Key Quotations
Lady Macbeth
Points to be made i.e. Analysis of
Quotation about how a character Language and Devices Links to Context
or theme presented and Structure
‘Come, you spirits That tend Theme of gender / witchcraft Lady Macbeth wants to Women were subordinate to
on mortal thoughts, unsex be more like a man than men in the Jacobean age and
a woman – she thinks she seen as weaker than men.
me here And fill me from needs the strength of mind Women were expected to obey
the crown to the toe topfull and body to be successful in their husbands and show no
of direst cruelty.’ achieving her ambition. She initiative.
is conjuring of the spirits of
Act 1 Scene 5 darkness and is disturbing and
distinctly unfeminine. She is
powerful and single-minded.
She overreaches her position
in society and will ultimately
be punished. The verb ‘unsex’
highlights she sees women as
weak and needs to be more like
a man if her plan is to succeed.
Lady Macbeth: Come, you Theme of darkness / light She is appealing to the Devil Her behaviour that she is
spirits that tend on mortal to make her evil and capable of appealing to dark spirits to help
Theme of witchcraft
committing sin. Like Macbeth, her commit murder and the fact
thoughts, unsex me here, Some people argue that Lady she has entered the darkness that she is reject her sex. The
And fill me from the crown Macbeth is the fourth witch and she rejects her femininity Jacobeans were religious and
to the toe top-full of direst and some people say she because she sees it as a believed in Hell and Heaven.
cruelty behaves worse than he witches weakness. The use of alliteration This would be a short gain for
in the way she manipulates of the ‘t’ sound is a plosive an afterlife of punishment.
Macbeth and persuades him to sound and it emphasises her
Context - role of women /
commit Regicide. aggressive character.
mothers - has she lost a child?
Links with femininity Soliloquy - use of imperatives
make her sound like she is in
command of evil forces. She
uses metaphors to reveal her
evil.
‘Look like th’innocent Appearance and reality. Lady Macbeth uses a metaphor This is a reference to the
Flower, but be the serpent to encourage Macbeth to Garden of Eden in the book of
Equivocation
deceive and manipulate King Genesis in the Old Testament.
under’t. He that’s coming Duncan. The flower symbolises Eve was tricked by the serpent
must be provided for; and innocence and natural goodness, into betraying God’s orders
you shall put this night’s whereas the serpent personifies not to eat from the tree of
great business into my evil. Full of double meanings to knowledge. In the same way,
show that she is untrustworthy. Lady Macbeth encourages
dispatch’.
Macbeth to commit a terrible
sin.
Act 1 Scene 5
1
Lady Macbeth
Points to be made i.e. Analysis of
Quotation about how a character Language and Devices Links to Context
or theme presented and Structure
‘Come, you spirits That tend Theme of gender / witchcraft Lady Macbeth wants to Women were subordinate to
on mortal thoughts, unsex be more like a man than men in the Jacobean age and
a woman – she thinks she seen as weaker than men.
me here And fill me from needs the strength of mind Women were expected to obey
the crown to the toe topfull and body to be successful in their husbands and show no
of direst cruelty.’ achieving her ambition. She initiative.
is conjuring of the spirits of
Act 1 Scene 5 darkness and is disturbing and
distinctly unfeminine. She is
powerful and single-minded.
She overreaches her position
in society and will ultimately
be punished. The verb ‘unsex’
highlights she sees women as
weak and needs to be more like
a man if her plan is to succeed.
Lady Macbeth: Come, you Theme of darkness / light She is appealing to the Devil Her behaviour that she is
spirits that tend on mortal to make her evil and capable of appealing to dark spirits to help
Theme of witchcraft
committing sin. Like Macbeth, her commit murder and the fact
thoughts, unsex me here, Some people argue that Lady she has entered the darkness that she is reject her sex. The
And fill me from the crown Macbeth is the fourth witch and she rejects her femininity Jacobeans were religious and
to the toe top-full of direst and some people say she because she sees it as a believed in Hell and Heaven.
cruelty behaves worse than he witches weakness. The use of alliteration This would be a short gain for
in the way she manipulates of the ‘t’ sound is a plosive an afterlife of punishment.
Macbeth and persuades him to sound and it emphasises her
Context - role of women /
commit Regicide. aggressive character.
mothers - has she lost a child?
Links with femininity Soliloquy - use of imperatives
make her sound like she is in
command of evil forces. She
uses metaphors to reveal her
evil.
‘Look like th’innocent Appearance and reality. Lady Macbeth uses a metaphor This is a reference to the
Flower, but be the serpent to encourage Macbeth to Garden of Eden in the book of
Equivocation
deceive and manipulate King Genesis in the Old Testament.
under’t. He that’s coming Duncan. The flower symbolises Eve was tricked by the serpent
must be provided for; and innocence and natural goodness, into betraying God’s orders
you shall put this night’s whereas the serpent personifies not to eat from the tree of
great business into my evil. Full of double meanings to knowledge. In the same way,
show that she is untrustworthy. Lady Macbeth encourages
dispatch’.
Macbeth to commit a terrible
sin.
Act 1 Scene 5
1
