The Complexity of Lady Macbeth's True Nature in Shakespeare's Macbeth

William Shakespeare's portrayal of Lady Macbeth has long intrigued scholars and theatre enthusiasts. Her character is layered and multifaceted, with elements of ambition, manipulation, guilt, and mental decline all contributing to her tragic fate. This article delves into her character by examining certain key aspects from Macbeth.

Ambition and Manipulation

Lady Macbeth is a poster child for ambition and manipulation in Shakespeare's works. Her soliloquy in Act I, Scene 5 is particularly revealing. In this passage, she invokes supernatural forces seeking to corrupt her inherent goodness, symbolizing her desire for power and reckless ambition.

In the opening lines of her soliloquy, we see Lady Macbeth displaying her deep-seated and insatiable hunger for power:

LADY MACBETH: They met me in the day of success: and I learned by the perfectest report they have more in them than mortal knowledge. When I burned in desire to question them further they made themselves articulate into which they vanished. Whiles I stood rapt in the wonder of it came missives from the king, all-hail’d me Thane of Cawdor by which title, before these weird sisters saluted me and referred to the coming of time with ‘Hail, king that shalt be!’ This have I thought good to deliver thee, my dearest partner of greatness, that thou mightst not lose the dues of rejoicing by being ignorant of what greatness is promised thee.

Despite being named Thane of Cawdor, Lady Macbeth senses a flaw within Macbeth, implying that he lacks the necessary ruthlessness to seize the throne:

LADY MACBETH: Glams, thou art and Cawdor, and shalt be. What thou art promised: yet do I fear thy nature. It is too full of the milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way. Thou wouldst be great. Art not without ambition, but without The illness should attend it.

Guilt and Psychological Turmoil

After the murder of King Duncan, Lady Macbeth experiences profound guilt, which manifests in her sleepwalking and habitual hand-washing. Her soliloquy in Act V, Scene I provides a stark image of her deteriorating mental state:

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, thick night! And pall thou 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!

Her words foreshadow her eventual descent into madness, a sharp contrast to her earlier strength and ruthlessness.

Subversion of Gender Norms

Lady Macbeth subverts traditional gender roles of her time. She calls upon spirits to remove her feminine traits, embodying a breaking of societal norms:

LADY MACBETH: Unsex me here! And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty!

Tragic Figure

Lady Macbeth's true nature is a blend of ambition, manipulation, and vulnerability. She is a tragic figure, whose ambition leads to her downfall, and her initial strength becomes her greatest weakness. The themes of ambition, guilt, and the consequences of unchecked desire are all embodied within her character:

LADY MACBETH: Hie thee hither, That I may pour my spirits in thine ear, And chastise with the valour of my tongue All that impedes thee from the golden round Which fate and metaphysical aid doth seem to have thee crowned withal.

As the play progresses, her mental state deteriorates, reflecting the psychological toll of guilt. Her descent into madness contrasts sharply with her earlier strength, illustrating the destructive power of ambition.

In summary, Lady Macbeth's true nature is complex and multifaceted, making her one of Shakespeare's most intriguing and tragic characters. Her journey reflects the dangers of unchecked ambition and the psychological consequences of guilt.