lady macbeth quotes Flashcards
(5 cards)
“out damned spot out I say”
act 5 scene 1
highlights her descent into madness and her overwhelming guilt
she desperately tries to wash away the blood both literally and metaphorically
contrast with her earlier ambition
the repetition of the imperatives (out and I say) creates a sense of urgency
conveys her heart of divine judgement
she is no longer in control-she is hallucinating
“look like the innocent flower but be the serpent under ‘t’”
act 1 scene 5
completely encapsulates the recurring theme of appearance vs reality
she uses manipulation and persuasive language to challenge traditional gender roles
Adam and Eve-purity, innocence
she wants Macbeth to appear gentle and trustworthy to others
the enjambment and the turning word of “but” highlights her deliberate slyness
“come you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts unsex me here”
act 1 scene 5
her strong desire of power
direct invocation of the spirits
asks to be stripped of her feminine qualities which she sees as her weakness
this shows how she is consumed by her determination and ambition
“all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand”
a powerful expression of her overwhelming guilt and remorse after murdering King Duncan
the perfumes of Arabia symbolise the futility of trying to wash away her sins
contrasts with her earlier strength and easier confidence-vulnerability and the sense of insignificance she feels after committing the deed
“yet I do fear thy nature it is too full of the milk of human kindness”
she worries that Macbeth does not have the ruthless nature to be able to become king
she sees kindness a flaw not a virtue
metaphor
