quotes for lady macbeth

Question 1

‘come you spirits’ and ‘unsex me here’

Answer 1

• she is asking the spirits to strip her of her feminine qualities so she has the strength to kill duncan
• a powerful invocation of dark, supernatural forces as she wants them to give her ruthless, masculine cruelty to commit murder
• it highlights he ambition and willingness to reject traditional gender roles to achieve her goals

Question 2

‘come to my women’s breasts, and take my milk gall’

Answer 2

• lady macbeth wants to rid herself of her maternal instincts
• symbolises her desire to shed her feminine compassion and embrace ruthless ambition and cruelty to carry out the murder of duncan
• the context behind this is lady macbeth is reading a letter from macbeth detailing his encounter with the witches and their prophecy that he will be king

Question 3

‘look like th’ innocent flower, but be the serpent under’t’

Answer 3

• is the deception and contrast between appearance vs reality
• this quote highlights lady macbeth’s manipulative nature and her ability to control macbeth through her words
• the imperative verbs ‘look’ ‘be’ highlights lady macbeth’s control and power over macbeth and is more or less giving him a command to adopt a deceptive facade

Question 4

‘when you durst do it, then you were a man’

Answer 4

• a powerful example of her manipulative nature by her questioning his courage and masculinity to goad him in committing the murder of duncan, so challenges his manhood in pressuring him to act
• this foreshadows the plays later events where macbeth’s ambitions and desire for manhood drive him to commit other evil acts lead to his downfall

Question 5

‘out, damned spot! out, i say!’

Answer 5

• signifies her being overwhelmed with guilt and descent into madness after her and macbeth have murdered duncan
• ‘damned spot’ is symbolic representation of blood on her hands which is a constant reminder of her crime
• the repetition and the imperative ‘out’ reveals her desperation to cleanse herself of this guilt, yet her inability to do so highlights psychological torment she experiences