Question

Read the excerpt from act 5, scene 1 of The Tragedy of Macbeth.

Enter LADY MACBETH, with a taper.

[Gentlewoman.] Lo you, here she comes! This is her very guise; and, upon my life, fast asleep. Observe her; stand close.

Doctor. How came she by that light?

Gentlewoman. Why, it stood by her: she has light by her continually; ’tis her command.

Doctor. You see, her eyes are open.

Gentlewoman. Ay, but their sense is shut.

LADY MACBETH begins to rub her hands together.

Which quotation is a stage direction?

“Lo you, here she comes!”
“How came she by that light?”
“Why, it stood by her: she has light by her continually”
“LADY MACBETH begins to rub her hands together.”

Answer 1

Answer & Explanation:

The quotation that is a stage direction is:

"LADY MACBETH begins to rub her hands together."

A stage direction is a part of a play that tells the actors what they should do on stage. In this case, the stage direction is telling the actor playing Lady Macbeth to start rubbing her hands together. This is an important detail to include in the play because it helps to convey Lady Macbeth's mental state and inner turmoil. The rubbing of her hands is a physical manifestation of her guilt and anxiety,