She has light by her continually; ’tis her command.
– William Shakespeare
Macbeth, Act 5, Scene 1. In this scene Lady Macbeth is seen sleepwalking and carrying a candle. A woman explains to the doctor that Lady Macbeth is so afraid of the dark she keeps a lighted candle with her all the time. This symbolizes Lady Macbeth’s fear of evil. She needs the light, a symbol of goodness, to protect her from it. Her sleepwalking is also a sign of the guilt she feels over the murders carried out by her husband.