lady macbeth

"Come, you spirits / That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here."

Lady Macbeth invokes evil forces to strip her of femininity and make her capable of murder. She uses imperative verbs and supernatural imagery to challenge gender norms and align herself with the witches. Methods: Imperative verbs, supernatural imagery, enjambment.

"Look like the innocent flower, / But be the serpent under’t."

Lady Macbeth uses a metaphor to advise deception, contrasting innocence and evil. The serpent alludes to the Biblical fall, portraying her as manipulative and morally corrupt. Methods: Metaphor, Biblical allusion, juxtaposition.

"When you durst do it, then you were a man."

Lady Macbeth questions Macbeth’s masculinity, equating manhood with violent ambition. This manipulation reveals her control over him and subversion of gender roles. Methods: Provocative language, manipulation, gender inversion.

"Had he not resembled / My father as he slept, I had done’t."

This line shows a rare moment of vulnerability and lingering morality. The simile reveals internal conflict, complicating her otherwise ruthless image. Methods: Simile, characterisation, internal conflict.

"My hands are of your colour, but I shame / To wear a heart so white."

Lady Macbeth uses colour symbolism to mock Macbeth’s guilt, presenting herself as emotionally stronger. The "white" heart represents cowardice or innocence. Methods: Colour symbolism, contrast, irony.

"You must leave this."

Lady Macbeth urges Macbeth to stop his violent obsession, but her short command shows she’s losing influence. Macbeth no longer depends on her. Methods: Imperative, tone shift, structure.

"Out, damned spot! Out, I say!"

The repetition and hallucinated blood reflect Lady Macbeth’s overwhelming guilt and madness. The switch to prose marks her psychological breakdown. Methods: Repetition, symbolism, prose.

"What’s done cannot be undone."

This shows Lady Macbeth’s resignation and guilt, contrasting “What’s done is done” earlier. It reflects her emotional decline and loss of control. Methods: Paradox, repetition, tone change.

"The queen, my lord, is dead."

Lady Macbeth’s death is abrupt and offstage, emphasizing her isolation and fall from power. The understatement creates a tragic anticlimax. Methods: Euphemism, understatement, short syntax.