Lady Macbeth Flashcards
Topic sentence 1
The character of Lady Macbeth drives the plot forward as she manipulated MB into committing regicide
‘was the hope drunk wherein you dressed yourself’
‘like he poor cat i’th’adage’
‘so much more the man’
‘was the hope drunk wherein you dressed yourself’
L = personifies hope as drunk. MB has lost focus of being king
‘Like the poor cat i’th’adage’
L = simile. LMB compares him to a cat in the proverb- wants crown but doesn’t want to get his hands bloody. she takes control but doesn’t kill KD
‘so much more the man’
LMB attacking MB masc. to manipulate him. Ultimate insult
I = 1. he’ll prove masc by killing king
2. will be king (more than a man)
Topic sentence 2
LMB develops the theme of supernatural in the play, invoking spirits to assist her
‘come spirits…unsex me here’
‘take my milk for gall’
‘thick night’ ‘blanket’
‘come, you spirits… unsex me here’ ‘take my milk for gall’
Needs to be given masc. qualities to be brave.
D = shows quality of cruelties are innate so is not the ‘4th witch’
C = woman culturally coded to be caring
R = shocking
‘thick night’ ‘blanket’
I = 1. doesn’t want to see wound she makes
2. knows actions are morally reprehensible and damn soul
Calling on spirits about weather which Jacobeans believed they could do
C = King James I made book called demonology
Topic sentence 3
LMB inverts traditional gender roles, appearing assertive and dominant and mocking effeminate behaviour
‘dashed the brains out’
‘my hands are of your colour but I shame to wear a heart so white’
‘quite unnamed in folly’
‘a woman’s story at a winter fire’
‘dashed the brains out’
rather kill her baby than break a promise
C = woman culturally coded as caring and place in domestic sphere
R = shocking at horrific image
‘my hand are of your colour but I shame to wear a heart to white’
L = white symbolises cowardice and she thinks he is a coward to be so afraid after Duncan’s murder. R = Ironic – she washes the blood off her hands whilst sleepwalking before she kills herself. C = DRK = MB knows he has damned himself by killing God’s representative on Earth. His guilt causes tension. C = mocks masc., implying he is a coward, which would be the ultimate insult to a famous warrior.
‘a woman’s story at a winter’s fire’
no more frightening than a woman story
D = fire diminishing foreshadows MB’s growing callousness in murders
Topic sentene 4
At the end of the play, when LMB is plagued with guilt and commits regicide, she illustrates Shakespeare’s propagandist message that those who commit regicide will be punished
‘will these hands ne’er be clean’
‘unnatural deeds do breed unnatural troubles’
‘you mar all this starting’ ‘banqo’s buried’ ‘put on your night gown’
‘what, will these hands ne’er be clean?’
L = interogative sentence. cannot erase guilt/evil from conscience R = ironic and previously says 'a little water cleans us of this deed' C = GPP reminds punishment PROPAGANDIST C = Jacobeans believed sleepwalking is possession of evil spirits. Moderns audience know it's guilty conscience
‘unnatural deeds to bread unnatural trouble’
very guilty. damned soul to hell. God will never forgive her.
C = GPP
R = shocked and frightened
‘You mar all with this starting’ ‘Banquo’s buried’ ‘put on your nightgown’
LMB is reliving her trauma and Is riddled with guilt.
D = events not in chronological order reflects her turmoil. She has no psychological order
