Femininity and women Quotes Flashcards
“That which hath made them drunk. Hath made me bold.
What hath quench’d them hath given me fire.”
She describes herself as drunk with boldness and on fire with passion. Through the use of aside, this conveys realistic and personal elements to the play which helps to break the fourth wall between the audience and the cast allowing the audience to feel as if they’re involved. Shakespeare’s choice of diction further reveals that Lady Macbeth is a woman full of ambitions as she expressed her interrogative nature through her formidable tone and the use of words such as “bold” and “fire” to describe her hubris. This further reinforces her ambitious nature.
“Had he not resembled
My father as he slept. I had done’t.”
Through the use of simile, this shows her hesitancy and fatal flaw by bringing a excuse that she would have killed Duncan had he not resembled her “father”. The fast-paced aside and fragmented line structure in this denote a sense of Lady Macbeth’s reluctance. Therefore. this manifests that she does possess some feminine traits which suggests that she is not completely cold and hardened as she had appeared so far. The reversal of roles that she anticipated cannot occur because Macbeth has done what she could never do.
“A foolish thought, to say a sorry sight.”
After revealing her vulnerable side, she returns to coldness and association with the plan when Macbeth reappeares, once again trying to manipulate his mind. Shakespeare uses a sibilance here to signify Lady Macbeth’s controlling nature towards Macbeth which she dares to criticise his masculinity. The S sound here gives a very harsh sound to her tone - lack of guilt.
“ l hope in no place so unsanctified where such as thou may’st find him”
At first, Lady MacDuff is angry for her husband’s fleeing to England and preferred him as a traitor, but her strong love for him is also evident, when the murderer asked her “ Where is your husband” - a wife figure
“Poor prattler, how thou talk’st!”
Lady Macduff is shown to engage in some pleasing banter with her eldest son further implies her as a mother figure, which is obviously designed to make the audience to make the audience feel sympathy for her and her situation. This fulfils all feminine traits she has. Shakespeare uses foil here to create a contrast between Lady Macbeth and Lady Macduff. Lady Macbeth does not have any children, however, even if she has a child, she will kill him just for her ambition’s sake.
“Do I put up that womanly defence,
To say I have done no harm?”
This further notes the innocence expressed in Lady Macduff’s character through her response. She is deliberately presented as a good person, yet is being killed. Contrasting to Lady Macbeth’s sinful nature.
