lady macbeth

• lady macbeth couldnt kill duncan herself, what does this suggest about her?

  suggests that she isnt all ruthless, as she cant kill him because he looks like her father
• ‘lady macbeth sees femininity as weakness’ give evidence from the play to support this statement


  when plotting duncans murder, lady macbeth appeals to the spirits to “unsex” her, suggesting that she views her femininity as a weakness that will make it harder for her to murder duncan. she also questions macbeths masculinity when he is unsure about killing duncan saying “when you durst do it, then you were a man” which suggests she sees uncertainty and a lack of courage as feminine qualities
• explain how lady macbeth controls macbeth in the first half of the play


  she bullies macbeth into agreeing to kill duncan by calling him a “coward”. she comes up with a plan herself and tells macbeth what to do. she then takes control after the murder and also covers for his suspiscious behaviour at the banquet, for example when she says that his reaction to banquos ghost is a “fit”
• give one way shakespeare shows lady macbeth’s weakening relationship with macbeth in the second half of the play


  they appear in fewer scenes together
• why does lady macbeth sleepwalk?


  caused by her guilt for her part in duncans murder
• true or false, lady macbeth speaks in verse when sleepwalking


  false, when sleepwalking lady macbeth uses prose sentences with no set rhythm
• how does lady macbeth use the way of women were viewed in medieval scotland to help macbeth get away with the murder


  women were expected to be polite and good hostesses. when duncan arrives at their castle lady macbeth pretends to be welcoming to hide her and macbeths evil intentions. women were also thought to be more sensitive. when macbeth reacts suspisciously after the discovery of duncans body, lady macbeth appears to faint, possinle deliberately to draw attention away from her husband