Lady Macbeth

·      the use of metaphor articulates that Macbeth is innocent by symbolising the milk for purity, yet the use of sarcastic language expresses he is not an innocent man at all being a ‘Thane Cawdor’ and able to kill the king, his best friend and killing Macduff’s family , despite that Lady Macbeth is ambitious and she would do anything to become the queen, the well-chosen word iterates that Macbeth lack the mettle to grab the Crown, to grab the crown, he must commit regicide. The Jacobean audience would be shocked by the impression of Lady Macbeth and Macbeth are plotting a murderous scheme.

This links Lady Macbeth to the witches, the use of mono-syllabic sentence foreshadows her malicious behaviour and unknowingly to be a witch, further foreshadowing the vivid way of asking to be stripped of feminine weakness and invested with masculine traits.  Shakespeare’s opted Lady Macbeth to use her motherhood into extreme evil which resulted into a more witch like

the juxtaposition symbolises purity though poisonous, this juxtaposes her womanhood and the role of being an innocent woman by representing her from performing acts of violence and cruelty, which associates with manliness, as well as witch. The Jacobean audience would be squeamish due to the supernatural exertion. Lady Macbeth's association with the supernatural violates her expected role as a domesticated and passive woman; she is immediately going against all socially expected norms, adhering to the later Gothic convention of transgression. But the fact that Lady Macbeth seems to have to call upon spirits to remove her gender suggests that the role of women at the time is restrictive - no 'ordinary' woman could do what Lady Macbeth tends to do, so she must call upon supernatural forces for help.

Her language in this speech is interesting, and characterises her as strong-willed and determined, contrasting Macbeth's "rapt" nature and his various asides in the preceding scenes. Shakespeare includes various imperatives in Lady Macbeth's language. Suggesting that, her language in this speech is interesting, and characterises her as strong-willed and determined, contrasting Macbeth's "rapt" nature and his various asides in the preceding scenes. Shakespeare includes various imperatives in Lady Macbeth's language

·      religious imagery portrays the event of the ‘Garden of Eden’, the serpent symbolises revolting and pernicious which immediately brings in the theme of appearance versus reality, and highlights Lady Macbeth's duplicitous nature. Furthermore, contextual significance; after the quashing of Guy Fawkes's Gunpowder Plot, King James I was awarded with a medal that presents a serpent hiding beneath a flower. By comparing Lady Macbeth to such a contemporary atrocity, Shakespeare is sure to present her as villainous. 

 the word 'serpent' has Biblical connotations, and relates to the serpent in Genesis - the serpent that tempts Eve to eat the forbidden fruit, and thus leads to the downfall of mankind. Is Lady Macbeth the serpent? If so, is Macbeth Eve? A subtle reversal of gender roles could be argued for here, a violation of both fixed boundaries and social norms.

·      the use of frustrated language, the blood as she tries to scrub invisible blood off her hands. To highlight the fact that she has now descended into madness, Shakespeare puts Lady Macbeth's speech in prose - which is often associated with lower class or mad characters. Everything she does here juxtaposes her earlier presentation; she is not in control.  The Jacobean audience feel remorse for her and carrying the guilty to the end of her life even though the audience would be thinking that she deserves it for conspiring to kill the innocent king.

The echoed line may indeed suggest that the witches are in control of Macbeth - and if they control him. If an exam asks whether Macbeth cannot by sympathised with/is a cold-hearted villain/etc. then you can argue that he is none of these things because he has no freedom over his actions.

 Echoing of this line enforces the interpretation that the witches are figments of Macbeth's imagination or are manifestations of his inner conflict. Alternatively, the link between Macbeth and the witches blurs a line between "worthy Macbeth" and the 'evil' witches - perhaps suggesting that there is a darker side to the character who has been set up as a valiant hero.