Macbeth

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Describe Lady Macbeth's sleep walking scene. 

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Describe Lady Macbeth's sleep walking scene. 

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Lady Macbeth’s sleep-walking scene is one of the most famous and important scenes in “Macbeth” (1606). It happens in Act 5, Scene 1, near the end of the play. This scene shows Lady Macbeth’s guilt and madness.

Sleepwalking: A doctor and a gentlewoman (Lady Macbeth’s maid) are watching Lady Macbeth at night. They say she walks in her sleep and talks, but she is not awake. She even washes her hands while sleeping. The gentlewoman says Lady Macbeth always keeps a taper (candlestick) by her side now. It shows her fear of darkness.

Guilt and Madness: While sleepwalking, Lady Macbeth rubs her hands as if she is washing them. She says,

Out, damned spot! out, I say!

This line shows her guilt. She is trying to wash away an imaginary bloodstain. She thinks she still sees King Duncan
’s blood on her hands. Even though her hands are clean, she cannot remove the feeling of guilt. Moreover, Lady Macbeth smells blood on her hands. She says:

“All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand.”

We realise that Lady Macbeth is on the brink of mental collapse. She is losing her mind because of her guilt.

Murders: Moreover, Lady Macbeth talks about the murders in her sleepwalking. She talks about how much blood King Duncan had. She says Macduff (the Thane of Fife) had a wife and “Banquo's buried.” Her subconscious mind reveals what she hides when awake.

In conclusion, the sleepwalking scene shows how guilt can destroy the mind. Lady Macbeth is no longer bold and strong like she was before. Now, she is full of fear, guilt, and sadness. This leads to her tragic end.  

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