Lady Macbeth, a Fx or a Fraud?
Throughout the play Macbeth, many characters find themselves at a crossroads. The devilish Lady Macbeth is a wonderful example of the effects of choosing the wrong path. She, much like a tragic hero, begins at the top of her world. Then, fueled by nothing but greed and a lust for power, she helps to commit regicide and finds herself losing a downhill battle. Near the end of the first act, Lady Macbeth is presented with a choice. The Weird Sisters have predicted that Macbeth will be king and all Lady Macbeth can do is think of her and Macbeth as King and Queen. Lady Macbeth knows they are next in line for the throne; yet she decides to kill Duncan. “Unsex me here and fill me from the crown to the toe top full of direst cruelty” (p50 In44-45).
The soliloquy delivered by Lady Macbeth is almost frightening. She has made the choice to kill Duncan and convinces Macbeth to help her. She drugs the guards and tells Macbeth to man up, “letting “| dare not” wait upon ” would,” like the poor cat i’ th’ adage” (p60 In47-48). This choice will come to plague both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth’s thoughts. The guilt is felt by both of these characters. Macbeth chooses to deal with his guilt by killing his best friend Banquo, trying to kill Banquo’s son, and sending people after Macduff’s family. Lady Macbeth, although never actually having killed someone, began to have guilt ridden dreams. “Out damned spot! Out, I say” (pg216 In30). Lady Macbeth is dreaming her guilty conscience for the doctor and the gentlewoman to see. All the while displaying her deteriorating mental state. “All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand” (pg218 In43).
Lady Macbeth feels her wrongdoings are so stinky with guilt that not all the sweet smelling perfumes will not cure her of this stench when earlier in the play she simply told Macbeth a little water would clean him of the death. The symbol of blood is associated with the guilt felt by the characters. Finally, the choice Lady Macbeth made has lead to the ultimate consequence: her life. “The Queen, my lord, is dead” (pg236 In18). The choice Lady Macbeth made affected everything in her life all the way up to her death. The guilt of her selling away her graceful femininity took its toll on her and her downfall was her own fragility.
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UItimately. Lady Macbeth killed herself to escape the guilt and blood from Duncan’s death. The play Macbeth is full of characters with teetering moralities, twisted fates, and questionable decisions. However, Lady Macbeth could very well take the proverbial cake for making bad decisions and regretting it later. Lady Macbeth chose to be a stone cold killer until her own sense of morality and a guilty conscience caught up to her.
