Macbeth: Darkness, Evil and Tragedy
Macbeth is a play full of darkness, evil, and tragedy. It is the story of a
man who goes against his conscience and commits a horrible deed which leads to
his destruction and loss of everything he has around him. This includes the
relationship he has with his wife, Lady Macbeth. In the end, he can blame no one
but himself.
At the beginning of the play, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have a very strong
relationship and this deteriorates later.
Act 1 Scene 5 is a key scene which shows just how close Macbeth and Lady Macbeth
were at the beginning of the play; it shows their original relationship. Macbeth
has written a letter to Lady Macbeth telling her of everything and in this
letter states algo that she helped him to get everything for him. The following
speech where Lady Macbeth doubts that he can get to the title of King "he is too
full of the milk of human kindness" shows just how close they were. It
establishes the fact that she knew him so well, she knew what he was like and it
emphasises the closeness of their relationship. She speaks of how he has enough
ambition but not enough courage. His "overiding ambition" is not enough. When
Macbeth and Lady Macbeth speak, they speak to eachother with such closeness and
bond; he calls her his "dearest chuck", his "partner of greatness". She knows
that he is too weak to do anything and states her position in the murder "leave
the rest to me".
In Act 1, Scene 7 establishes the force and power that Lady Macbeth posseses
over her husband. Upon hearing of Macbeth's decision not to kill Duncan, she is
outraged and starts to work her force and power upon him. She knows where he is
most vulnerable and attacks him at his weak spot. She strikes him at his manhood
and courage. This of course works on Macbeth and she knows that it will. No one
calls Macbeth a coward. She says that he is a coward and attacks his manliness.
"to be more than what you are, you would be so much more the man". She
challenges his love for her and says that she would rather "dash the brains out"
of her own child than break such a promise as Macbeth has to her. Whether she
was bluffing, the imagery that Macbeth would have had in his mind at this point
would have been frightening. To have the brains "dashed out" of his own child.