Lady Macbeth1 Essay Example

convinces herself that she is brave (Freud 223). She coldly requests to be stripped of her femininity so that she can carry out her murderous plans: "That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here."

In Lady Macbeth's soliloquy, she expresses her desire to trade her milk for gall, addressing the murdering ministers (I. v. 39-40, 46-7). Through her harsh words, she replaces her repressed sexual complex with ambition. Her bold speech creates the illusion of great bravery, but in reality, she is suppressing her true underlying cowardice (Coriat 219).

According to Coriat (222), despite consciously believing in her own willpower, the factors that determine her behavior are her unconscious complexes. As the time of the murder approaches, Macbeth starts to have doubts about carrying out the plan. However, Lady Macbeth, who is dominant in nature, urges him on and pushes him towards damnation by calling him a coward and demonstrating her fearlessness (Jameson 191). Her frightening words convince Macbeth that he must fulfill his promise and be brave: "How tender it is to love the babe that milks me: I would, while it was smiling in my face, Have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums, And dashed the brains out, had I so sworn as you Have done to this." (I.)

Here, Lady Macbeth's repressed desire for a child is transformed into ambition and strength. Although she appears strong and unaffected on the surface, deep down she is filled with sadness about being unable to have children. As Lady Macbeth waits for Macbeth to return from committing a terrible act, she reveals her true feelings by saying: "The alcohol that has made them intoxicated has also made

me bold; the thing that has put out their fire has ignited mine" (II. ii. 1-2).

Her fearfulness is demonstrated by her reliance on alcohol to embolden her to carry out her desires. This timidity resurfaces when Lady Macbeth confesses to her husband, "If he had not looked like my father as he slept, I would have done it" (II. ii. 12-13). In this instance, she uses the image of her father as a justification for her lack of action (Coriat 221).

Lady Macbeth is deeply afraid and horrified by the entire experience of murder. The silence, whispering, and dangerous situation are interrupted by a knocking at the gate. This causes Lady Macbeth's false bravery to turn into complete terror. She realizes that the murder of Duncan is even more wicked because it goes against ideas of kinship and hospitality (Jameson 191). To cope with the secret and the horror of what they have done, she chooses to repress it (Coriat 220). Lady Macbeth tells her husband that they cannot dwell on their actions because it will drive them insane (II.ii).

Lady Macbeth's repression of her guilt and shame over the regicide begins to take a toll on her mental state, leading her towards hysterical dissociation. With the deed done, she finds herself consumed by thoughts and reflections on her nefarious actions.

Lady Macbeth loses her ambition and becomes deeply depressed, knowing that her life will never be pleasant again. She expresses this by saying: "Nought's had, all's spent, Where our desire is got without content: 'Tis safer to be that which we destroy Than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy." (III. ii.)

4-7) These words reveal her sadness

and hint at her ultimate fate (Coriat 221). The bond between Macbeth and his desolate wife has shattered. He no longer confides in her about his intentions. Lady Macbeth ceases to play a role in the violent acts that Macbeth carries out (Jameson 192). In their conversation before the banquet, Lady Macbeth asks about Macbeth’s plans, but he evades her question by ordering her to: “Stay ignorant of the information, beloved dear, / Until you applaud the action” (III. ii.).

Macbeth's lack of confidence in his wife, who is doomed to a tragic fate, intensifies her distress (Jameson 193). However, Lady Macbeth makes a final attempt to salvage their desperate circumstances. In the subsequent banquet scene, the proud woman endeavors to tame the disorder caused by her husband's hallucinations of Banquo's ghost. She divertes the attention of the guests and endeavors to reason with Macbeth.

According to Lady Macbeth, he has disrupted the joy and ruined the pleasant gathering with an extremely chaotic display (III. iv. 110-111). When she realizes that there is no chance of salvaging the evening, Lady Macbeth quickly finds an excuse to send the guests away.

According to Freud (223), this is the ultimate act of control and sanity for Lady Macbeth. Her sleep-walking scene signifies her last appearance in the play. This particular scene demonstrates the progression of Lady Macbeth's emotional journey and the repressed feelings of not being able to have children and being involved in Duncan's murder (Coriat 219). It symbolizes her complete breakdown after fiercely striving to achieve her goal (Freud 223).

According to Coriat (222), Lady Macbeth has developed two distinct personalities by now. These personas emerge and vanish depending

on her fluctuating mental state. Her usual awakened state involves her practicing censorship, repression, displaying assumed bravery, asserting control over situations, and showing fearlessness. Furthermore, it is marked by her emotionless cruelty, which she strongly advises Macbeth to embrace. In contrast, her somnambulistic state portrays a different personality.

In this state, Lady Macbeth demonstrates open expression, inherent fearfulness, compassion, and regret (Coriat 219-220). It is clear that her character has fragmented due to her suppressed psychological issues (Coriat 222). These suppressed issues manifest themselves during Lady Macbeth's sleep-walking episode. In this scene, she vividly remembers each disturbing event with precise detail.

According to Isador H. Coriat, the initial complex that arises is related to Duncan's murder. The doctor and gentlewoman observe Lady Macbeth, who is full of remorse, rubbing her hands while exclaiming: Out, I say! One: two: why, then ‘tis time to do ‘t. Hell is murky. Fie, my lord, fie! A soldier, and afeard? What need we fear who knows it, when none can call our pow’r to accompt? Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him?” (V.

i. 33-38) Lady Macbeth is tormented by the murder of Duncan. She also reveals her knowledge of Banquo's murder and the senseless killing of Lady Macduff and her children (221). In her sleep, Lady Macbeth asks where the wife of the Thane of Fife is (V.

i. 40-41). In her somnambulistic state, Lady Macbeth experiences a terrifying display of her crimes. This ultimately leads to her descent into madness (Coriat 221-222). The sleep-walking scene provides a glimpse into the torment within Lady Macbeth that is not revealed in her waking

state (Jameson 193). This culmination of her journey leaves her in a state of utter deterioration.

According to Coriat (222), Lady Macbeth's demise is the ultimate stage of her mental decline. Seyton informs Macbeth about her death. However, Macbeth, preoccupied with his upcoming battle, only has a brief response: "She should have died hereafter; / There would have been a time for such a word" (V. v.).

Macbeth's epitaph reveals Lady Macbeth's diminished existence (Coriat 222). According to Malcolm's speech, the "fiendlike queen" committed suicide, though the specific method is undisclosed. This uncomplicated conclusion emphasizes the lingering remnants of Lady Macbeth's corrupt life.

Lady Macbeth's downfall is brought about by repressed emotional complexes. These complexes serve as her motivation, and throughout the play, they continue to dominate her actions. Despite achieving her original objective, Lady Macbeth descends into depression. Her downfall becomes a bleak, lonely path that eventually leads to her insanity.

The tragedy of Lady Macbeth’s disintegration enhances the masterpiece, Macbeth.

1. Coriat, Isador H. “The Hysteria of Lady Macbeth.” Shakespearean Criticism. Eds. Laurie Lanzen Harris and Mark W. Scott. 12 vols. Detroit: Gale Research Company, 1986.

3: 219-223.

Scott. 12 volumes. Detroit: Gale Research Company, 1986. Volume 3 pages 223-225.

Eds. Laurie Lanzen Harris and Mark W. Scott. 12 vols. Detroit: Gale Research Company, 1986. 3: 191-193.

Macbeth. English and Western Literature. Edited by George Kearnes. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1984.

112-187.
William Shakespeare’s Macbeth has been a long-standing favorite in the theatre since Elizabethan times. The play's enduring themes of ambition, fate,

violence, and insanity work together to create an enthralling plot. Throughout the play, the audience witnesses the downfall of a tragic hero and his determined wife. Lady Macbeth, one of Shakespeare’s most compelling female characters, plays a significant role in Macbeth. She holds considerable influence over the course of events and her character emphasizes many of the key themes. It appears clear that Lady Macbeth is driven by suppressed emotional struggles that ultimately lead to her descent into madness.

Lady Macbeth is introduced as she reads a letter from her husband about his new title and the prophecies of the three weird sisters. Macbeth is the first to consider killing King Duncan, but his ambitious wife also immediately entertains the idea. Macbeth becomes the conduit for evil, and his calculating companion embraces it fully. Lady Macbeth's strong ambition to become queen is sparked by this exposure of evil (Jameson 192). There are two reasons behind Lady Macbeth's ambition. Her first motive is her deep love for her husband, which shows her feminine side.

The reason she is eager to help Macbeth become king is because she loves him. When she reads his letter, Lady Macbeth's thoughts are solely focused on him and not herself. In addition, her ambition is also linked to a repressed longing for children, which is fueled by the memory of her deceased child.

The memory produced by this event torments Lady Macbeth's mind and influences all her subsequent actions in the play (Coriat 219). While contemplating and planning the assassination of the king, Lady Macbeth convinces herself that she is courageous (Freud 223). She coldheartedly requests to have her feminine qualities removed

so that she can carry out her murderous plans: "That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, And take my milk for gall, you murd'ring ministers." (I. v.)

In her soliloquy, Lady Macbeth uses harsh words to express her ambition and repressed sexual complex. Despite appearing courageous, she is actually suppressing her underlying cowardice (Coriat 219). While she consciously believes in her volition, her unconscious complexes ultimately determine her behavior (Coriat 222). As the time for the murder approaches, Macbeth starts to hesitate in carrying out the plan. Lady Macbeth, who is dominating, pushes him towards his doom by calling him a coward and demonstrating her fearlessness (Jameson 191).

Macbeth is convinced to be a man and keep his word by Lady Macbeth's horrifying words: "How tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me: I would, while it was smiling in my face, Have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums, And dashed the brains out, had I so sworn as you Have done to this" (I. vii. 54-59). Lady Macbeth's repressed sexual complex for a child is channeled into ambition and strength.

Despite appearing to be emotionally strong, this woman is secretly sorrowful about not having children (Coriat 220). While waiting for Macbeth after the gruesome act, Lady Macbeth admits that she is not as fearless as she seems, confessing: "What has made them drunk has made me brave; / What has satisfied them has ignited me" (II. ii. 1-2).

The demonstration of her fearfulness is shown through her reliance on alcohol in order to carry out her desires. This timidity becomes evident once again when Lady Macbeth confesses to her husband, "If he had not looked

like my father as he slept, I would have done it" (II. ii. 12-13).

According to Coriat (221), she uses her father as a justification for her inaction. Lady Macbeth is filled with intense fear and horror throughout the entire experience of murder. The silence, whispering, and dangerous situation are interrupted by a knock at the gate, transforming Lady Macbeth's false bravery into complete terror. Furthermore, she understands that the murder of Duncan becomes even more wicked because it goes against notions of family and hospitality (Jameson 191). Lady Macbeth chooses to suppress both the secret of the murder and the horror it brings (Coriat 220). She warns her husband: "These deeds must not be thought / After these ways; so, it will make us mad" (II.

ii. 33-34). Lady Macbeth will be pushed to the point of hysterical dissociation due to this repression. Once the regicide is completed, she has the opportunity to dwell on her actions. She is overwhelmed by thoughts of her wicked deed and experiences a decline in her ambition, sinking into a deep depression.

Lady Macbeth acknowledges that her life will never be enjoyable again. She declares: "Nought's had, all's spent, Where our desire is got without content: 'Tis safer to be that which we destroy Than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy." (III. ii. 4-7) These words reveal her sadness and anticipate her ultimate fate (Coriat 221).

The relationship between Macbeth and his despairing wife has deteriorated. He no longer shares his plans with her. Lady Macbeth does not participate in the subsequent acts of violence committed by Macbeth (Jameson 192). During their conversation before the banquet, Lady Macbeth asks

about Macbeth's plans, but he evades the question by instructing her to remain ignorant until she approves of the deed (III. ii. 45-46).

According to Jameson (193), Macbeth's lack of faith in his doomed wife worsens her distress. However, despite this, Lady Macbeth makes a final attempt to salvage their desperate circumstances. In the subsequent banquet scene, the proud woman endeavors to manage the mayhem ensuing from her husband's hallucinations of Banquo's ghost. She diverts the attention of the guests and endeavors to reason with Macbeth.

She reprimands him by stating: “You have ruined the joy, disrupted the pleasant gathering, / With greatly admired chaos” (III. iv. 110-111). Upon realizing that there is no chance to salvage the evening, Lady Macbeth promptly finds a reason to dismiss the guests. This serves as her ultima action of dominance and rationality (Freud 223).

The sleep-walking scene is Lady Macbeth's last appearance in the play. This scene demonstrates the logical progression of Lady Macbeth's emotional experiences and her hidden feelings of not being able to have children and of having committed Duncan's murder (Coriat 219). It shows her complete breakdown after intensely pursuing her goals (Freud 223). At this point, Lady Macbeth has developed two separate personalities.

According to Coriat (222), these personas come and go depending on her mental state. When she is in her normal and awake state, she displays traits such as censorship, repression, assumed bravery, mastery of situations, and fearlessness. In addition, she harshly advises Macbeth with heartless cruelty. However, this personality is contrasted by her somnambulistic state.

Lady Macbeth displays various emotions and characteristics in this state, including free expression, inherent cowardice, pity, and remorse (Coriat 219-220). It

is evident that her personality has become fragmented due to her suppressed issues (Coriat 222). These repressed issues resurface when Lady Macbeth sleepwalks, as she vividly recounts each gruesome event with precision.

According to Isador H. Coriat, the initial complex that arises is connected to Duncan's murder, observed by the doctor and gentlewoman as Lady Macbeth remorsefully rubs her hands and exclaims: "Out, I say! One: two: why, then ‘tis time to do ‘t. Hell is murky."

"Fie, my lord, fie! A soldier, and afeard? What need we fear who knows it, when none can call our pow’r to accompt? Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him?” (V. i. 33-38) This shows that Lady Macbeth is tormented by the murder of Duncan. Additionally, she reveals her knowledge of Banquo's murder. Furthermore, she mentions the senseless murder of Lady Macduff and Macduff's children (221). In her sleep, Lady Macbeth asks: “The Thane of Fife had a wife.

"Where is she now?" (V. i. 40-41). During her somnambulistic state, she sees a dreadful display of all her crimes. This eventually causes her to go mad (Coriat 221-222).

The sleep-walking scene reveals Lady Macbeth's inner torment in a manner that her conscious state could never convey (Jameson 193). This culmination of her experience leads to her complete breakdown. Ultimately, Lady Macbeth's mental deterioration results in her demise (Coriat 222). Seyton is the one to inform Macbeth of Lady Macbeth's death.

Macbeth, consumed with thoughts of his upcoming battle, has minimal words for Lady Macbeth. He states, "She should have died later; There would have been a time for such a

word" (V. v. 17-18). This short epitaph from Macbeth illustrates the utter worthlessness of Lady Macbeth's life. At the end of the play, Malcolm reveals in his speech that the "fiendlike queen" ended her own life.

The exact method of Lady Macbeth's suicide remains unknown, but this enigmatic conclusion emphasizes the remnants of her corrupt existence (Coriat 222).