In act five scene five we see again the change in Macbeth´s character, he has gone from the man who was ‘appalled be every noise´, as said someone who would be a nervous wreck, to a man who has ‘almost forgot the taste of fears´ as has ‘supped full with horrors´. This implies that Macbeth no longer fears anything, for he has seen too much violence and fear to be affected anymore. This is a vast contrast to the nervous wreck, which killed Duncan, and shows how much he has changed. After news of Lady Macbeth´s death is brought to him, Macbeth reflects on the futility of his actions ‘Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more. It is a tale told by and idiot, full of sound and fury signifying nothing´. This shows a man who has looked back on his life and seen that he has achieved nothing. For Macbeth, this is particularly prominent, as he has made the sacrifice of his inner peace due to what boils down to his and his wife’s ambition. However in this speech, he recognises that his actions were futile, as no matter how hard one ‘struts and frets´ in life, it is ‘but a walking shadow´ and ‘signifying nothing´, and Macbeth has thrown away ‘his hour´, as his life or his play was ‘full of sound and fury´. However, we must ask whether it is this futility in life discovered by Macbeth, or the fact that their relationship has been deteriorating that Macbeth almost shrugs off his wife’s death? Perhaps it is her cold-hearted ways, which have taught him not to care. But in any case, here we see how their relationship has deteriorated to such a state that Macbeth no longer cares if she is alive or not, where as before he had trouble with Duncan’s death, someone far less close to him than his own wife.

Although the relationship does not feature much in act four, we can see how Macbeth´s character has changed through the play. When he visits the witches, he is told by them that ‘Great Birnam Wood´ will come against him. Macbeth replies ‘from this moment the very firstlings of my heart shall be´, implying that the first thought that enters his mind he will act on without thought. This quote also shows how reckless Macbeth has become, as he is facing an attack, the first thing likely to enter his head will be thoughts of death. This then shows that Macbeth is willing to kill, firstly without care, and secondly without Lady Macbeth´s consent, showing how the relationship has developed, and power and control have shifted from her to him.

Macbeth however is on the other end of the scale in their relationship, and once he plucks up the courage to tell her he does not want to continue with the murder. But she rallies, calling him a ‘coward´, saying that if he could murder Duncan ‘he were a man´. This to Macbeth, a proud and mighty warrior is a deep insult, and he soon is convinced that he will carry out the murder. Lady Macbeth´s cold hearted side again shows, saying she would ‘dash´ out the brains of her own child because she is so sure Macbeth should kill Duncan. We also

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