This quote is from Act 1, scene 5 and is spoken by Lady Macbeth after her husband's arrival. He had previously notified her by letter of his encounter with the witches and that they had predicted that he would be thane of Cawdor and "king hereafter." He also stated that their prediction had come true and that he had been awarded the treasonous Cawdor's title since he would be assassinated for his betrayal.
Lady Macbeth was overjoyed on receiving such good tidings and was ambitious that her husband should become king. She was afraid, however, that he did not have the nerve to claim the crown by foul means. She awaits his arrival so that she can encourage him to do a most horrible deed—murder the king. On his entry, she immediately gets to work. She tells Macbeth that she feels "the future in the instant." In other words, she can sense their glorious future at that exact moment. It is obvious that she has already decided that they should murder Duncan so that Macbeth can ascend to the throne in the shortest time possible.
When Macbeth tells her that Duncan is to spend the night at their castle and that he was to leave the next day as he planned, Lady Macbeth comments:
O, never
Shall sun that morrow see!
This is an explicit indication of her intent—Duncan shall never see the sun the next day, for he would be dead. She then informs her husband that his countenance is too easily read and others may read strange messages in his expression. She urges him to put on a show of friendship and conviviality; he must "look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under't." She means that Macbeth must appear benign, kind and friendly, but that this must only be an act, for he must deceive the others so that they do not suspect him of any malice. This innocent and harmless appearance must camouflage his true nature and their purpose, which is to assassinate the king.
It is evident from this that Lady Macbeth is insidious and sly. She has no qualms about achieving her ambition by whatever means possible. She states that:
He that's coming
Must be provided for: and you shall put
This night's great business into my dispatch;
Which shall to all our nights and days to come
Give solely sovereign sway and masterdom.
She is referring to the fact that Duncan has to be taken care of, not in the normal sense, but that preparations should be made for his murder. She is so wicked that she even asks that the task of setting up the king's assassination should be left to her. This will ensure that they rule the kingdom alone.
True to her promise, Lady Macbeth acts the perfect hostess when King Duncan and his party arrive. Everyone is easily deceived by her kindness and her florid and flattering language. Macbeth follows his wife's lead and the two later manage to successfully execute their plan without an accusatory finger being pointed at them.
The king's sons, Malcolm and Donalbain, flee in fear for their own safety, which makes it easy to assume that they were complicit in their father's untimely death. Furthermore, Macbeth has slain the king's two unfortunate guards, who had been driven to sleep by a potion that Lady Macbeth added to their drinks, claiming that he had been overwhelmed by rage and love for his liege when it was discovered that they were responsible for his death.
Thus begins Macbeth's tyranny, Lady Macbeth's descent into madness, and her husband's eventual doom.
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