Lady Macbeth: Was the hope drunk, Wherein you dress’d yourself? hath it slept since, And wakes it now, to look so green and pale At what it did so freely? From this time Such I account thy love. Art thou afeard To be the same in thine own act and valour As thou art in desire? Wouldst thou have that Which 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? Why are the rhetorical questions appropriate to Lady Macbeth’s purpose?
Answer
A
She uses them to tell Macbeth that their desire for power could lead them down a dark path.
B
She uses them to make Macbeth feel weak about reconsidering the plot to murder Duncan.
C
She uses them to advise Macbeth to choose a less drastic action than homicide.
D
She uses them to show Macbeth that she will support him no matter which choice he makes.
Explanation
Lady Macbeth’s questions challenge Macbeth’s courage and commitment. By asking whether he is afraid to act on his desires and comparing him to a coward, she pressures him to stop reconsidering the plan to kill Duncan. This makes B correct: she uses the questions to make Macbeth feel weak for having second thoughts.
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