The Three Faces of Lady Macbeth
Manipulative schemer: Lady Macbeth masters the art of appearance versus reality. Her famous line "look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under it" perfectly captures this. She's teaching Macbeth to be a skilled actor – innocent on the outside, deadly within. The flower/serpent imagery connects to the Biblical story of Eden, suggesting she's leading Macbeth into temptation and sin.
Ruthlessly ambitious: She uses supernatural language like "pour my spirits into thine ear" to convince Macbeth to murder Duncan. This metaphor shows her relationship with dark forces whilst revealing how she manipulates his weaknesses to achieve their shared goal of gaining the throne.
Guilt-ridden and broken: By Act 5, the powerful woman has crumbled. Her sleepwalking scene with "out damned spot" shows how guilt has destroyed her mind. The blood she hallucinates represents the permanent stain of their crimes – something that "a little water" definitely cannot wash away.
Remember: Lady Macbeth's character arc shows how the abuse of power leads to psychological destruction, making her both villain and victim.