Act 5

“great perturbation in nature”

“Out dammed spot”

Shakespeare uses nature as personified to show that Lady Macbeth’s guilt disrupts the natural order.

He presents her as a broken woman, with the motif of sleep acting as a powerful representation of a mind disturbed by wrongdoing. Her sleep is agitated, showing that she cannot achieve the calm of mind that she desperately needs.

Her obsessive behaviour manifests in the repeated “washing” of her hands, revealing that the blood she and Macbeth have shed dominates her thoughts, and that guilt is inescapable.

Imperative shows Lady Macbeth trying to forcefully rid herself of guilt, highlighting her mental torment.

Symbolism of “spot” represents blood and guilt, made almost tangible, showing that her conscience is consuming her.

LMB convicts herself with her own words - in sleep walking she ahs no control over no knowledge of what she says

She is entirely absorbed in her fear, talking to herself while oblivious to her surroundings. Her last line in the banquet scene was “you lack the season of all natures, sleep”, so it's fitting that now she paces at night, sleepwalking but unable to rest. Finally, her sins have caught up to her.

Furthermore, she’s speaking in prose rather than blank verse, so that her speech lacks sophistication and control. Shakespeare used prose for characters who were lower class or insane. Hence, Lady Macbeth isn’t as impressive or intimidating as she once was.

All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand” – Lady Macbeth, Act 5, Scene 1

• Hyperbole / exaggeration – The claim that even all the perfumes of Arabia cannot cleanse her hands emphasises the permanence and enormity of her guilt.

• Symbolism – The “little hand” represents her complicity in murder, innocence lost, and the inescapable stain of her conscience.

• Imagery / sensory language – Evokes smell and touch, making her psychological torment tangible for the audience.

• Contrast / irony – Contrasts with her earlier line “a little water clears us of this deed”, highlighting her realisation that guilt cannot be washed away.

“What’s done cannot be undone,” (5.1).

Shakespeare demonstrates how guilt and regret can’t be escaped. Lady Macbeth tells her worried husband, “What’s done, is done” (3.2), suggesting they can’t change their fate and will just have to live with the consequences.

Shakespeare suggests that greed and ambition can’t predict the guilt that comes with making fantasies into reality.

The line becomes a refrain for her, as later she mutters to herself in her sleep, “What’s done cannot be undone” (5.1).

The repetition makes it appear like she is trying to convince herself to let go and get the courage to face reality. The change from “is done” to “cannot be undone” gives the impression that her guilt and desperation have increased.

Arguably, Shakespeare explores the power of different forces to affect thoughts, words, and actions. Lady Macbeth might be motivated for her husband by “ambition” — more than herself — but like him, she knows that he is not the rightful heir to the throne.

Shakespeare challenges the idea that there is always a greater force — supernatural and Macbeth’s frustrations with equivocation — but both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth choose to act and perform the “deed” of regicide.

The sense of completeness of the downfall of the tragic hero is seen in the shocking transgression of the brutal deaths of Lady Macduff and her children. Macbeth despairs for his destiny; he has lost all sense of moral order. He knows he cannot pray, and in his desperation he turns to the witches, the supernatural, to seek some certainty, some peace, as even his kingship is no longer safe.

“Those he commands move only in command, / Nothing in love.”

• Juxtaposition – The contrast between “command” and “love” highlights that Macbeth’s authority is based on fear, not loyalty.

• Repetition of “command” emphasises the mechanical, emotionless nature of obedience – they are serving him because they must – the Divine Right of Kings meant a war initiated by the throne was initiated and ordained by God, so following “commands” was a religious duty for these Jacobean soldiers.

• The short, declarative clause is blunt, reflecting the harsh reality of Macbeth’s leadership.

• “Move only in command” suggests people are like puppets or soldiers following orders mechanically, which evokes a sense of unnatural order — fitting with Shakespeare’s theme that tyranny disrupts the natural social order.

• Foreshadows Macbeth’s tragic downfall.

• “fear” of the “tyrant” Macbeth’s “fury” means people obey his commands not because they “love” him or repsect or admire him because that has gone with the Tragic Hereos’ fall from grace.

“shall never sag with doubt nor shake with fear”

The witches – Macbeth’s dependency upon the witches and upon what they have told him is clear. He believes what they have said and takes notice from it. And it benefits the tragic hero: he does not contemplate defeat. He will fight determined, “never to sag,” with doubt, where this imbalance echoes his resolve to eliminate the emotion of fear; he will dominate in action.

Devil damn thee black thou cream-faced loon

Vile, aggressive, and violent language to the blackness of hell and of damnation in Macbeth to the servant shows how disturbed he is and the extent to which he abuses others.

Semantic field of evil emphasises the moral corruption surrounding Macbeth.

Contrast highlights the contrast between appearance and reality, showing that Macbeth may appear innocent externally but is morally corrupt within.

Reflects Jacobean beliefs about the devil as a real force disrupting natural order, so the audience instantly recognises the moral danger.

“Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow” -polysyndeton

Out, out, brief candle! / Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player”

Macbeth knows his end is near through the clear change in tone and pathos in this soliloquy. This evokes the impression that Macbeth has awakened from his stupor, as he recognises that his wife is dead, his kingdom is falling apart, and he is truly alone. All of his ambition and sacrifice have been for nothing. The enjambment here reflects the inevitable passage of time, and the repetition reflects a sense of monotony and pointlessness — the “petty pace” of his days as he has lost and destroyed all sense of “significance”. Further, the imagery and metaphor used here emphasise how life is empty, with no purpose or meaning. This reflects and highlights the tragic hero’s realisation as he understands that his life has been pointless, a mere candle flame compared to the light of the universe. In this, Macbeth recognises that he has been so fixated on ambition and power that he has missed what truly matters. His reflection on his fall from grace, when he was honoured by Duncan and highly esteemed with the “golden opinions” of others, shows how far he has fallen. His crisis is caused by the undeniable truth of his own mortality, because for all his “sound and fury” — his violence and painful guilt — he has accomplished nothing everlasting; it signifies nothing. He recognises that he is on the path to the “everlasting bonfire”. Furthermore, the extended metaphor of theatre reinforces appearance versus reality, suggesting Macbeth has merely played the role of a loyal subject and king, when in reality he is a “butcher”. Macbeth’s recognition — the tragic hero’s recognition — is clear, as he understands he has brought this upon himself through error of judgement. The tragedy is compounded by the irreversible nature of error, judgement, destruction, and downfall that follows.

“mind diseased … troubles of the brain .. oblivious antidote”

Her illness is not physical; it is of the mind and reflects the price to pay for allowing her mind to contemplate the act of regicide. Jacobean beliefs that good is rewarded and evil is punished.

Metaphor emphasises the extent to which our minds are the force and power that drives our quality of life. Lady Macbeth’s mind disease is rooted so deep that nothing can cure it.

Semantic field of pain and destruction evokes the extent to which Lady Macbeth’s life has been entirely destroyed by their decisions and actions, as much as Macbeth’s.

The fragmented syntax shows Macbeth’s destruction with imminent attack, as he also learns more about the state of Lady Macbeth.

“The queen my lord is dead”

The brevity of the sentence and the monosyllabic words of the statement emphasise the lack of emotion that accompanies the news of Lady Macbeth’s death.

“upon the next tree thou shall hang alive”

“Liar and Slave”

Equivocation – a key preoccupation of the play; by any other terms, equivocations are “lies like truth.”

The semantic field of violence and brutality reveals a very alone Macbeth, as he has recognised that he has lost all who meant anything to him as a result of his own actions. The strength of the partnership with Banquo and himself stands in stark contrast to this man who must fight alone, and whose profound reversal of fortunes is seen in the fact that there are only the witches to whom he believes he can look for assurance (supernatural synonymous with evil).

The growing reestablishment of the moral order is seen in the strength in numbers and representations of goodness, honour, and what is rightful according to the GCOB and DROK. The juxtaposition of the growth of their “triumph of good over evil.”

Mirroring of language from Act 1 and Act 5 as terms of honour — “worthy… noble” — transfer from Macbeth to Macduff, Siward, and others.

The tragic hero is neither perfect nor all evil; they are flawed human beings capable of greatness. The qualities and accomplishments of the tragic hero are compromised by capitulation to their fatal flaw; the scale of their reversal of fortune is equal and opposite to the scale of achievement. This means the audience can identify with the conflicts and fate of the tragic hero.

Tragic hero universality of good over evil.

Through the trajectory of the tragic hero in Macbeth, the universality and timelessness of Shakespeare’s message about good and evil become clear. The establishment of the New Order under Malcolm, aided by Macduff, Siward and others, shows that ultimately justice is served; however, Shakespeare emphasises that this restoration is not easy, as maintaining integrity and belief in the Divine Right of Kings comes at the cost of suffering for Malcolm, Macduff and Siward. Equally, the killing of the “butcher” and his “fiend-like queen”, alongside the obliteration of the corrupt old order, reiterates the message that evil cannot flourish. This growing re-establishment of moral order is further reflected in the recurring imagery of light and darkness, where the juxtaposition of these motifs presents the power of good over evil, suggesting that although darkness may temporarily dominate, light ultimately prevails. Therefore, Shakespeare reinforces the idea that moral order is inevitably restored.

“Worthy MacDuff and we”

The royal we the first person plural signifies Malcom’s confidence and determination that as the rightful heir to the throne he will assume the hone and protect Scotland

Malcom (Act 5 Scene 9 end) promises that very soon he will as king reward the love and loyalty of those who have fought and triumphed over with him in restoring moral order to Scotland.

“by self and violent hands”

The phrase “by self and violent hands” highlights how both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth become the architects of their own destruction, as their hands—once symbols of loyalty and protection—are now associated with violence and guilt. In a Christian context, hands are typically linked to healing and purity, such as the “healing hands of Christ”, so Shakespeare’s use of this imagery suggests a profound moral transgression. By committing regicide, they violate the natural and divine order, transforming something meant to soothe and heal into an instrument of murder. This biblical allusion would have shocked a Jacobean audience, reinforcing the idea that their heinous actions lead not only to political chaos but also spiritual damnation.

“dead butcher and his fiend-like queen”

The metaphor “dead butcher and his fiend-like queen” presents Macbeth and Lady Macbeth in a completely dehumanised and condemnatory way. The noun “butcher” reduces Macbeth to a figure associated with the mindless slaughter of animals, suggesting that his violence has become indiscriminate and stripped of honour. This marks a stark contrast to his earlier presentation as a noble warrior, highlighting the extent of his moral decline. Meanwhile, the simile “fiend-like” aligns Lady Macbeth with demonic forces, implying she is not just evil but almost supernatural in her wickedness. This reflects Jacobean beliefs in the devil and reinforces the idea that their actions have violated the natural and divine order.

Furthermore, this final judgement comes from Malcolm, the rightful king, giving it authority and suggesting that history will remember them not as tragic figures, but as embodiments of evil. Shakespeare therefore strips them of any remaining sympathy, presenting their fate as a moral warning that unchecked ambition leads to total corruption and lasting disgrace.

The decline of Lady Macbeth

The scale of the reversal of fortunes of the tragic hero is seen in the extent to which he is despised ‘tyrant… fiend of Scotland’. As he recognises, Macbeth has lost everything and gained ‘nothing’; he has lost respect, honour, friends and the relationship he once had with his wife.

The strong woman ‘dearest partner in greatness’, in whom he confides, the one he trusts only and the one with whom he plans is now broken, disturbed and vulnerable. From once, he stops sharing with her—from the murder of the plot on the lives of the Banquo and Fleance, they grow further apart in isolation and despair. Arguably, he draws on all of the physical features of masculinity whilst she embodies the frailty of women.

It is ironic that her words ‘a little water clears the surface of this deed’ come back to haunt her now as she sleepwalks and obsessively washes her hands, seeing only ‘blood’.

Goethe

“i beleive in god man and triumph of good over evil”

The all-pervasive lexical field of religion (“God”, “heaven”, “angels”) reflects the predominant Christian beliefs of the Jacobean era. Goethe’s statement of belief in the triumph of good over evil echoes the themes of justice and hope that are central to Macbeth. It is clear from the downfall and reversal of the tragic hero that evil acts such as murder and regicide cannot go unpunished. Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are damned. Salvation is not possible because, while they may regret their actions, they do not truly repent.