Key Quotes on Appearance vs Reality Flashcards
“Come you spirits […] Unsex me here” Lady Macbeth, Act I, Scene V
Lady Macbeth is calling on evil spirits to take away her feminine traits
This is part of a long soliloquy after Macbeth has written her a letter outlining the witches’ prophecies
Analysis
Shakespeare has Lady Macbeth use imperative verbs (“Come”; “unsex”) when commanding evil spirits:
- This shows her power at this point in the play (or at least the power she believes she commands)
- The fact that she is commanding evil spirits shows her hubris: it is arrogant for humans to believe they can control evil forces
She wants to remove her feminine traits (being nurturing, dutiful, powerless) and become “unsexed”:
- She wants to subvert the characteristics of a typical woman
- Shakespeare could be suggesting that only by adopting male characteristics can women gain power
- This would have been seen as disturbing to a Jacobean audience and very unnatural, perhaps akin to the actions of a witch
“Look like the innocent flower but be the serpent underneath it” Lady Macbeth, Act I, Scene V
Lady Macbeth is suggesting that Macbeth hide his true, treasonous self from King Duncan
This comes as the couple are first plotting the murder of Duncan
Analysis
This quotation is reflective of Lady Macbeth’s duplicitous nature
Her use of the imperative verb “look” also shows her power over Macbeth
She has no trouble acting like “an innocent flower” in the very next scene when greeting King Duncan
The “serpent” has religious connotations: it is a reference from the Christian Bible to the snake (a representation of the Devil), who tempts Eve in the Garden of Eden:
- Lady Macbeth is also a woman who is tempted by evil and, in turn, tempts a man (Macbeth)
- In the Bible, this temptation causes the fall of man. In Macbeth, it causes the downfall of Lady Macbeth and her husband
- This could be Shakespeare suggesting that committing blasphemous acts will always lead to ruin
“Out, damned spot: out, I say!” Lady Macbeth, Act V, Scene I
“Out, out, brief candle” Macbeth, Act V, Scene V
Lady Macbeth is desperately pleading for the hallucination of blood on her hands to disappear
It comes as she is losing her mind and just before her suicide
Macbeth is commenting on the brief nature of life
It is part of a long soliloquy after he is told about the death of Lady Macbeth
Analysis
Lady Macbeth’s desperation is apparent in her ramblings: to show this, Shakespeare:
- uses lots of punctuation to reflect her disjointed mind
- uses repetition (“out”) to show her increasing desperation
The use of imperative verbs (“out”) is ironic: whereas earlier in the play she used commanding language with evil spirits, she has now completely lost power. Commands have turned into pleas of desperation
Macbeth echoes the language of Lady Macbeth (“out, out”)
However, unlike other times when Macbeth echoes the language of Lady Macbeth or the witches, this quotation doesn’t imply he is being led by them
Lady Macbeth’s desperation has turned into a reflection of Macbeth:
- It is a realisation that what he – and Lady Macbeth – have done was worthless
- It creates a sense of pathos for the audience
- Macbeth using Lady Macbeth’s words brings the couple closer again
“A little water clears us of this deed” Lady Macbeth, Act II, Scene II
“All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand” Lady Macbeth, Act V, Scene I
Lady Macbeth at first suggests that it won’t take much for their consciences to be cleared after Duncan’s murder; later, she realises that nothing could remove the feelings of guilt
These quotations come before the murder of King Duncan, and then after Lady Macbeth has lost her mind, right before her suicide
Analysis
Lady Macbeth displays hubris when she confidently asserts that she and her husband will not be troubled by feelings of guilt or remorse
Her confidence contrasts with Macbeth’s belief that all the water in “Neptune’s ocean” couldn’t wash the blood (symbolising guilt) from his hand
“Hands” here represent responsibility
It is ironic that later in the play, Lady Macbeth sees blood on her hands (guilt and responsibility for the murder of Duncan)
However, it also becomes clear that her original confidence was misplaced: her “little hand” is dirtied by blood, and seemingly nothing (even “all the perfumes of Arabia”) can cleanse it of her guilt and responsibility
Shakespeare could be suggesting that once Lady Macbeth accepted responsibility for the murder, the guilt was overwhelming
