Lady Macbeth and Lady Macduff are similar in the sense
that the death of each is caused by the actions of their respective husbands. Lady
Macbeth commits suicide because Macbeth has gone too far in his pursuit of power and she
can no longer deal with the guilt she feels over her role in his transformation from a
hero to a murdering despot. Lady Macduff has been left behind by her husband, who has
fled to England to find help in his rebellion against Macbeth. Macbeth takes advantage
of his absence and sends men to murder Macduff’s servants, wife, and
children.
Their differences, however, are more striking.
Lady Macduff did nothing to deserve her fate, while Lady Macbeth goaded and manipulated
her husband into killing King Duncan. From that point forward, Macbeth was consumed with
the need to protect his power and position.
It is ironic to
note that Lady Macbeth’s suicidal guilt was in large part caused by Macbeth’s murder of
Lady Macduff. In Act V, Scene I, as she sleepwalks and tries to clean imaginary blood
from her hands, she says:
The thane of Fife had a wife: where is she
now?
This is a reference to
Lady Macduff. It is not clear whether or not Lady Macbeth knows that Lady Macduff was
killed by Macbeth, or whether she truly does not know what has happened to
her.
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