Ambition

• "That I may pour my spirits in thine ear/And chastise with the valour on my tongue" ↝ [a1s5]

  • 'Spirits' - imagery evokes demonic possession which shows how LM wants to overpower Macbeth with her own villainy.
  • 'Chastise' - verb is emblematic of the power imbalance between Macbeth & LM which links to Macbeth being reprimanded by his wife.
  • 'Valour' - noun has connotations on defiance, bravery & fearlessness which creates the impression tat LM intends on defying societal norms in terms of taking control of her husband.
• "A little water clears us of this deed" ↝ [a2s2]

  • Her over-powering ambition obstructs her from seeing the genuine distress of her husband. She uses litotes (understatements) to downplay the murder. It's laced with irony as LM shifts to a melodramatic state of insanity & begins speaking in hyperbole as the guilt takes over.
  • "deed" ↝ LM fails to face up to the reality of it, she must placate it into less heinous words to keep her composure.
• "While it was smiling in my face...plucked my nipple from his boneless gums & dashed the brains out" ↝ [a1s7]

  • Graphic imagery highlights LM's ruthlessness
  • Tender image of child contrasts with LM's brutality as she is willing to cruelly destroy something innocent in the pursuit of power
  • 'Dashed' + 'plucked' suggest swift, cynical movements - accentuates her ruthless nature
  • Reinforces her rejection of maternal instinct - Jacobean women supposed to be nurturing & passive - her words suggest that traditional femininity is incompatible power in a patriarchal world