Lady Macbeth Character Quotes

Lady Macbeth Character Quotes

1. Act 1

   • "Pour my spirits in thine ear"
     • shows she is power hungry from the start as she is willing to convince Macbeth to kill
   • "chastise with the valour of my toungue"
     • she is determined to crush any argument Macbeth has - obssessive
   • "unsex me"
     • wants the bravery of a man - determined (context)
   • fill me "of direst cruelty"
   • "take my milk for gall"
     • breast milk associated mothering, caring - wants her maternal intincts gone
       • 'take' = imperative
   • "come thick night"
     • wants her deeds to be hidden + 'come' = imperative
   • "Nor heaven peep"
     • dosen't want God knowing her actions - knows its morally wrong
       • personifies heaven
   • "keen knife"
   • "look" , "bear", "be", "leave"
     • LMB uses a lot of imperatives talking to MB - dominant partner
   • "innocent flower"
     • suggests LMB's cowardliness - doesn't want anyone to suspect
   • "Leave all the rest to me"
     • Shows her self belief and lack of faith in MB
   • "serpent"
     • usually associated with deceit - Adam and Eve
       • says it to MB - indicates he's afraid and she's not
   • "rest your hermits"
     • said to Duncan
       • no problem lying, medieval hermits always used to pray - irony
         • obsequious nature
   • "fair" + "noble"
     • said by duncan
       • shows she is very two sided as Duncan doesn't suspect
   • "our great quell"
     • 'great' emphasises how LMB thinks the murder will benefit them
       • From lines 71-72 she is telling Macbeth the plan showing her control over the situation
   • "live a coward"
     • said to macbeth
       • suggests she vies on MB insecurities over manliness
   • "Art not without ambition but without the illness should attend it"
     • Link between ambition and "illness", straight away Lady M thinks about how they're gonna kill Duncan
   • "look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under't"
     • shows dominence over Macbeth

2. Act 2

   • "made me bold"
   • "given me fire"
   • she "drugg'd the possests"
   • repetition of imperative "go"
   • take charge as tells MB to "wash the filthy witness" and "give [her] the daggers"