Lady M Act 2

• Key words to describe Lady Macbeth in act 2

  Hypocrisy, Cowardice, Liminal gender, Emasculation, Heinous
• Comparison

  In act 5, Lady M mirrors Macbeth in her use of hyperbole "all the perfumes of Arabia would not sweeten this little hand" which diametrically opposes her forer sentiments - this could either express the power of guilt or it could expose Lady Macbeth's insincerity and dishonesty.
• Lady Macbeth after Duncan's death


  This scene is used to reveal multiple facets to both Lady Macbeth's character and the dynamics of her relationship with Macbeth. Shakespeare exposes her hypocrisy and true cowardice. She emasculates Macbeth in saying "I shame to wear a heart so white" to ridicule his cowardice.
• Lady M after Duncan's death 2

  She attempts to excuse herself, explaining "had he not resembled my father as he slept, I had done it", which exposes her inner cowardice and ingrained fear of patricide. Lady Macbeth is manipulative as she operates within a Liminal gender, she takes advantage of alleged feminine weakness, when it works in her favour, yet brutally rejects it if it represses her. Shakespeare may have been creating a subtle commentary on how arbitrary (illogical) gender roles were, as this is a typical theme within his works.
• Lady M after Duncan's death 3


  Lady Macbeth also contributes to the theme of appearance Vs reality in the phrase "A little water clears us of this deed". Shakespeare simultaneously employs litotes (under exaggeration) and euphemism. The litotes is used to downplay the murder and Macbeth's guilt - it is laced with irony as Lady M shifts to a melodramatic state of insanity and begins speaking in hyperbole as the guilt takes over.
• Lady M after Duncan's death 3.5

  The litotes is used to downplay the murder and Macbeth's guilt - it is laced with irony as Lady M shifts to a melodramatic state of insanity and begins speaking in hyperbole as the guilt takes over. This exposes her indifference to the murder as a facade. Shakespeare's use of euphemism hints at this, by referring to the murder as a "deed", Lady M fails to face up to the reality of it - she must placate it into less Heinous words to keep her albeit composure.
• Summary

  Immediately after Duncan's regicide, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are diametrically opposed in their reactions, showing the fragmentation of their relationship. This scene reveals Lady Macbeth's true nature as manipulative, deceptive, and cowardly - she later fragments the facade she builds at this point into play as she descends into insanity.