Key Points
‣ Through Lady Macbeth, shakespeare explores duplicity and deceit
⤷ As a character so fraught with contradictions, Lady Macbeth serves the purpose of demonstrating the
liminality of good and evil
⤷ Shakespeare confronts his audience with a character who appears an unequivocal ‘honour’d hostess’,
her murderous intentions unbeknownst to those closest to her
⤷ The duplicity of her character challenges the audience as, while it is a comfort to believe that all
witches live ‘upon the heath’ and speak in trochaic hexameter, Lady macbeth confronts them with the
notion that evil is within anyone’s capacity and is inherently human
‣ Lady Macbeth shows discrepancy between her ambition and her nature
⤷ Her innate defiance of natural order is limited to her rejection of the conventional demeanour of
femininity within an androcentric, patriarchal society and her rejection of ‘womanly’ roles
- Beyond this her defiance is unnatural and contrived in an attempt to further overcome order
- Her ability to defy order in this way convinces her she will be able to reject her own morality
too but it is impossible to overcome one's humanity and so she is tormented by guilt
⤷ She attempts to stray from morality against her nature by assuring herself it would be void of
consequence
⤷ Her adamancy that immorality and culpability can be attached to material objects and is erased with
the destruction of these objects
⤷ Her formidable desire to overcome her nature and defy her morality is her hamartia as shakespeare
argues that to reject one’s humanity is to reject the natural order and predetermined fate which will
invariably be futile
Focussed analysis Supporting quotes
Point 1 - power in relationship 1.5 LM (M) ‘my dearest
‣ Fundamental equality within the relationship partner of greatness’
⤷ They complement each other's weakness 1.5 LM ‘Yet I do fear thy
‣ Artful manipulator - she has exercises her power through Macbeth nature/ it is too full o’th’milk of
⤷ Without him she becomes powerless human kindness’
⤷ Because her power is dependent on Macbeths malleability and 1.5 LM ‘your face, my thane, is
capacity for heartless violence, without him she becomes powerless as a book’
‣ Through this, shakespeare observes on the way that relationships intertwine 1.5 LM ‘leave all the rest to me’
with ambition and power and the dangers of such fundamental equality 1.7 LM/M ‘If we should fail?
within a relationship (constant back and forth, straying further and further We fail?’
from morality) 1.7 M ‘bring forth men children
⤷ They are each others downfall only’
Point 2 - attempt to overcome humanity and morality (ambition does not align with 1.5 LM ‘come you spirits that
her nature) + trying to attach guilt to material objects tend on mortal thoughts, unsex
‣ Lady Macbeth shows discrepancy between her ambition and her nature me here’
⤷ Her innate defiance of natural order is limited to her subversion of 1.5 LM ‘come to my woman’s
femininity within an androcentric, patriarchal society and her breasts and take my milk for
rejection of ‘womanly’ roles gall’
- Beyond this her defiance is unnatural and contrived in an 1.5 LM ‘nor heaven peep
attempt to further overcome order through the blanket of the dark
- Her ability to defy order in this way gives her false to cry, ‘hold, hold.’
confidence her she will be able to reject her own morality too 2.2 LM ‘had he not resembled
but it is impossible to overcome one's humanity and so she is my father as he slept, I had
tormented by guilt done’t’
⤷ attempts to stray from morality against her nature, assuring herself 2.2 LM ‘these deeds must not
it would be void of consequence be thought after these ways; so,
⤷ Her adamancy that immorality and culpability can be attached to it will make us mad’
material objects and is erased with the destruction of these objects 2.2 LM ‘a little water clears us
- Guilt persists beyond physical evidence of this deed’
⤷ Her formidable desire to overcome her nature and defy her morality 5.1 LM ‘out damned spot’
is her hamartia as shakespeare argues that to reject one’s humanity
is to reject the natural order and predetermined fate which will
invariably be futile
‣ By trying to attach guilt and consequence to material objects and the belief
‣ Through Lady Macbeth, shakespeare explores duplicity and deceit
⤷ As a character so fraught with contradictions, Lady Macbeth serves the purpose of demonstrating the
liminality of good and evil
⤷ Shakespeare confronts his audience with a character who appears an unequivocal ‘honour’d hostess’,
her murderous intentions unbeknownst to those closest to her
⤷ The duplicity of her character challenges the audience as, while it is a comfort to believe that all
witches live ‘upon the heath’ and speak in trochaic hexameter, Lady macbeth confronts them with the
notion that evil is within anyone’s capacity and is inherently human
‣ Lady Macbeth shows discrepancy between her ambition and her nature
⤷ Her innate defiance of natural order is limited to her rejection of the conventional demeanour of
femininity within an androcentric, patriarchal society and her rejection of ‘womanly’ roles
- Beyond this her defiance is unnatural and contrived in an attempt to further overcome order
- Her ability to defy order in this way convinces her she will be able to reject her own morality
too but it is impossible to overcome one's humanity and so she is tormented by guilt
⤷ She attempts to stray from morality against her nature by assuring herself it would be void of
consequence
⤷ Her adamancy that immorality and culpability can be attached to material objects and is erased with
the destruction of these objects
⤷ Her formidable desire to overcome her nature and defy her morality is her hamartia as shakespeare
argues that to reject one’s humanity is to reject the natural order and predetermined fate which will
invariably be futile
Focussed analysis Supporting quotes
Point 1 - power in relationship 1.5 LM (M) ‘my dearest
‣ Fundamental equality within the relationship partner of greatness’
⤷ They complement each other's weakness 1.5 LM ‘Yet I do fear thy
‣ Artful manipulator - she has exercises her power through Macbeth nature/ it is too full o’th’milk of
⤷ Without him she becomes powerless human kindness’
⤷ Because her power is dependent on Macbeths malleability and 1.5 LM ‘your face, my thane, is
capacity for heartless violence, without him she becomes powerless as a book’
‣ Through this, shakespeare observes on the way that relationships intertwine 1.5 LM ‘leave all the rest to me’
with ambition and power and the dangers of such fundamental equality 1.7 LM/M ‘If we should fail?
within a relationship (constant back and forth, straying further and further We fail?’
from morality) 1.7 M ‘bring forth men children
⤷ They are each others downfall only’
Point 2 - attempt to overcome humanity and morality (ambition does not align with 1.5 LM ‘come you spirits that
her nature) + trying to attach guilt to material objects tend on mortal thoughts, unsex
‣ Lady Macbeth shows discrepancy between her ambition and her nature me here’
⤷ Her innate defiance of natural order is limited to her subversion of 1.5 LM ‘come to my woman’s
femininity within an androcentric, patriarchal society and her breasts and take my milk for
rejection of ‘womanly’ roles gall’
- Beyond this her defiance is unnatural and contrived in an 1.5 LM ‘nor heaven peep
attempt to further overcome order through the blanket of the dark
- Her ability to defy order in this way gives her false to cry, ‘hold, hold.’
confidence her she will be able to reject her own morality too 2.2 LM ‘had he not resembled
but it is impossible to overcome one's humanity and so she is my father as he slept, I had
tormented by guilt done’t’
⤷ attempts to stray from morality against her nature, assuring herself 2.2 LM ‘these deeds must not
it would be void of consequence be thought after these ways; so,
⤷ Her adamancy that immorality and culpability can be attached to it will make us mad’
material objects and is erased with the destruction of these objects 2.2 LM ‘a little water clears us
- Guilt persists beyond physical evidence of this deed’
⤷ Her formidable desire to overcome her nature and defy her morality 5.1 LM ‘out damned spot’
is her hamartia as shakespeare argues that to reject one’s humanity
is to reject the natural order and predetermined fate which will
invariably be futile
‣ By trying to attach guilt and consequence to material objects and the belief
