Personal context:
How did Lady Macbeth feel before, during and after this scene:
Before -
As the scene opens, Lady Macbeth is reading a letter from her husband. The letter tells of the witches' prophecy for him, which is treated as a certainty, because "I have learned by the perfectest report, they have more in them than mortal knowledge" (1.5.1-3).
"The perfectest report" means "the most reliable information," so it appears that Macbeth has been asking people what they know about the reliability of witches. If that's the case, he has ignored the advice of Banquo, who is quite sure that witches can't be trusted. But Macbeth seems to trust the witches absolutely, because he is writing to his wife, his "dearest partner of greatness," so that she "mightst not lose the dues of rejoicing" (1.5.11-12). That is, he believes that she has a right to rejoice because she will be a queen. However, Lady Macbeth doesn't rejoice. She is determined that he will be king, but she suspects that he doesn't have the right stuff to do what needs to be done. Speaking to him as though he were really there, she says: "Yet do I fear thy nature; / It is too full o' the milk of human kindness / To catch the nearest way" (1.5.16-18).
During -
Her reaction to the letter shows that Lady Macbeth is a woman who knows her husband very well, perhaps because she shares some of his instincts. For both of them, murder is the "nearest way." In an earlier scene, Macbeth had commented that "If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me, / without my stir" (1.3.143-144), but later he assumes that he must be an assassin in order to be king. And this is always his wife's assumption.
Lady Macbeth seems to share the witches' views on good and bad. She says to her absent husband, "Thou wouldst be great; / Art not without ambition, but without / The illness should attend it" (1.5.18-20). She, like the witches, believes that foul is fair. Ambition "should" be accompanied by "illness." Yet she does not believe that Macbeth is really good. She says that he "wouldst not play false, / and yet wouldst wrongly win" (1.5.21-22).
After -
As Lady Macbeth is wrapped up in these murderous thoughts, a messenger comes in with the news that the King is coming to stay the night. Lady Macbeth's first reaction is almost enough to give her away. "Thou'rt mad to say it!" (1.5.31), she exclaims. To her, it must seem that there's some magic at work, because just as she's thinking about killing the King, here comes the news that he's going to be sleeping under her roof. She covers up by saying that Macbeth must be with the King, and that her husband would have sent someone ahead to tell her, so that she could prepare for the King's arrival. The messenger informs her that Macbeth's messenger has just now come, only moments ahead of Macbeth himself. With that, she sends the messenger away and prepares herself for what's next. As she waits for her husband, Lady Macbeth works herself into a killer's state of mind.
What was Lady Macbeths ambition:
Lady Macbeth’s ambition was to get her husband (Macbeth) in the right frame of mind so he could be the great king that she knows he can be. Lady Macbeth believes that ambition "should" be accompanied by "illness." The real definition of ambition is to have a strong desire to do or achieve something. In this case this is what Lady Macbeth is trying to achieve.
Historical context:
Why did shakespear write the play?
Macbeth is a dark play both literally and symbolically tone of the play is sinister and its central characters are evil. Wicked witches and the supernatural influence the action which is characterised by bloody death. When Shakespeare wrote Macbeth in 1606 James I had been King of England for three years. He had previously been James VI of Scotland. King James symbolised the union of the Scottish and English crowns, a union to which Shakespeare refers in the play. It was well known that the new king was fascinated by witchcraft; Shakespeare might have been trying to win his approval by introducing the figures of the 'three weird sisters' into the play.
Did lady Macbeth belive in Macbeth?
The only obstacle she sees lies in the character of her husband. He is ambitious, but is unwilling to play false to attain the objects of his ambition. Yet she is so sure of her influence over him that she prays he may return speedily, in order that she may inspire him to action and drive out any scruples that may bar the way to his goal.
How did Lady Macbeth feel before, during and after this scene:
Before -
As the scene opens, Lady Macbeth is reading a letter from her husband. The letter tells of the witches' prophecy for him, which is treated as a certainty, because "I have learned by the perfectest report, they have more in them than mortal knowledge" (1.5.1-3).
"The perfectest report" means "the most reliable information," so it appears that Macbeth has been asking people what they know about the reliability of witches. If that's the case, he has ignored the advice of Banquo, who is quite sure that witches can't be trusted. But Macbeth seems to trust the witches absolutely, because he is writing to his wife, his "dearest partner of greatness," so that she "mightst not lose the dues of rejoicing" (1.5.11-12). That is, he believes that she has a right to rejoice because she will be a queen. However, Lady Macbeth doesn't rejoice. She is determined that he will be king, but she suspects that he doesn't have the right stuff to do what needs to be done. Speaking to him as though he were really there, she says: "Yet do I fear thy nature; / It is too full o' the milk of human kindness / To catch the nearest way" (1.5.16-18).
During -
Her reaction to the letter shows that Lady Macbeth is a woman who knows her husband very well, perhaps because she shares some of his instincts. For both of them, murder is the "nearest way." In an earlier scene, Macbeth had commented that "If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me, / without my stir" (1.3.143-144), but later he assumes that he must be an assassin in order to be king. And this is always his wife's assumption.
Lady Macbeth seems to share the witches' views on good and bad. She says to her absent husband, "Thou wouldst be great; / Art not without ambition, but without / The illness should attend it" (1.5.18-20). She, like the witches, believes that foul is fair. Ambition "should" be accompanied by "illness." Yet she does not believe that Macbeth is really good. She says that he "wouldst not play false, / and yet wouldst wrongly win" (1.5.21-22).
After -
As Lady Macbeth is wrapped up in these murderous thoughts, a messenger comes in with the news that the King is coming to stay the night. Lady Macbeth's first reaction is almost enough to give her away. "Thou'rt mad to say it!" (1.5.31), she exclaims. To her, it must seem that there's some magic at work, because just as she's thinking about killing the King, here comes the news that he's going to be sleeping under her roof. She covers up by saying that Macbeth must be with the King, and that her husband would have sent someone ahead to tell her, so that she could prepare for the King's arrival. The messenger informs her that Macbeth's messenger has just now come, only moments ahead of Macbeth himself. With that, she sends the messenger away and prepares herself for what's next. As she waits for her husband, Lady Macbeth works herself into a killer's state of mind.
What was Lady Macbeths ambition:
Lady Macbeth’s ambition was to get her husband (Macbeth) in the right frame of mind so he could be the great king that she knows he can be. Lady Macbeth believes that ambition "should" be accompanied by "illness." The real definition of ambition is to have a strong desire to do or achieve something. In this case this is what Lady Macbeth is trying to achieve.
Historical context:
Why did shakespear write the play?
Macbeth is a dark play both literally and symbolically tone of the play is sinister and its central characters are evil. Wicked witches and the supernatural influence the action which is characterised by bloody death. When Shakespeare wrote Macbeth in 1606 James I had been King of England for three years. He had previously been James VI of Scotland. King James symbolised the union of the Scottish and English crowns, a union to which Shakespeare refers in the play. It was well known that the new king was fascinated by witchcraft; Shakespeare might have been trying to win his approval by introducing the figures of the 'three weird sisters' into the play.
Did lady Macbeth belive in Macbeth?
The only obstacle she sees lies in the character of her husband. He is ambitious, but is unwilling to play false to attain the objects of his ambition. Yet she is so sure of her influence over him that she prays he may return speedily, in order that she may inspire him to action and drive out any scruples that may bar the way to his goal.