Written in 1606, Macbeth is one of William Shakespeare’s most iconic and recognizable tragedies. There have been a number of adaptations of the play and various references in pop culture over the years. At the heart of the play, we see the psychological descent of our main character, who ultimately picks a dark road with no way back. However, one of the other main characters in the play is his wife Lady Macbeth. She is seen as being equally ambitious and cunning. Once Macbeth receives the prophecies from the three Weird Witches, she becomes determined to obtain the crown. Macbeth decides to have fellow leaders, and any impediments put in his way, put to death in order to advance this goal. By looking at Lady Macbeth’s reaction at the time of Duncan’s death, Banquo’s murder and her sleepwalking episodes - we can deepen our knowledge of her character. When examining her character development, Lady Macbeth, more so than other characters in the play, clearly undergoes a character change. Lady Macbeth changes during the play from a strong, convincing figure to one who has gone insane with guilt, which eventually determines her fate. She not only manipulates her husband but also propagates the notion that women are weaker than men. She states, …show more content…
During her sleepwalking episodes she has been caught “washing her hands…for as long as fifteen minutes” (Shakespeare 5.1.24-26). Soon after, Macbeth seeks medical assistance because he is concerned for his wife's mental health. Lady Macbeth has insisted on the murder of innocent people from the very beginning of the play, and now she is suffering the results of her demands. She engages in behaviors during her sleepwalking episodes as a means of 'letting go' of her regret and shame. She has held it in for most of the play and is finally letting go in the form of