ACT FIVE

SCENE ONE

Doctor: “A great perturbation in nature, to receive at once

The benefit of sleep and do the effects of watching!” (5. 1. 9-10).

Lady Macbeth has been sleepwalking and retracing the actions that she and Macbeth did before they killed Duncan. She is reliving the moments in her sleep, which demonstrates that she is in turmoil and feels guilty about their actions. This relates to the theme that all actions have consequences. Lady Macbeth and her husband acted without consideration, and now she has to live with the results. The purpose of this is to demonstrate her mental state, and prepare the audience for her downfall and death.