Theme - The Relationship Between Macbeth And Lady Macbeth

Question 1

Main ways their relationship is shown

Answer 1

Full of a mixture of emotions between love and tension

Question 2

How is their relationship in the beginning? (4)

Answer 2

• Macbeth treats lady Macbeth as her equal
• “my deerest partner of greatness”
• “deerest” superlative shows his affection towards his wife
• Contradicts the views in a Jacobean era of a man and a woman being equal

Question 3

How is their relationship in the middle? (3)

Answer 3

• Build up in tension when Lady Macbeth questions macbeth’s masculinity “Are you a man?” - rhetorical question provoking Macbeth to stand up for himself
• Lady Macbeth mocks Macbeth by saying what he is seeing is “foolishness” and that he should “fie for shame” - the nouns “shame” and “foolishness” imply a sense of disappointment that Lady Macbeth has for her husband as he is struggling to cope with killing Duncan
• “my worthy lord” - noun phrase shows the love and respect

Question 4

What is their relationship at the end of the play (2)

Answer 4

• seems to be distant after the killing of Banquo, which macbeth keeps a secret - “why do you keep alone?”
• “she would have died hereafter” - double meaning