how is macbeth and lady macbeth's relationship presented essay

Miss Huttlestone's GCSE English

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‘Macbeth’ Grade 9 Example Response

Grade 9 – full mark – ‘Macbeth’ response

Starting with this extract (from act 1 scene 7), how does Shakespeare present the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth?

In Shakespeare’s eponymous tragedy ‘Macbeth’, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s relationship is a complex portrait of love, illustrating layers of utter devotion alongside overwhelming resentment. Though the couple begins the play unnaturally strong within their marriage, this seems to act as an early warning of their imminent and inevitable fall from grace, ending the play in an almost entirely different relationship than the one they began the play with.

In the exposition of the play, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth initially appear immensely strong within their marriage, with Macbeth describing his wife as ‘my dearest partner of greatness’ in act 1 scene 5. The emotive superlative adjective ‘dearest’ is a term of endearment, and acts as a clear depiction of how valued Lady Macbeth is by her husband. Secondly, the noun ‘partner’ creates a sense of sincere equality which, as equality within marriage would have been unusual in the Jacobean era, illustrates to a contemporary audience the positive aspects of their relationship. Furthermore the lexical choice ‘greatness’ may connote ambition, and as they are ‘partner(s)’, Shakespeare suggests that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are equal in their desire for power and control, further confirming their compatibility but potentially hinting that said compatibility will serve as the couple’s hamartia.

However, the strength of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s relationship falls into a rapid downward spiral in the subsequent scenes, as a struggle for power within the marriage ensues. This is evidenced when Macbeth, in act 1 scene 7, uses the declarative statement ‘we will proceed no further in this business’. Here, Macbeth seems to exude masculinity, embracing his gender role and dictating both his and his wife’s decisions. The negation ‘no’ clearly indicates his alleged definitive attitude. However, Lady Macbeth refuses to accept her husband’s rule, stating ‘when you durst do it, then you were a man’. She attempts to emasculate him to see their plan through. The verb ‘durst’ illustrates the risk taking behaviour that Lady Macbeth is encouraging; implying an element of toxicity within their relationship, and her harsh speech makes the cracks in their relationship further visible to the audience. It is also probable that a contemporary audience would be made severely uncomfortable in the presence of Lady Macbeth’s unapologetic display of power, and it is possible that Shakespeare attempts to paint Lady Macbeth as the villain of the play, playing upon the audience’s pre-determined fears of feminine power. Though Lady Macbeth appears to be acting entirely out of self-interest, another reader may argue that she influences her husband so heavily to commit the heinous act of regicide, as she believes that he crown may as a substitute for the child or children that Shakespeare suggests she and Macbeth have lost previously, and in turn better Macbeth’s life and bring him to the same happiness that came with the child, except in another form.

As the play progresses, Shakespeare creates more and more distance between the characters, portraying the breakdown of their relationship as gradual within the play but rapid in the overall sense of time on stage. For example, Lady Macbeth requests a servant ‘say to the king’ Lady Macbeth ‘would attend his leisure/ for a few words’. Here she is reduced to the status of someone far lesser than the king, having to request to speak to her own husband. It could be interpreted that, now as king, Macbeth holds himself above all else, even his wife, perhaps due to the belief of the divine right of kings. The use of the title rather than his name plainly indicated the lack of closeness Lady Macbeth now feels with Macbeth and intensely emotionally separates them. This same idea is referenced as Shakespeare develops the characters to almost juxtapose each other in their experiences after the murder of Duncan. For example, Macbeth seems to be trapped in a permanent day, after ‘Macbeth does murder sleep’ and his guilt and paranoia render him unable to rest. In contrast, Lady Macbeth takes on an oppositional path, suffering sleepwalking and unable to wake from her nightmare; repeating the phrase ‘to bed. To bed’ as if trapped in a never-ending night. This illustrates to the audience the extreme transformation Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s relationship undergoes, and how differently they end up experiencing the aftermath of regicide.

In conclusion, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth begin the play almost too comfortable within their marriage, which seems to invite the presence of chaos and tragedy into their relationship. Their moral compositions are opposing one another, which leads to the distancing and total breakdown of their once successful marriage and thus serves as a warning to the audience about the effects of murder, and what the deadly sin of greed can do to a person and a marriage.

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gcseenglishwithmisshuttlestone

Secondary English teacher in Herts. View all posts by gcseenglishwithmisshuttlestone

9 thoughts on “‘Macbeth’ Grade 9 Example Response”

wheres the context

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It is also probable that a contemporary audience would be made severely uncomfortable in the presence of Lady Macbeth’s unapologetic display of power, and it is possible that Shakespeare attempts to paint Lady Macbeth as the villain of the play, playing upon the audience’s pre-determined fears of feminine power.

Also ref to ‘divine right of kings’

Thank you! This is a brilliant response. Just what I needed. Could you also please include the extract in the question.

We will proceed no further in this business. He hath honored me of late, and I have bought Golden opinions from all sorts of people, Which would be worn now in their newest gloss, Not cast aside so soon.

—> until end of scene

She did (Act 1 Scene 7)

Another great resource for grade 9 Macbeth analysis https://youtu.be/bGzLDRX71bs

In order to get a grade 9 for a piece like this would you need to include a wide range of vocabulary or could you write the same thing ‘dumbed down’ and get a 9.

If the ideas were as strong then yes, but your writing must AT LEAST be ‘clear’ for a grade 6 or above.

This is really great, I’m in Year 10 doing my Mock on Thursday, a great point that i have found (because I also take history) Is the depiction of women throughout the play, during the Elizabethan era, (before the Jacobean era) many people had a changed view of women as Queen Elizabeth was such a powerful woman, glimpses of this have been shown in Jacobean plays, in this case Macbeth, Lady Macbeth is depicted as powerful although she had to be killed of to please King James (as he was a misogynist) women are also depicted as evil in the play, such as the three witches, I also found that the Witches are in three which could be a mockery to the Holy Trinity.

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[ This is an annotated list of passages related to Macbeth's relationship with Lady Macbeth. ]

The relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth

I can describe the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.

Lesson details

Key learning points.

• At the start of Act 1, Scene 7, Macbeth is arguably conflicted
• Lady Macbeth goads Macbeth into killing Duncan - arguably by emasculating him
• Lady Macbeth emotionally blackmails her husband
• This scene could be interpreted as a turning point in the play. Macbeth's decision is made

Common misconception

There is just one reason that Macbeth doesn't want to commit regicide - his loyalty to Duncan.

Macbeth's soliloquy explores crime but significantly earthly punishment. For Macbeth, the consequence on earth is what frightens him.

Hesitancy - Being in a state of hesitancy means being in a state of uncertainty.

Emasculate - If you emasculate someone, you undermine their masculine identity or role.

Manipulation - Manipulation is when you use tactics to control or influence another person, often for personal gain.

Emotional blackmail - Emotional blackmail is a way of getting what you want. It involves making threats or demands, and is damaging to the victim.

Goad - If you goad someone, you provoke them into doing something.

Content guidance

• Contains subject matter which individuals may find upsetting.
• Contains sexual content.
• Contains references to sexual or domestic abuse.

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended.

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited ( 2024 ), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Starter quiz

6 questions.

Lady Macbeth as Powerful

The essay below uses this simple structure:, an introductory paragraph to summarise an answer to the question, one paragraph about the extract, one about the rest of the play, one about context., lady macbeth:, the raven himself is hoarse, that croaks the fatal entrance of duncan, under my battlements. come, you spirits, that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here,, and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full, of direst cruelty. make thick my blood., stop up the access and passage to remorse ,, that no compunctious visitings of nature, shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between, the effect and it come to my woman’s breasts,, and take my milk for gall , you murd'ring ministers,, wherever in your sightless substances, you wait on nature’s mischief. come, thick night,, and pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell,, that my keen knife see not the wound it makes,, nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark, to cry “hold, hold”, starting with this speech, explain how far you think shakespeare presents lady macbeth as a powerful woman., write about:, how shakespeare presents lady macbeth in this speech, how shakespeare presents lady macbeth in the play as a whole., the essay below is written using a simple structure:, an introductory paragraph to summarise an answer to the question., one paragraph about the extract., one about the rest of the play., before you read the answer below, why not have a think about how you'd answer this question. i've highlighted the quotes i'd write about - do you agree or would you focus elsewhere also, which sections from the rest of the play would you focus on and what contextual factors influenced lady macbeth's presentation, most importantly, though, have a think about how you'd write that opening paragraph - answer the question in two or three simple sentences., an example answer, during the majority of the play, lady macbeth is presented as being a powerful woman who defies the expected gender stereotype of the caring, soft, gentle female. by the end of the play, however, she kills herself as she discovers that although she can order the rest of the world around, she cannot control her own guilt, right at the opening of this speech, lady macbeth makes her position known when she describes “my” battlements. the use of the possessive pronoun emphasises that she thinks of the castle walls as being her own. she follows this by calling “come you spirits.” the use of this magic spell has two effects on the audience: firstly, she is calling for dark magic to come and support her. this would have reminded the audience of the possibility that she was a witch and had all the evil powers connected with them. also, she is using an imperative here: “come you spirits.” she’s not asking them but telling them. this shows that she expects even the supernatural world to answer to her demands. one of the things she demands is that they “stop up the access and passage to remorse.” this means that lady macbeth doesn’t want to feel any regret for what she is about to do, which would make her powerful. she is no longer going to be slowed down by feelings of compassion or care in her pursuit of power. finally, she says that the spirits should “take my milk for gall.” here, she is asking that her own milk be turned to poison. this suggests that she is turning something caring and supportive into something deadly, giving her even more evil powers. also, milk is pure white and suggests innocence and purity so lady macbeth is asking that what is innocent and pure about her gets turned into something deadly. throughout this speech lady macbeth sets herself up as being someone very powerful, who is able to control even the spirits., her power continues throughout the play. lady macbeth suggests the murder and talks macbeth into it – showing that she is powerfully persuasive. she also plans the murder, showing that she is intelligent as well. she also stays calm under pressure, such as when macbeth arrives with the daggers from the murder scene but lady macbeth returns them to the scene so that they don’t get caught. she is also able to manipulate macduff when she faints in shock after they discover duncan’s body. you could easily argue that lady macbeth’s ambition was more powerful than macbeth’s, and that the murder wouldn’t have ever happened with her involvement. she is determined to become powerful and will stop at nothing to get it. at the end the play though she is caught sleepwalking, and she confesses to all that they’ve done. this is interesting, however, as while she is sleep-walking she is not in control of herself so she is not really aware of what she’s doing. it could be the case that lady macbeth herself never felt guilty, though she couldn’t hide her real feelings from her dreams. in the end, she dies. malcolm claims that she killed herself quite violently, but since it happens off-stage we cannot be sure. what is clear is that although she could push macbeth around, and trick macduff, and even order the spirits to do her bidding, she couldn’t order the blood off her own hands., shakespeare presents a very powerful female character in lady macbeth, and although this would have been quite radical for people in jacobean england there were other powerful, female role models to choose from: bloody mary or queen elizabeth are good examples. this play, however, was written for king james who had just taken the throne of england, and james was not a fan of queen elizabeth – who had killed his mother, mary queen of scots (and he might not even have been a big fan of his mum, because she married the man who killed his dad) as a result, james would have enjoyed seeing this powerful woman become such a villain and then getting punished for her crimes..

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A Modern Perspective: Macbeth

By Susan Snyder

Coleridge pronounced Macbeth to be “wholly tragic.” Rejecting the drunken Porter of Act 2, scene 3 as “an interpolation of the actors,” and perceiving no wordplay in the rest of the text (he was wrong on both counts), he declared that the play had no comic admixture at all. More acutely, though still in support of this sense of the play as unadulterated tragedy, he noted the absence in Macbeth of a process characteristic of other Shakespearean tragedies, the “reasonings of equivocal morality.” 1

Indeed, as Macbeth ponders his decisive tragic act of killing the king, he is not deceived about its moral nature. To kill anyone to whom he is tied by obligations of social and political loyalty as well as kinship is, he knows, deeply wrong:

         He’s here in double trust:

First, as I am his kinsman and his subject,

Strong both against the deed; then, as his host,

Who should against his murderer shut the door,

Not bear the knife myself.                  ( 1.7.12 –16)

And to kill Duncan, who has been “so clear in his great office” (that is, so free from corruption as a ruler), is to compound the iniquity. In adapting the story of Macbeth from Holinshed’s Chronicles of Scotland, Shakespeare created a stark black-white moral opposition by omitting from his story Duncan’s weakness as a monarch while retaining his gentle, virtuous nature. Unlike his prototype in Holinshed’s history, Macbeth kills not an ineffective leader but a saint whose benevolent presence blesses Scotland. In the same vein of polarized morality, Shakespeare departs from the Holinshed account in which Macbeth is joined in regicide by Banquo and others; instead, he has Macbeth act alone against Duncan. While it might be good politics to distance Banquo from guilt (he was an ancestor of James I, the current king of England and patron of Shakespeare’s acting company), excluding the other thanes as well suggests that the playwright had decided to focus on private, purely moral issues uncomplicated by the gray shades of political expediency.

Duncan has done nothing, then, to deserve violent death. Unlike such tragic heroes as Brutus and Othello, who are enmeshed in “equivocal morality,” Macbeth cannot justify his actions by the perceived misdeeds of his victim. “I have no spur,” he admits, “To prick the sides of my intent, but only / Vaulting ambition” ( 1.7.25 –27). This ambition is portrayed indirectly rather than directly. But it is surely no accident that the Weïrd Sisters accost him and crystallize his secret thoughts of the crown into objective possibility just when he has hit new heights of success captaining Duncan’s armies and defeating Duncan’s enemies. The element of displacement and substitution here—Macbeth leading the fight for Scotland while the titular leader waits behind the lines for the outcome—reinforces our sense that, whatever mysterious timetable the Sisters work by, this is the psychologically right moment to confront Macbeth with their predictions of greatness. Hailed as thane of Glamis, thane of Cawdor, and king, he is initially curious and disbelieving. Though his first fearful reaction ( 1.3.54 ) is left unexplained, for us to fill in as we will, surely one way to read his fear is that the word “king” touches a buried nerve of desire. When Ross and Angus immediately arrive to announce that Macbeth is now Cawdor as well as Glamis, the balance of skepticism tilts precipitously toward belief. The nerve vibrates intensely. Two-thirds of the prophecy is already accomplished. The remaining prediction, “king hereafter,” is suddenly isolated and highlighted; and because of the Sisters’ now proven powers of foreknowledge, it seems to call out for its parallel, inevitable fulfillment.

The Weïrd Sisters present nouns rather than verbs. They put titles on Macbeth without telling what actions he must carry out to attain those titles. It is Lady Macbeth who supplies the verbs. Understanding that her husband is torn between the now-articulated object of desire and the fearful deed that must achieve it (“wouldst not play false / And yet wouldst wrongly win,” 1.5.22 –23), she persuades him by harping relentlessly on manly action. That very gap between noun and verb, the desired prize and the doing necessary to win it, becomes a way of taunting him as a coward: “Art thou afeard / To be the same in thine own act and valor / As thou art in desire?” ( 1.7.43 –45). A man is one who closes this gap by strong action, by taking what he wants; whatever inhibits that action is unmanly fear. And a man is one who does what he has sworn to do, no matter what. We never see Macbeth vow to kill Duncan, but in Lady Macbeth’s mind just his broaching the subject has become a commitment. With graphic horror she fantasizes how she would tear her nursing baby from her breast and dash its brains out if she had sworn as she says her husband did. She would, that is, violate her deepest nature as a woman and sever violently the closest tie of kinship and dependence. Till now, Macbeth has resisted such violation, clinging to a more humane definition of “man” that accepts fidelity and obligation as necessary limits on his prowess. Now, in danger of being bested by his wife in this contest of fierce determinations, he accepts her simpler, more primitive equation of manhood with killing: he commits himself to destroying Duncan. It is significant for the lack of “equivocal morality” that even Lady Macbeth in this crucial scene of persuasion doesn’t try to manipulate or blur the polarized moral scheme. Adopting instead a warrior ethic apart from social morality, she presents the murder not as good but as heroic.

Moral clarity informs not only the decisions and actions of Macbeth but the stage of nature on which they are played out. The natural universe revealed in the play is essentially attuned to the good, so that it reacts to the unambiguously evil act of killing Duncan with disruptions that are equally easy to read. There are wild winds, an earthquake, “strange screams of death” ( 2.3.61 –69). And beyond such general upheaval there is a series of unnatural acts that distortedly mirror Macbeth’s. Duncan’s horses overthrow natural order and devour each other, like Macbeth turning on his king and cousin. “A falcon, tow’ring in her pride of place”—the monarch of birds at its highest pitch—is killed by a mousing owl, a lesser bird who ordinarily preys on insignificant creatures ( 2.4.15 –16). Most ominous of all, on the morning following the king’s death, is the absence of the sun: like the falcon a symbol of monarchy, but expanding that to suggest the source of all life. In a general sense, the sunless day shows the heavens “troubled with man’s act” ( 2.4.7 ), but the following grim metaphor points to a closer and more sinister connection: “dark night strangles the traveling lamp” ( 2.4.9 ). The daylight has been murdered like Duncan. Scotland’s moral darkness lasts till the end of Macbeth’s reign. The major scenes take place at night or in the atmosphere of the “black, and midnight hags” ( 4.1.48 ), and there is no mention of light or sunshine except in England ( 4.3.1 ).

Later in the play, nature finds equally fitting forms for its revenge against Macbeth. Despite his violations of the natural order, he nevertheless expects the laws of nature to work for him in the usual way. But the next victim, Banquo, though his murderer has left him “safe in a ditch” ( 3.4.28 ), refuses to stay safely still and out of sight. In Macbeth’s horrified response to this restless corpse, we may hear not only panic but outrage at the breakdown of the laws of motion:

                           The time has been

That, when the brains were out, the man would die,

And there an end. But now they rise again

With twenty mortal murders on their crowns

And push us from our stools. This is more strange

Than such a murder is.                           ( 3.4.94 –99)

His word choice is odd: “ they rise,” a plural where we would expect “he rises,” and the loaded word “crowns” for heads. Macbeth seems to be haunted by his last victim, King Duncan, as well as the present one. And by his outraged comparison at the end—the violent death and the ghostly appearance compete in strangeness—Macbeth suggests, without consciously intending to, that Banquo’s walking in death answers to, or even is caused by, the murder that cut him off so prematurely. The unnatural murder generates unnatural movement in the dead. Lady Macbeth, too, walks when she should be immobile in sleep, “a great perturbation in nature” ( 5.1.10 ).

It is through this same ironic trust in natural law that Macbeth draws strength from the Sisters’ later prophecy: if he is safe until Birnam Wood come to Dunsinane, he must be safe forever:

Who can impress the forest, bid the tree

Unfix his earthbound root? Sweet bodements, good!

Rebellious dead, rise never till the Wood

Of Birnam rise . . .                  ( 4.1.109 –12)

His security is ironic because for Macbeth, of all people, there can be no dependence on predictable natural processes. The “rebellious dead” have already unnaturally risen once; fixed trees can move against him as well. And so, in time, they do. Outraged nature keeps matching the Macbeths’ transgressions, undoing and expelling their perversities with its own.

In tragedies where right and wrong are rendered problematic, the dramatic focus is likely to be on the complications of choice. Macbeth, on the contrary, is preoccupied less with the protagonist’s initial choice of a relatively unambiguous wrong action than with the moral decline that follows. H. B. Charlton noted that one could see in Richard III as well as Macbeth the biblical axiom that “the wages of sin is death”; but where the history play assumes the principle, Macbeth demonstrates why it has to be that way. 2 The necessity is not so much theological as psychological: we watch in Macbeth the hardening and distortion that follows on self-violation. The need to suppress part of himself in order to kill Duncan becomes a refusal to acknowledge his deed (“I am afraid to think what I have done. / Look on ’t again I dare not”: 2.2.66 –67). His later murders are all done by proxy, in an attempt to create still more distance between the destruction he wills and full psychic awareness of his responsibility. At the same time, murder becomes a necessary activity, the verb now a compulsion almost without regard to the object: plotted after he has seen the Weïrd Sisters’ apparitions, Macbeth’s attack on Macduff’s “line” ( 4.1.174 ) is an insane double displacement, of fear of Macduff himself and fury at the vision of the line of kings fathered by Banquo.

Yet the moral universe of Macbeth is not as uncomplicated as some critics have imagined. To see in the play’s human and physical nature only a straightforward pattern of sin and punishment is to gloss over the questions it raises obliquely, the moral complexities and mysteries it opens up. The Weïrd Sisters, for example, remain undefined. Where do they come from? Where do they go when they disappear from the action in Act 4? What is their place in a moral universe that ostensibly recoils against sin and punishes it? Are they human witches, or supernatural beings? Labeling them “evil” seems not so much incorrect as inadequate. Do they cause men to commit crimes, or do they only present the possibility to them? Macbeth responds to his prophecy by killing his king, but Banquo after hearing the one directed at him is not impelled to act at all. Do we take this difference as demonstrating that the Sisters have in themselves no power beyond suggestion? Or should we rather find it somewhat sinister later on when Banquo, ancestor of James I or not, sees reason in Macbeth’s success to look forward to his own—yet feels it necessary to conceal his hopes ( 3.1.1 –10)?

Even what we most take for granted becomes problematic when scrutinized. Does Macbeth really desire to be king? Lady Macbeth says he does, but what comes through in 1.5 and 1.7 is more her desire than his. Apart from one brief reference to ambition when he is ruling out other motives to kill Duncan, Macbeth himself is strangely silent about any longing for royal power and position. Instead of an obsession that fills his personal horizon, we find in Macbeth something of a motivational void. Why does he feel obligated, or compelled, to bring about an advance in station that the prophecy seems to render inevitable anyway? A. C. Bradley put his finger on this absence of positive desire when he observed that Macbeth commits his crime as if it were “an appalling duty.” 3

Recent lines of critical inquiry also call old certainties into question. Duncan’s saintly status would seem assured, yet sociological critics are disquieted by the way we are introduced to him, as he receives news of the battle in 1.2. On the one hand we hear reports of horrifying savagery in the fighting, savagery in which the loyal thanes participate as much as the rebels and invaders—more so, in fact, when Macbeth and Banquo are likened to the crucifiers of Christ (“or memorize another Golgotha,” 1.2.44 ). In response we see Duncan exulting not only in the victory but in the bloodshed, equating honor with wounds. It is not that he bears any particular guilt. Yet the mild paternal king is nevertheless implicated here in his society’s violent warrior ethic, its predicating of manly worth on prowess in killing. 4 But isn’t this just what we condemn in Lady Macbeth? Cultural analysis tends to blur the sharp demarcations, even between two such figures apparently totally opposed, and to draw them together as participants in and products of the same constellation of social values.

Lady Macbeth and Duncan meet in a more particular way, positioned as they are on the same side of Scotland’s basic division between warriors and those protected by warriors. The king is too old and fragile to fight; the lady is neither, but she is barred from battle by traditional gender conventions that assign her instead the functions of following her husband’s commands and nurturing her young. In fact, of course, Lady Macbeth’s actions and outlook thoroughly subvert this ideology, as she forcefully takes the lead in planning the murder and shames her husband into joining in by her willingness to slaughter her own nurseling. It is easy to call Lady Macbeth “evil,” but the label tends to close down analysis exactly where we ought to probe more deeply. Macbeth’s wife is restless in a social role that in spite of her formidable courage and energy offers no chance of independent action and heroic achievement. It is almost inevitable that she turn to achievement at second hand, through and for her husband. Standing perforce on the sidelines, like Duncan once again, she promotes and cheers the killing.

Other situations, too, may be more complex than at first they seem. Lady Macduff, unlike Lady Macbeth, accepts her womanly function of caring for her children and her nonwarrior status of being protected. But she is not protected. The ideology of gender seems just as destructive from the submissive side as from the rebellious, when Macduff deserts her in order to pursue his political cause against Macbeth in England and there is no husband to stand in the way of the murderers sent by Macbeth. The obedient wife dies, with her cherished son, just as the rebellious, murderous lady will die who consigned her own nursing baby to death. The moral universe of Macbeth has room for massive injustice. Traditional critics find Lady Macbeth “unnatural,” and even those who do not accept the equation of gender ideology with nature can agree with the condemnation in view of her determined suppression of all bonds of human sympathy. Clear enough. But we get more blurring and crossovers when Macduff’s wife calls him unnatural. In leaving his family defenseless in Macbeth’s dangerous Scotland, he too seems to discount human bonds. His own wife complains bitterly that “he wants the natural touch”; where even the tiny wren will fight for her young against the owl, his flight seems to signify fear rather than natural love ( 4.2.8 –16). Ross’s reply, “cruel are the times,” while it doesn’t console Lady Macduff and certainly doesn’t save her, strives to relocate the moral ambiguity of Macduff’s conduct in the situation created by Macbeth’s tyrannical rule. The very political crisis that pulls Macduff away from his family on public business puts his private life in jeopardy through the same act of desertion. But while acknowledging the peculiar tensions raised by a tyrant-king, we may also see in the Macduff family’s disaster a tragic version of a more familiar conflict: the contest between public and private commitments that can rack conventional marriages, with the wife confined to a private role while the husband is supposed to balance obligations in both spheres.

Malcolm is allied with Duncan by lineage and with Macduff by their shared role of redemptive champion in the final movement of the play. He, too, is not allowed to travel through the action unsullied. After a long absence from the scene following the murder of Duncan, he reappears in England to be sought by Macduff in the crusade against Macbeth. Malcolm is cautious and reserved, and when he does start speaking more freely, what we hear is an astonishing catalogue of self-accusations. He calls himself lustful, avaricious, guilty of every crime and totally lacking in kingly virtues:

                Nay, had I power, I should

Pour the sweet milk of concord into hell,

Uproar the universal peace, confound

All unity on earth.                  ( 4.3.113 –16)

Before people became so familiar with Shakespeare’s play, I suspect many audiences believed what Malcolm says of himself. Students on first reading still do. Why shouldn’t they? He has been absent from the stage for some time, and his only significant action in the early part of the play was to run away after his father’s murder. When this essentially unknown prince lists his vices in lengthy speeches of self-loathing, there is no indication—except an exaggeration easily ascribable to his youth—that he is not sincere. And if we do believe, we cannot help joining in Macduff’s distress. Malcolm, the last hope for redeeming Scotland from the tyrant, has let us down. Duncan’s son is more corrupt than Macbeth. He even sounds like Macbeth, whose own milk of human kindness ( 1.5.17 ) was curdled by his wife; who threatened to destroy the whole natural order, “though the treasure / Of nature’s germens tumble all together / Even till destruction sicken” ( 4.1.60 –63). In due course, Malcolm takes it all back; but his words once spoken cannot simply be canceled, erased as if they were on paper. We have already, on hearing them, mentally and emotionally processed the false “facts,” absorbed them experientially. Perhaps they continue to color indirectly our sense of the next king of Scotland.

Viewed through various lenses, then, the black and white of Macbeth may fade toward shades of gray. The play is an open system, offering some fixed markers with which to take one’s basic bearings but also, in closer scrutiny, offering provocative questions and moral ambiguities.

• “Notes for a Lecture on Macbeth ” [c. 1813], in Coleridge’s Writings on Shakespeare , ed. Terence Hawkes (New York: Capricorn, 1959), p. 188.
• H. B. Charlton, Shakespearian Tragedy (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1948), p. 141.
• A. C. Bradley, Shakespearean Tragedy (London: Macmillan, 1904), p. 358.
• James L. Calderwood, If It Were Done: “Macbeth” and Tragic Action (Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 1986), pp. 77–89.

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Relationship

Macbeth - loving and submissive husband.

In Macbeth and Lady Macbeth's relationship, Macbeth seems kinder and more caring, whereas Lady Macbeth appears to have more control.

Significance of the letter

• It is interesting that he seems to treat her more equally – this could suggest that he either cares about her, or he values her opinion. Perhaps she has helped him with decisions in the past?
• It might give the audience a clue about why he lets her influence him in the way that she does at the start of the play. Many men would not talk such things with their wives.

Structure of Act 1, Scene 5

• Macbeth uses loving language towards his wife, 'My dearest love' .
• Lady Macbeth greets him by flattering his status, 'Great Glamis, worthy Cawdor' .
• He seems the more caring of the two here.
• Lady Macbeth decides the plan for them. Macbeth tells her they will speak later, but Lady Macbeth seems to interrupt him.
• This makes us question things about his character – is he desperately in love with her and keen to please? Or is he really weak mentally?

Pleasing his wife?

• In Macbeth’s soliloquy (speech to himself), when he sees the vision of the dagger before him, he thinks of many reasons why he shouldn't act on his ambition but seems to deny all these fears because of his wife.
• Does he go ahead with the plan to kill the king to please his wife?

Lady Macbeth's Treatment of Macbeth

Lady Macbeth seems to view Macbeth as weak and controls him accordingly.

• Lady Macbeth thinks that Macbeth is too nice to go for the things that he truly wants, such as the crown: 'I fear thy nature, / It is too full o' th' milk of human kindness / To catch the nearest way' (1,5).
• Shakespeare uses this metaphor to suggest that Macbeth is a good man. But milk, a substance that mothers make to feed to their young, might also suggest that Lady Macbeth sees his kindness as weakness.
• In this way, as is the case with many Shakespearian plays, the male character seems to have more stereotypically feminine traits (i.e. Macbeth seems kinder and more caring, whereas Lady Macbeth appears to have more control).

Pressurising

• Macbeth is very torn about whether he should kill the king or not. He decides not to go on because he does not think ambition alone is a good enough reason to want the crown.
• But his wife quickly persuades him to continue with the plan. This suggests that she has power over her husband.
• It seems that one of the key things holding him back is fear of people retaliating. He addresses this at the beginning of his speech in Act 1, Scene 7. Later on in the scene, he asks Lady Macbeth what would happen if they fail. She says that if he is brave, they won't fail: 'But screw your courage to the sticking-place, / And we'll not fail' (1,7).

• When Macbeth sees Banquo's ghost, Lady Macbeth asks him, 'Are you a man?' (3,4).
• This suggests that a lack of courage makes him less of a man.
• People often saw mental disturbances as a female problem.

Macbeth's Changing Relationship

Macbeth seems to become more distant from his wife as the play progresses.

Banquo's murder

• Lady Macbeth was the key motivator behind the murder of King Duncan. But Macbeth doesn't even discuss his plan to kill Banquo.
• He tells her it is better that she doesn't know: 'Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck' (3,2).
• Perhaps he wants to save her the suffering that he feels: 'O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife!' (3,2).
• It seems he has taken control and there has been a power shift in their relationship.

Effect of murdering Duncan

• Lady Macbeth almost bullies Macbeth throughout the first two acts of the play, insisting that if he does not murder King Duncan, then he is not a real man.
• When he finally does murder the king and his personality changes, his relationship with his wife does change – he begins to take control, perhaps believing that the more power he gains, the more his wife will respect him.

1 Literary & Cultural Context

1.1 Context

1.1.1 Tragedy

1.1.2 The Supernatural & Gender

1.1.3 Politics & Monarchy

1.1.4 End of Topic Test - Context

2 Plot Summary

2.1.1 Scenes 1 & 2

2.1.2 Scene 3

2.1.3 Scenes 4-5

2.1.4 Scenes 6-7

2.1.5 End of Topic Test - Act 1

2.2 Acts 2-4

2.2.1 Act 2

2.2.2 Act 3

2.2.3 Act 4

2.3.1 Scenes 1-3

2.3.2 Scenes 4-9

2.3.3 End of Topic Test - Acts 2-5

3 Characters

3.1 Macbeth

3.1.1 Hero vs Villain

3.1.2 Ambition & Fate

3.1.3 Relationship

3.1.4 Unstable

3.1.5 End of Topic Test - Macbeth

3.2 Lady Macbeth

3.2.1 Masculine & Ruthless

3.2.2 Manipulative & Disturbed

3.3 Other Characters

3.3.1 Banquo

3.3.2 The Witches

3.3.3 Exam-Style Questions - The Witches

3.3.4 King Duncan

3.3.5 Macduff

3.3.6 End of Topic Test - Lady Macbeth & Banquo

3.3.7 End of Topic Test - Witches, Duncan & Macduff

3.4 Grade 9 - Key Characters

3.4.1 Grade 9 - Lady Macbeth Questions

4.1.1 Power & Ambition

4.1.2 Power & Ambition HyperLearning

4.1.3 Violence

4.1.4 The Supernatural

4.1.5 Masculinity

4.1.6 Armour, Kingship & The Natural Order

4.1.7 Appearances & Deception

4.1.8 Madness & Blood

4.1.9 Women, Children & Sleep

4.1.10 End of Topic Test - Themes

4.1.11 End of Topic Test - Themes 2

4.2 Grade 9 - Themes

4.2.1 Grade 9 - Themes

4.2.2 Extract Analysis

5 Writer's Techniques

5.1 Structure, Meter & Other Literary Techniques

5.1.1 Structure, Meter & Dramatic Irony

5.1.2 Pathetic Fallacy & Symbolism

5.1.3 End of Topic Test - Writer's Techniques

Jump to other topics

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Macbeth — How Does Shakespeare Show a Change in Lady Macbeth Throughout the Play

How Does Shakespeare Show a Change in Lady Macbeth Throughout The Play

• Categories: Macbeth

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Published: Jun 14, 2024

Words: 730 | Pages: 2 | 4 min read

Table of contents

The erosion of lady macbeth's sanity, the consequences of unchecked ambition, bibliography.

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Shakespeare: Model Answers ( AQA GCSE English Literature )

Revision note.

• Model Answers

Below, you will find a full-mark, Level 6 model answer for a Shakespeare essay. The commentary below each section of the essay illustrates how and why it would be awarded Level 6. Despite the fact it is an answer to a Macbeth question, the commentary below is relevant to any Shakespeare question.

As the commentary is arranged by assessment objective, a student-friendly mark scheme has been included here:

Model Answer Breakdown

The commentary for the below model answer as arranged by assessment objective: each paragraph has a commentary for a different assessment objective, as follows:

• The introduction includes commentary on all the AOs
• Paragraph 1 includes commentary on AO1 (answering the question and selecting references)
• Paragraph 2 includes commentary on AO2 (analysing the writer’s methods)
• Paragraph 3 includes commentary on AO3 (exploring context)
• The conclusion includes commentary on all the AOs

The model answer answers the following question:

Level 6, Full-Mark Answer

Shakespeare presents Lady Macbeth as a female character who changes dramatically over the course of the play: she changes from a ruthless, remorseless woman who is able to manipulate her husband, to one that is sidelined by Macbeth and, ultimately, totally consumed by guilt. Shakespeare is perhaps suggesting that unchecked ambition and hubris, particularly for women, have fatal consequences.

Commentary:

• The introduction is in the form of a thesis statement
• It includes a central argument based on my own opinions
• "Shakespeare presents Lady Macbeth as a female character who changes dramatically over the course of the play"
• "she changes from a ruthless, remorseless woman who is able to manipulate her husband, to one that is sidelined by Macbeth and, ultimately, totally consumed by guilt."
• It acknowledges Shakespeare as an author making deliberate choices and conveying a message:
•   "Shakespeare is perhaps suggesting that ..."
• It includes modal language to show a conceptualised approach

Lady Macbeth’s strength – and ability to command and manipulate those around her – dramatically diminishes from the first time the audience sees her, in Act I, Scene V, to the last time, here in Act V, Scene I. The first time she is presented to the audience, Lady Macbeth is presented as a very untypical woman: far from being a dutiful and subservient wife, she is shown to be plotting on Macbeth’s behalf, speaks of him disparagingly (she worries he is too kind to carry out her plan), and is presented as having power over both Macbeth and her surroundings. This dominance can be seen in her use of imperatives, both when she is directing Macbeth to disguise his true intentions to Duncan (and be a “serpent underneath”), and later, more forcefully, when she orders Macbeth to “give” her the daggers. This shows that Lady Macbeth has almost assumed the dominant position in their relationship, and taken on the typically ‘male’ characteristics of authority and strength (whereas Macbeth’s “kindness” can here be seen as a sign of weakness). However, there is an irony in Shakespeare’s use of imperatives later in the play: in Act V, Scene I, Lady Macbeth is shown to have lost her power to command those things around her and her use of imperatives (“Out, damned spot! Out, I say”) speaks more of abject desperation than her authority. She has lost the power to command her husband, her surroundings and even her own mind. Shakespeare could be suggesting that the unusual power dynamic presented at the beginning of the play is unnatural, and that, as a woman, Lady Macbeth would never be able to maintain this type of authority without succumbing to madness.

• The paragraph begins with a topic sentence
• Topic sentence directly addresses the question (the “change” the character undergoes)
• Topic sentence has a narrower focus than the thesis statement
• The whole paragraph is related to the topic sentence
• The paragraph includes at least one reference to the extract
• The paragraph includes multiple references to the rest of the play
• All references are linked to the question and support the argument of my topic sentence

Shakespeare presents Lady Macbeth as a character whose self-control and authority over her own mind evaporates by Act V. We see this in the repetitious and fragmented language Shakespeare has her use in this scene. The repetition of several words and phrases (“to bed”; “come”; “O”) shows a character who is not in control of her own thought processes and has lost agency over her own mind. Shakespeare emphasises this by using contrasting verse forms for Lady Macbeth as the play progresses. Initially, she uses the order and authority of blank verse, which reflects her own power and control. However, in this scene, Lady Macbeth does not use the regular or ordered language of blank verse, but rather the disordered form of prose. This reflects both her loss of status and power (prose is often used by commoners in Shakespeare’s plays), but also her own mental illness. Indeed, the description of her having a “disease” in this scene is ironic, since earlier in the play she describes Macbeth as “brainsickly” and “infirm”: it is now she who is the weaker of the two. Perhaps Shakespeare uses this role reversal once again to suggest that women assuming positions of dominance is unnatural and may lead to mental decline.

• The analysis provides evidence for the points in the topic sentence (all evidence relates to Lady Macbeth’s mental state)
• Whole-text analysis of Shakespeare’s methods, not just focused on the extract
• Not just analysis of Shakespeare’s language, but also of form
• The analysis includes other wider choices made by Shakespeare: 
• Characterisation
• All analysis is explained fully in terms of the question and my own argument
• The analysis explained in terms of Shakespeare’s overall message

Shakespeare presents Lady Macbeth as a character who loses her resolve over the mortal sin of regicide as the play progresses. Initially, Lady Macbeth is presented as a character who believes that both she and her husband will be able to evade the typical consequences of committing a crime – the murder of a king – that would have been seen as truly heinous. Not only is it a crime punishable by death, but the religious consequences would be dire: eternal punishment in Hell. Shakespeare presents her as acknowledging the seriousness of the crime in Act I, Scene V where she references Heaven and Hell prior to the murder of Duncan, but she believes, arrogantly, that she is strong enough to evade capture, as well as cloak herself from feelings of guilt and remorse. Her hubris is also shown later in the play, after the regicide has been committed, when she tells Macbeth that “a little water clears us of this deed”, implying that it will be straightforward to escape the psychological impact of committing a mortal sin. However, by Act V, Scene I Lady Macbeth is shown to have completely lost her resolve, and is haunted by those psychological impacts: she sees blood, which symbolically represents guilt, on her hands, which she cannot wash off. Indeed, later she states that Duncan had “so much blood in him”, an admission that a little water could never have cleansed the guilt from her conscience (“what’s done cannot be undone”). This irony is highlighted again by Shakespeare when Lady Macbeth states that “all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand”, the hyperbole emphasising the enormity of her crime. Shakespeare could be suggesting that no one can escape the psychological and theological consequences of regicide. Indeed, the Doctor states that he has never seen anyone in Lady Macbeth’s state die “holily”, echoing Lady Macbeth’s own earlier reference to Hell.

• Does not include any irrelevant historical or biographical facts
• All context is linked to the topic sentence (“loses resolve over the mortal sin of regicide”) and the argument as a whole
• All context is integrated into analysis of Shakespeare’s methods
• Understanding contextual ideas and perspectives provides additional insight into my main argument
• Context is sometimes implied, rather than explicit. This still shows sophisticated awareness of ideas (here about religion and Hell)

In conclusion, Shakespeare presents Lady Macbeth as a female character who changes from a character who assumes dominance over her husband and her surroundings, to a woman who loses all agency. Moreover, initially, Shakespeare presents her as a character who seemingly has the mental fortitude to deal with the mortal sin of regicide with a clear conscience, but this mental strength also evaporates. Shakespeare could be issuing a warning to those people who believe they can escape the psychological and theological consequences of sin, especially if they are women who assume an atypical and unnatural position of power.

• The conclusion uses keywords from the question
• The conclusion links to the thesis
• The conclusion sums up more detailed arguments outlined in the topic sentences of all paragraphs
• It also gives a fuller understanding of Shakespeare’s intentions, based on ideas explored in the essay

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Author: Nick

Nick is a graduate of the University of Cambridge and King’s College London. He started his career in journalism and publishing, working as an editor on a political magazine and a number of books, before training as an English teacher. After nearly 10 years working in London schools, where he held leadership positions in English departments and within a Sixth Form, he moved on to become an examiner and education consultant. With more than a decade of experience as a tutor, Nick specialises in English, but has also taught Politics, Classical Civilisation and Religious Studies.

Mr Salles Teaches English

How Does Shakespeare Portray the Relationship Between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth

A free grade 9 essay.

The question is from November 2021

Shakespeare utilises the relationship between Lady Macbeth and Macbeth to represent a patriarchal society where men are encouraged to be violent, whereas women are expected to lurk behind their husbands, only gaining power through the strength of their spouses, demonstrating how women were seen as property of their male societal superiors, with the breaking of this “divine” order by Macbeth and Lady Macbeth resulting in their formerly intimate relationship ending solemnly apart.

Lady Macbeth is first introduced by Shakespeare in Act 1 Scene 5, reading a letter sent after the success of Macbeth on the battlefield – this introduction representing how Lady Macbeth is inherently associated with Macbeth as she was his property according to Jacobean laws. Yet she challenges those traditional gender roles after reading the letter by describing Macbeth as “ too full of the milk of human kindness ”, despite hearing about her husband’s battlefield success. She immediately suggests murder, and hints to regicide, which would have broken the ‘Great Chain of Being’ which sustained societal roles in British society at the time.

She asks for “ spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here ”, wanting to break those traditional gender roles by going against God, and asking for the power of “ spirits ” instead. Perhaps Shakespeare is trying to reaffirm the role of the male King James after the death of Queen Elizabeth I, describing women trying to gain power as breaking against the will of God, and here Shakespeare describes powerful men like Duncan, Banquo and Malcolm as righteous, whereas the couple who try to break typical societal gender roles are condemned to death, these being the Macbeths. She asks to “ take my milk to gall ”, indicating to us that she was formerly pregnant with a child of Macbeth’s who may have died in the womb, signifying weakness in Lady Macbeth and perhaps the idea that was God’s wrath upon the couple, not giving them an heir, due to their destruction of traditional gender roles.

In Act 1 Scene 7, Lady Macbeth attacks Macbeth for not wanting to kill Duncan, attacking his manhood: “ when you durst do it, then you were a man ”. Perhaps Shakespeare is trying to espouse a more positive form of masculinity, similar to Malcolm’s change from Act 3 Scene 4 to Act 5 Scene 9, where he realises that men have weaknesses too. Alternatively, it could represent how men were expected to be decisive in decision making and Lady Macbeth could be trying to exploit Macbeth’s untraditionally indecisive mind.

Likewise, in the extract, Lady Macbeth once again attacks Macbeth even after he murders Duncan, perhaps indicating to the audience that their relationship is an unhappy one. Macbeth describes his thoughts immediately after he killed Duncan, emphasing that “ Sleep no more, Macbeth does murder sleep ”, with the anaphora of “sleep” perhaps indicating that he will not be able to spend time with his wife, that being in the bedroom with her. Lady Macbeth taunts Macbeth, saying “ Who was it, who thus cried? ” – trying to align his thoughts in her direction, dismissing the mental troubles that he is having after Duncan’s murder. Lady Macbeth simultaneously tries to gain power through her husband, also praising him as a “ noble thane ”, with the conjunction of those two words associated with royalty indicating her high respect and standards of him.

However, she attacks his masculinity once more by describing him as “ Infirm of purpose! ”, with the use of the adjective “ infirm ” suggesting that he is unable to decide what he is to do next, or it could be interpreted as a euphemism for their more intimate relationship, perhaps criticising him for the death of their child, which would have broken Jacobean expectations of women, who were seen as the only possible cause for a man being unable to have a child, linking to the wider patriarchy that existed at the time. Macbeth is pushed further than his limits by his wife, wanting to “ go no more ”, the use of the iambic pentameter showing how afraid and fearful he is, once he broke the Great Chain of Being by committing regicide. Lady Macbeth, in contrast, uses trochaic tetrameter when she says “ For it must seem their guilt ”, with the use of trochaic tetrameter symbolising that she has malicious and evil intentions, perhaps because she is going against what the Jacobeans would have believed was the will of God himself, trying to take on a masculine role while encouraging regicide.

Once Macbeth is king though, she loses her former power and significance, and perhaps we could see this as Macbeth using her like an object to further his “vaulting ambition”, then disposing of her once he gets what he wanted, the kingship. One instance of this deteriorating relationship is in the beginning of Act 3, where Macbeth decides to kill Banquo, and tells Lady Macbeth “ Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck, till thou applaud the deed ”. This description of his wife as “ dearest chuck ” undermines her martial status, with the use of the noun “ chuck ” almost presenting her as a friend rather than Macbeth’s partner in regicide and in life.

We get to see the final destruction of their relationship in the beginning of Act 5, where Lady Macbeth, while sleepwalking, sees herself in the perspective of her husband, repeating his line in Act 2 Scene 2, where he describes all of “ Neptune’s oceans ”, being unable to get the water off his hands. Perhaps this sudden change from the emasculating Lady Macbeth from Act 1 to the vulnerable and suicidal one from Act 5 represents Lady Macbeth paying the price for breaking the patriarchy and reverting to a more traditionally feminine state, with the description of the oceans as being “ Neptune’s oceans ”, perhaps showing her distance from God and Jacobean morality. The irony is that while Macbeth thought he heard “ Glamis shall sleep no more ”, it was in fact his wife who didn’t manage to get sleep by the end of the play, traumatised by his actions, perhaps showing the Jacobean belief in vulnerable women who relied on their male social superiors.

She finishes her soliloquy by saying “ to bed, to bed ”, indicating that she is in need of her husband, yet he is nowhere to be found, reinforcing the Jacobean idea that a woman is vulnerable and requires a man to survive. Macbeth’s unscrupulous response to her death, saying “ she should have died hereafter ”, also indicates his lack of need of a wife, perhaps showing that Shakespeare believed a man didn’t need his wife, shown by his long time away from his wife Anne Hathaway while he was in London making plays, only leaving her his “second-best bed”.

Lady Macbeth dies away from her husband, with the only live indicator of her death being “ a cry of women within ”, symbolising by the end of the play how the relationship of the Macbeths is destroyed due to both of them trying to reject the traditional morals of a Jacobean society while going against the divine will of God, with the relationship ending solemnly and without any fanfare, with only Macbeth wishing she had died “ hereafter ”, linking back to the tragedy that is Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’.

Mr Salles Teaches English is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts which help you get top grades, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

My Commentary

If I had to reduce all the marketing criteria for Grade 9 to simple steps, it would be this:

Have at least a 3 part thesis

Include at least 15 quotes

Constantly refer to Shakespeare’s purpose (and include Jacobean society)

Refer to the patriarchal society

Bring in context to prove your point, embedding it like a quote

Work through the play chronologically

Include a quotation in your conclusion

(Lady Macbeth, in contrast, uses trochaic tetrameter when she says “ For it must seem their guilt ”, with the use of trochaic tetrameter symbolising that she has malicious and evil intentions) - you would get away with this I think, but I think it is definitely still iambic pentameter!

Ready for more?

Macbeth and Lady Macbeth Relationship: Love and Ambition

The essay examines the complex relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth in Shakespeare’s tragedy. It focuses on themes of love, ambition, and power dynamics within their partnership. The piece delves into how their relationship evolves from mutual ambition to tragic downfall, scrutinizing key scenes that highlight their interactions and the influence they exert over each other. It also discusses the psychological aspects of their characters, exploring how ambition and guilt manifest in their marriage. More free essay examples are accessible at PapersOwl about Social Psychology.

How it works

• 1.1 A Caring Partnership Begins
• 1.2 Separate Paths, Collective Downfall
• 2 Shakespeare’s View on Love
• 3 Modern Perspective on Love in Macbeth
• 4.1 References

The Complexity of Love and Ambition

Love demands your full attention. Lady Macbeth and Macbeth’s marriage takes a backseat to their ambitions, which greatly complicates their relationship. Complicating is the best way to describe the relationship between Lady Macbeth and Macbeth. They are both driven by power, are very supportive of each other, and, in the beginning, are treated as equals. Their marriage is the best relationship in all of Shakespeare’s plays, until the murder of King Duncan slowly ruins it.

Their relationship, and later in the play lack thereof, play a small role in both of their downfalls, to imply that while love is a good thing, it can easily be destructive under the wrong circumstances.

A Caring Partnership Begins

Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s relationship is a very caring one, at least initially. Lady Macbeth is loyal, corroborates Macbeth, and sets up plans to help him achieve his goals. She takes advantage of the opportunity that has been presented before them. In her first appearance at the end of Act 1, she is remarkably fervent about murdering Duncan and gives Macbeth the advice he needs to help pull it off, saying, “Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under.” After he kills Duncan, he is overtaken by guilt, and Lady Macbeth is there for him. The ambiguous prophecies of the Three Witches also harm their relationship as after he initially acquiesces to their prophecies, he begins to trust too much in them. He does not tell her about the clandestine meetings with the three murderers. As soon as Macbeth distances himself from his wife, their downfall is inevitable. They began dealing with their problems alone, and their weaknesses got the best of them. Their lack of a strong relationship contributes to their own downfall. In terms of marriage, especially during this time, they genuinely love each other. After the murder of Duncan, their relationship begins to decline, and so does the quality of their lives.

Separate Paths, Collective Downfall

Macbeth incorrectly construes the prophecies of the Three Witches, becomes an arrogant despot, distances himself from his wife, and stops involving her in his plans. Without his wife, he is messy, and his hired covert murderers do not completely pull off the murders of Fleance and Macduff’s family. There were multiple factors that contributed to the downfall of Lady Macbeth, and one of those was her lack of involvement with Macbeth during the later acts of the story. In the article ‘Unnatural Deeds do Breed Unnatural Troubles,’ it states, “Her ambition for her husband and herself proved fatal to him, far more so that the prophecies of the witches; but even when she pushed him into murder she believed she was helping him to do what he merely lacked the nerve to attempt.” Lady Macbeth honestly believes she is helping him but does not realize the unintended consequences of her actions, which, as part of a larger problem, would ruin their relationship. While they are both responsible for their own downfalls, Shakespeare uses their relationship, along with all of the others in his many plays, to express his feelings about love.

Shakespeare’s View on Love

Confusing, complicated, and unpredictable. These are just a few of the words to describe William Shakespeare’s feelings on love, as expressed throughout many of his plays, as most of them have some sort of an element of romance in them. Shakespeare’s personal life does not reveal much about his feelings, as he does not explicitly state how he feels in any of his personal writings. There are also many kinds of love, as portrayed by his plays Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Twelfth Night, and Hamlet. Some of these traits are misguided, tragic, and genuine, but the disparities are clear. In Macbeth, Shakespeare implies that love can contribute to one’s own undoing if one allows it to. Lady Macbeth manipulates Macbeth to kill Duncan, which starts a chain reaction in slowly undoing their relationship. Shakespeare’s beliefs on love are unclear, but never in any of his plays does he suggest that love leads to self-destruction.

Modern Perspective on Love in Macbeth

Love is very different from the tragedy of Macbeth. Most relationships do not involve planning to murder the king together. Love mostly plays a background role in Macbeth, but in real life, falling in love and getting married are some of the biggest aspects of life. Love is extremely convoluted. There are lots of elements and hard work that are necessary for a healthy relationship. It is incredibly challenging to maintain a good relationship, with the many possible obstacles in the way. Love cannot be forced. People are willing to go to great lengths to put themselves out there and are willing to try just about anything for a chance at a relationship. The truth is you cannot force something that is not there, and if left unchecked can be an unhealthy obsession. Love is a strong object that brings out the best and worst in people.

Final Thoughts: Love’s Power and Consequences

Lady Macbeth and Macbeth, along with their inability to keep a good relationship with each other, are responsible for their own downfall. Their relationship is not the main reason for their demise, but the lack of one did not help. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s marriage was one of real love, one that was ruined by their ambitions and selfishness. William Shakespeare expresses one of his beliefs on love throughout the play to state that love is a powerful object that can lead to heartbreak or to one of the best feelings in the world. The song The Power of Love says it best, “The power of love is a curious thing, make a one man weep, make another man sing.

• Shakespeare, W. (1606). Macbeth.
• Bloom, H. (2010). Bloom’s Shakespeare Through the Ages: Macbeth. Infobase Publishing.
• Bryson, B. (2008). Shakespeare: The World as Stage. HarperCollins.
• Greenblatt, S. (2004). Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare. W. W. Norton & Company.
• Stallybrass, P. (1986). Macbeth and witchcraft. Witchcraft in Early Modern Europe: Studies in Culture and Belief. Cambridge University Press.

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"Macbeth and Lady Macbeth Relationship: Love and Ambition." PapersOwl.com, Jun 21, 2023. Accessed July 5, 2024. https://papersowl.com/examples/macbeth-and-lady-macbeth-relationship-love-and-ambition/

"Macbeth and Lady Macbeth Relationship: Love and Ambition," PapersOwl.com , 21-Jun-2023. [Online]. Available: https://papersowl.com/examples/macbeth-and-lady-macbeth-relationship-love-and-ambition/. [Accessed: 5-Jul-2024]

PapersOwl.com. (2023). Macbeth and Lady Macbeth Relationship: Love and Ambition . [Online]. Available at: https://papersowl.com/examples/macbeth-and-lady-macbeth-relationship-love-and-ambition/ [Accessed: 5-Jul-2024]

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