Lady Macbeth Flashcards
Lady macbeth at beginning of play
Though she doesn’t appear on stage until the 5th scene, she has a large impact on the direction the plot takes, and it is her plots and wishes that get fulfilled in the first two acts.
Lady’s macbeth speech at the beginning is full of deceit and treachery. The prospect of becoming queen empowers her and dosen’t want anything to be in between her and the crown. Violence and cruelty brings her closer to what she wants and allows her to prove herself. She knows that Macbeth is going to become king regardless but opts for murderous route to throne. Lady Macbeth dosen’t care avout moral consequence, her bloodlust and selfish persistence leave no room for other and their feelings.
Lady’s macbeth character is ability to manipulate,tempt and seduce. She is roots of amacbeth evil and this comes in hand with her supernatural contacts. Allusions of witchcraft and the diabolical ptray her as a villain. She wants to sacrifice everything to become queen
She bullies Macbeth with insults,but also entices him with promises of power and success.
Quotes for beginning of play for evil lady macbeth
“At the beginning, Lady Macbeth is presnted as controlling and powerful as she easily can manipulate Macbeth into killing Duncan which is ironic as Macbeth is labelled as a strong noble warrior.
-In act 1 scene 5, the metaphor ‘the fatal entrance of Duncan’ shows her control over Macbeth as she is has already decided on the killing of Duncan as By using the word “fatal,” Lady Macbeth seems to assert control over Duncan’s fate. While Macbeth is still unsure about whether to carry out the murder, Lady Macbeth has already resolved it in her mind.
-in act 1,scene 5, the metaphot “come you spirits” Shakespeare paints Lady Macbeth as a formidable, controlling figure, who feels that she must transform herself into something entirely different from her natural self in order to succeed. Her willingness to invoke dark, supernatural forces also highlights her superstitious nature, her lack of faith in human strength, and her moral corruption.
In act 1 scene 5, the metaphor ‘you murdering ministers’ portrays Lady Macbeth as a ruthless, manipulative, and power-hungry character who is willing to embrace evil in order to achieve her goals. She seeks out the aid of supernatural forces to give her the strength and malice needed to carry out the murder of King Duncan without remorse.
-Act 1, Scene 7: “When you durst do it, then you were a man.”
Lady Macbeth manipulates Macbeth by questioning his masculinity, showcasing her dominance in their relationship and her willingness to use emotional coercion to achieve her goals.
Quotes of beginning of play for evil part 2
Soliloqay-act 1 scene 5
“Unsex me here”-Take away feminine characteristics in order to get masculine to be a ble yo kill duncan and use her cruelty
“Mudering minister”-darkness and evil
“Look like the innocent flower but be the serpent under it”-be welcoming to Duncan but be evil inside
Quotes for relationship between Lady Macbeth towards Macbeth at beginning of play
“Hie thee hither, / That I may pour my spirits in thine ear / And chastise with the valour of my tongue / All that impedes thee from the golden round.” - Lady Macbeth, (A1S5)
• Lady Macbeth summons Macbeth with a “hie thee hither” in the same way that the Witches summoned their familiars (animal companions) in the opening scene. This suggests she views him as a means to an end, or a tool to help her get her way.
• The imagery of “pour my spirits in thine ear” evokes demonic possession, showing how Lady Macbeth wants to overpower Macbeth with her own villainy.
• This whole extract might seem sexual, and one interpretation is that sex is used in the subtext to illustrate the power dynamics Lady Macbeth is manipulating.
Typically, to “pour [your] spirits” would be a masculine action, while the one receiving those “spirits” would be seen as the female. However, in this case, Lady Macbeth wants to take the masculine role, reflecting how she consistently strips Macbeth of his manliness. In keeping with the theme of gender that Lady Macbeth uses in her first soliloquies, she wants to subvert traditional gender roles as a way of getting what she wants.
Act 1 scene 7–Back and forth argument when Lady Macbeth arrives which has a lot of tension
as lots of rhetorical questions have been asked showing a sense of equality and connection between them
-appears to be a bad influence on Macbeth ad she attracts him and changes his mind to kill Macbeth quickly.
-They might seem equal as Lady Mcabeth has a sense of control over Macbeth and Macbeth doesn’t argue back which is odd in the 1600 century as not normal for Women to be equal with husband
-has a influence over Macbeth as he repeated a similar line at the end of “false face must hude what the false heart doth know’ which is similar to ‘look like the innocent flower but the serpent under’t’
Middle
In the climax of the murder in act 2 scene 2, In Act 2, Scene 2 of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth takes charge while Macbeth succumbs to guilt and fear, demonstrating her dominance and ruthless ambition. Unlike Macbeth, she remains cold and unruffled, displaying little empathy. Her moment of vulnerability—admitting she couldn’t kill Duncan because he resembled her father—suggests some lingering humanity, foreshadowing her eventual torment. In Act 2, Scene 3, Lady Macbeth’s ability to feign grief and deceive others shows her skill at imitating emotion, making her an unreliable character whose true feelings remain hidden beneath her facade.
As we enter Act 3, we see cracks starting to appear in Lady Macbeth’s calm. She’s still unaffected by guilt, but she’s paranoid. Moreover, she’s anxious about how Macbeth is faring. His own paranoia and guilt are causes of great concern for her, and she doesn’t want his incompetence to ruin her plan. This tension and frustration comes to a head when Banquo’s ghost appears. She can’t understand why Macbeth is behaving the way he is, and is angry that he would be so terrified by something so foolish, putting her in danger by doing so. She mocks and chastises him (tells him off) for displaying weakness, implying she’s very passionate about keeping in control.
Auotes for middle of Lady Macbeth
- “That which hath made them drunk hath made me bold: What hath quench’d them hath given me fire.”
Explanation: Lady Macbeth reflects on how the alcohol that made the guards drunk has emboldened her, while Macbeth’s hesitation and guilt have weakened him. This highlights her coldness and ruthless ambition.
2. “A little water clears us of this deed: How easy is it, then! Your constancy Hath left you unattended.”
Explanation: Lady Macbeth reassures Macbeth that the blood on their hands will easily be washed away, showing her dismissive attitude toward guilt and her pragmatic approach to murder. She criticizes Macbeth for his lingering fear and hesitation, indicating her dominance over him.
3. “My hands are of your color; but I shame To wear a heart so white. I hear a knocking At the south entry: retire we to our chamber; A little water clears us of this deed.”
Explanation: Lady Macbeth acknowledges that her hands are stained with Duncan’s blood, but she doesn’t feel the same guilt Macbeth does. The phrase “I shame / To wear a heart so white” shows her disdain for weakness and fear, symbolized by the color white, often associated with purity and innocence.
In the middle, Lady Macbeth is gradually becoming more distant from Macbeth and becoming less assertive over Macbeth which is her tool for gaining power and dominance.
Act 3, Scene 2: “You must leave this.”
Her growing unease is evident as she pleads with Macbeth to stop dwelling on their crimes, signaling the start of her internal conflict.
Act 3, Scene 4: “Sit, worthy friends. My lord is often thus.”
During the banquet, she struggles to cover for Macbeth’s erratic behavior, revealing cracks in her composure as their actions begin to unravel them both.
-Macbeth slowly becomes more indepedent and dosen’t tell Lady Macbeth about Banquo murder showing a metaphorical distancing in her power as Macbeth is the reason she is the queen of Scotland showing a loss of power
End
In Act 5, Scene 1, Lady Macbeth’s final appearance reveals her descent into madness, far removed from the ambitious and controlled figure of earlier acts. She is sleepwalking, consumed by guilt, and speaks in disjointed prose, reflecting her loss of composure and control. Her speech, which shifts between guilt and blaming Macbeth, shows her internal conflict and unraveling mental state. Her earlier belief that a “little water” could cleanse her guilt is contradicted by her frantic attempts to wash imaginary blood from her hands. This marks her tragic downfall, as her sins have finally caught up with her.
Near end of extract quotes from lady macbeth
- “Out, damned spot! out, I say!”
Explanation: Lady Macbeth, in her sleepwalking state, tries to wash away the imagined blood on her hands, symbolizing her guilt and realization that her crimes can’t be erased as easily as she once thought.
2. “What, will these hands ne’er be clean?”
Explanation: She is haunted by the bloodstains from Duncan’s murder, now understanding that her guilt cannot be washed away, showing her mental unraveling.
3. “No more o’that, my lord, no more o’that: you mar all with this starting.”
Explanation: She alternates between guilt and addressing an imagined Macbeth, scolding him for being nervous, reflecting her fractured state of mind.
Act 5, Scene 5 – Macbeth’s Reaction to Her Death
4. “She should have died hereafter; / There would have been a time for such a word.”
Explanation: Macbeth expresses a detached, almost indifferent response to Lady Macbeth’s death, highlighting his emotional numbness and the futility he feels.
Act 5, Scene 5 – Macbeth’s Soliloquy on Life’s Meaninglessness
5. “Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow… / Life’s but a walking shadow…”
Explanation: Macbeth reflects on the meaningless nature of life after hearing of Lady Macbeth’s death, symbolizing the emptiness of their ambitions and the inevitable end of their tragic journey.
