Comment closely on Lady Macbeth's first and last appearances in the play: Act 1 Scene 5 and Act 5 Scene 1

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Daniel Woodbridge        GCSE English and English Lit        15th May 06

        Coursework: Shakespeare        

Comment closely on Lady Macbeth’s first and last appearances in the play: Act 1 Scene 5 and Act 5 Scene 1

At the beginning of Act 1 Scene 5 Shakespeare writes in prose, this is to show a difference between her reading a letter and her talking.  The prose is meant to show lower class but here it is only to show a difference.  As soon as Lady Macbeth stops reading the letter her speech is back in to blank verse.  The letter that has been read shows that Lady Macbeth and Macbeth have a pretty good relationship as in Macbeth’s letter he writes “my dearest partner of greatness”(pg14 line 10), this shows that now only are the in love, dearest partner, but he intends to share all he has with her e.g. if he becomes king she becomes queen.  Even though they have a good relationship lady Macbeth fears that Macbeth’s character “is too full o’th’milk of human kindness”(pg 14 line 16) meaning that she is doubtful that Macbeth would kill Duncan as he is too gentle of a man, off of the battle field, to do such a thing.

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During her first appearance she makes 2 strange comments which are “under my battlements” and “my keen knife” these show a slightly deranged side to her as battlements are part of a castle and her saying “under my battlements” is saying that she is actually part of the castle.  The keen knife comment can be taken in 2 ways. 1: it can be taken literally as in her knife is looking forward to making a wound on Duncan or 2:it can be taken in a more metaphorical way in that she is saying that Macbeth is her “keen knife” and ...

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