Lady Macbeth's Explosive Quotes
Lady Macbeth's words reveal a character who's willing to abandon her femininity for power. When she says "unsex me here" and calls upon spirits, she's literally asking supernatural forces to remove her womanly nature - pretty extreme stuff for Shakespeare's time!
Her famous line "dash'd the brains out" shows her violent determination and rejection of maternal instincts. She's competing directly with Macbeth's authority, which would've shocked Elizabethan audiences who expected women to be submissive.
The quote "a little water clears us of this deed" is pure dramatic irony. She thinks murder is easily forgotten, but later we see her obsessively washing imaginary bloodstains. Shakespeare's showing us how guilt destroys the mind.
Top Tip: Notice how Lady Macbeth uses biblical imagery like "serpent under't" - this connects her to temptation and evil, just like the serpent in Eden.
