Lady Macbeth

• • 'Look like th' innocent flower, but be the serpent under't'(Act 1) - theme appearance vs reality: ladu macbeth is saying shes going to use her external features like a flower however her internal features are like a serpent

  'flower'- innocent and delicate: she is describing herself as how a 'normal' female should act at the time

  'serpent' connotations to hell- temptation of adam and eve
• 'Dashed the brains out'(Act 1 scene 7)

  • Lady Macbeth saying if she promised to rip her babies brain out she would: trying to persuade him to commit regicide
  • Lady Macbeth is an atypical women of the time- this means not typical this is because she wants to embody these masculine features- this is because she knows that being masculine is synonymous (Linked) with power so she tries to remove her relation with femininity

  Theme- masculinity: how it is subverted ( changed) by lady macbeth
• 'come thick knight'(Act 1)

  Theme- supernatural: because lady macbeth is calling up on these external spirits to bring her this darkness to strip her of her femininity

  • ironic because shes trying to find the light again in act 5
  • this quote foreshadows the consequences of being involved with the supernatural
• 'had he not resembled my father as he slept i had done it' (Act 3)

  • Lady macbeth talking to macbeth and saying he would of killed king duncan if he did not resemble his father
  • This is a lie and she is trying to put on this masculin facade (mask) to try and pretend that she isn't afraid of the repercussions of the consequences of committing regicide - this shows that she is internally a coward
• [Enters with a taper] (act 5 stage directions)

  • Taper (candle)
  • Links back nicely with quote 'come thick knight'
  • signifies her need and want for light and wanting to be forgiven by god

  Shakespeare giving a warning of what would happen if you commit regicide