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A Gentlewoman

The Tragedy of Macbeth · 11 speeches across 1 scenes

Lady Macbeth's waiting gentlewoman who witnesses her sleepwalking. A loyal, terrified attendant revealing the queen's guilt.

Who they are

The Gentlewoman serves as the sole domestic witness to Lady Macbeth's deteriorating mental state. She reports the queen's sleepwalking and compulsive hand-washing to a doctor, conveying both professional duty and personal horror. Her arc is limited but crucial: she provides the circumstantial evidence that confirms Lady Macbeth's hidden crimes. Her relationship with the queen is one of fearful service, and with the doctor, cautious collaboration.

Playing them

Play the Gentlewoman with a hushed, anxious energy—she knows too much and fears speaking. Use short, clipped lines to suggest suppressed panic. Her vocal quality should be low and urgent, with pauses that convey her struggle between loyalty and truth. Physically, she should hover at a slight distance from Lady Macbeth, as if proximity might reveal her own complicity. Traditional performances emphasize her as a nervous, middle-aged servant, but a younger interpretation can heighten the sense of naivety shattered.

Where they appear

Play A Gentlewoman

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