Fiend-Like Queen

Ihor Nakonechny

Fiend-Like Queen

There are many interpretations of what a fiend is. One may say that a fiend is satin or a demon. Others may say that a fiend is a person or thing that causes mischief or annoyance. However, when it comes to Lady Macbeth, from the tragic play, Macbeth, she is a much more sinister fiend than this. She fits the definition of a diabolically cruel or wicked person. This description fits her personality perfectly as depicted by her actions in the play. She was the one who originally convinced Macbeth to kill the good king Duncan. Then, after the deed was done, she was the one who convinced Macbeth to man up and she was the one who poisoned the guards and put the bloody dagger in their hands to frame them. These facts that were mentioned clearly portray a fiend who has reached a point of ruthlessness from where there is no return.

Initially, when Lady Macbeth found out about the king coming to stay at the Macbeth castle, she immediately revealed her true nature. Having witnessed the crown being passed to Malcolm, Macbeth was outraged by the fact that a young man would take the throne instead of him. Macbeth was a great hero, after all, and he deserved to be next in line for the throne. Upon bringing the news to Lady Macbeth, Macbeth listened as his wife coaxed him with words of wisdom about how they would carry out the terrible deed of the King Duncan’s murder. Lady Macbeth states, “…unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty…and pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell, that my keen knife see not the wound it makes...”(Shakespeare 33). In this soliloquy, Lady Macbeth asks dark spirits to turn her from a woman to a ruthless killer with the qualities and strength of a man. Then she proceeds to mention the smoke of hell and her keen knife, which symbolize darkness and violent imagery, depicting two qualities of a fiend. Later in the play, it was clearly portrayed how guilty lady Macbeth felt for the deed that she planned and carried out along with Macbeth. She thought that she had the strength to kill a man and not regret what she had done afterwards, but she was sadly mistaken. In spite of the guilt Lady Macbeth soon faced, she clearly fits the definition of a fiend in this way.

Following the plead for evil energy by Lady Macbeth, King Duncan, completely unaware of what was to become of him, headed towards Inverness to celebrate the victory with Macbeth at his side. Upon arrival, the king was greeted as any king should be, with bows from both Lady Macbeth as well as Macbeth. Lady Macbeth played her part well in the plot that she conjured up. The carefully planned assault on the king was to be carried out by Macbeth, who would carefully do what his wife told him. First, after the celebration at the castle and when King Duncan fell asleep, Lady Macbeth poisoned the guards of the king and Macbeth went inside and cut the king’s throat. As Macbeth emerged with the bloody dagger, he explained to Lady Macbeth that the deed was done and that he is horrified by what he has done. In his hands, he held the daggers that Lady Macbeth specifically told him to leave with the guards in order to frame them. Frustrated by Macbeth’s behavior, Lady Macbeth whispered, “…Give me the daggers. The sleeping and the dead are but as pictures…” (Shakespeare 59). Annoyed by Macbeth’s incompetence,