lady macbeth

"The sleepwalking" is a celebrated scene from William Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth

 

Lady Macbeth learns in a letter from her husband, a Scottish nobleman, that three witches have prophesized his future as King. When King Duncan becomes her overnight guest at the Macbeths' castle at Inverness, Lady Macbeth seizes the opportunity to effect his murder. Aware her husband's temperament is "too full o' the milk of human kindness" for committing a regicide, she plots the details of the murder, winning him to her designs. The King retires after a night of feasting. Lady Macbeth drugs his attendants and lays daggers ready for the commission of the crime. Macbeth kills the sleeping King while Lady Macbeth waits nearby. When he brings the daggers from the King's room, his Lady orders him to return them to the scene of the crime. He refuses. She carries the daggers to the room and smears the drugged attendants with blood. The couple retire to wash their hands.

Macbeth becomes King of Scotland but she becomes racked with guilt from the crimes she and her husband have committed. In a famous scene, she sleepwalks and tries to wash imaginary bloodstains from her hands, all the while speaking of her terrible part in the crime: "Out, damned spot!" ... "All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand."

She dies by suicide ("self and violent hands").

Done