Religion/Lady Macbeth Flashcards
“the crown to the toe”
“breasts”,
“blood”
“milk”
“Gall”
The use of anatomy, such as “the crown to the toe” and “breasts”, makes her speech feel very invasive and uncomfortable, as well as illustrating how Lady Macbeth is trying to mutate into something else. Furthermore, the reference to “blood” and “milk” shows how her soul and mind will also be affected. Because of the theory of the four humours in medieval medicine, a person’s bodily fluids (such as Lady Macbeth’s “blood”) would have determined their true nature. By asking the spirits to tamper with her insides, Lady Macbeth is asking for a complete makeover. Alternatively, the combination of “blood” and “gall” could be an allusion to Jesus’ crucifixion. Jesus’ side was pierced to prove he was dead, and blood came gushing out; before he died, the Roman soldiers offered him a wine laced with gall, or poison. Lady Macbeth is welcoming these substances, suggesting she is on the side of the Roman soldiers.
