Macbeth - Discuss the Dramatic Development of Lady Macbeth

Macbeth - Discuss the dramatic development of Lady Macbeth

Discuss the dramatic development of Lady Macbeth

Macbeth is a drama written about how a warrior tries to become king through murder and deceit with the help of his wife, and how the consequences of their actions are great. The play is centred around four main themes: evil, death, mental disorders and the supernatural (which are closely linked together). Lady Macbeth shows all of these things and is a very diverse character who slowly develops through the course of the play.

At the beginning of the play, the audience meet the witches and are first introduced to evil and supernatural. Witches were a very controversial subject at the time when Shakespeare wrote the play. This means that the play would be controversial and attract a lot of customers as well as raising thoughts and ideas in the audience's heads. Seeing and hearing the witches early on gets the audience ready for the rest of the play and lets them know what its about. This also tell the audience what the letter means that Lady Macbeth reads out at the beginning of act 1 scene 5.

In act 1 scene 5, where Lady Macbeth is reading the letter from Macbeth, she finds out that Duncan will be coming to stay and thinks that this is a perfect opportunity for her to use her plan to make Macbeth king, it literally falls straight into her lap. ' Messenger: the king comes here to-night'.

During this scene, Lady Macbeth mentions some key words used which show the main themes of the play: 'closest partner' - This means that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have a close relationship and are happy together. 'greatness' - Macbeth is considering his future and what it holds for him. 'metaphysical', 'fate' - Lady Macbeth is mentioning the supernatural, showing that this is a key part o the play. 'Raven' - She is mentioning death, which is another main theme. 'night' - Night could be thought of as evil in the times when the play was performed because dark was related to evil and light to good. 'smoke of hell' - An obvious reference to evil.

When Lady Macbeth has her speech (line 37 to line 57), she is trying to invoke the evil spirits and make her like a man and therefore strong and powerful. 'come you spirits' she is speaking directly to the spirits. 'unsex me here… full of direst cruelty'' she wants to be a man and become full of cruelty and evil so that she can commit the terrible deeds that she wants to do. 'make thick my blood, stop up the access and passage to remorse' if her blood is thicker, then less emotion will be able to reach her hart and she will be able to stand up to them and be evil. 'take my milk for gall' take all that is womanly and turn it bitter like bile, make me bitter and foul. 'sightless substances' she believes that the spirits are real, but she just can't see them. 'pall the in the dunnest smoke of hell' she wants to be shrouded in the darkest spirits or 'smoke' from hell to make her as evil as possible. 'all hail hereafter!' she is predicting the future enthusiastically, you will be even greater! The future will happen now and you will be king soon. She needs to become evil so she can make Macbeth do what he has to do as well as other bad things she has to do later.

As soon as Macbeth tells Lady Macbeth that Duncan is coming, she asks when he will leave, 'and when goes hence' she's so obsessed with the plan that Macbeth doesn't really seem to matter, she really wants this to work. Macbeth replies and she just tells him that Duncan will be dead before then.

Lady Macbeth mentions faces, which is a metaphor for behaviour that is used later in the play as well. She says that his face is like a book where people can read what is happening. She wants them both to put on a mask (metaphorically speaking) and cover up their feelings and behaviour so that no one suspects anything. 'look like the innocent flower but be the serpent under't' (serpent is a reference to evil, as in the Garden of Eden).

'He that’s coming must be provided for' what does she mean? Does she want the people to be happy or is she talking about the murder? Or both? I think that the latter is true, she needs to prepare for the guests so that they don’t suspect anything, but she still needs to get the final details correct for the murder.

Macbeth, who has just come back from battle is stunned and surprised by all this and is also very tired, he wants to do it later, so Lady Macbeth tells him not to worry and that she will sort it out. Yet again, she is too