Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Hi. I would like to know if you could give me a quote of an order that Lady Macbeth gives to Macbeth after Act II, Scene III?Thank you

No, there really is nothing in Act 2, Scene 3 that qualifies as an order from Lady Macbeth. But after that act and scene there are a few instances.


In Act 3, Scene 2, both Macbeth and his lady are not all that happy with their lives after the murder that they thought would bring them so much (ah, the grass is always greener...). Macbeth comes scowling to his wife and she says to him:



Come on,


Gentle my lord, sleek o'er your rugged looks;


Be bright and jovial among your guests tonight.



It's not that she's all that bubbly herself, but she does try to cheer him up. Then he goes on to tell her how tortured his mind is by the danger that Banquo presents for him, and Lady Macbeth says, "You must leave this." She wants him to quit talking that way, but he suggests everything will be OK once Banquo and his son are out of the way.


Then, of course, in Scene 4 of the same act, there is the formal dinner party where Banquo's ghost makes an uninvited, late appearance.  All through that scene a very embarrassed Lady Macbeth makes all kinds of protestations about Macbeth's weird behavior. She would give him plenty of stern of orders, but she has to seem to be the respectful and understanding wife.


After this scene, we do not see Lady Macbeth again until she has gone mad at which time she can't even keep her own order, let alone give any orders to her husband.

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