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Understanding: How is Lady Macbeth portrayed?

‘That which hath made them drunk hath made me bold;
What hath quench’d them hath given me fire.’

Here Lady Macbeth is portrayed as aggressive and powerful because she is suggesting that what makes them drunk gives her confidence and what ‘quenches’ them, she is given the urge to commit an action.

 

‘I heard the owls scream and the crickets cry,

Did not you speak?’

Lady Macbeth is portrayed as worried because she acts like she’s questioning Macbeth. Furthermore, she seems to act with less power which, also makes her appear to be like a child

 

‘A foolish thought , to say a sorry sight’

Lady Macbeth changes to a very judgemental and mean character here. She seems to be making Macbeth feel ashamed for not washing his hands after murdering Duncan.

 

‘Infirm of purpose!’

Here Lady Macbeth is acting like the more powerful and controlling one in the relationship. I think this because she is shouting at Macbeth for his bad judgements.

 

‘My hands are of your colour; but I shame
To wear a heart so white’

Lady Macbeth is saying that she is just as much to blame as Macbeth for the murder but she feels shameful to put on such an innocent act.

 

 

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One response to “Understanding: How is Lady Macbeth portrayed?”

  1. Miss Drewett Avatar
    Miss Drewett

    You show a good understanding of Lady Macbeth’s character and how the different things she says show us an audience the different layers of her personality, especially towards Macbeth. You develop your explanation through Lady Macbeth’s progress within the scene, which is clear and could be concluded with a summary of your overall opinion to give some more clarity to your analysis of her character.

    I think you are now capable of looking much more closely at the devices used. For example ‘Infirm of Purpose!’ : you could mention the exclamation point in your answer to demonstrate how we know she is shouting.
    Or: ‘a heart so white’ – what connotations does the word white have? What does it make us think of? What impression do we get of Lady Macbeth if she is referring to her husband’s heart as white?

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