Skip to main content

What is Lady Macbeth's second reason in her argument with Macbeth?

When Macbeth says he is not interested in continuing with the business of killing Duncan, Lady Macbeth calls him a coward.  Then she tells him that if he were a man, he would do it.


When Macbeth hears about the witches’ prophecies, he writes a letter to his wife telling her about them.  He is all ready to do it until he actually gets home and realizes he has to kill Duncan in his house. ...

When Macbeth says he is not interested in continuing with the business of killing Duncan, Lady Macbeth calls him a coward.  Then she tells him that if he were a man, he would do it.


When Macbeth hears about the witches’ prophecies, he writes a letter to his wife telling her about them.  He is all ready to do it until he actually gets home and realizes he has to kill Duncan in his house.  Then he loses his nerve.


He tells Lady Macbeth that he doesn’t want to do it anymore, and it turns out she was right when she said he was “too full o' the milk of human kindness” to do it.  She decides that she is not going to turn back and proceeds to goad and nag him into it.


First, she calls him a coward.



 … Art thou afeard
To be the same in thine own act and valour
As thou art in desire? Wouldst thou have that
Which thou esteem'st the ornament of life,
And live a coward in thine own esteem,
Letting 'I dare not' wait upon 'I would,'
Like the poor cat i' the adage?(Act 1, Scene 7) 



Then, she tells him that he is not a man if he doesn’t do it.



What beast was't, then,
That made you break this enterprise to me?
When you durst do it, then you were a man;
And, to be more than what you were, you would
Be so much more the man. (Act 1, Scene 7)



When Macbeth asks if they should fail, she tells him “But screw your courage to the sticking-place,/And we'll not fail.”  She is convinced that once Macbeth does it and kills the king, they will be fine.  No one will suspect them, because Macbeth wasn’t in line to be king.  Malcolm was named successor.  Lady Macbeth thinks they’ll be in the clear if her husband will just be a man.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

What is the meaning of "juggling fiends" in Macbeth?

Macbeth is beginning to realize that the three witches have been deceiving him since he first encountered them. Like jugglers, they have kept changing their forecasts in order create confusion. This is particularly apparent when the Second Apparition they raise in Act IV,   Scene 1 tells him that no man of woman born can overcome him in hand-to-hand battle--and then Macbeth finds himself confronted by the one man he has been avoiding out of a... Macbeth is beginning to realize that the three witches have been deceiving him since he first encountered them. Like jugglers, they have kept changing their forecasts in order create confusion. This is particularly apparent when the Second Apparition they raise in Act IV,   Scene 1 tells him that no man of woman born can overcome him in hand-to-hand battle--and then Macbeth finds himself confronted by the one man he has been avoiding out of a sense of guilt, and that man tells him: Despair thy charm. And let the angel whom thou still hast serve...

In Martel's Life of Pi, how does writing a diary help Pi Patel build on his leadership skills?

At the end of chapter 73, Pi first divulges the fact that he had started a diary after about a week alone at sea. Pi claims that he wrote about "practical stuff" (208) such as what he caught for food, foreseeable problems and solutions, Richard Parker, and reflections about specific events that occurred. In a sense, Pi is the captain of his ship; therefore, he must take responsibility for himself and his crew. He can... At the end of chapter 73, Pi first divulges the fact that he had started a diary after about a week alone at sea. Pi claims that he wrote about "practical stuff" (208) such as what he caught for food, foreseeable problems and solutions, Richard Parker, and reflections about specific events that occurred. In a sense, Pi is the captain of his ship; therefore, he must take responsibility for himself and his crew. He can do this by writing down events, problems and solutions, and reflections to look back on when confronted with repeated problems. It can ...

Why did Tybalt attack and kill Mercutio instead of Romeo, who he had originally been targeting?

Though Tybalt's quarrel is with Romeo, he begins the momentous duel in Act 3 by fighting with and killing Mercutio instead. Tybalt ultimately attacks Mercutio because the garrulous and hot-headed character insults Tybalt and goads him into a duel to protect Romeo's honor. From the beginning of the encounter in Act 3, Scene 1, it's clear that Mercutio is itching for a fight. For instance, when Tybalt signals that he wants to talk to Mercutio... Though Tybalt's quarrel is with Romeo, he begins the momentous duel in Act 3 by fighting with and killing Mercutio instead. Tybalt ultimately attacks Mercutio because the garrulous and hot-headed character insults Tybalt and goads him into a duel to protect Romeo's honor. From the beginning of the encounter in Act 3, Scene 1, it's clear that Mercutio is itching for a fight. For instance, when Tybalt signals that he wants to talk to Mercutio and Benvolio, Mercutio responds "And but one word with one of us?/ Couple it w...