Macbeth Revision: Lady Macbeth and Tragic Themes

Hamartia and the Tragic Hero

  • Hamartia: Defined as a fatal flaw in a character that leads to their downfall or demise; both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are consumed by this trait.
  • Tragic Hero Status: Macbeth is established as a loyal and brave soldier whose ambition causes his fall. Lady Macbeth is often excluded from this category because she lacks the traditional stature and sympathetic qualities required of a tragic hero.
  • Hubris: Lady Macbeth’s overconfidence leads her to commit crimes that shocked the Jacobean audience, eventually resulting in the loss of her authority, mind, and life via suicide.

Gender Roles and Jacobean Context

  • Subversion of Norms: Lady Macbeth rejects typical Jacobean female traits such as obedience and nurturance, instead presenting as manipulative and controlling.
  • Motivation: Her actions are driven by ambition and her role as Macbeth’s "dearest partner of greatness."
  • The Unnatural: Her childless status and dominance over her husband characterize her as "unnatural," drawing parallels between her and the witches.
  • Audience Reception: A modern audience may view her subversion of gender roles differently than a Jacobean audience, who would view the disruption of the "proper Christian order" as a precursor to devastating consequences.

Structural and Supernatural Elements

  • Iambic Pentameter: Lady Macbeth frequently uses this meter to maintain a formal, elevated tone reflective of her high social status.
  • Witchcraft Imagery: In the "unsex me here" soliloquy of Act 11, Scene 55, Shakespeare uses language that echoes spells and the supernatural to align her with evil forces.
  • Moral Conscience: While she calls on spirits to "stop up the access and passage to remorse," she is ultimately overwhelmed by guilt in Act 55, Scene 11.

Act 1 Plot Summary

  • Scene 1: Three witches plan their meeting with Macbeth.
  • Scene 2: A captain reports Macbeth's victory; Duncan decides to honor him as Thane of Cawdor.
  • Scene 3: Witches provide prophecies to Macbeth and Banquo; Macbeth is confirmed as Thane of Cawdor.
  • Scene 4: Duncan praises Macbeth and names Malcolm as the heir to the throne.
  • Scene 5: Lady Macbeth receives a letter about the prophecies and begins plotting Duncan’s murder.
  • Scene 6: King Duncan arrives at Macbeth's castle.