The closing scene of Macbeth Essay Example for Free

The closing scene of Macbeth Essay In the closing scene of Macbeth, Malcolm refers to Lady Macbeth as a fiend-like queen. Do you agree with Malcolm, or do you think she is not as evil as he depicts? I cannot fully agree or disagree with Malcolms proposal that she is a fiend. A fiend is a very inhumane depraved person, I not agree that she is this wicked but there is clear evidence to suggest that she is evil, as Malcolm makes her out to be. But there is also evidence in a few key scenes to show that she is not as evil as Malcolm makes her out to be but she is still not a pleasant person, and in order to evaluate her character I will have to look at these the key scenes, in which she appears. The first scene she appears in is Act 1: scene 5. Lady Macbeth receives a letter from her husband and is obviously very excited by the news and immediately decides that Macbeth shall become king: Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be what thou art promisd Her reaction suggests that she is extremely ambitious woman and she doesnt hesitate at what glory can come out of this for Macbeth and her. Lady Macbeth thinks Macbeth might not have the guts to fulfil this final prophecy which is to kill the king, thou wouldst be great; art not without ambition; but without the illness should attend it this quote suggests Lady Macbeth is about to take situation into her own hands. So in this scene it suggests Lady Macbeth is extremely ambitious. The next scene which is Act1: scene 7 it shows that Malcolms predictions seem accurate because she is at her most ruthless. She questions him repeatedly in a taunting manner. She lectures him, asking him if he was too afraid to fulfil his ambition: And lie a coward in thine own esteem she goes on to ask questions of his masculinity: when you durst do it, you were a man. Her most brutal declaration occurs when she claims she would rather kill her own baby feeding on her breast than abandon a promise: I would, while smiling in my face, have plucked my nipple from its boneless gums and dashed the brains out.. In this scene Lady Macbeth is at her most ruthless and is a very depraved person. In Act 2: scene 2 we see a different side to Lady Macbeth, she is very anxious and concerned in case Macbeth gets caught and she is worried about the consequences. Her reaction would suggest that she has still a bit of humanity in her and this is reinforced when she says, Had he not resembled my father as he slept, I had done it However, regardless of these revelations, Lady Macbeth is still portrayed in this scene as scheming and very strong willed. She keeps him clam as Macbeth goes to pieces. She chastises him for feeling guilty and tells him not to dwell upon the deed: These deeds must not be thought after these ways; so, it will make us mad so Malcolms conclusion that she is a fiend is not entirely true. In Act 2: scene 3 Lady Macbeth plays a minor role. Duncans body has been discovered, along with Macbeth, she pretends to be shocked, Woe, alas! What, in our house? Her fainting could have been pretence to divert her attention away from Macbeth, but this is the first time Lady Macbeth heard that Macbeth killed the guards so she could genuinely fainted. So there is no evidence in this scene to call her a fiend but the complete opposite because she is caring to Macbeth. The next scene which she appears in is Act 3: scene 4 Lady Macbeth plays a major role because it marks the point where Lady Macbeth looses touch with Macbeth. Lady Macbeth assumes that Macbeths strange behaviour is a result of a guilty conscience. She is nonetheless very resourceful in handling the situation. But Lady Macbeth covers up for him by saying he has had these fits from his youth, you shall offend him, and extend his passion: feed your regard him not then she tries a tactic that was successful before by question his masculinity: Are you man? So in this scene her concern is obvious. Her love for Macbeth is possibly the best point in her character. In Act 5: scene 1 there is a lot of evidence to contradict Malcolms prediction, that she is a fiend like queen. Since the first time we saw Lady Macbeth in Act 1: scene 5 she is a totally different person, she has lost control; her sanity has left her, she isnt very stable she totally broke down, this isnt a sign of a bad woman if she was she wouldnt have lost all her sanity and went on to kill herself. So this is putting a question mark over Malcolms prophecy and judgement. Lady Macbeths gentlewoman and the doctor make his audience aware of what has happened to her. Her ramblings and her performance suggest that she has suffered emotional disorder. She continually refers to the aftermath of Duncans murder. Yet who would have thought the old man to have much blood in him It is as if she is reliving the urgency of that night and this is intensified in the line, To bed, to bed, theres a knocking at the gate So in conclusion I cannot support Malcolms statement, though I can appreciate how a son whose father has been brutally murdered must have this personal opinion of her.