Literary figures and critics have recognized the truth that Shakespeare’s plays always communicate a philosophical knowledge of human behavior and it exposes the depictions of a variety of Characters. In the modern world, people like to reminiscence his characters, so most of them are representations of this modern anarchism. Macbeth is often considered a widely accepted tragedy that discussed various complexities of human nature through the conspicuous characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. At the beginning of the play Macbeth, Macbeth, and Lady Macbeth give the impression to be a lively, dedicated, and enthusiastic pair and when one happens to find some prominent changes occurring in their lives. Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth loved each other, trusted each other but they failed to realize the evil trap made by the witches.
One can find the fact that the tragic flaw or hamartia here is Macbeth’s overvaluing ambition and that forced him to commit crimes one by one. In the first act, one can see the encounter between Macbeth and the three witches. After these meetings, one can easily find some kinds of changes in the lives of both husband and wife. In the beginning, we can find the most important character, Lady Macbeth, performing better than the character of Macbeth. The two characters Macbeth and Lady Macbeth affection and apprehension for everyone are visible throughout the play. But this good relation between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth is not there at the ending of the play. Macbeth’s and Lady Macbeth’s affiliation alter through the route of the play because this relationship transforms the play considerably and subsequently ends in the kill of King Duncan. Macbeths’ relationship with lady Macbeth is obtainable as an exceptionally strong one at the beginning of this play by the desirable quality of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s intelligence of togetherness and while alienated by confrontation and at that time located beneath massive heaviness and enticement by the Witches’ predicts. It is clear that Macbeth’s vaulting ambition is common among modern people and modern man consumes his maximum abilities for personal achievements.
Lady Macbeth is the main reasonable character of the major changes that happened in Macbeth’s behavior and she gives the readers an idea about her strength and power. She arranges each and every tactics and she gives the instructions that Macbeth has to carry out and obey her orders. Shakespeare points out that she has no womanly quality and that especially her mind has no bit of sympathy and pity. The awaiting status of kingship has strongly inspired both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Shakespeare was an intelligent examiner of human psyche and one can relate this character changes in Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to the modern world that is preparing for a Third World War.
After the death of King Duncan, Macbeth had lost his consciousness and he is disturbed with the thought of his friend Banque who knew all his secrets and here one can see that Lady Macbeth took the charge to control her husband. Lady Macbeth is the representative of middleclass women who has a strong wish to earn material status and luxuries.
When Macbeth showed his unwillingness to kill Duncan, Lady Macbeth harshly criticized him and quarrels with him. After the banquet scene, Macbeth often showed symptoms of unconsciousness and here Lady Macbeth acquired both spiritual and physical dominance than Macbeth. “She suggests that it will be safer to wait until a later hour, when the king and everybody but themselves is in bed” (Rolfe). Reader can see that all the way through the scene, Lady Macbeth encourages Macbeth that he must slaughter Duncan and he lastly concurs. That scene gives explanations that the relationship creates confidence and frankness. So it is due to this fact that Macbeth pays attention to his partner and to end with, gets what she has to speak into consideration and bears all the way through it.
Reader can notice that a considerable change has occurred to the character of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth after the illusion in Banquet scene. Here, Lady Macbeth explores and reveals her real nature and she comments that her husband is a victim of some sort of psychological problems. Like modern women, Lady Macbeth is confined to her own personality and for her own existence she avoids her husband. The curse of the existing world is the deterioration of human values such as love, kindness, cooperation and sympathy and human being often refuse relations for mere material satisfaction. Macbeth’s attempt to kill King Duncan explores his nervousness in committing such a crime but he transforms to be a professional killer when he tries to kill Mac duff’s innocent wife and children. International terrorism and military operations organized by the modern world reveals the changes of human character. Shakespeare’s dramatic craftsmanship reaches its zenith when Lady Macbeth began to show the signs of mental disorder.
The relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth became visible for readers when Macbeth struggled with absolute loneliness. In a status of severe inner conflict and isolation Macbeth cries; “Life’s but a walking shadow, poor players, that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then us heard no more. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing” (Shakespeare, 284).
Lady Macbeth’s fall is common for each and every human being who always seeks and likes material pleasure than human values. In the concluding act, one can see the pathetic conditions and painful condition of Lady Macbeth and her guilt feeling haunts her like a mad Woolf. It is clear that if a person had a conscious fault its guilt feelings affect him. His wife’s tragic death changed Macbeth more defensive and he reaches the status of eccentricity or madness. One of the notable differences one can find in the character of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth is that Lady Macbeth looses all her passion and vigor for material life in the end but Macbeth becomes more ferocious.
To conclude, both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have showed some notable changes in their nature and that changes are visible in the life of modern people. Over-vaulting ambition leads Macbeth in to the world of ultimate misery. Both husband and wife love each other to the end. By analyzing the character of both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, one can find that Lady Macbeth plays a dominant role than Macbeth. The significant change that one can notice in their lives is their transformation from material pleasures to severe guilt feeling.
Works Cited
Rolfe, William J. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Theatre History.Com.
Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. Classics Books Company. 2001. Print.