Contents

Sketch the character of Lady Macbeth.

‘Lady Macbeth suffers no less than Macbeth’. Discuss the statement.

Lady Macbeth-As a women, Lady Macbeth is not a disgustful woman. We should remember “A creature is neither good nor bad but his deeds make a man wise or ugly” It has been said by one critic that Lady Macbeth is in many ways the dominant figure in the action in the first half of the play. After the murder of Duncan, she begins to fade away in the back -ground. After Macbeth’s second meeting with the witches he and his wife never in any scene appeal together. There is an indefinable sense of coolness and separation.

Her Over-ambition- Lady Macbeth’s over-ambition dominates her personality. She wants to see Macbeth on the royal throne. It is the only object of her life and she is ready to do anything to attain it. First of all she thinks about those factors which may create obstacles in her purpose. She finds that Macbeth’s noble nature is the main obstacle. He will never be ready, to kill his noble king although the witches have predicted that Macbeth will be the king of Scotland.

Strong Will-Lady Macbeth’s strong will makes her more impressive than Macbeth. She decides to provoke Macbeth to kill Duncan and uses all methods to provoke him. She reminds him of his past resolution to kill Duncan. She requests him. When it fails she rebukes him and challanges his manhood. First of all she fills his mind with the thought of murder and asks him to show false respect and love for Duncan.

She claims that Macbeth has ambition to be the king but he is afraid. He is like a cat which wants to eat fish without going into the river. She declares that she would have killed her child who is sucking her milk if she had promis d like Macbeth. She tells him her scheme that she will drug the guards. It may be easy for Macbeth to kill the sleeping unguarded Duncan. It Makes Macbeth determined to do murder.

Practical Wisdom-Lady Macbeth’s practical wisdom helps Macbeth at many places. It is her presence of mind that Macbeth is saved. When Macbeth feels nervous seeing his hands after Duncan’s murder, she asks him to use a little water to wash spots of blood. She asks him to retire to their bed room for someone was knocking at the gate. When Duncan’s murder is discovered Macbeth kills the guards. Banquo asks Macbeth the cause of this action. Macbeth fails to give reasonable answer. To divert the attention of all, she pretends unconsciousness.

Her Complex Psychology-Lady Macbeth has a complex psychology. According to here behaviour it seems that she is very cruel. She is ready to kill her child for over ambition. Without any fear she enters Duncan’s room after murder, puts bood stained daggers there and paints Duncan’s blood on the guard’s faces. She asks Macbeth to wash his hands with a little water. But it is only outward show. Her reality is quite different from it. He asks the evil spirits to change her sex and make her cruel for she is not cruel by nature. She wants to be cruel to help her husband in the act of murder.

In sum up-Lady Macbeth is a great tragic figure. She devotes her whole life in helping her husband as much as possible. She wants to see him happy. She knows her husband’s weakness that he is killing to be the king but he is afraid. So she removes his fear in various ways. She does not tell him her grief for she does not want to upset him. It is her misfortune that Macbeth has not even two drops of tears to shed on her death.