Character: Lady Macbeth 🕯️ Flashcards
‘Out damned spot! Out I say’ ‘Here’s the smell of blood still’ 🩸
- short exclamatory and interrogative sentences, suggests Lady Macbeth is in psychological turmoil.
- L= imperative verb: ‘out, out’
What context relates to the quote: ‘Out damned spot! Out I say’ ‘Here’s the smell of blood still’ 🩸
- C= damned- adjective describes how damned her soul is because like Macbeth, she has damned her eternal jewel to hell and will go to hell.
- She accuses/charges the spot of blood on her hands, of being damned, which reflects how Lady Macbeth doesn’t want to go ‘Hell’ and would prefer the spot of blood on her hands, to go to hell instead of her.
‘Out damned spot! Out I say’ ‘Here’s the smell of blood still’ 🩸
- But the language she uses, echoes/reflects how she will go to hell which is ‘murky’
- Lady Macbeth knows this, so perhaps is this what has driven her insane, as she: sleeps walks, re-enacting the murder of Duncan
Why does Lady Macbeth speak in prose, in the quote: ‘Out damned spot! Out I say’ ‘Here’s the smell of blood still’ ?🩸
- Lady Macbeth speaks in prose, since it illustrates her mental instability.
- This is because, because blank verse is normally a sign of status, but in her [psychological] distress [of knowing she’ll go to hell and burn], she reverts back to her primal fears.
What’s one alternative interpretation to the quote: ‘Out damned spot! Out I say’ ‘Here’s the smell of blood still’ ?🩸
- ; her language that suggests she feels guilty which can be interpreted in two ways:
- I= Lady Macbeth is a still a Christian [who believes in God] and therefore, she feels guilt, since she committed an act against God, whom she fears- and she knows, she’ll be punished for contradicting the divine right of kings
- and will burn in hellfire.
- Ultimately, does Lady Macbeth feel guilt for murdering a morally good king?
What other alternative interpretation, links to the quote: Out damned spot! Out I say’ ‘Here’s the smell of blood still’ 🩸?
Hint: fears God, feels guilt for…
- ; her language that suggests she feels guilty which can be interpreted in two ways:
- I= Alternatively, perhaps Lady Macbeth feels guilt for commiting regicide of[a good + kind God-appointed king]
- And will therefore be punished for contradicting the divine right of rights.
- Ultimately, does Lady Macbeth perhaps feel guilt, for murdering a morally good king?
What reader response, relates to the quote: Out damned spot! Out I say’ ‘Here’s the smell of blood still’ 🩸?
Hint: fears God, feels guilt for…
- C/R= A Jacobean audience would frown upon Lady Macbeth’s acts, as she and Macbeth has obstructed the great-chain-of-being.
What structure point relates to the quote: ‘Out damned spot! Out I say’ ‘Here’s the smell of blood still’ ?🩸
Hint: structure- L
- L= This is structurally important, as it reflects when Macbeth says ‘Out, out brief candle’ after Lady Macbeth has died
- this is interesting to note, as Lady’s Macbeth’s death has introduced a change in tone from his initial bravado, to a tone that is full of melancholy and is perhaps nihilistic.
- A metaphor, which reflects how LM’s life was short, and extinguished similar to how a candle light is extinguished.
- But by Macbeth echoing/imitating LM’s words, it highlights how he clearly knows her.
What alternative interpretation, relates to the structure point, in this quote: ‘Out damned spot! Out I say’ ‘Here’s the smell of blood still’ ?🩸
Hint: structure- L
- I= Moreover, he is influenced by his wife, as perhaps he has been up at night, hearing LM recall the events.
- I= If this interpretation is true, Macbeth jeopardises people not knowing they’ve murdered Duncan.
‘Out damned spot! Out I say’ ‘Here’s the smell of blood still’🩸
- this seem to makes M vulnerable, yet he doesn’t murder the doctor- is this because he thinks ‘none of woman born’ can harm him? [as told by the second apparition]
- therefore he believes, he is untouchable/invincible
- ; this only brings his own punishment/judgement, because his behaviour makes it likely people will start to turn against M?
Why does Macbeth, risk having the doctor come and listen to Lady Macbeth?
Hint: two alternative interpretations
- I= perhaps, it’s because of his guilty conscience- so he wishes to be punished, for his actions
- I= Alternatively, it’s because he believes in the witches, the [‘juggling fiends’] who claim Fleance will be king.
‘Out damned spot! Out I say’ ‘Here’s the smell of blood still’🩸
- L= sensory imagery + metaphor - the ‘smell’ of blood shows how vivid and horrifying her memories are
- This quote is a reference to blood, like the countless of other times in the play.
What else, does the use of blood in the quote: Out damned spot! Out I say’ ‘Here’s the smell of blood still’ suggest?🩸
- I= ; blood also reflects LM’s guilt [guilty conscience].
- since although there is no physical ‘spot’, she can still smell the blood- link to Macbeth’s’ guilty conscience [act 3]
[Easy] What is the quote: ‘Out damned spot! Out I say’ ‘Here’s the smell of blood still’, a reference to ?
- this quote is a reference to blood, like the countless of other times in the play.
Why does Shakespeare, use a recurring motif of _____ ?
- ; perhaps Shakespeare’s use of a recurring motif of blood, throughout Macbeth, is him perhaps hoping there won’t be any bloodshed between from Queen Elizabeth to James.
- and on a deeper level, perhaps we’re entering his psyche/his brain as he anxiously worries, his country will sink into a bloodbath. [link to violence of the times]
