Superstition In Macbeth

“Art thou afeard/to be the same in thine own act of valour” (I.iv.43-44). In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Lady Macbeth plays the role of Macbeth’s wife and together they go through the tragic murders that forever changed their lives. The whole play is surrounded by superstition which causes Lady Macbeth to undergo some developmental changes. There are three main changes: selfishness, sympathy towards others, and a two-faced personality, which lead to her unfortunate downfall. Lady Macbeth uses her selfishness to grant her wish for power.

Lady Macbeth is portrayed as a selfish character who will do anything to fulfill her personal greed. She often uses her manipulative ways to get others, such as Macbeth, to do deeds that benefit her well
When Lady Macbeth thought about the murders and all the pain she has caused others, she often called upon the 'evil spirits' to enter her, (I.V.40-55). For Lady Macbeth, this means she cannot perform the acts by herself and needs help from supernatural force. The 'evil spirits' help her cope with the murder of Duncan, which proves she is not in a clear state of mind. After Banquo had been brutally murdered, Lady Macbeth was visibly shocked. “Are you a man?” (III.iv.62) she asks Macbeth as to attempt him to stop thinking about the murder so she has an easier time hiding behind a mask as well. She had enough compassion and had already gotten what she wanted so there was no need for more deaths. After most of the killings had passed, Lady Macbeth's two-faced personalitiy started to dwindle. Not only was that a sign but that Lady Macbeth started sleep walking and talking in her sleep (V.i.3-7 ). That is most commonly associated with a guilty conscience or a large amount of mental stress, which finally takes its toll in the next few
She could not suppress the guilt and as a result, became mentally unstable. Shakespeare demonstrates this by using a method modern authors use: sleepwalking and talking (V.i.42-45). Her Gentlewomen shows concern for her well being, just as Lady Macbeth depicts concern towards her husband after he had been worried about Banquo not being dead, “Banquo's buried, he cannot come out on's grave!”(V.i.63-64). In this moment, Lady Macbeth has shown the most compassion she has towards anyone in the play. All the murders in the end made her visibly uncomfortable with the was she got blood on her hands, literally and metaphorically. She had been beaten down by her own mind that she broke down and has shown others how truly regretful she