Stanza 1: A courtesan is watching a poison-maker make her a poison to kill her ex-lover and his new mistress

INOW that I, tying thy glass mask tightly, May gaze thro' these faint smokes curling whitely, As thou pliest thy trade in this devil's-smithy-- Which is the poison to poison her, prithee?

Stanza 2: She is disgusted that she knows that he is with her and that they KNOW she KNOWS about it. They think she is church crying but she isn’t, she is organizing her murderous revenge.

IIHe is with her; and they know that I know Where they are, what they do: they believe my tears flow While they laugh, laugh at me, at me fled to the drear Empty church, to pray God in, for them! -- I am here.

Stanza 3: She describes the making of the poison in a fairly sexual manner

IIIGrind away, moisten and mash up thy paste, Pound at thy powder, -- I am not in haste! Better sit thus, and observe thy strange things, Than go where men wait me and dance at the King's. Stanza 4: Still describes the poison as if it looks amazing

IVThat in the mortar -- you call it a gum? Ah, the brave tree whence such gold oozings come! And yonder soft phial, the exquisite blue, Sure to taste sweetly, -- is that poison too?

Stanza 5: Wishes she had even more poisons so that she could have the power and control to carry “death” around to use whenever she wants

VHad I but all of them, thee and thy treasures, What a wild crowd of invisible pleasures! To carry pure death in an earring, a casket, A signet, a fan-mount, a filligree-basket!

Stanza 6: Describes how she will soon poison Pauline and Elise (her lover’s mistresses) – she imagines it with delight

VISoon, at the King's, a mere lozenge to give And Pauline should have just thirty minutes to live! But to light a pastille, and Elise, with her head And her breast and her arms and her hands, should drop dead!

Stanza 7: She is now worried that the colour of the poison is too obvious and tells him to make sure he makes it less obvious

VIIQuick -- is it finished? The colour's too grim! Why not soft like the phial's, enticing and dim? Let it brighten her drink, let her turn it and stir, And try it and taste, ere she fix and prefer! Stanza 8: She looks at the poison and says he should make sure there is enough, because the victim is larger than her. In those days larger women were more attractive.

VIIIWhat a drop! She's not little, no minion like me-- That's why she ensnared him: this never will free The soul from those masculine eyes, -- say, 'no!' To that pulse's magnificent come-and-go.

Stanza 9: She says that she stared at her victim last night wishing her dead.

IXFor only last night, as they whispered, I brought My own eyes to bear on her so, that I thought Could I keep them one half minute fixed, she would fall, Shrivelled; she fell not; yet this does not all!

Stanza 10: She tells the poison maker to make sure he doesn't spare her any pain. And imagines her watching her victim’s face as she dies.

XNot that I bid you spare her the pain! Let death be felt and the proof remain; Brand, burn up, bite into its grace-- He is sure to remember her dying face! Stanza 11: Now that it is done, she marvels at it

Is it done? Take my mask off! Nay, be not morose

It kills her, and this prevents seeing it close: The delicate droplet, my whole fortune's fee-- If it hurts her, beside, can it ever hurt me?

Stanza 12: She offers him jewels as payment and a kiss. And she goes to the King’s dance to commit the murder.

XIINow, take all my jewels, gorge gold to your fill, You may kiss me, old man, on my mouth if you will! But brush this dust off me, lest horror it brings Ere I know it -- next moment I dance at the King's!

Social Context: Written in 1850s. Gothic literature very popular with women. Set in France a hundred years earlier. Male dominated society. Women

had to accept Men having affairs. Robert Browning wrote a few gothic poems about murder (Porphyria’s

lover and Last Duchess) and published them in gothic magazines which were popular with wealthy women.

The character shows a wealthy woman taking revenge to appeal to his readers.

His wife was a successful woman writer (Elizabeth Barrett Browning) in a male dominated world, so he was married to a powerful independent woman

Lady Macbeth speech

She has just received a letter from Macbeth explaining the witches’ prophesies. She has heard that the King (Duncan) is to visit their castle. She has decided to kill, or get Macbeth to kill Duncan. Here her soliloquy (speech on her own) shows her desire to be “more male” and “less female” so she can kill Duncan.

Exit Messenger

    The raven himself is hoarse The raven has a sore throat

That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan Because it has called out that Duncan is coming

Under my battlements. Come, you spirits To stay in my castle. Come dark spirits

   That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, And make me less female/take away my femininity,

 And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full And from head to toe fill me

 Of direst cruelty! make thick my blood; With awful cruel intentions! Make my blood thick;

    Stop up the access and passage to remorse, Stop any feelings of guilt

 That no compunctious visitings of nature Don’t let any natural instincts

 Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between Stop me from doing it

 The effect and it! Come to my woman's breasts, … Come to my breasts

 And take my milk for gall, you murdering ministers, and change my breastmilk for hatred, you murdering spirits,

 Wherever in your sightless substances Wherever hidden in the air

 You wait on nature's mischief! Come, thick night, You wait for my call! Bring the night,

 And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell, ]And hide us in the dark smoke of hell

That my keen knife see not the wound it makes, That my sharp blade will not have to see the wound it will make

 Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark, And stop heaven seeing through the dark to try

 To cry 'Hold, hold!'To tell me to “Stop, Stop!”

Social context:Shakespeare writes this in early 1600s. King James I of England was Scottish. His mother Mary Queen of Scots was executed by her sister Elizabeth I. Shakespeare could be suggesting that Lady Macbeth is like Elizabeth I and blood-thirsty, able to murder a relative to have power.

Elizabeth I was also the longest reigning queen of England when she dies. She held power as a female in a male-dominated, patriarchal society. Perhaps Shakespeare is reflecting the power she showed as a woman in Lady Macbeth’s “unsex me here” speech

James I was really scared of witches, having written the book “Daemonologie” so Shakespeare appeals to his patron King by having witchcraft and evil spirits in the speech.

MACBETHIf it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere wellIt were done quickly: if the assassinationCould trammel up the consequence, and catchWith his surcease success; that but this blowMight be the be-all and the end-all here,But here, upon this bank and shoal of time,We'ld jump the life to come. But in these casesWe still have judgment here; that we but teachBloody instructions, which, being taught, returnTo plague the inventor: this even-handed justiceCommends the ingredients of our poison'd chaliceTo our own lips. He's here in double trust;First, as I am his kinsman and his subject,Strong both against the deed; then, as his host,Who should against his murderer shut the door,Not bear the knife myself. Besides, this DuncanHath borne his faculties so meek, hath beenSo clear in his great office, that his virtuesWill plead like angels, trumpet-tongued, againstThe deep damnation of his taking-off;And pity, like a naked new-born babe,Striding the blast, or heaven's cherubim, horsedUpon the sightless couriers of the air,Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye,That tears shall drown the wind. I have no spurTo prick the sides of my intent, but onlyVaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itselfAnd falls on the other.

Enter LADY MACBETH

How now! what news?LADY MACBETHHe has almost supp'd: why have you left the chamber?MACBETHHath he ask'd for me?LADY MACBETHKnow you not he has?MACBETHWe will proceed no further in this business:He hath honour'd me of late; and I have boughtGolden opinions from all sorts of people,Which would be worn now in their newest gloss,Not cast aside so soon.LADY MACBETHWas the hope drunkWherein you dress'd yourself? hath it slept since?And wakes it now, to look so green and paleAt what it did so freely? From this timeSuch I account thy love. Art thou afeardTo be the same in thine own act and valourAs thou art in desire? Wouldst thou have thatWhich thou esteem'st the ornament of life,And live a coward in thine own esteem,Letting 'I dare not' wait upon 'I would,'Like the poor cat i' the adage?MACBETHPrithee, peace:I dare do all that may become a man;Who dares do more is none.LADY MACBETH

What beast was't, then,That made you break this enterprise to me?When you durst do it, then you were a man;And, to be more than what you were, you wouldBe so much more the man. Nor time nor placeDid then adhere, and yet you would make both:They have made themselves, and that their fitness nowDoes unmake you. I have given suck, and knowHow tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me:I would, while it was smiling in my face,Have pluck'd my nipple from his boneless gums,And dash'd the brains out, had I so sworn as youHave done to this.MACBETHIf we should fail?LADY MACBETHWe fail!But screw your courage to the sticking-place,And we'll not fail. When Duncan is asleep--Whereto the rather shall his day's hard journeySoundly invite him--his two chamberlainsWill I with wine and wassail so convinceThat memory, the warder of the brain,Shall be a fume, and the receipt of reasonA limbeck only: when in swinish sleepTheir drenched natures lie as in a death,What cannot you and I perform uponThe unguarded Duncan? what not put uponHis spongy officers, who shall bear the guiltOf our great quell?MACBETH

Bring forth men-children only;For thy undaunted mettle should composeNothing but males. Will it not be received,When we have mark'd with blood those sleepy twoOf his own chamber and used their very daggers,That they have done't?LADY MACBETHWho dares receive it other,As we shall make our griefs and clamour roarUpon his death?MACBETHI am settled, and bend upEach corporal agent to this terrible feat.Away, and mock the time with fairest show:False face must hide what the false heart doth know.

Exeunt

ACT VSCENE I. Dunsinane. Ante-room in the castle.

Enter a Doctor of Physic and a Waiting-Gentlewoman Doctor I have two nights watched with you, but can perceiveno truth in your report. When was it she last walked?

Gentlewoman Since his majesty went into the field, I have seenher rise from her bed, throw her night-gown uponher, unlock her closet, take forth paper, fold it,write upon't, read it, afterwards seal it, and againreturn to bed; yet all this while in a most fast sleep.

Doctor A great perturbation in nature, to receive at oncethe benefit of sleep, and do the effects ofwatching! In this slumbery agitation, besides herwalking and other actual performances, what, at anytime, have you heard her say?

Gentlewoman

That, sir, which I will not report after her.

Doctor You may to me: and 'tis most meet you should.

Gentlewoman Neither to you nor any one; having no witness toconfirm my speech.

Enter LADY MACBETH, with a taper

Lo you, here she comes! This is her very guise;and, upon my life, fast asleep. Observe her; stand close.

Doctor How came she by that light?

Gentlewoman Why, it stood by her: she has light by hercontinually; 'tis her command.

Doctor You see, her eyes are open.

Gentlewoman Ay, but their sense is shut.

Doctor What is it she does now? Look, how she rubs her hands.

Gentlewoman It is an accustomed action with her, to seem thuswashing her hands: I have known her continue inthis a quarter of an hour.

LADY MACBETH Yet here's a spot.

Doctor Hark! she speaks: I will set down what comes fromher, to satisfy my remembrance the more strongly.

LADY MACBETH Out, damned spot! out, I say!--One: two: why,then, 'tis time to do't.--Hell is murky!--Fie, mylord, fie! a soldier, and afeard? What need we

fear who knows it, when none can call our power toaccount?--Yet who would have thought the old manto 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 ne'er be clean?--No more o'that, my lord, no more o' that: you mar all withthis starting.

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

Gentlewoman She has spoke what she should not, I am sure ofthat: heaven knows what she has known.

LADY MACBETH Here's the smell of the blood still: all theperfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little

hand. Oh, oh, oh!

Doctor What a sigh is there! The heart is sorely charged.

Gentlewoman I would not have such a heart in my bosom for thedignity of the whole body.

Doctor Well, well, well,--

Gentlewoman Pray God it be, sir.

Doctor This disease is beyond my practise: yet I have knownthose which have walked in their sleep who have diedholily in their beds.

LADY MACBETH Wash your hands, put on your nightgown; look not sopale.--I tell you yet again, Banquo's buried; he

cannot come out on's grave.

Doctor Even so?

LADY MACBETH To bed, to bed! there's knocking at the gate:come, come, come, come, give me your hand. What'sdone cannot be undone.--To bed, to bed, to bed!

Exit

Doctor Will she go now to bed?

Gentlewoman Directly.

Doctor Foul whisperings are abroad: unnatural deedsDo breed unnatural troubles: infected mindsTo their deaf pillows will discharge their secrets:More needs she the divine than the physician.

God, God forgive us all! Look after her;Remove from her the means of all annoyance,And still keep eyes upon her. So, good night:My mind she has mated, and amazed my sight.I think, but dare not speak.

Gentlewoman Good night, good doctor.