Lady Macbeth

Question 1

‘Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under it’ (A1 S5)

Answer 1

• Wants Macbeth to create a façade
• Juxtaposition
• Zoomorphism, serpents are cold blooded and uncaring, also links to betrayal and deceitfulness
• ‘Flower’ associated with femininity, delicate, pacifist, also has connotations of life which is ironic considering her mindset of killing Duncan, attractive used to disguise which has parallels to her use of femininity
• Biblical allusion to garden of Eden, contradicting the belief women were the weaker sex, also reinforces the idea humans are easily tricked, theme of temptation
• ‘Serpent’ also has links with the devil which emphasises the theme of supernatural, making the audience not relate or sympathise to her, could also link Macbeth to a fallen angel after the regicide
• Shows the theme of appearance vs reality, shows how the gullible nature of ppl and how easy they are to exploit, this is reinforced by the semantic field of sight in this line, links to hallucinations
• Imperative, power over Macbeth, reversed gender roles
• After gunpowder plot James 1 had a medal made with serpent and flowers

Question 2

‘Out damned spot! Out I say!’ (A5 S1)

Answer 2

• Less psychological strength, strong facade deteriorates
• In prose - loss of composure and calculated nature
• Spondee, reflects her hysterical mind, creates emotional tension for reader
• ‘I say’ trying to assert and regain power
• Follows same downwards spiral as Macbeth, reinforces the idea it’s a warning
• Guilt, continues theme of blood
• ‘Damned’ describes her soul as she will go to hell
• Instead of calling herself damned, she calls the spot damned which shows how much she wants to avoid going to hell as she pushes the blame
• Guilt as a Christian, link to divine right
• Alternative meaning, the spot could suggest shes possessed by demons, in Jacobean era it was believed demons had a spot on their bodies, links to earlier when she’d been ‘possessed by demons’
• ‘Spot’ - small but magnified in her mind, overwhelmed, irony of ‘a little water clears us if this deed’

Question 3

‘Yet do I fear thy nature;
It is too full of the milk of human kindness’ (A1 S5)

Answer 3

• Feels that, without ambition, Macbeth is in danger (this is the only reason you would fear for someone)
• ‘Nature’ - seems that his ‘nature’ is to stick to what’s natural (divine right of kings), maybe she fears nature it’s self as it is in the way of her ambition
• ‘Too full’ - suggests Macbeth’s mind is already full and she cannot fill him with her ‘poisons’ or change his mind
• Likens Macbeth to a child in need of help, juxtaposition to the warrior shown before
• ‘Milk’ - white, connotations of purity, won’t upset the chain of being, still loyal to god
• Associated with weaker sex
• Connotes innocence which becomes ironic
• Symbol of cowardice white flag soldiers use
• Maybe reflecting her own weakness, maybe cant have a child

Question 4

‘All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand’ (A5 S1)

Answer 4

• Hyperbole emphasises desperation
• Most prestigious and expensive, constant ambition
• ‘Little hand’ - Hands symbolise responsibility, diminishes her responsibility
• Evil is compared to a disease, miasma theory, perfumes used to prevent it, links to ‘heat oppressed brain’ as fever symptom and ‘filthy air’ witches
• Women we’re oppressed so taught to use their violence internally, can’t kill Duncan but can herself, eventually confirming to gender, tragic end
• Appearance vs reality, women taught to present falsely, reverting back to conformity

Question 5

‘Had he not resembled my father’ (A2 S2)

Answer 5

• Patriarchal derived from Latin ‘pater’ meaning father
• Possible criticism of patriarchy by suggesting women can’t achieve power like men can
• Shakespeare could be criticising LM by suggesting women should keep their place in society
• Reference to Oedipus unknowingly killing his father, shows it is unnatural to kill your own father, it will lead to tragedy
• Contrasts earlier suggesting she forced unnatural masculinity, she is later punished for challenging gender roles

Question 6

‘Come you spirits, that tend on mortal thoughts (…) unsex me here’

Answer 6

• Imperatives