Lady Macbeth example essay topic
Her guilt emerges in her visions of blood remaining on her hands, "The Thane of Fife had a wife. Where is she now What, will these hands ne " er be clean No more o' that, my lord, no more o' that. You mar all with this starting". (V, I, 44-47) Another less obvious place where Lady Macbeth uses others to shield her guilt is when Banquo is murdered.
Both MacBeth and Lady MacBeth discuss their fear of Banquo knowing too much, and Lady MacBeth resolves to do nothing and leaves the chore up to her husband. After finding out about it, Lady MacBeth tells herself it wasn't her fault but deep inside she knows it is just as much her as it is MacBeth who killed Banquo, "Wash your hands. Put on your night- gown. Look not so pale. I tell you yet again, Ban- quo's buried; he cannot come out on's grave". (V, I, 65-68) These examples show how Lady MacBeth used her husband to shield away the guilt.
What she didn't expect was that it wouldn't work, and the blow of the guilt from murdering so many people strictly for power was too much for her weak shield. Emotionally she suffered and it drove her to talking her own life. She ineffectively tried to block off what was destined to come her way.