Question

11.1.8 Quiz: Analyze How Shakespeare Develops Character

Read this passage:
LADY MACBETH. The raven himself is hoarse
That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan
Under my battlements. Come, you spirits
That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here,
And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full
Of direst cruelty. Make thick my blood.
Stop up the access and passage to remorse,
That no compunctious visitings of nature
Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between
The effect and it! Come to my woman's breasts,
And take my milk for gall, you murd'ring ministers,
Wherever in your sightless substances
You wait on nature's mischief. Come, thick night,
And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell,
That my keen knife see not the wound it makes,
Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark
To cry "Hold, hold!"
-William Shakespeare, Macbeth, Act I, scene v
What can you infer about Lady Macbeth's character from this speech?
A. She is helpless against men's power.
B. She is a very cruel and heartless woman.
C. She is afraid of her husband's quest for power.
D. She is proud of her husband's sacrifice.
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C

Answer 1

The speech reveals that Lady Macbeth is a cruel and heartless woman who is willing to abandon her femininity in order to achieve her goals.

Step-by-step explanation:

The speech given by Lady Macbeth reveals that she is a very cruel and heartless woman. In the passage, Lady Macbeth is asking the spirits to 'unsex' her and fill her with 'direst cruelty,' showing her willingness to abandon her femininity and embrace violence in order to achieve her goals. She also expresses a desire for the darkness of night to hide her actions from heaven and to prevent any remorse or guilt from creeping in. This suggests a lack of empathy and a cold, calculating nature.

Learn more about Shakespeare's portrayal of Lady Macbeth