LADY MACBETH, TRANSITION

Lady Macbeth's Transition

In the first act of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth is portrayed as a powerful woman, the dominant force in her relationship.  She is seen as being cunning and sly, and uses these traits to her advantage. Encouraging Macbeth to commit the crime of regicide *punishable by death*. After this occurs, she initially revels in her newfound status. Until her husband begins to push her away, she then experiences a form of a mental breakdown. Resulting in sleep walking and ultimately the taking of her own life.In this slideshow I will explore the cause of the unraveling of such a strong, influential character.

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BRAVE  AND  THE  BOLDThis is Lady Macbeth's first scene, this is a soliloquy in response to the news of King Duncan's plan to visit their home. Her initial response is callous and merciless, her mind jumps straight to murder rather than negotiation or plotting. ( "The fatal entrance of Duncan" )              Then she begins to direct her speech to "spirits that tend on mortal thoughts" using a combination of metaphors and mono syllabic language to create a tone of incantation.  "fill me from the crown to the toe top full of direst cruelty"

continued.This already sets up Lady Macbeth'ss complex, as a woman who knows exactly what she wants and how to get it. Traits that would never in the slightest be associated with women in her time (The Jacobean era). However perhaps in this haste to get what she wants her vision and sense of perspective becomes narrow and she cannot, or rather refuses, to see beyond the lines of what she wants and ignores the surrounding factors such as consequence or failure.                                                                          Which essentially leads to her unraveling later on in the play.

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The Weeping WomanThe brazen and convicted woman from Act 1 is gone and left in her place is a husk. This woman has two qualities woman before did not. In the place of immorality lies remorse, and likewise where once lay unstability now in place lies fragility.                                                      She is a broken woman, what once held her together was desire and cruelty now with one of those needs sated the need of the other has diminished. The woman that spoke with such unlwaful conviction is gone, and in a state of unnerving guilt and insanity, the woman left kills herself. Leaving nothing.

What is Shakespeare warning us of through Lady MacbethAcquiring power and status seems to be at the top of everyone's wishlist. However, there is a fine line between ambition and power lust, and this is a line between stability with long term success and instability resulting in a quick self-destruction.Even when seeking more than what you have, moral awareness is key and can prevent you from a downfall. Shakespeare uses Lady Macbeth as an allegory warning us that a] consequence cannot be avoidedb] a lust for power is unhealthy, and ultimately self destructivec] when acquiring power or status at least remain aware of your moral codes and act in a stable, sane and compassionate wayd] human compassion in our society is in small supply, but we need it in order to function and be stable effective leaders.