LADY MACBETHS STATE OF MIND Flashcards
HOW DOES SHAKESPEARE PRESENT LADY MACBETHS STATE OF MIND
Ambition:
Initially, Lady Macbeth’s state of mind is dominated by her ambition for power and greatness. She is driven by her desire to see her husband become king, and she is willing to go to great lengths to make this ambition a reality. Her single-minded focus on ambition blinds her to the moral consequences of her actions, leading her to manipulate and coerce Macbeth into committing regicide.
Guilt:
As the consequences of their actions begin to unfold, Lady Macbeth’s state of mind becomes increasingly consumed by guilt and remorse. She is haunted by the bloodshed she helped orchestrate, and she struggles to suppress her guilty conscience. This inner turmoil manifests in her sleepwalking and obsessive attempts to wash imaginary bloodstains from her hands, symbolic of her inability to rid herself of the guilt that plagues her.
Descent into Madness:
Lady Macbeth’s state of mind deteriorates further as the play progresses, ultimately leading to her descent into madness. The weight of her guilt and the psychological toll of her actions drive her to madness, causing her to hallucinate and lose touch with reality. Her decline into madness serves as a tragic depiction of the consequences of unchecked ambition and moral corruption.
LM STATE OF MIND:AMBITION
It is too full o’ the milk of human kindness
LM STATE OF MIND:GUILT
Out, damned spot! out, I say!
LM STATE OF MIND:DESCENT INTO MADNESS
What’s done cannot be undone.
It is too full o’ the milk of human kindness
expresses her ambition for power and greatness by encouraging Macbeth to seize the throne through any means necessary. She acknowledges Macbeth’s initial hesitance to pursue their ambitions, recognizing his innate “milk of human kindness” as a potential obstacle. Lady Macbeth’s single-minded focus on ambition blinds her to the moral implications of her actions, as she urges Macbeth to overcome his conscience and “catch the nearest way” to the throne.
Out, damned spot! out, I say!
guilt and remorse are vividly depicted as she hallucinates and obsessively tries to wash imaginary bloodstains from her hands. The repetition of “Out, damned spot!” reveals her desperate attempt to rid herself of the guilt that plagues her conscience. This scene symbolizes Lady Macbeth’s inability to escape the consequences of her actions, as the blood on her hands serves as a haunting reminder of the crimes she helped orchestrate.
What’s done cannot be undone.
acknowledges the irreversible nature of their actions and the impossibility of undoing the consequences of their crimes. Her resigned tone reflects her realization that she cannot escape the guilt and remorse that torment her. This acceptance of the consequences of their actions marks a significant moment in Lady Macbeth’s descent into madness, as she grapples with the weight of her guilt and the realization of her own moral corruption.
