Character Sketch of Lady Macbeth

Lady Macbeth is well respected like Macbeth. King Duncan calls her "our honored hostess." She is loving to her husband but at the same time very ambitious, she has a strong need for Macbeth to be king. This outcome will not benefit her and her husband equally. She says that "the fastest way" for Macbeth to become king is by murdering King Duncan.

Lady Macbeth's thoughts make her appear as cold and ambitious. To prepare for what she feels must be done she calls on evil spirits to "stop up th' access and passage to remorse" in order to be resentless. Otherwise she would not be able to complete the acts.

Lady Macbeth knows her husband well. She thinks he may be too kind in order to murder King Duncan. This is why she forgets her conscience so she can presuade Macbeth into murdering Duncan. At first Macbeth agrees. But later Macbeth ponders his decision. But Lady Macbeth is sure that being king is what Macbeth really wants and that this is the best for both of them.To make sure he will go through with it Lady Macbeth manipulates him by questioning his manhood and his love for her. She is successful because regardless of his own conscience Macbeth carries out their plan of murder.

The strength of Lady Macbeth also shows her her sneaky and devious ways.These are shown through her meticulous attention to detail about the murder. When Macbeth returns to their chamber she goes back to the murder scene and cleverly smears the guards with Duncan's blood. However, her morals had prevailed just a while before as revealed through her comment that she would have killed Duncan herself had he not "resembled [her] father as he slept."

Maybe Lady Macbeth felt that suppressing her conscience for the deed was enough and that later the thought of the horrible act woul go away. This is the oppisite of what becomes of her. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth often cannot go to sleep, and if they do, they experience nightmares. But still, Lady Macbeth is able to maintain her sanity and composure during the day, even more than her husband. She urges him to be light hearted and happy. Once she practically rescues Macbeth from revealing what he has done. When Macbeth sees Banquo's ghost she creates an excuse to explain his odd behavior. She attempts to chestize Macbeth by again questioning his manhood. When the situation grows worse she takes charge and hurridley tell the lords to leave the feast.

Later, the burden of Lady Macbeth's conscience becomes too great for her and her mental and physical condition deteriorates. A gentlewoman observes her sleepwalking and consults a doctor. The doctor and the lady observe Lady Macbeth sleepwalking, madly trying to cleanse her hands of the blood of Duncan and Macduff's family. Still in her sleep, Lady Macbeth asks, "what, will these hands ne're be clean?" foreseeing that she will never have peace of mind. She also tells events of the day Duncan was murdered. The doctor tells the gentlewoman that what Lady Macbeth needs is spiritual and not physical help.

Lady Macbeth's condition worsens, and she goes in and out of sleep with crazy visions. Macbeth asks the doctor to cure her or give her a drug that will erase the troubles of the heart. The doctor responds that he cures physical not mental problems. Later, as the battle is going on outside of Dunsinane, Lady Macbeth commits suicide.

At the beginning Lady Macbeth finds strength to entice Macbeth to murder Duncan and to follow through with the murder herself. As time goes on, her pretended strength fais as she fights her conscience. Tending to her conscience consumes and enables her to support Macbeth against Malcolm. Lady Macbeth's attempts to put down her conscience fails. At the end she chooses death because she can no longer bear the her guilt.