Act 1, Scene 5: Lady Macbeth
Lady Macbeth’s soliloquies help characterize the Macbeths
In Act 1, Scene 5 of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, we meet Lady Macbeth for the first time. She is reading a letter from her husband, which informs her of the witches’ prophecy. She then launches into two breathtaking soliloquies, one mainly about her husband’s nature (1.5.15-30) and one mainly about her own (1.5.42-58). The scene ends with the arrival of Macbeth.
The first soliloquy outlines Macbeth’s nature
In her soliloquy on Macbeth’s nature (1.5.15-30), Lady Macbeth demonstrates that she knows her husband well. Speaking as if her husband were there, she says: “yet do I fear thy nature; / It is too full o’ the milk of human kindness.” (1.5.16-17). Macbeth’s nature is full of compassion and humanity, but to Lady Macbeth this quality is a weakness. Later in the play, she indirectly refers back to this as she co…
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The language is marked by different pronouns, meter, and prose
As mentioned in our Language section, the characters’ use of pronouns reflects their relationship and social status. While “thou” signals intimacy, “y…
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The main function of this scene is to introduce Lady Macbeth
The primary function of this scene is to introduce Lady Macbeth, so…
