Lady Macbeth as a character?

Lady Macbeth is Macbeth's wife. When the audience first sees her in I.v, she is reading a letter from Macbeth about his encounter with the weird sisters and about his new title. Lady Macbeth promises to provide Macbeth with the courage he needs to make the prophecy come true, fearing that his nature is too soft to take the direct route to the throne.

There is some controversy over the role Lady Macbeth plays in the murders that follow. Some critics maintain that responsibility for the deaths of Duncan and Banquo rests solely with Macbeth, whose own ambition and nature are the cause of his deeds. Others cite Macbeth's reluctance prior to Duncan's murder and argue that Lady Macbeth goads her husband into the action. Lady Macbeth does however sethe time and the place of Duncan's murder, claims that she would kill a baby at her breast to honor a vow, and argues that when Mac beth first conceived of killing Duncan, then he was a man.

In contrast to Lady Macbeth's forceful disposi tion on the first three acts of the play, her actions in the last two acts are much less confident or ambi tious. Lady Macbeth in the sleepwalking scene appears to be tormented by her knowledge of Macbeth's actions. In V.i Lady Macbeth reviews the various crimes her husband has committed and appears to be attempting to wash blood from her hands. This scene contains Lady Macbeth's famous "Out damn'd spot!" (V.i.35) speech. The doctor diagnoses her mind as "infected" (V.i.72) and says she needs spiritual counsel more than she needs a doctor. Later she commits suicide.