Macbeth Group

Question:

pito156
pito156
Student
High School - 12th Grade

What is the context of this passage from Act V, scene 1 of "Macbeth"?

LADY MACBETH: Out, damned spot! Out, I say! One- two -why then 'tis

time to do't. Hell is murky. Fie, my lord, fie! A soldier, and

afeard? What need we fear who knows it, when none can call our

power to account? Yet who would have thought the old man to have

had so much blood in him?

DOCTOR: Do you mark that?

LADY MACBETH: The Thane of Fife had a wife; where is she now? What,

will these hands neer be clean? No more o' that, my lord, no more

o' that. You mar all with this starting.

DOCTOR: Go to, go to; you have known what you should not.

GENTLEWOMAN: She has spoke what she should not, I am sure of that.

Heaven knows what she has known.

LADY MACBETH: Here's the smell of the blood still. All the perfumes

of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. Oh, oh, oh!

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Posted by pito156 on Tuesday May 20, 2008 at 5:09 PM and tagged with act v, context, macbeth, passage, translation.

Answers:


  1. blacksheepunite Teacher
    High School - 12th Grade

    If you check the enotes section on Macbeth, this entire scene is translated.

    As this scene is happening, everything is coming to a climax. Both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth have changed completely from who they were in the beginning. Macbeth has become a bloody tyrant whose people only serve him out of fear. He has no conscience left, and his position is becoming more and more precarious. At this point he still believes that the witches' prophesy means he won't be harmed. But forces are gathering to oppose him.

    Early in the play Lady Macbeth told Macbeth not to think too much about what they had done because she says it will make him crazy, but now her conscience is causing her unrest. She has been getting progressively worse until now, she can't sleep through the night without worry and guilt.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/macbeth

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    Posted by blacksheepunite on Tuesday May 20, 2008 at 9:20 PM