we see that Lady Macbeth also needs assistance to aid her in getting rid of Duncan the King. She starts of her speech referring to a raven, which is considered to be a bird that symbolises death. She says “The raven himself is hoarse”. She then calls upon the evil spirits to assist her in her murderous plan. “Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here and fill me from the crown to the toe topfull of direst cruelty, make thick my blood”. As we can see her character is...