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Questions and Answers
In the sleepwalking scene, what action does Lady Macbeth repeatedly perform, symbolizing her guilt?
In the sleepwalking scene, what action does Lady Macbeth repeatedly perform, symbolizing her guilt?
- Counting money
- Sharpening a dagger
- Scrubbing imaginary bloodstains (correct)
- Writing letters
Lady Macbeth's sleepwalking is represented as a source of peace and refuge from her waking life.
Lady Macbeth's sleepwalking is represented as a source of peace and refuge from her waking life.
False (B)
What phrase does Lady Macbeth utter in the sleepwalking scene that contradicts her earlier confidence and reveals her despair?
What phrase does Lady Macbeth utter in the sleepwalking scene that contradicts her earlier confidence and reveals her despair?
What’s done cannot be undone.
Lady Macbeth's past ridicule of Macbeth’s ______ becomes ironic as she now displays delusional paranoia.
Lady Macbeth's past ridicule of Macbeth’s ______ becomes ironic as she now displays delusional paranoia.
Match the following elements from the sleepwalking scene with their significance:
Match the following elements from the sleepwalking scene with their significance:
Flashcards
Dramatic Irony
Dramatic Irony
An irony where the audience knows more than the characters, creating tension.
Symbolism in Lady Macbeth
Symbolism in Lady Macbeth
Imaginary bloodstains symbolizing guilt and remorse.
Verbal Irony
Verbal Irony
When Lady Macbeth claims, 'What’s done cannot be undone,' showing her despair.
Psychological Unraveling
Psychological Unraveling
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Somnambulism Symbolism
Somnambulism Symbolism
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Study Notes
Dramatic Irony in Macbeth (Act V, Scene 1)
- Lady Macbeth's descent from ruthlessly ambitious figure to a guilt-ridden wreck is depicted through dramatic irony.
- Her earlier dismissal of guilt ("A little water clears us of this deed") contrasts sharply with her obsessive washing of imaginary bloodstains ("Out, damned spot!").
- This highlights the inescapable burden of guilt and the futility of trying to wash away the stain of conscience.
- Her earlier mockery of Macbeth's hallucinations ("These deeds must not be thought after these ways; so, it will make us mad") ironically turns as her own delusions of paranoia increase.
- This reveals her descent from a powerful instigator to a broken, haunted individual.
- Lady Macbeth's fatalistic statement ("What's done cannot be undone") is ironic, contrasting her earlier confidence in evading consequences.
- This highlights the inescapable nature of guilt and the concept of divine retribution.
- Her sleepwalking (somnambulism) symbolizes the loss of rest and the exposure of her inner torment.
- This act exposes the bitter irony of a woman who once believed power could be acquired without consequence.
- Shakespeare’s portrayal of Lady Macbeth's downfall underscores the catastrophic effects of unchecked ambition.
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