How Does Lady Macbeth Change Between Acts 2 And 5

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The character of Lady Macbeth changes drastically between Act 2 and Act 5. In the second act, Lady Macbeth seems extremely strong minded and very much in control: ‘Consider it not so deeply’. The use of the imperative ‘consider it not’ shows that she is instructing Macbeth, and appears to be the more dominant one in their relationship, which would have seemed odd in Shakespeare’s time as control over others was seen as a more masculine trait. She is also rather dismissive, telling him not to worry or look too much into his troubled thoughts (not being able to say ‘Amen’ after the murder of Duncan). It almost seems as if she is trying to reassure him, but in an exasperated way, as if she feels like the murder was not such a big deal. She feels as though she needs to keep Macbeth calm otherwise he will ruin her plan. However, Lady Macbeth’s control and level-headedness seems to completely disappear in Act 5. This becomes clear when the Doctor says ‘The heart is sorely charged’ during the scene in which Lady Macbeth is walking and talking in her sleep. This quotation shows that the impact of her behaviour has become clear not only to herself but to those around her. ‘Sorely charged’ means heavily burdened, which is very different to the carefree attitude that Lady Macbeth had to the murder earlier on in the play, and shows that the realisation of what she has done has finally caught up with her. This could suggest that the guilt was only repressed in Act 2 for the sake of keeping Macbeth calm, and now these feelings of remorse have made themselves apparent in her subconscious mind. Also, after the murder of King Duncan, Lady Macbeth assured Macbeth that the blood would wash off their hands easily: ‘A little water clears us of this deed’. This shows that she feels after washing their hands, she and her husband will be able to forget the deed and be
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