Question

Scene 5 Lady Macbeth speaks 2 soliloquies in the play, the first when she reacts to Macbeth's letter informing her of his meeting w/ the witches and the prophecies they gave him; and the second when she learns form the messenger that Duncan intends to stay the night at Inverness. Summarize these soliloquies. What traits does Lady Macbeth ascribe to her husband? What do these soliloquies reveal about the character of Lady Macbeth?

Answer 1

Lady Macbeth's soliloquies reveal her perception of her husband as ambitious yet morally weak. They also showcase her own ambitious and ruthless nature.

Step-by-step explanation:

In Lady Macbeth's first soliloquy, she reacts to Macbeth's letter informing her of his meeting with the witches and the prophecies they gave him. She describes Macbeth as ambitious but lacking the ruthlessness to seize the crown.

In the second soliloquy, Lady Macbeth learns from a messenger that Duncan intends to stay the night at Inverness. She expresses her thoughts of seizing the opportunity to murder Duncan and fulfill their ambitions.

These soliloquies reveal that Lady Macbeth sees her husband as ambitious but internally conflicted about taking action.

She perceives him as morally weak and believes that she needs to manipulate and push him to follow through on their plans.

Lady Macbeth's soliloquies showcase her own ambitious and ruthless nature, as she is willing to commit murder to achieve power.

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