Student Question

When should Lady Macbeth pause while reading Macbeth's letter in Macbeth?

Quick answer:

Lady Macbeth questions whether Macbeth will be able to commit murder. After reading of the witches' prophecy, she pauses after reading "Hail, king that shalt be."

Expert Answers

An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

In act 1, scene 5 of Shakespeare's Macbeth, Lady Macbeth enters reading a letter she has received from her husband in which he describes his encounter with the three witches. To know how to interpret and express this letter properly, an actress playing Lady Macbeth will have to read it closely and decide what kind of mood Lady Macbeth is in as she reads the letter.

The letter begins with Macbeth's meeting with the witches and claim that they have more "than mortal knowledge." Lady Macbeth might pause a moment after this line, for it would likely surprise her. This isn't something her husband would say most of the time. She may pause again after "they made themselves air, into which they vanished." Again, there is a shock factor here. Lady Macbeth has to take a moment to process this startling piece of information.

As Lady Macbeth continues to...

Unlock
This Answer Now

Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.

Get 48 Hours Free Access

read, she may pause slightly again after "Thane of Cawdor." Macbeth has just received this title, and it proves the witches right in the first of their prophecies. This will start the wheels turning in Lady Macbeth's mind. We can almost picture her narrowing her eyes in thought.

Lady Macbeth will pause at least once more after "Hail, king that shalt be." She is really thinking now, namely, about how to get this prophecy to come true. She is getting mental images of Macbeth as king and herself as queen.

Approved by eNotes Editorial
An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

Where should the actress playing Lady Macbeth pause while reading her husband's letter?

Considering Lady Macbeth's reaction to her husbands letter, the most logical pause for an actress portraying the Lady while reading the letter would be after she reads, "Hail, king that shalt be."

In act 1, scene 5 of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth reads a letter from her husband in which he describes his meeting with the three witches, who predict his future rise to power by calling him "Thane of Cawdor" and "king that shalt be." In order for him to become king, however, King Duncan must be out of the way.

It is important to mention that Lady Macbeth, after reading the letter, questions whether Macbeth will be able to commit murder and realizes that she has to make sure she pushes him to do so. Because she automatically expresses these thoughts after reading the letter, she would likely pause after she reads the witches' prophecy ("Hail, king that shalt be"), because she would be considering Macbeth's ability to take appropriate action to fulfill the prophecy. After that line of the letter, Macbeth expresses his reasoning for telling her of the events—she is his "dearest partner of greatness" who should be aware of "what greatness is promised to thee."

Approved by eNotes Editorial