Quarter 4 Portfolio

Quarter 1:

Macbeth Character Analysis:

This project was to demonstrate the one of the characters growth throughout the book. The goal was to have 10 quotes that the character has said and illustrate the transformation of MacBeth or Lady MacBeth.

Thesis Statement: Lady Macbeth is a greedy person but then turned into a regretful person who was soaked with guilt.

In Act 1 scene 3 of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth receives a letter from Macbeth stating that he received a prophesy from the witches that he was going to be Thane of Cawdor and will be the King. Aside, Lady Macbeth reads, “Glamis thou art Cawdor, and shalt be what thou art promised. Yet do I fear thy nature” (Act 1, scene 5, lines 14-15). What this means here is that Lady Macbeth now wants this phophesy to come to pass. Now, Lady Macbeth is going to do everything that she can in order to make this happen. She fears his nature or his personality because he could react a certain way that Lady Macbeth wouldn’t like.

In Act 1 scene 5, Lady Macbeth wants to become like a man so that she can have the guts and the strength to kill Duncan. Her desire now is the make sure that she forms an alliance with Macbeth and set out to kill Duncan so that he will no longer become Thane of Cawdor. To herself, Lady Macbeth talks to the spirits and says, “Come you mortal spirits…unsex me here and fill me from the crown to the toe topful of direst cruelty…make thick my blood” (Act 1, scene 5, lines 39-42). What she means is that she no longer wants to be like a woman. She wants her blood to be thick as a man and so that she can think and fight like a man. She want the “feel” of a man so that she can have the ability to set out for Duncan.

In Act 1 scene 5 of Macbeth, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are talking and Macbeth states to Lady Macbeth that Duncan is coming home and staying over for dinner. At this time, Macbeth is unaware of what Lady Macbeth wants to do, so he is unmindful of what she wants to do. Lady Macbeth states to Macbeth, “O never shall sun that morrow see…” (Act 1, scene 5, lines 59-60). What she means is that Duncan will not live to see tomorrow because by that time, he will be considered dead.

In Act 1 scene 5, “Lady Macbeth thinks that she has everything under control and she’s going to do this all by herself. She is now starting to be very selfish and egotistical about killing Duncan. She explains all of what she is planning to do to Macbeth and says, “Only look up clear. To alter favor ever is to fear. Leave all the rest to me.” (Act 1, scene 5, lines 70-72). This means, she’s telling Macbeth to not to worry about what she is planning to do because she has it “under control”. Lady Macbeth’s ego is really getting to her, which causes her to act out in this way.

Act 1 scene 7, Lady Macbeth feels like Macbeth is trying  to back out from killing Duncan. She also feels like he’s  thinking twice about what he is going to do especially if it’s going to lead to him getting into some trouble. Lady Macbeth says, “And to be more than what you were, you would be so much more the man.” (Act 1, scene 7, lines 50-51). This means, she doesn’t think that Macbeth has the guts to kill Duncan anymore and that he doesn’t have the courage anymore. He is second guessing  himself because he thinks that he is going to fail. That shows that Macbeth is now thinking that he isn’t thinking like a man and doesn’t show any signs of being a man. Lady Mac manipulates him to try and get inside of his head.

In Act 1 scene 7, Lady Macbeth is now planning in what they should do in order to kill Duncan. Her plan is to set him up along with his two chamberlains. She says to Macbeth, “Soundly invite him, his two chamberlains, will I with wine and wassail…shall be a fume, and the receipt of reason…when in swinish sleep their drenched natures lies as in a death.” (Act 1, scene 7, lines 64-69). She means that she is going to get the chamberlains and the guards drunk so that they won’t be aware of what is going to happen. She is later going to have Macbeth sneak in and kill Duncan. She is now being very mean and self-centered.

In Act 5 scene 1, Lady Macbeth has been found sleep walking with a light. The gentlewoman and the doctor are trying to figure out what she is saying. She is now regretting the fact that she has pressured Macbeth into killing Duncan. For her, she is now feeling guilty. While in her sleep, she says, “ Here’s the smell of the blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will now sweeten this little hand. Oh, oh, oh!” (Act 5, scene 1, lines 50-51). What she means is that she still smells and feels the smell of the blood of Duncan. The Gentlewoman and the doctor found out that she was apart of killing him. Mentally, she is not feeling well and is struggling because she can’t figure out how to get the blood off of her.

In Act 5, scene 1, Lady Macbeth is sleep walking and is talking about her killing Banquo and Duncan. She says, “Out, damned spot!” (Act 5, scene 1, line 35). She is rubbing her hands because she still see’s blood and it is reminding her of the killing of Banquo. She is now blameworthy of what she did.

In Act 5 scene 1, Lady Macbeth claims that Banquo is now dead and that he is in his grave. She doesn’t realize that she is saying this but this is big news to the gentlewoman and the doctor. She says, “I tell you yet again, Banquo’s buried. He cannot come out the grave.” (Act 5, scene 1, lines 62-62). This means that Lady Macbeth is soaked with guilt now since she was the cause of killing Banquo. Not only is she talking to herself, but she is talking to Macbeth because she wants him to know that her work is done and now Macbeth is now king of Cawdor.

In Act 5, scene 1, Lady Macbeth is now going to go to bed and at least try to relax. She see’s that what she has done can not be undone so, she’s full of regret. Still sleep walking, she states, “ To bed, to bed; there’s knocking at the gate. Come, come, come, come, give me your hand. What’s done cannot be undone. To bed, to bed, to bed.” ( Act 5, scene 1, lines 64-66). That was the last time that Lady Macbeth had spoken until she died. She was not feeling well. She died full with regret and guilt.

These quotes all follow the path of Lady Macbeth. She was a greedy person who wanted anything and everything just do that her husband could be king of Cawdor. When she was done her deed, she realized that what she did was wrong and now she’s filled with guilt. She had to suffer the consequences of what she has done.