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...