In the first scene of Act V, Lady Macbeth becomes mad and sleepwalks. Some critics have felt that the shift is too abrupt. In the last scene that she had appeared in (III, 4) Lady Macbeth is still a strong and forceful personality. But it is that same scene where Macbeth sees the ghost and becomes mad.
As suggested several times above, Lady Macbeth is a carefully-constructed parallel figure to Macbeth. Shakespeare deliberately creates a dialogic relationship between the pair to enhance the play’s thematic issues regarding ambition, evil, guilt, and conscience.
As suggested in the speeches of the play itself, Lady Macbeth’s self-destruction can be attributed to her revolt against woman’s nature. But another reading is even more possible: Lady Macbeth’s selfdestruction by suicide is a parallel to Macbeth’s selfdestruction by becoming too overconfident because of the prophecies. Guilt drives both of them mad. And that madness leads to self-destruction for both Macbeth and his wife.
As indicated above, Shakespeare’s primarily focuses on the following issues: ambition, evil, guilt, and conscience. Shakespeare reveals that ambition or desire can dominate a personality and cause one to commit horrendous acts of evil. But no matter how overwhelming that evil may be, one’s conscience never entirely disappears. One can never eliminate a sense of guilt.
Ambition is a desire or temptation, like one of the Seven Deadly Sins. In fact, ambition incorporates two of these sins: Pride and Envy. Shakespeare indicates that it is a dangerous trait by referring to it as Vaulting Ambition (Act I, 7: 27). Thus, ambition is evil. Shakespeare also uses this trait to connect Macbeth to his wife (Act I, 5: 17). Lady Macbeth also is ambitious. She desires to be a queen as much as her husband desires being king; and, like her husband, she is willing to commit acts of evil to satisfy her desires.
A number of other issues and ideas are also prevalent in the play:
murder lust for power greed envy fear |
treachery deception superstition supernatural fate/destiny |
Hybris revolt/rebellion soul temptation |
Nearly all of Shakespeare’s plays involve commentary about fate, but in Macbeth fate is certainly a crucial element to plot, character, and theme. For Christians during medieval and Renaissance times, negative examples in history are presented as lessons for those living in the present. Thus, Macbeth could be viewed as a religious allegory with Macbeth symbolizing Ambition.
Moreover, King James I might view the play as an example of poetic justice. Macbeth wrongly rebelled against a good king (according to some of the historians). His anguish and suffering during his reign and his ultimate defeat would be satisfying to King James, who saw Macbeth as his family’s enemy.