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Lady Macbeth
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A characterization of Lady Macbeth integrated to the context oft the drama "Macbeth", written by William Shakespeare
Macbeth, a general, the king's cousin and also thane of Glamis, lives in a castle with his wife Lady Macbeth. One day, when Macbeth and his close friend Banquo, who is also a general, are on their way home of a just won battle they meet three creatures, who make prophecies about the two heroes. They name Macbeth a Thane of Cawdor and later on they call him king of Scotland and describe Banquo's sons as future kings of Scotland. Short time later the king's supporters arrive and tell Macbeth that King Duncan just appointed him for being Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth goes home and tells his wife about the prophecy the witches made for him, but first doesn't say anything about Banquo's one. Lady Macbeth, an evil and ambitious woman smells her chance for being upgraded and for becoming queen of Scotland, because the first prophecy became true. She plans to kill the reigning king and free the way for her husband to become the new king of Scotland. When Macbeth listens to her suggestion of shedding blood, he is unsure and tries her to forget her plan. But ambitious as she is known she stays pigheaded and decides to do the deed herself. This time by chance the king comes and visits Macbeth's castle. He enjoys Lady Macbeth's hospitality and brings her a diamond for present for being the nicest hostess, while she hides her betraying intensions behind a friendly smile.
At midnight she thinks again about doing the deed and there seems to be no other way for becoming queen than killing the sleeping king. Lady Macbeth is not stupid and makes the grooms drunk who usually sleep next to the king for protecting his sleep but the surfeited grooms fall deeply asleep, so that they do not recognize anybody standing in the room.
Lady Macbeth catches a dagger to fulfil the plan and enters the bedroom of King Duncan. She wants to do the deed, but suddenly stops, shocked of the vision she has. The sleeping king looks like her father, so Lady Macbeth goes back and sends her husband to fulfil her cruel plan. He does not want to and tells his wife his opinion about doing the deed, but Lady Macbeth understands something about influencing people in a forcing way. She whispers reasons to Macbeth's ears like the deed was easy to do and a fast way to become king.
She is angry about the changing opinions of her husband and calls him foolish and feels superior, because Macbeth is so inconstant.
She also knows that it is easy to simulate the guilt of the grooms by smearing their faces with blood and leaving the daggers of the deed next to them and so she does.
Macbeth becomes the new king of Scotland and is unhappy because he hallucinates and has pangs of conscience. Instead of that, Lady Macbeth tries to create a new plan, because she heard of Banquo's prophecy and does not want his son to be the king after her husband dies. This time she wants to kill Banquo and his son. Macbeth sends his supporters to kill those two.
After that deed he goes crazy and sees the dead and bloody man sitting on the table and talking to him. He screams and Lady Macbeth sends the people out who were sitting on the table.
Few time later the strong and ambitious Lady Macbeth also goes crazy and changes to a nervous and week person. This is the reason for her suicide.
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