Supernatural/Lady Macbeth Flashcards
“pour [her] spirits in [his] ear”,
Her subversion of femininity was, in Jacobean times, more than enough evidence that she was a witch. Shakespeare implies her unnatural power as a woman is due to her supernatural links. Lady Macbeth could be called the ‘creator of evil’ in Macbeth. She is the main conspirator out of the Macbeths, and plants the idea of evil in Macbeth’s mind. The methods she uses to manipulate him hold explicit links to the supernatural. She wants to “pour [her] spirits in [his] ear”, an allusion to demonic possession. This quote also connotes the story of the Garden of Eden, where the serpent tempted Eve to sin, and Eve then whispered in Adam’s ear so that he might join her. Lady Macbeth can be viewed as an imitation of Pandora from Roman mythology: Pandora opened the box that brought all evil and sin into the world. Shakespeare associates the Fall of Man with seduction, femininity, and the supernatural.
“Hie thee hither, / That I may pour my spirits in thine ear”
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.
“Come to my woman’s breasts, / And take my milk for gall, you murdering ministers,”
Firstly, she is summoning evil “spirits”. This aligns her with witchcraft, which in Shakespeare’s time was associated with women who challenged the status quo or the superiority of men. Witchcraft was a serious crime that went against God, and here, Lady Macbeth is shamelessly and explicitly calling upon “spirits” to help her. This suggests all her actions in the play are evil, maybe even suggesting all powerful women are in league with the Devil.
In the Jacobean era, witches were believed to have “thick blood”. Most ‘witches’ were old women, meaning they were menopausal, and could no longer produce “milk” to feed their children. Lady Macbeth therefore is not only calling upon “spirits” to help her: she wants her body to become like that of a witches.
