| “Come, you spirits […] unsex me here” | > (L/S) Lady Macbeth calls on evil to fulfil her ambition and sacrifices her womanhood, through the repetition of the imperative “Come”> (C) During the Jacobean era, women were seen as inferior to men, since the men had power due to their gender |
| “Have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums and dashed the brains out” | > (L) The verb “dashed” is an aggressive action, and is an example of LM using disturbing imagery> (S) Connective “and” shows the extent of expectations, as she has no limit to power to immorality> (SD/LD) Although this is from dialogue between M and LM, LM is giving orders |
| “Which shall all our nights and days to comeGive solely sovereign sway and masterdom” | > (L) Lady Macbeth is motivated by power |
| “Infirm of purpose!Give me the daggers” | > (L) Lady Macbeth is strong-willed and (at the beginning) calm under pressure |
| “Woe, alasWhat, in our house?” | > (L) Lady Macbeth is cunning and deceitful |
| “A little water clears us of this deed” | > (L) Lady Macbeth shows her being somewhat naive as she uses the adjective “little”, contrasting Macbeth’s wanting to have “Neptune’s Ocean” wash away all of his blood |
| “(rubbing her hands) Out, damned spot! Out, I say!” | > (L) “spot” refers to King Duncan’s blood stained on LM’s hands, as she has become haunted by the guilt – shows a change in her use of imperatives “Come” vs. “Out”> (L/S) The repetition of the imperative verb “Out” shows how she wants to eliminate her guilt immediately> (S) The use of exclamation marks shows her shouting desperately to remove any trace of guilt and remorse> (SD/LD) “(rubbing her hands)” literally mimics how we all wash our hands – LM wants to wash away the guilt as it is affecting her mental state |
| KEY POINTS | – Lady Macbeth is ambitious and driven- Lady Macbeth is used by Shakespeare to explore the relationship between gender and power- “undaunted metal should compose/nothing but males”- Power and ambition is her main motivator- Lady Macbeth is manipulative and dominant in the relationship- Lady Macbeth has strong willpower- Lady Macbeth is naive (leads to her downfall)- Lady Macbeth is cunning and deceitful- Lady Macbeth is haunted by her guilt |
Character quotes for Lady Macbeth
December 1, 2019