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Macbeth: Act 1; Scene 5
At Macbeth's castle, Lady Macbeth gets a letter from her husband telling her about the predictions (Vorhersage). She dedicates herself to helping Macbeth become king. When she learns that Duncan will spend the night at their castle, she immediately decides to kill him.
Lady Macbeth tells us something vital about her husband, that, by nature, he is not ruthless. She says that even if he wants something so badly he feels like his life depends on it, he will not cheat to get it. She sees that as a flaw in his character.
Lady Macbeth does not have that problem. The woman's resolution is so intense it is frightening. Her speech in lines 39-55 is worth looking at, because it expresses her determination with some of the most potent imagery to be found anywhere in Shakespeare's plays. She actually asks spirits to "unsex" her and "take[her] milk for gall." And look howshe picks up the light-dark imagery: "Come, thick night,/ And pall the in the dunnest smoke of hell." If Macbeth took a giant step toward evil, his wife makes a gigantic leap!
Notice how when Macbeth comes in, Lady Macbeth takes charge and starts talking about the murder right away. She doesn't even have ask if he's considered it, she knows he has.She does most of the talking and several times she tells him to leave everything to her. Macbeth does not agree to killing Duncan, but he does not refuse, either.
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