In act five, scene one, Lady Macbeth's waiting gentlewoman (a servant) and her doctor see Lady Macbeth sleepwalking and talking, apparently the result of Lady Macbeth's guilty conscience. Lady Macbeth appears to be reliving, in part, the night her husband murdered the king when she says, "Fie, my lord, / fie, a soldier and afeard?" (5.1.38–39). She appears to be addressing her husband, Macbeth, similar to the way she did just after he killed Duncan. At the time, she shamed Macbeth for feeling guilt and remorse, for being too afraid to return the bloody daggers to Duncan's room so that others would believe that Duncan's chamberlains actually murdered him. The word "fie" is sort of an exclamation that is used to convey the speaker's anger or disgust. Therefore, when she relives that night (in her dreams), she seems to be expressing her disgust at Macbeth's weakness once again, shaming him for being a soldier who is afraid. He is the soldier in the quotation, and he feels fearful (or "afeard"), having murdered Duncan. Lady Macbeth seems to feel that it is incongruous and ridiculous that Macbeth could lead a charge in battle with bravery and still be completely frightened by the idea of killing one single person.
Lady Macbeth is talking to herself in Act V, Scene 1 of the play and is evidently sound asleep. At one point, she imagines she is talking to her husband and they are back in the past, in the time before he has actually murdered Duncan. She is using her familiar tactic of appealing to his sense of manhood to convince him to do what she wants him to do.
Fie, my lord, fie, a soldier, and afeard?
She pretends to believe all Macbeth's misgivings about going through with the murder are due to cowardice and have no logical substance. In the line that follows her question, she is still addressing her husband in her dream.
What need we fear who knows it, when none can call ourpow'r to accompt?
If they can become king and queen of Scotland, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth would not be questioned about how they acquired their authority. After Macbeth becomes king, everyone treats him with the greatest respect. This includes Banquo, who thinks Macbeth obtained the crown by murdering King Duncan, as he says to himself in the soliloquy which opens Act III, Scene 1.
Thou hast it now: King, Cawdor, Glamis, all,As the weird women promised, and I fearThou play'dst most foully for't:
Lady Macbeth struggled to persuade her husband to go through with the assassination. Shakespeare uses Lady Macbeth's sleepwalking scene in the final act of the play to remind his audience that she shares in Macbeth's guilt. For example, back in Act I, Scene 7, when Macbeth told her,
We will proceed no further in this business:He hath honor'd me of late, and I have boughtGolden opinions from all sorts of people,Which would be worn now in their newest gloss,Not cast aside so soon.
She responded,
Was the hope drunkWherein you dress'd yourself? Hath it slept since?And wakes it now, to look so green and paleAt what it did so freely? From this timeSuch I account thy love. Art thou afeardTo be the same in thine own act and valorAs thou art in desire?
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