Lady Macbeth, on the other hand, also realizes that nothing can save her from her guilt. Using her persuasive powers to manipulate him, Lady Macbeth convinces Macbeth to commit the murder. Even going as far to provide the plan and the means for carrying out the deed. Lady Macbeth is also the one who frames the guards for the murder, and she helps cover up the murder by taking the daggers back to the crime scene and washing the blood off of Macbeth’s hands. In the beginning of the play, Lady Macbeth is portrayed as a strong, ambitious woman that would do anything to achieve her goals. However, her role in King Duncan’s death ultimately leads to her downfall. She becomes consumed by her guilt and this shows in Act 5, Scene 1, where she sleepwalks …show more content…
Both characters are tormented by their guilt, and they are unable to find peace or happiness in their lives. Their inability to escape the consequences of their actions led to both of their treacherous fates in this play. Macbeth is eventually killed by Macduff, while Lady Macbeth takes her own life, unable to bear the weight of her guilt any longer. Another character affected by guilt in this play is Macduff. Macduff leaves his family behind in Scotland to go to England to help overthrow Macbeth. When he learns that this family has been murdered, he is overcome with guilt and despair, feeling that he has failed them by not being there to protect them. “All my pretty ones? Did you say all? O hell-kite! All? What, all my pretty chickens and their dam / At one fell swoop?” (Act 4, Scene 3, Lines 216-219) This quote shows Macduff’s anguish and despair upon learning that his entire family has been murdered. The play suggests that guilt is a powerful force that can drive people to madness and despair, and that it is ultimately impossible to escape the consequences of one’s actions. By showing the devastating effects guilt had on both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, Shakespeare highlights the moral and psychological effects of their