Asadullah Haider English Coursework Page
Shakespeare: Macbeth
Macbeth is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. Act 1 Scene 5 shows Lady Macbeth reading a letter by her husband Macbeth after his encounter with a group of witches, who prophesize that Macbeth will one day be king after Duncan. The play is set during the Jacobean Era, and during this time women were seen as married men’s property and subordinate. Macbeth calls Lady Macbeth his “dearest partner of greatness”. This tells us that unlike other people, Macbeth sees and treats his wife as an equal. She must be a strong woman to earn this respect. After Lady Macbeth has finished reading the letter, she believes Macbeth is “too full o’th milk of human kindness”. This meaning that she believes her husband to be too nice and not ambitious; Macbeth will need persuading to seize the opportunity to kill Duncan and become king. Lady Macbeth can achieve this by pouring her “spirits” into his ear – this is a metaphor for influencing Macbeth and making him take the crown, the word ‘spirits’ has bad connotations and reminds us of the group of witches talked about in the letter earlier – suggesting that Lady Macbeth will possess Macbeth’s conscience as a witch would do. Lady Macbeth uses the words “my battlements” which suggest her status and power, she believes highly in her plan and ability to take the castle. She then invokes “spirits” to “insex her” – this tells us she doesn’t like the characteristics which make her a woman. She would like to remove them, leaving her with “direst cruelly”, giving her the strength to plan and commit murder and become cruel like men. Lady Macbeth’s says “Come to my woman’s breasts, and take my milk for gall” – this is a shocking perversion of maternal care and the foul thought she is having also strengthens her desire to become queen. She even wants her crime to be hidden from “heaven” itself, which suggests that she understands how sinful it would be to kill a King; Jacobean people viewed the king as Gods representation on Earth and his death would be a disruption in the great chain of being in which Kings came after God and the Angels. Macbeth walks into the room and Lady Macbeth thinks that he has the same murderous thought as her and uses impetrations, ordering him to “beguile the time” (to be deceitful). She tells Macbeth to “look like th’innocent flower”, but be “the serpent under it” - meaning something pleasant and innocent to look at, hiding his true dark feelings. The ‘serpent’ has connotations of evil, cunning and danger. Next Lady Macbeth orders her husband to let her plan the murder, “shall put this night’s great business into dispatch” – never actually referring to the wicked crime itself in case they are overheard.
