How Lady Macbeth(TM)s language reveals changes in her role and mental condition Essay

Q: By close reference to the text, show how Lady Macbeth’s language reveals changes in her role and mental condition. In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the language of Lady Macbeth clearly reflects changes in her role and mental condition throughout the play. At the beginning, Lady Macbeth’s language is confident and controlled. However, by Act 5 Scene 1, she has undergone a complete transformation of character and is in a pitiful, pathetic condition. Shakespeare uses a variety of literary techniques such as iambic pentameter (or the lack of it), rhetorical devices, powerful imagery and varied sentence lengths to reveal Lady Macbeth’s disposition at different stages in the play. During Act 1, Lady Macbeth’s character is imposing and authoritative. This can clearly be seen by analysing her language and speech patterns. Shakespeare highlights the determination and control of her speech through the use of iambic pentameter. Iambic pentameter is a poetic device, wherein each line has 10 syllables with the emphasis on each even syllable. It is used to create a rhythmic quality and to reflect ordinary speech patterns. In addition, iambic pentameter is also a technique of indicating the control and dignity of a character. In the early part of the play, nearly all of Lady Macbeth’s lines are written in strict iambic pentameter. The lines: † (He that’s coming) Must be provided for, and you shall put This night’s great business into my dispatch, Which shall to all our nights and days to come Give solely sovereign sway and masterdom.†1 illustrate the fact that Lady Macbeth is a cunning, shrewd woman, who is in complete control of her mind. The iambic pentameter, coupled with what she actually says, establishes the fact that she is strong and capable character. Shakespeare leads the readers to come to the conclusion that she has the dominant role in the relationship, as she gracefully takes charge of all the decision-making. This is borne out by the content of the lines as well as the sophisticated vocabulary used. These distinctive character traits of Lady Macbeth may well have been inspired by Shakespeare’s contemporary Queen Elizabeth I, who was also a very commanding and influential entity. Shakespeare also makes use of rhetorical devices to establish Lady Macbeth’s domineering personality. Rhetorical questions, in particular, are heavily used. These are a speech technique used to persuade someone and sway their mentality. In Act 1 Scene 7, Lady Macbeth uses a ton of rhetorical questions to convince Macbeth to commit the regicide of Duncan. Questions such as: â€Å"Was the hope drunk/ Wherein you dressed yourself?†2, â€Å"Art thou afeard / To be the same in act and valour / As thou art in desire?†3, and â€Å"What cannot you and I perform upon / Th’unguarded Duncan?†4 are used to incite Macbeth and make him feel guilty. She is overly vituperative and malicious; accusing him of cowardice by saying things like he’s not a man, or that he doesn’t truly love her because he isn’t keeping his promise to her. The result is that she successfully manipulates Macbeth into doing something that she wants. This confirms the fact that she is an intelligent, influential woman. Another literary device that shows Lady Macbeth’s evil persona is the strong imagery used in her speech. Imagery is a technique used in literature to make the reader visualise a picture in their minds. The lines: â€Å"look like th’innocent flower/ But be the serpent under’t†5 creates a distinct image of trickery and deceit, and gives a clear reflection of Lady Macbeth’s character. Another piece of effective imagery is the lines: † I have given suck and know How tender ’tis to love the babe that milks me: I would, while it was smiling in my face, Have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums And dashed the brains out, had I so sworn.†6 The above lines form a rather disturbing image in our minds, and give us a terrifying indication of Lady Macbeth’s mental strength. It highlights the malevolence that is inherent in her personality, in addition to her determination and her willingness to make sacrifices. However, the nature of such a statement does provoke one to think seriously about Lady Macbeth’s sanity. No person in their right mind would kill a child with the brutality that was described, especially not the child’s own mother. The lines shown above are one of many subtle hints of flaws in Lady Macbeth’s character which Shakespeare intelligently incorporates. These serve as inklings towards the total collapse in her character and mental state that is about to follow. In Act 3 Scene 4, the rapid decline of Lady Macbeth begins to take shape. In contrast to the early scenes of the play, her sentences become very short and she seems emotionally exhausted. Earlier, she would make long, influential speeches, which boasted of control and supremacy. This is not the case any more, although she does regain some composure by continuing to speak in iambic pentameter. She is now content to let Macbeth do the bulk of the talking. This indicates a reversal of roles where Lady Macbeth is no longer the dominant partner in the relationship. She is excluded from decision-making, as shown by Macbeth’s killing of Banquo without even bothering to consult his â€Å"dearest partner of greatness.†7 This scene is quite a significant one, as it marks the turning point of the deterioration in Lady Macbeth’s role and mental state. By Act 5 Scene 1, the language of Lady Macbeth has completely disintegrated. She is ridden with guilt and remorse, and this clearly affects her conscience immensely. Her psychological weakness at this point is illustrated by the use of prose, as opposed to iambic pentameter. This implies that Lady Macbeth has thoroughly lost all control and power which was typical of her in the first few scenes of the play. Her speech, which now mainly consists of incoherent phrases like: â€Å"Out, damned spot! Out I say! One, two. Why then ’tis time to do’t. Hell is murky†8, lacks the equanimity that she possessed in Act 1. She also uses a lot of imperatives and exclamations like â€Å"O, O, O,†9 which show that she is uneasy and deeply distressed. She dwells over the murders committed by herself and Macbeth, making it obvious that these incidents have been haunting her and causing her much disquiet. All the stress that had been bottled up in her mind is released while she is sleepwalking, and by the end of the scene, she is in a dismal condition, muttering a whole lot of useless drivel. It is no surprise that she later decides to do away with herself, as her body and mind have both crumbled to bits. Lady Macbeth’s language visibly reflects her role and mental state at different parts of the play. At the start, she is shown to be powerful and domineering which is demonstrated by uses of iambic pentameter, rhetorical devices and strong imagery. She undergoes a steady deterioration and by the end, she is weak and depleted, as reflected by the breakdown of her language. The stark contrast between her mental state at the start and end of the play is clearly demonstrated by comparing two sentences spoken by her at these times: â€Å"A little water clears us of this deed†10 when her hands are covered in blood after the killing of King Duncan, and â€Å"Here is the smell of blood still, all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this hand†11 while she is sleepwalking. The remarkable fall from grace of Lady Macbeth is wonderfully presented by Shakespeare, and plays a big part in the play as whole. Since it was Lady Macbeth’s ideas and persuasive techniques which led Macbeth to the throne, and set the foundations of his reign; her weakening, and subsequent death, is one of many indicators of Macbeth’s imminent downfall. Shakespeare’s use of various literary devices was excellent, and he is able to successfully draw attention to the decline of Lady Macbeth, and its overall significance. 1 Act 1 Scene 5 – lines 64-68 2 Act 1 Scene 7 – lines 35-36 3 Act 1 Scene 7 – lines 39-41 4 Act 1 Scene 7 – lines 69-70 5 Act 1 Scene 5 – lines 63-64 6 Act 1 Scene 7 – lines 54-59 7 Act 1 Scene 5 – lines 9-10 8 Act 5 Scene 1 – lines 30-31 9 Act 5 Scene 1 – line 43 10 Act 2 Scene 2 – line 70 11 Act 5 Scene 1 – lines 42-43