ENGLIT MACBETH lady macbeth quotes

Question 1

Why is LM significant?

Answer 1

• she knows Macbeth the most and at times seems to know Macbeth better than himself
• reveals Macbeth’s private life and private intentions, the one that is hidden from the Scottish public and nobles who regard him as a great warrior

Question 2

How does LM try to convince Macbeth in I.5?

Answer 2

“look like the innocent flower but be the serpent under’t”

• tries to convince Macbeth to kill Duncan by encouraging to act in a way that he isn’t
• metaphor for concealment, confusion and hidden identity
• use of animal imagery which has so far only been used by the witches, makes overall message more sinister

Question 3

How does LM treat Macbeth differently at the start of the play?

Answer 3

• all Scottish nobles seem to admire Macbeth whereas she looks down on him
• creates tension and is essential to Macbeth’s decisions

Question 4

How is LM’s appearance significant in I.7?

Answer 4

• she appears right after Macbeth’s soliloquy where he mentions that he has “no spur” to kill Duncan
• structure, interesting visual technique for Shakespeare to have LM appear after Macbeth having a logical argument talk himself out of it

Question 5

How does LM respond to Macbeth’s doubt in I.7?

Answer 5

• when Macbeth says “we will proceed no further in this business”, she destroys all his resolve and convincing arguments
• questions his love “from this time, such I account thy love:
• calls him drunk “was the hope drunk wherein you dressed yourself?”
• challenges manhood “when you durst do it, then you were a man”

Question 6

How is sympathy for LM created in II.2?

Answer 6

• we see her choose not to murder Duncan as “had he not resembled my father as he slept”
• humanises her, contrast with supernatural image
• only human language we see from her

Question 7

How does LM act in II.2?

Answer 7

• she’s very on edge “Hark! Peace!” when hearing an owl cry

- desperately tries to bring Macbeth around while he indulges in self-reproach

Question 8

How is the image of water used by LM in II.2?

Answer 8

“a little water clears us of this deed”

• extended metaphor for trying to rid the guilt of murder which is shown to be impossible
• LM returns to this extended metaphor while she is turning insane

Question 9

Why is III.2 significant to LM’s character?

Answer 9

-shows that she has taken on the role that Macbeth had after killing Duncan, she feels insecure about her new position of queen and realises she’s done something terrible “nought’s had, all’s spent”

Question 10

How does LM in III.2 mimic Macbeth’s soliloquy from III.1?

Answer 10

• Macbeth was concerned about his position and his power “to be thus is nothing but safely thus”
• LM has this exact concern “where our desire is got without content”

Question 11

How does LM’s relationship with Macbeth show to slip in III.2?

Answer 11

-they’re both concerned about their positions but both choose to mask it to each other:
“what’s done is done” -LM
“be innocent of the knowledge dearest chuck” -M
-Macbeth chooses to lock out his accomplice when he doesn’t mention his intention to murder Banquo
-LM is still dependent on him for guidance, and while Macbeth still confesses to her “O full of scorpions is my mind” their relationship doesn’t recover

Question 12

How does III.4 represent a breakdown in the Macbeths’ relationship?

Answer 12

• Lady Macbeth initially helps Macbeth and defends him by saying that “my lord is often thus”
• at the end tells the guests “but go at once”, represents a complete breakdown of relationship and could be a result of the mental strain she has to face having to hide her “false face”
• she replies with simple sentences to represent how disinterested she has become in her husband’s affairs “you lack the season of all natures, sleep”

Question 13

How does LM’s breakdown in V.1 contrast to her earlier behaviour?

Answer 13

“the dead are but as pictures” -II.2

• made fun of Macbeth for fearing people who are actually dead, now she is being driven mad by no physical manifestations, but just her thoughts alone
• LM is a sprinter in murder whereas Macbeth could be considered a long-distance runner

Question 14

What is the significance of one line spoken by LM in V.1?

Answer 14

“out, out damned spot”

• assume she’s unable to wash blood from her hands, a symbol that she’s unable to remove the deed from her mind
• Shakespearean times, believed that demons had a spot or mark on their body to show who they really were, shows she could be trying to restore herself as a human but her evil deeds are preventing her from doing so

Question 15

What is significant about LM reading a letter to herself in I.5?

Answer 15

allows the audience to hear her inner thoughts and what she’s really like

Question 16

How is LM’s speech linked to the witches?

Answer 16

she uses imperatives which makes it sound like she’s casting a spell

Question 17

How does LM seem hurried towards the end of I.5?

Answer 17

• their dialogue is in half-line breaks, which makes them seem urgent and hurried
• they need to act quickly in case they’re interrupted

Question 18

How is LM portrayed as false in I.6?

Answer 18

• she flatters Duncan and thanks him for his “honours deep and broad”
• this is the scene right after she’s plotting to kill Duncan, which shows how false she is

Question 19

How is LM’s language in I.7 clever?

Answer 19

• uses language connected to alchemy, process of turning cheap metals into gold
• “limbeck” and “receipt” are the apparatus used and “fume” refers to gases produced
• alchemists never actually succeeded in turning metal into gold, hinting that Macbeth will never be a good king

Question 20

How is LM holding a candle in V.1?

Answer 20

• she’s afraid of the dark
• ironic because in I.5 she said “come, thick night”
• the dark reminds her of her evil deeds

Question 21

How does LM’s language change in V.1?

Answer 21

• changes from smooth and disjointed blank verse to disjointed prose to show her troubled state of mind
• speech involves questions “the thane of wife had a wife where is she now?”, shows her confused state of mind which contrasts to the domineering language she used in I.7

Question 22

How is there an anti-climax with LM in V.5?

Answer 22

she dies offstage which shows how unimportant she’s become

Question 23

How is LM shown to be more ruthless than her husband in I.5?

Answer 23

when she receives Macbeth’s letter, she immediately assumes that they have to kill Duncan

Question 24

How does LM manipulate Macbeth into killing Duncan in I.7?

Answer 24

• she knows Macbeth’s weak spots

- uses his ambition and fear of being seen as a coward to kill Duncan

Question 25

How is LM shown to be clever and quick-witted throughout the play?

Answer 25

• she comes up with the plot to drug Duncan’s servants and frame them for Duncan’s murder in I.7
• faints in II.3, could be a pretence to distract from how unconvincing Macbeth’s speech is, she’s taking advantage of the stereotype of a weak woman overcome by shock to cover up her cruel, cold-hearted nature
• covers up Macbeth’s strange behaviour when he sees Banquo’s ghost, she’s the one who’s in control

Question 26

What does LM think women are made weak by?

Answer 26

• she thinks women are made weak by their maternal instincts
• she describes how she would “dash the brains out” of her own child to get what she wants
• wants spirits to “take my milk for gall”

Question 27

How does LM’s language reflect her state of mind throughout the play?

Answer 27

• at the beginning she speaks confidently in verse

- by the end, her speech is made up of mad rambling and repetitions, shows that she’s lost self-control

Question 28

How does sleepwalking emphasise LM’s madness?

Answer 28

sleep is “balm of hurt minds” so her inability to do so shows why she’s going mad

Question 29

How does LM develop her character in I.6?

Answer 29

• juxtaposes her plotting Duncan’s murder with her welcoming Duncan to the castle
• this develops her character and makes her murderous intentions seem more dramatic