Who has undergone a greater change over the course of the play, Lady Macbeth or Macbeth? Write an essay to explain. (ESSAY BELOW) Throughout the play, the two main characters, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth slowly shift their roles and change personalities completely. In the beginning, Macbeth starts off as the kind and caring one, but he changes fully as the play goes on. Lady Macbeth starts as a loving wife, but once the witches predict Macbeth’s prophecy she changes. She becomes an unholy, selfish woman who is willing to do anything to become Queen of Scotland. She is even willing to murder others for her place on the throne.

At the beginning of the play, Lady Macbeth wanted to be Queen so bad, that she made a plan for Mabeth so he could murder the current king of Scotland. At first when Macbeth disagreed she said “When you durst do it, then you were a man”. He was so disgusted that he agreed. She started to order him around, telling him how he should act, and encouraged him to betray anyone that got in his way. Even his closest friends. Lady Macbeth knew that becoming Queen could only be gained through Macbeth and she wanted the glory so much, which is why she was persuading him so hard.

After Macbeth commits the murder of Duncan he is haunted by guilt and shame. Lady Macbeth ends up having to take care of the crime scene, while Macbeth fears that he is cursed. Once Macduff, Malcolm, Lennox, and Banquo found out what had happened Macbeth panics and murders the drunk guards. He then blames Duncan’s death on them and flees the scene in panic. Duncan's sons suspect that it was actually Macbeth and they both flee the country knowing they’ll be next to go if not. When Lady Macbeth speaks she shows how cruel and heartless she has become, she says "And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty". This shows she has no good in her, whatsoever, but Macbeth makes plans to kill Banquo without her. This proves that Lady Macbeth has changed Macbeth for the worst. She has brought out his greedy side.

At the end of the play, Macbeth feels guilty for all of his murders. He realizes that the witches had tricked him, only to set him up for a foul life. When Lady Macbeth had died all he said was “She should have died hereafter”. This quote shows how selfish and cold-hearted of a person Macbeth has turned into. Before all the predicament had happened he would have been miserable that his wife, the love of his life had died. Instead, he didn’t even care, the only thing that was on his mind was fighting off the soldiers that were approaching his castle.

Macbeth and lady Macbeth’s characters change a great deal throughout the play. They started off as respectful, kind, warmhearted people. After the witches predicted Macbeth’s prophecy, Lady Macbeth came up with a horrifying plan that changed their lives forever. They turned them into selfish, unloyal, and distrusting people, who would go to any extent to become the King and Queen of Scotland.

References
“When you durst do it, then you were a man” - Page 42, Act 1, Scene 7, Line 49
"And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty" - Page 32, Act 1, Scene 5, Line 43
“She should have died hereafter” - Page 202, Act 5, Scene 5, Line 17