Introduction
Lady Macbeth quotes from Macbeth are always relevant. She is indeed one of the most fascinating and powerful characters in Shakespeare’s tales. Her role is very dramatic. You can see in Act 5, Scene 1, where she said,
“Out, damned spot! Out, I say.”
By this line, the audience can understand that she had a downward spiral of remorse rather than from ruthless ambition. Lady Macbeth had a great contribution to Macbeth’s rise to power. She pushed Macbeth continuously to seize the throne, even if it cost his peace. But as the play progresses, Lady Macbeth is seen as guilty, which is the turn of the story.
There are a lot of shapes in Lady Macbeth’s character, and those are visible through her words. So why not delve into the concept of Lady Macbeth quotes from Macbeth? We can understand more about her, especially her ambition, guilt, and corrupting influence of power.
Lady Macbeth Quotes from Macbeth on Ambition and Power
The reason why Lady Macbeth’s influence is so forceful is because of her words. Not only that, she has a manipulative nature, which you can see through what she says.
“Unsex me here.” (Act 1, Scene 5)
In Act 1, Scene 5, Lady Macbeth said,
“Come, you spirits
That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here.”
By this line, Lady Macbeth is expressing her willingness to follow a ruthless path towards power instead of embracing a traditional femininity. She asks the spirits to “unsex” her because she wants to be stripped off from the qualities of femininity. Like, she doesn’t want to be compassionate and gentle anymore. All she wants is aggression just to seize the crown. And by saying the quote, she proved her intense ambition for power. Also, Lady Macbeth believes that the traditional gender roles are obstacles to power.
“Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under it” (Act 1, Scene 5)
In Act 1, Scene 5, Lady Macbeth said, “Look like the innocent flower, / But be the serpent under it.” Here, she says Macbeth to be deceitful. It means he should hide his true intentions and present a fake act of innocence so that they can kill Duncan easily. By serpent, Lady Macbeth means the ruthless intention to keep inside, and by flower, she means to act innocent from the outside. This is just her manipulative tactics so that she and Macbeth can deceive easily.
Quotes Reflecting Manipulation of Macbeth
“When you durst do it, then you were a man.” (Act 1, Scene 7)
In this line, Lady Macbeth is trying to manipulate Macbeth. She is questioning Macbeth’s masculinity so that he can prove himself. The main reason for Lady Macbeth to provoke Macbeth is he shouldn’t back down from his power, or else he won’t be a man according to her. In short, Lady Macbeth is fueling Macbeth’s ambition by pointing out his insecurities. This is like foreshadowing her words and getting her desired results.
“Screw your courage to the sticking-place” (Act 1, Scene 7)
When Lady Macbeth says, “Screw your courage to the sticking place,” she is giving a powerful call to action. Here, she is encouraging Macbeth to stick to the plan of killing Duncan so that they can be in ultimate power. She is making Macbeth understand that if he feels any hesitation in the process, he will lose the chance of achieving the power. By this quote, Lady Macbeth is showing her assertiveness and ruthlessness so that Macbeth gets all the power and so does she. She is just pushing Macbeth to reach his ambition with her words.
Quotes on Guilt and Descent into Madness
“These deeds must not be thought after these ways; so, it will make us mad” (Act 2, Scene 2)
In Act 2, Scene 2, Lady Macbeth says Macbeth, “These deeds must not be thought after these ways; so, it will make us mad.” Lady Macbeth says this line because she wants to dismiss Macbeth’s guilt after he kills King Duncan. As a result, Macbeth will suppress his thoughts and focus on his ambition only. Lady Macbeth is trying her best to make Macbeth unaffected by Duncan’s death with her foreshadowing words. But later on, she believes that guilt doesn’t dismiss so easily, and even Lady Macbeth descends into an unhealthy mental state.
“Out, damned spot!” (Act 5, Scene 1)
There is a sleepwalking scene in Act 5, Scene 1, where Lady Macbeth says, “Out, damned spot!” She says this line while manifesting her guilt because she was trying to forget all her bad doings, which make the play Macbeth a gothic one. She used the word “spot” because she was feeling remorseful for the murders she inspired. When she says this quote, it is clear to the audience that Lady Macbeth was feeling guilty for her violent deeds. And this was descending her to self-destruction.
Quotes on Transformation and Regret
“Naught’s had, all’s spent” (Act 3, Scene 2)
Lady Macbeth stated in Act 3, Scene 2, “Naught’s had, all’s spent, where our desire is got without content.” Here, she is expressing her regret for her deeds. She realized that Macbeth being the king gave them power but also restlessness. They were not feeling secure because of the power they had. And when she said this line, the audience could understand that she had a shift to guiltiness. It seems like all her ambitions turned futile.
“What’s done cannot be undone” (Act 5, Scene 1)
In Act 5, Scene 1, Lady Macbeth says, “What’s done cannot be undone.” By this line, she is expressing her profound remorse for the consequences of hers and Macbeth’s deeds. By this time of the tale, Lady Macbeth has transformed into a guilty woman from an ambitious woman. Because the choices she made have always been haunting her, and finally she acknowledges her deeds. He is not much secure about the leadership capabilities of Macbeth. And by hearing this quote from Lady Macbeth, the audience sees her ultimate realization of her unchecked ambitions.
Conclusion
All the Lady Macbeth quotes from Macbeth illustrate a lot about her. Readers could understand clearly the transformation of Lady Macbeth. At first, she was a figure of intense ambition. But later on, she became a character who was dying of guilt. The initial quotes of Lady Macbeth seemed like she was manipulating Macbeth for the ambition of power. But as the play progresses, they have to face the consequences of their choice. That’s why Lady Macbeth is seen remorseful later. Each quote of Lady Macbeth in the tale stated different stages of her. And these revealed her feelings too.
Lady Macbeth’s character shows many themes in Macbeth. At first she was hungry for power. And when she received power, she found herself guilty because of the consequences. And these have had a lot of impact on her psychological condition. When she was ambitious for power, she was manipulating Macbeth continuously. But her unchecked ambition has put them into bad results. For this reason, Lady Macbeth was remorseful of it. Lady Macbeth’s character was powerful enough to make the tale more interesting. It has also taught the audience that one’s unchecked ambitions can cause severe consequences. And should not prioritize power over integrity, which is a big lesson in Shakespeare’s Macbeth.