Guilt

Question 1

First quote - Act 2 - Scene 2 - Macbeth

Answer 1

“Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood
Clean from my hand? No”

Question 2

Second quote - Act 2 - Scene 2 - Lady Macbeth

Answer 2

” shame to wear a heart so white.”

Question 3

Third quote - Act 3 - Scene 2
Fourth quote - Act 5 - Scene 1
Lady Macbeth

Answer 3

-“What’s done, is done” -“What’s done cannot be undone,”

Question 4

Fifth - Act 5 - Scene 5 - Lady Macbeth

Answer 4

“All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand O, O, O”

Question 5

First quote analysis

Answer 5

• Macbeth fears that he will be plagued with guilt forever and the use of symbolism of blood on his hands could represent his anxiety at caught red handed
• The use of hyperbole and the adjective “great” emphasises the power of Neptune’s ocean and how it can’t aid him.
  - As Neptune was a god, which further alludes to Macbeth’s separation
  from religious righteousness as Neptune cannot or will not help him

Question 6

Second quote analysis

Answer 6

• This is a very demeaning comment and comparison on a number of levels.
• White is the colour of flag of surrender, and the colour of cowardice, later in the play “lily livered” implies that true colour is in the inside, that your heart isn’t as brave as your battled-stained exterior
• She owns that her hands are just red as Macbeth, but she would be ashamed to have such a pure/ cowardly heart to go with them
• verb “wear” has a sense of allegiance and that she is following a higher rule, possibly linking her to the devil
• goes against gender roles at the time as she is ashamed to be like Macbeth

Question 7

Third and fourth quote analysis

Answer 7

• Shakespeare demonstrates how guilt and regret can’t be escaped. Lady Macbeth tells her worried husband, “What’s done, is done,” suggesting they can’t change their fate, will just have to live with the consequences.
• Shakespeare suggests that greed and ambition can’t predict the guilt that comes with making fantasies into reality. T
• later juxtaposed as she says to herself in her sleep, “What’s done
  cannot be undone,” The repetition makes it appear like she is trying to convince
  herself to let go and get the courage to face reality.
• The change from “is done” to “cannot be undone” gives the impression that her guilt and desperation have increased.

Question 8

Fifth quote analysis

Answer 8

• Lady Macbeth acknowledges in her madness the extent of her guilt as she tries to clean imaginary blood from her hands.
• The image of the heavy scents of the myriad (many types of) perfumes of an exotic land shows how nothing can eradicate her guilt.
• The fragmented speech of ‘O, O, O’ reflects the lack of control she has over her mind; Juxtaposes Act 1 when she calls the spirits to her with such authority. In this scene, she uses prose, rather than the blank verse she used in earlier acts, showing again the descent into madness.