Lady Macbeth Quotes Flashcards
Ambition-“when you first do it , then you were a man”
. Lady Macbeth is suggesting that only if Macbeth commits the murder of King Duncan that he could be considered a real man
This comes after Macbeth has expressed doubts about the plan to commit regicide
Analysis
Lady Macbeth is attacking Macbeth’s masculinity
It would hurt Macbeth’s pride; in the Jacobean era, manliness would have been equated with strength, so here Lady Macbeth is calling Macbeth weak
It is an example of role reversal: Lady Macbeth, unusually for a woman, is manipulating and dominating a man
As a woman, Lady Macbeth’s power is in her skills of deception and manipulation
Appearancevsreality. “Come you spirits… unsex me here”
Lady Macbeth is calling on evil spirits to take away her feminine traits l
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 with the serpent under it “ good vs evil
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
“Come to my women’s breasts and take my milk for gall” appearance vs reality
“Come to my woman’s breasts”: This phrase refers to Lady Macbeth’s feminine identity, particularly her nurturing and maternal qualities. As a woman, she is expected to be a caregiver, gentle, and compassionate. However, she is asking the spirits to strip her of this nurturing nature, which she associates with weakness, in order to carry out her ambitious and ruthless plans.
• “Take my milk for gall”: “Gall” is a bitter, poisonous substance, often associated with poison or bitterness. By asking to have her milk transformed into gall, Lady Macbeth is rejecting the traditional image of motherhood and femininity. Instead of nourishing life, she wants to nurture bitterness, cruelty, and evil. This request reflects her desire to rid herself of any moral restraint or empathy that might hinder her pursuit of power and the violent actions she is contemplating.
“Too full of the milk of human kindness” evil e
Soliloquy allows the audience to see what Lady Macbeth thinks of her husband.
Personification : “ nature is too full o’ th’ milk of human kindness… to catch the nearest way” personifying his nature as too gentle to get to the top. Lady Macbeth also doubts his ability to destroy others in order to gain the throne quickly.
Imagery: “too full o’ th’ milk of human kindness” meant to show how she views him as a child who still needs to be nutured and guided. This highlights the the fact that Lady Macbeth holds power over him.
Diction: “milk” connects Macbeth to the characteristics of innocence, purity and kindness. All of which Lady Macbeth sees as weaknesses that stand in the way.
Symbolism: Milk symbolizes what kind of man Macbeth was before everything took place. Shows his purity and how he has a blank slate, just as milk is white.
“Out damned spot”
Out, damned spot!”: Lady Macbeth is imagining a bloodstain on her hands that she cannot remove, no matter how much she scrubs. The “spot” symbolizes her guilt and the irreversible consequences of her actions. The repetition of the command to “out” suggests her desperation to rid herself of the stain—both the physical stain of blood and the metaphorical stain of her conscience.
• Guilt and Psychological Breakdown: The sleepwalking scene reveals Lady Macbeth’s psychological unraveling. In the beginning of the play, she is portrayed as strong, determined, and ruthlessly ambitious, urging Macbeth to act without hesitation. However, by this point in the play, her guilt over the murders has overwhelmed her, and she is no longer able to maintain her composure. The “spot” is a manifestation of her inner turmoil and guilt, showing that her earlier resolve has been shattered by the psychological weight of her crimes.
• Symbolism of Blood: Blood is a recurring symbol throughout Macbeth, representing violence, guilt, and the inability to wash away wrongdoing.
“All the perfumes of Arabia cannot sweeten this hand “
All the perfumes of Arabia”: Arabia was historically associated with luxurious and exotic perfumes, known for their richness and sweetness. Lady Macbeth references these perfumes to emphasize how powerful and overwhelming the stain of her guilt is. No amount of external sweetness or luxury can erase the internal corruption she feels.
• “Cannot sweeten this hand”: The “hand” here symbolizes Lady Macbeth’s involvement in the bloody murders, particularly King Duncan’s murder. Despite her earlier attempts to appear strong and capable of shaking off any guilt or weakness, here she admits that the bloodstain on her hands—both literal and metaphorical—cannot be removed by anything external, including the finest perfumes. This emphasizes the depth of her remorse and the impossibility of escaping her moral responsibility.
