Final answer:
Lady Macbeth's sleepwalking scenes in Shakespeare's 'Macbeth' highlight the universal theme of 'the consuming power of guilt' as they depict her psychological deterioration due to the overwhelming guilt from her role in Duncan's murder.
Step-by-step explanation:
The universal theme "the consuming power of guilt" is exemplified in Lady Macbeth during her sleepwalking scenes, a narrative device used by Shakespeare to illustrate her psychological unraveling. Lady Macbeth, once the mastermind behind Duncan's murder, finds herself tormented by the weight of their actions, as vividly depicted in her sleepwalking episode. The blood on her hands, a symbol of guilt, cannot be washed away, signifying how the guilt has consumed her conscience. This is reflected in her lines, "What's done cannot be undone", showing how the deeds that have brought her power now haunt her incessantly, eventually leading to her downfall.
Despite her previous attempt to steel Macbeth's resolve by questioning his courage, her own inner strength diminishes as the psychological impact of their misdeeds takes its toll. Her sleepwalking is a physical manifestation of the guilt that plagues her mind, so much so that it breaks the boundaries of her conscious control. In contrast to her earlier cold rationality and manipulation, the Lady Macbeth we witness during her nocturnal wanderings is fragile, a victim to the very emotions she once dismissed.