Lady Macbeth descends into madness from "summary" of The Oxford Shakespeare: The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare
In the play, Lady Macbeth's descent into madness is depicted through her increasingly erratic behavior and troubled mental state. At the beginning of the play, Lady Macbeth is portrayed as a strong and ambitious woman who is willing to do whatever it takes to help her husband achieve his goals. She is the one who urges Macbeth to murder King Duncan in order to seize the throne, demonstrating her ruthless determination and lack of moral scruples. However, as the consequences of their actions begin to weigh on her conscience, Lady Macbeth's mental health begins to deteriorate. She is plagued by guilt and hallucinations, sleepwalking and obsessively trying to wash imaginary bloodstains from her hands. Her descent into madness is a direct result of her involvement in the murder of King Duncan and the subsequent crimes committed to maintain their hold on power. The psychological toll of these actions proves to be too much for Lady Macbeth to bear, leading to her unraveling and eventual breakdown. Through Lady Macbeth's descent into madness, Shakespeare explores the destructive power of guilt and ambition, as well as the fragility of the human mind under the weight of moral transgressions. Her tragic arc serves as a cautionary tale about the consequences of unchecked ambition and the devastating effects of acting on ruthless impulses.
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