Relationships+-Lady+Macbeth

__ Relationships in the play __ Lady Macbeth and Macbeth Cousin to King Married Lady Macbeth is a socialite – mixes in court circles with the knighted peerage. She is one of the wealthy and powerful people in the land. She has her own castle and servants. Her role is to be hospitable. She would be knowledgeable about courtiers and their families – speculation and truth as this gives her power. She and Macbeth have a responsibility for the care of the gentry and serfs who tend their land. She is ambitious, deceitful and cunning herself as shown by her interpretation of the initial letter Macbeth sends to her. She has intimate knowledge of Macbeth’s personality. His strengths and his weaknesses and she has influence over him – feminine charm. She reflects on Macbeth’s character throughout the play, showing us his strengths and weaknesses. She manipulates him by playing a game of charm and at other times disparagement. She is a conspirator with him in his vile murder of Duncan –drugging the servants and steeling him after the murder. She shares with him the awful secret. She makes him mask his private persona to appear a man of integrity to the public. This deceptive element seems a natural extension of her personality. She is loyal to Macbeth and conceals his improper public behaviour with layers of lies. She teaches him to reject his conscience. He wants her approval. He wants to be a man for her. He wants to be a hero in her eyes. He too, is loyal to her protecting her from knowledge of further murders. Toward the middle of the play, she seems less significant and the relationship is not shown until later when she goes mad. Her conscience has overwhelmed her and she realizes the depravity of their actions. Macbeth still wants her alive, asking the doctor to ‘heal her mind’ which the doctor replies can only be done by her. He reflects on her death and beleaguered briefly ponders the meaning of their existence – all human’s existence. __ Copy 6 quotes throughout the play that show us something about their relationship. __