Lady Macbeth Takes Control
Lady Macbeth absolutely dominates this scene the moment she reads about the witches' prophecies. She's buzzing with excitement about Macbeth becoming king and immediately starts plotting Duncan's murder. Her reaction shows she's far more ambitious and ruthless than her husband.
When Macbeth tells her Duncan is staying the night, her response is chilling: "O, never shall sun that morrow see!" She's basically saying Duncan will die tonight. Notice how quickly she jumps to murder - there's no hesitation or moral struggle like we see with Macbeth.
The "look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under't" line is absolutely crucial for your exams. Lady Macbeth is teaching Macbeth about appearance versus reality - one of the play's major themes. She's telling him to act welcoming whilst planning murder.
Key Point: Lady Macbeth completely takes charge of the murder plot, showing she's the driving force behind Macbeth's actions at this stage.
