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What is Lady Macbeth suggesting about Duncan when she says "O, never shall sun that morrow see?"
Quick answer:
Lady Macbeth's statement "O, never shall sun that morrow see" suggests her intention to murder King Duncan that night, ensuring he never sees another sunrise. She is resolute in her plan to kill Duncan to help Macbeth seize the throne, viewing him as the main obstacle to their ambition. She urges Macbeth to appear welcoming to Duncan to avoid suspicion, and her determination ultimately persuades Macbeth to commit the murder.
The context for this quote is as follows: Macbeth enters his castle, greets his wife, and tells her that Duncan is spending the night with them. Lady Macbeth then asks when Duncan will depart. Macbeth says he plans to leave the next day. At this point, Lady Macbeth says,
O, never
Shall sun that morrow see
Look like th' innocent flower,Lady Macbeth goes on to state that this is the night that will change the future forever for she and her husband. Macbeth does not quite agree with this and wants to talk it over some more. Lady Macbeth lets the conversation go and tells him simply not to let Duncan suspect that anything is wrong.
But be the serpent under ’t.
The quote refers to Lady Macbeth's conviction that king Duncan will not be alive the day after his stay at Lady Macbeth and her husband's home because she wants to help Macbeth murder him. Both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth agree that Duncan must be killed if Macbeth is to take the throne. He is the chief obstacle to Macbeth's biggest ambition. Both Macbeth and his wife are hungry for power and success, so Lady Macbeth wants to solidify her husband's desire to go after what he wants. She is his biggest support and will motivate him to summon enough courage in order to kill Duncan.
Lady Macbeth's conviction proves to be true because she does help Macbeth kill Duncan by motivating him verbally. Macbeth surrenders to his wife's insistence and his own ambition and kills Duncan. Afterwards, the murder is wrongly blamed on Duncan's children.
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