| Lady Macbeth | |
|---|---|
| Macbeth character | |
 Lady Macbeth observes King Duncan (Lady Macbeth by George Cattermole, 19th century) | |
| Created by | William Shakespeare |
| Based on | Gruoch |
| Portrayed by | Sarah Siddons Charlotte Melmoth Charlotte Cushman Helen Faucit Ellen Terry Jeanette Nolan Vivien Leigh Isuzu Yamada Judith Anderson Simone Signoret Vivien Merchant Francesca Annis Judi Dench Maggie Smith Glenda Jackson Angela Bassett Alex Kingston Kate Fleetwood Marion Cotillard Hannah Taylor-Gordon Frances McDormand Saoirse Ronan Valene Kane Sally McKenzie |
| In-universe information | |
| Spouse | Macbeth |
Lady Macbeth is a leading character in William Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth (c. 1603–1607). As the wife of the play's tragic hero, Macbeth (a Scottish nobleman), Lady Macbeth goads her husband into committing regicide, after which she becomes queen of Scotland. Some regard her as becoming more powerful than Macbeth when she does this, because she is able to manipulate him into doing what she wants. After Macbeth becomes a murderous tyrant, she is driven to madness by guilt over their crimes and kills herself offstage.
Lady Macbeth is a powerful presence in the play, most notably in the first two acts. Following the murder of King Duncan, however, her role in the plot diminishes. She becomes an uninvolved spectator to Macbeth's plotting and a nervous hostess at a banquet dominated by her husband's hallucinations. Her sleepwalking scene in the fifth act is a turning point in the play, and her line "Out, damned spot!" has become a phrase familiar to many speakers of the English language. The report of her death late in the fifth act provides the inspiration for Macbeth's "Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow" speech.
The role has attracted countless notable actresses over the centuries, including Sarah Siddons, Charlotte Melmoth, Helen Faucit, Ellen Terry, Jeanette Nolan, Vivien Leigh, Isuzu Yamada, Simone Signoret, Vivien Merchant, Glenda Jackson, Francesca Annis, Judith Anderson, Judi Dench, Renee O'Connor, Helen McCrory, Keeley Hawes, Alex Kingston, Reshmi Sen, Marion Cotillard, Hannah Taylor-Gordon, Frances McDormand, Tabu, Ruth Negga, Saoirse Ronan and Valene Kane.