Macbeth- act 2: scene 2
"that which have made them drunk hath made me bold"
This is an example of parallelism and Lady Macbeth uses it to compare herself to the guards.
Shakespeare's use of a metaphor to show the vulnerability of the soldiers compared to the power of Lady Macbeth reflects her dismissal of femininity and how she had take on the controlling role inside her palace.
Key Theme: Masculinity and Femininity
"it was an owl that shriek'd"
Birds are representative of bad omens in the play and an owl is a common omen of death
This foreshadows the ending of the play
During this scene, Macbeth is not in the right state of mind as he is already paranoid and fearful. This represents how he is already descended to evil and has fully condemned his soul to Hell.
"had he not resembled my father a he slept, I had done't"
This is the first sign of humanity Lady Macbeth reveals. This shows she hasn't fully lost her feminine side, which proves useful for her frequent emotional manipulation in multiple situations throughout the rest of the play
"as I descended?" "aye"
This is further shown by the way Lady Macbeth behaves calmly when her husband is not and she is the one who is in control of the situation
The fragmented speech shows how on edge Macbeth is and the quick exchanges they share increases the pace of the play, which increases the tension
"a foolish thought to say a sorry sight"
Lady Macbeth's tone is assertive and she chastises her husband for feeling emotional about the situation
Key Theme: Masculinity and Femininity
"and one cried 'murder'!"
This is the first time Macbeth says Murder and it's significant because he unintentionally admits his guilt to himself and the audience, which shows how fragile his mind is at this point in the play
"as they had seen me with these hangman's hands"
In both a metaphorical and literal sense, Macbeth's hands are covered in blood. His referral to his hands as "hangman's hands" shows the guilt he feels towards his actions and he considers himself a killer
This also foreshadows Macbeth's rule of Scotland and the countless people he kills, both directly and indirectly, through his tyranny and madness
"I could not say 'Amen'"
This is confirmation that Macbeth's soul has been damned
Contextually, Jacobeans would have seen this as a sign of Witchcraft and thus assumed Macbeth had been controlled by the Witches to do their bidding
Key Theme: Good VS Evil
"it will make us mad"
Foreshadowing the fate Macbeth receives. It is also dramatic irony as Macbeth isn't speaking about literal madness but referring to guilt instead
"sleep no more; Macbeth does murder sleep"
This is foreshadowing. Macbeth has killed his peace of mind and so he will subsequently loose his conscience
As the scene progresses, Macbeth's speech becomes more and more fragmented and quick, whereas Lady Macbeth's doesn't and this shows the first breakdown of the relationship as they no longer have shared mind
"go get some water, and wash this filthy witness from your hands"
This links to act 5: scene 1 and how she is driven to suicide by her memory of the crime
The consistent knocking sound throughout the scene is representative of Macbeth's conscience and thus shows how he will be haunted by what he has done
It could also be representative of death and so foreshadowing the chaos that consumes Scotland under Macbeth
"but I shame to wear a heart so white"
White is the colour that represets purity and goodness, as well as being associated with angelic and heavenly ideas; red is the colour closely associated with evil and demonic ideas, as well as lust and desire
Key Themes: Heaven an Hell, Good VS Evil
Key Theme: Masculinity and Femininity
We would expect Lady Macbeth to be "white" hearted one but she, instead presents herself as red, the colour we would expect Macbeth to be
"will all great Neptune's oceans wash this blood clean from my hand?"
Linked aphesis to Lady Macbeth's "a little water clears us of this deed"
Dramatic Irony!
"to know my deed, 'twere best not to know myself"
This links to Macbeth's soliloquy in act 1: scene 7 as he predicts that he will feels shameful and guilty of what he will do and thus loose his humanity in the process