What does Lady Macbeth mean by when none can call our powr to accompt in these lines from Act V of The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare?

Answer 1

"Pow'r", as you know, is "power" spoken in one syllable, and "accompt" is a variant spelling of "account". The phrase is easier to understand if you quote the whole sentence, "What need we fear who knows it, when none can call our power to account?" This is Lady Macbeth talking in her sleep, and what she is talking about is the murder of Duncan. "What need we fear who knows it?", she asks, "Who cares if people know we killed Duncan?" Why would she not be afraid to be branded as a murderess? Because "none can call our power to account." They won't have to give an account of how they used their power now they are king and queen. This is such a very different attitude from that voiced and acted on by Macbeth: "We but teach bloody instructions, which, being taught, return to plague the inventor." Lady Macbeth believes that being king will mean that they will not have to give an account of how they got there. Being king by whatever means will make them more secure. Macbeth knows that becoming king by violence will only invite his overthrow by violence. Becoming king by violence will make them less secure.