Final answer:
Act Five, Scene One of Macbeth reflects earlier events, with Lady Macbeth tormented by guilt and recalling past events such as Duncan's murder. Shakespeare includes these references to illustrate her unraveling and the play's themes of ambition and consequences. The scene echoes key characters like Duncan, Banquo, and the witches, emphasizing the tragic inevitability of the story.
Step-by-step explanation:
Act Five, Scene One of Macbeth is a powerful reflection of earlier events in the play. Lady Macbeth, sleepwalking and tormented by guilt, mentions several key moments and characters that contextualize the cascade of violence and ambition that has brought the characters to this point. She references the murder of Duncan when she says, 'Who was it that thus cried?' recalling her earlier insistence that Macbeth wash the blood from his hands after the deed. She also seems haunted by the earlier banquet scene, wherein she told Macbeth to 'Go carry them; and smear The sleepy grooms with blood.'
Shakespeare includes these references to underscore the consequences of the Macbeths' actions, as well as to highlight Lady Macbeth's descent into madness. Once a fierce and determined character, she is now overwhelmed by the guilt of the murders she has been complicit in, including the death of King Duncan and the complicity in the death of Banquo. Shakespeare crafts this scene as a echo of the past, reminding the audience of the dark path the Macbeths walked and how it has led to their unraveling.
In addition to Duncan and Banquo, Lady Macbeth also alludes to the witches, indirectly mentioning their prophetic declarations which set the tragic events of the play in motion. The mention of these characters and Lady Macbeth's disturbed response to them illustrates how deeply the past haunts the present in Macbeth, creating an air of inevitability and tragedy that pervades the final act of the play.