ipl-logo

Lady Macbeth Spoken Language Essay

532 Words3 Pages

Una Lake
Ms. Souza
Honors English 2 Per. 1
6 May 2023
The Contrast of Language in Macbeth Between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth
TS: In Macbeth, Shakespeare has Macbeth and Lady Macbeth switch their language to show how guilt and greed affect one’s identity and lead them to use manipulation. While trying to convince Macbeth to kill King Duncan. Lady Macbeth uses layered language to persuade him despite his guilt regarding the murder. Lady Macbeth converses, “Look like th’ innocent - flower. - But be the serpent under’t. … Give solely sovereign sway and masterdom” (Shakespeare 1.5 76-82). Shakespeare uses the metaphor of Macbeth becoming an innocent flower, to show how Lady Macbeth is manipulating Macbeth into murdering Duncan by hiding behind a false identity. Her greed …show more content…

It similarly adds to the metaphor of Macbeth needing to hide behind a false identity. Additionally, the alliteration in the phrase “solely sovereign sway” illustrates the hypnotizing effect that Lady Macbeth’s words are having on Macbeth. The phrase uses the repeated ‘s’ sound at the beginning of each word to cause a deep emphasis on understanding the phrase in which Lady Macbeth is explaining to trust only her judgment. Contrasting Lady Macbeth and Macbeth’s previous dynamic, after Macbeth kills King Duncan, he grows greedy. Believing that he will fulfill his prophecy he begins to switch the narrative previously set and a guilt-ridden Lady Macbeth is manipulated by Macbeth’s language. Macbeth says, “Must lave our honors in these flattering streams - And make our faces vizards to our hearts, - Disguising what they are. [Lady Macbeth] You must leave this - [Macbeth] O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife” (Shakespeare 3.2 37-41). Shakespeare uses both mirroring language and metaphors to show the switch between Lady Macbeth's and Macbeth’s language in relation to both their greed and guilt. Macbeth says that the two of them must wash their honors in streams,

Show More
Related

  • Similarities Between 1984 And Macbeth

    459 Words  | 2 Pages

    When Macbeth develops second thoughts about killing King Duncan, Lady Macbeth tells him how to deceive others with his looks, by telling him to “Look like th’ innocent flower, / But be the serpent under ’t.” (Shakespeare 1. 5. 76-77). In this quotation, Lady

    Read More

  • Masculinity And Stereotypes In Macbeth By William Shakespeare

    415 Words  | 2 Pages

    This is also backed up by “Unsex me here”, Lady Macbeth is willing to sacrifice her femininity so that Macbeth can become king. This all begs the question of whether Lady Macbeth is willing to disregard all the stereotypes of being a woman and lose her moral principles over ambition. “As bad as them; I see the dagger still, And on the blade is bitterness and blood, Which I didn’t have before.” This uses metaphoric language to depict to us that Macbeth is being corrupted by the idea of murder, he is being plagued with the idealistic rules that manhood is defined by raging ambition and willingness to do evil things for what the desire. However, Macbeth is questioning these things as he does not want to defy his morals.

    Read More

  • Lady Macbeth Figurative Language Essay

    388 Words  | 2 Pages

    To continue, Lady Macbeth uses symbolism to exploit Macbeth. In Macbeth. 1.7. Lines 64-68, she avows, “I would…had I so sworn as you have done to this”. By claiming this, she insinuates she is more man than Macbeth (as she can keep her word). Thus, feeding off his

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Lady Macbeth

    920 Words  | 4 Pages

    A fundamental part of successful persuasion is being familiar with one’s audience and knowing what may or may not fly out their other ear. Otherwise, it would be like baiting a rabbit into a cage with meat. In order to truly gain an audience’s interest and trust, they must be told something that they consider attention grabbing, designed for their absorption. In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Lady Macbeth dangles this rhetorical bait over Macbeth, her husband, to expedite their covert plans to murder King Duncan and take the throne. The problem is that Macbeth has become hesitant to carry out those plans and is reconsidering his decision.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Diction In Macbeth

    531 Words  | 3 Pages

    In “Macbeth” by William Shakespeare; more specifically in Act 3, Scene 2 he uses metaphors and diction to demonstrate the feelings between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth feel about being king and queen and further plans to kill Banquo. In terms of diction in this scene, shakespeare utilizes it to dramatize the feelings of the characters. For example when Lady Macbeth asks “What’s to be done?”, Macbeth replies with “Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck, till thou applaud the deed” and it’s Shakespeare’s way of showing how Macbeth dodges the question his wife asks him and that she won’t know until what needs to be done is done, or has already been accomplished if you will. Another example of diction in this scene is when when Lady Macbeth

    Read More

  • Macbeth Rhetorical Questions

    855 Words  | 4 Pages

    This demonstrates that when Macbeth began to turn his back in order to cancel the plans to kill King Duncan, Lady Macbeth objected because she knew her husband was a kind person and she didn't like the idea that Macbeth wanted to cancel the plans and not be crowned King. In order for Macbeth to continue the plan, she stated that if Macbeth wants to live in this world as a coward and leave this wonderful opportunity, Of course, the manipulation forced Macbeth to reconsider whether he was a coward or not. Another example is the use of figurative language by Lady Macbeth in order for Macbeth to make the decision to kill King Duncan. Memory, the brain's warder, "shall be fume," and reason "A limbeck only," when in swinish sleep, "their drenched natures

    Read More

  • Macbeth Dbq Essay

    1294 Words  | 6 Pages

    As individuals, we have a certain degree of control over our own lives and the decisions we make. While external factors such as social pressure, cultural norms, and personal circumstances can influence us, ultimately, we have agency in choosing how we respond to those factors. This is portrayed through William Shakespeare's tragedy, Macbeth, the titular character Macbeth is the protagonist, a Scottish general who receives a prophecy from three witches that he will become king. Consumed by ambition and spurred on by his wife, Lady Macbeth, Macbeth murders King Duncan and takes the throne for himself. However, his guilt and paranoia lead him to commit more murders in order to maintain his power, and he becomes increasingly tyrannical as his

    Read More

  • Macbeth Dbq Essay

    675 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Tragedy of Macbeth is a well known story that revolves around the word “ambition” but this ambition isn’t always self driven by someone, but rather through the influence of someone else who maintains control of the situation. The story is about a man whose desire to be the king and have power leads to the murders of those who might stand in his way. Throughout the story we see many characters who play major parts in how one event follows another, and how some characters seem to completely have control of the events in the story. Although in Macbeth the Three Sisters and Macbeth exhibit some control over the events, Lady Macbeth has the most responsibility.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Language In Macbeth And The Lion King

    746 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the play “Macbeth”, written in 1606 by William Shakespeare and the film “The Lion King” released in 1994, Roger Allers demonstrates in depth that ambition for royalty will lead one to betray his peers. This has vividly been portrayed throughout the film and novel with the use of rhetorical language and by the visible actions of the characters involved. In the play Macbeth, he is constantly thinking about what his life would be like if he was king and creates a plan to execute and replace the king. He successfully completes the execution of King Duncan and will become the leader.

    Read More

  • Macbeth Rhetorical Analysis Essay

    522 Words  | 3 Pages

    In William Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth, Macbeth truthfully expresses that life is ultimately repetitive and meaningless towards the actions that lead to death. Claiming that life is short and easily extinguished from his reaction towards Lady Macbeth’s apparent suicide. Shakespeare applies rhetorical elements to emphasize Macbeth’s responsiveness to the concept of life and death. Initially, Shakespeare commences with repetition of the word “tomorrow” thrice to accentuate the hopeless future Macbeth perceives.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Masculinity In Macbeth

    1080 Words  | 5 Pages

    Macbeth’s understandable distress is seen as an effeminate breakdown. His inability to move on from and accept death makes him a coward in the eyes of his wife, and like any man, hearing such an insult from his life partner struck him deeply. Hearing such an attack pushes Macbeth to do as his wife tells him, ignoring his own emotions, solely because he wants the comfort of being seen positively again. This desire is shown in a further interaction with Lady Macbeth. As said by the lady herself, “My hands are of your color, but I shame to wear a heart so white.”

    Read More

  • Macbeth Act 3 Scene 2 Essay

    500 Words  | 2 Pages

    The scene Act 3 scene 2, conveys the theme that killing someone isn't the most proficient way in dealing with problems nor does it make life simpler, instead it creates more complications. Ironically, In this scene Lady Macbeth and Macbeth discuss the death of Banquo; both of them begin to show signs of fear & guilt. Both of them realize the troubles that come with killing Banquo, and recognize that troubles follow; his son Fleance can still cease the prophecy. This is demonstrated in the metaphorical quote “We have scorched the snake, not killed it.” Macbeth refers to Banquo as a snake, who has not yet been killed and is still able to “attack” them.

    Read More

  • Lady Macbeth Masculinity Quotes

    107 Words  | 1 Pages

    William Shakespeare portrayed the character Lady Macbeth to be extremely ruthless, malicious and manipulative. Thus, being the reason she could easily convince Macbeth to do her will, yet still put on such a convincing performance in front of those who knew nothing of her and her husband’s actions. Lady Macbeth shows her complexity constantly throughout the story when she shares her view-point on masculinity by demasculinizing her own husband, when she strategically plans the murder of the King Duncan, and finally when she finally goes crazy because of the guilt she possesses for not only her own actions but also turning her own husband into a

    Read More

  • Lady Macbeth Rhetorical Analysis

    495 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Macbeth, Lady Macbeth uses two primary methods in order to convince Macbeth into committing the deed. Initially, Lady Macbeth begins to test Macbeth's manhood in order to persuade him to kill King Duncan. In a conversation between Lady Macbeth and Macbeth, Lady Macbeth convinces him into thinking that only through the murder of Duncan will he be considered a man to her and states “That made you break this enterprise to me? When you durst do it, then you were a man; And, to be more than what you were, you would be so much more the man” (Shakespeare i, vii). During this period, men were admired and were held up on society based upon their manhood.

    Read More

  • Macbeth Act 5 Scene 5 Analysis

    808 Words  | 4 Pages

    Shakespeare, in his tragedy, “Macbeth,” illustrates an intriguing narrative in which a man named Macbeth receives equivocations from witches telling him that he will become the king, sending him spiraling down a path of madness and bloodshed. Shakespeare's purpose is to relay the ideas that unchecked ambition leads to a person’s downfall and to elaborate on the vanity of human ambition through the actions of the characters. In act 5, scene 5, he assumes a somber tone through the utilization of alliteration and symbolism in order to appeal to similar feelings and experiences in his Elizabethan audience. In Macbeth’s speech from Act V, scene 5, Shakespeare evokes a bleak tone through the use of alliteration which exemplifies the theme of the

    Read More

More about Lady Macbeth Spoken Language Essay

Open Document