Lady Macbeth

• How can Lady Macbeth be viewed in the play?

  As an antagonist or a tragic heroine
• What ultimately happens to Lady Macbeth?

  She takes her own life
• What motivates Lady Macbeth to push Macbeth towards kingship?

  Her ambitions and goals
• How does Lady Macbeth's gender identity affect her actions?

  It limits her career prospects
• What does Lady Macbeth want to compensate for?

  Her lost children
• How does Lady Macbeth manipulate others?

  By exploiting their prejudices and assumptions
• What does Lady Macbeth tell Macbeth to maintain?

  A facade for other people
• How does Lady Macbeth transfer her desires to Macbeth?

  By persuading him to act on her wishes
• What is the connection between Lady Macbeth and the Witches?

  Both manipulate appearances
• What do Lady Macbeth's soliloquies reveal?

  The divide between appearances and reality
• How does Lady Macbeth's identity change throughout the play?

  Her sense of self deteriorates
• What is a femme fatale?

  A mysterious and seductive woman
• What common traits do femme fatales possess?

  Heightened sexuality and rejection of motherhood
• How does Lady Macbeth embody the femme fatale archetype?

  By using charm to manipulate Macbeth
• What does Shakespeare suggest about female ambition through Lady Macbeth?

  It can be dangerous and unnatural
• What parallels exist between Lady Macbeth and Eve?

  Both are seen as causes of downfall
• How does Lady Macbeth relate to Morgan le Fay?

  Both are lovers who cause downfall
• How does Lady Macbeth cope with her societal role?

  She becomes a dominant figure in marriage
• What does Lady Macbeth try to reject?

  Her role as a mother
• What does Lady Macbeth's ambition lead her to do?

  She calls upon evil spirits
• What happens to Lady Macbeth after Duncan's murder?

  She loses confidence and becomes paranoid
• What does Lady Macbeth's character reveal about ambition?

  It can lead to moral corruption
• How does Lady Macbeth's ambition affect her morality?

  She abandons hopes of virtue
• What supernatural element is associated with Lady Macbeth?

  She is seen as the fourth Witch
• What does Lady Macbeth's character challenge in Jacobean society?

  Traditional gender roles and power dynamics
• How does Lady Macbeth's character contribute to the theme of ambition?

  She embodies the destructive nature of ambition
• What does Lady Macbeth's rejection of motherhood signify?

  Her desire for power over traditional roles
• What is the ultimate consequence of Lady Macbeth's actions?

  Her tragic end and loss of identity
• How does Lady Macbeth's character serve as a warning in the play?

  It illustrates the dangers of ambition and power
• What role does Lady Macbeth play in the theme of appearances vs. reality?

  She embodies the deceptive nature of appearances
• How does Lady Macbeth's rejection of motherhood affect her identity?

  It leads to a fragmented sense of self
• How does Shakespeare portray ambition in Lady Macbeth's character?

  As something embraced for control, not the issue
• What rhetorical technique does Lady Macbeth use to persuade Macbeth?

  She speaks in rhyming couplets
• How does Lady Macbeth's manipulation relate to the Witches?

  Her manipulation imitates the Witches' spells
• How does Lady Macbeth's fate differ from Macbeth's?

  She kills herself instead of being killed
• What does Lady Macbeth's use of euphemisms imply about her character?

  She can't confront the reality of murder
• How does Shakespeare contrast ambition and guilt?

  Ambition focuses on the future, guilt on the past
• What are the key characteristics of Lady Macbeth's early performances?

  • Strong will and importance
  • Littered with deceit and treachery
  • Empowered by the prospect of being queen
  • Cold and ruthless in her ambitions
• What does Lady Macbeth vow to do as a sign of loyalty to Macbeth?

  Smash a baby's head open
• How does Lady Macbeth manipulate Macbeth's weaknesses?

  She bullies and entices him with power