At the beginning of the play, her speech is direct and to the point. She is very much in control of her speech, and uses it to dominate and manipulate her husband. She speaks in a metaphorical way, a manner of speaking in which the witches use, and so gives her speech almost a spiritual feel. Her words ‘tap’ into the spiritual world, and she seems to have a connection with the spirits through her words, thus showing not only her control over Macbeth but her possible control over the future. Her language shows the audience the real intensity of her evil and her true character and feelings, and so heightens the suspense of her character.
However, as the play goes on, Lady Macbeth’s speech loses its power and control, as she reveals how the crimes have affected her. Her words are tortured and guilt-ridden, and this really emphasises and dramatizes her mental breakdown towards the end of the play. Her words have lost all sense and she constantly refers to blood on her hands, this sense of repetition is feverish and agitated, thus giving the scene that further feel of abnormality. Her speech is no longer written in blank verse, but in prose, and so gives it a choppy, abrupt quality, lurching from one incident to another, which signifies and illuminates Lady Macbeth’s rapid slide into desperation and madness, compared to her speech in blank verse at the beginning of the play, the strong rhythms reflecting her strong, determined grasp of reality. The writing brilliantly recreates what it means to break down and so wonderfully dramatizes her change. The language deteriorates as the play progresses, resulting in an almost mute Lady Macbeth at the end, her once commanding and organized speech has disappeared, as has her fiery personality.
At the beginning of the play, Lady Macbeth holds dominance and control over her husband, and it is her readiness of mind and strength