About Lady Macbeth: Act I, Scene V

Lady Macbeth is a painting that portrays the infamous wife of Macbeth from William Shakespeare’s notorious play of the same name. In act I, scene V of "Macbeth", Lady Macbeth receives a letter from her husband that describes the mystical predictions of three witches who have foreseen his eventual rise to become king of Scotland. Upon learning of this, Lady Macbeth commits herself to do anything necessary to ensure that her husband’s fortune will come to pass.

The piece of parchment in the upper corner of the painting is a quote by Lady Macbeth from the play and reads: "That I may pour my spirits in thine ear, And chastise with the valour of my tongue, All that impedes thee from the golden round, Which fate and metaphysical aid doth seem, To have thee crown’d withal." In her hand she holds the message that has arrived from her husband with details of his kingly prophesy.

This painting of Lady Macbeth is intended as a character study, with the emphasis on the scheming determination that lurks just behind Lady Macbeth‘s eyes. The gown used in the painting was an actual theatrical robe borrowed from the costume department of a theater, and both the small scroll that Lady Macbeth holds in her hand and the parchment in the corner were carefully fabricated by the artist, Damon Denys, for use in the painting. The decorative letter capitols in the text were carefully illuminated by the artist to create the prop, and the text in the painting is in fact a reproduction of the artist’s own printed handwriting style.