Macbeth Soliloquy Analysis
Angela So
Mr. Pan
ENG2D0
September 26, 2013
Lady Macbeth’s Unsex Me Soliloquy Analysis
In 1.5. 36-53 of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Lady Macbeth delivers a sullen soliloquy which expresses her ambitious yet murderous thoughts, invoking dark spirits to, first, change and destroy her feminine nature, second, to let her feel no fear or guilt upon doing wicked acts such as murder, and then, third, to cover all of her vile and vicious crimes. By doing so, Lady Macbeth vividly reveals to the audience her dark, destructive, and true nature.
From lines 36-42, Lady Macbeth expresses her desires to erase her femininity, conjuring dark forces to “unsex her and fill [her] from the crown to the toe, top-full of direst cruelty” (40-42). Not wanting to be a female with a heart filled with love, kindness, and pity, Lady Macbeth would rather strip off all of her femininity along with these pure feelings, and acquire a vile and vicious nature which will not allow her to hesitate when carrying out devilish deeds, such as murder. Secondly, upon hearing about the witches’ prophecy about Macbeth’s future, Lady Macbeth already showed intentions of killing the king, and therefore summons evil spirits to “Make thick [her] blood". By making thick her blood, it will obstruct the passage for fear, guilt, or remorse, and would allow her to perform destructive and evil acts without those natural emotions in mind. Additionally, Lady Macbeth calls to murd’ring ministers (48) to “Take [her] milk for gall”, which expresses her thoughts about wanting to take away her kindness and substitute if for bitterness, and too remove all the purity in her, allowing her to become a murderous and evil being. Lastly, Lady Macbeth pleads the spirits and demons to hide her vicious crime she will commit in the future by covering it up with pure darkness: Come, thick night, And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of Hell, That my keen knife see not the wound it makes, Nor
Mr. Pan
ENG2D0
September 26, 2013
Lady Macbeth’s Unsex Me Soliloquy Analysis
In 1.5. 36-53 of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Lady Macbeth delivers a sullen soliloquy which expresses her ambitious yet murderous thoughts, invoking dark spirits to, first, change and destroy her feminine nature, second, to let her feel no fear or guilt upon doing wicked acts such as murder, and then, third, to cover all of her vile and vicious crimes. By doing so, Lady Macbeth vividly reveals to the audience her dark, destructive, and true nature.
From lines 36-42, Lady Macbeth expresses her desires to erase her femininity, conjuring dark forces to “unsex her and fill [her] from the crown to the toe, top-full of direst cruelty” (40-42). Not wanting to be a female with a heart filled with love, kindness, and pity, Lady Macbeth would rather strip off all of her femininity along with these pure feelings, and acquire a vile and vicious nature which will not allow her to hesitate when carrying out devilish deeds, such as murder. Secondly, upon hearing about the witches’ prophecy about Macbeth’s future, Lady Macbeth already showed intentions of killing the king, and therefore summons evil spirits to “Make thick [her] blood". By making thick her blood, it will obstruct the passage for fear, guilt, or remorse, and would allow her to perform destructive and evil acts without those natural emotions in mind. Additionally, Lady Macbeth calls to murd’ring ministers (48) to “Take [her] milk for gall”, which expresses her thoughts about wanting to take away her kindness and substitute if for bitterness, and too remove all the purity in her, allowing her to become a murderous and evil being. Lastly, Lady Macbeth pleads the spirits and demons to hide her vicious crime she will commit in the future by covering it up with pure darkness: Come, thick night, And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of Hell, That my keen knife see not the wound it makes, Nor