Lady Macbeth

Ava Reid

Lady Macbeth

Ava Reid
55 pages1-hour read
Fiction
Novel
Adult
Published in 2021

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Character List

Meet the key characters, with insights into their roles, motivations, and relationships—spoiler-free.

Major Characters

Roscille is the young, beautiful daughter of the Duke of Brittany, given in an arranged marriage to the Thane of Glammis to secure a political alliance. She possesses otherworldly eyes rumored to bewitch men, a trait her father exploited to build her fearful reputation. Forced to wear a veil at all times, she arrives in a harsh, violently masculine Scottish court where she must constantly strategize to delay her husband's demands. She operates with acute observation skills and a heavy reliance on her fluency in multiple languages. Fearful of the brutal environment, she invokes a local custom granting her three wishes before sharing a bed with her husband, buying herself crucial time.

Key Relationships

Arranged Wife of Macbeth

Drawn to Lisander

Mistress of Hawise

Protector of Senga

Cautious Ally of Fléance

Daughter of Roscille's Father

Stepdaughter of Adelaide

Mystically Connected to The Three Witches

Macbeth is the hulking, battle-scarred Thane of Glammis. He operates as a hardened warrior in a brutal environment, using aggression and intimidation to assert dominance over his men and his new bride. Despite his brutish exterior, he possesses a calculating mind and holds dangerous secrets within his castle walls, including a hidden basement where he keeps chained captives. He aims to expand his territory and power at any cost, using Roscille's beauty and supposed magic as another tool in his political arsenal. He demands total submission and views violence as the primary means of maintaining control.

Key Relationships

Arranged Husband of Roscille

Commander of Banquho

Vassal of Duncane

Lord of Fléance

Lisander is the eldest son of King Duncane and the presumed heir to the Scottish throne. Unlike the heavily scarred warriors of Macbeth's court, he lacks battle wounds and carries an intense, unusual air that immediately intrigues Roscille. He treats her with unexpected respect, speaking to her in her native Breton language and offering to protect her from the castle's dangers. He makes strange requests, such as demanding a windowless room to sleep in, hinting at a heavy burden tied to his family's dark history. Despite his royal status, he lacks the ruthless ambition common among the other men.

Key Relationships

Son of Duncane

Older Brother of Evander

Protective Ally of Roscille

Wary Guest of Macbeth

Supporting Characters

Hawise is Roscille's faithful maid and the only piece of home she brings to Glammis Castle. She is fiercely loyal, offering comfort and reassurance to her mistress in the face of their terrifying new reality. Her low status makes her highly vulnerable in the aggressively masculine environment of the Scottish court, and she is quickly separated from Roscille after their arrival.

Key Relationships

Maid of Roscille

Senga is a local Scottish woman shunned by her village for rumors regarding her sexual history. Rather than banishing her to a nunnery, Roscille brings her into the castle to serve as a handmaiden. She is pragmatic and resilient, finding safety in her new position and offering Roscille a rare source of female solidarity. Senga accepts literacy lessons in return for reshaping her mistress's dresses into the local style.

Key Relationships

Handmaiden to Roscille

Subject of Macbeth

The Three Witches are blind captives chained in the shallow water of a hidden basement beneath Glammis Castle. They spend their days ritualistically washing garments in the cold water and providing prophecies that fuel Macbeth's political and military maneuvers. Their existence is a closely guarded secret, blurring the line between local superstition and literal magic in the Scottish court. They are treated as tools by Macbeth, who uses their prophetic abilities to justify his violent conquests.

Key Relationships

Captives of Macbeth

Mystically Linked to Roscille

Banquho is the Thane of Lochaber and Macbeth's trusted right-hand man. He embodies the harsh, battle-hardened culture of medieval Scotland, dressing in rough clothing and harboring deep suspicions of outsiders. He acts as a strict enforcer of the castle's martial hierarchy and views Roscille's influence over Macbeth or his own son with intense distrust. He believes fear is a more effective ruling tool than love and actively discourages kindness toward the local villagers.

Key Relationships

Right-Hand Man of Macbeth

Father of Fléance

Suspicious of Roscille

Fléance is Banquho's young, unscarred son. He chafes at his low status among the older warriors and resents being left behind during military campaigns, as evidenced by his position drinking last from the communal ceremonial cup. His desire to prove himself makes him susceptible to manipulation, allowing Roscille to draw him into a fabricated plot where they injure each other to elevate his reputation as a hero. He is eager for validation but heavily corrupted by the violent environment surrounding him.

Key Relationships

Son of Banquho

Co-Conspirator with Roscille

Subordinate to Macbeth

Duncane is the elderly, sickly King of Scotland. Once a powerful ruler who forged important treaties with the English, he is now physically frail and struggles with a mysterious, debilitating illness that makes eating difficult. He holds a deep, obsessive hatred for witchcraft and previously authored a comprehensive treatise on the subject. He keeps religious advisors close to him at all times and views the rumors surrounding Roscille's magic with intense suspicion.

Key Relationships

Father of Lisander

Father of Evander

King of Macbeth

Advised by The Druides

Evander is Duncane's youngest son. He fits the traditional mold of a popular prince, possessing social grace and a disposition that wins him favor among the lords. He openly defers to his older brother's right to rule but demonstrates a fiery temperament and a strong sense of familial loyalty when tragedy strikes. He is unburdened by the dark afflictions that trouble the rest of his family.

Key Relationships

Youngest Son of Duncane

Younger Brother of Lisander

The Druides are a group of religious priests who serve the political leaders of Scotland. They practice a grim amalgamation of Christianity and ancient pagan rites, conducting violent ceremonies like tying the bride and groom's hands or performing blood rituals to identify culprits. They act as the spiritual enforcers of the lords' power, lending divine legitimacy to political violence.

Key Relationships

Advisors to Duncane

Ritual Performers for Macbeth

Known as Duke Varvek or Wrybeard, Roscille's father is the manipulative ruler of Brittany. He uses an ermine on his coat of arms, reflecting his cunning nature. He carefully crafted the terrifying myths surrounding Roscille's eyes to increase her political value, ultimately trading her to Macbeth to secure a foreign alliance. He remains a looming psychological presence in Roscille's mind.

Key Relationships

Father of Roscille

Husband of Adelaide

Adelaide is the official wife of Roscille's father. Because she lacks conventional beauty and struggles with her mental health, she was discarded by her husband, who unofficially annulled their union to take other lovers. Her tragic existence serves as a terrifying cautionary tale for Roscille about what happens to women who lose their value in a patriarchal society.

Key Relationships

Neglected Wife of Roscille's Father

Stepmother of Roscille