Lady Macbeth's soliloquy holds many different themes. It includes supernatural themes, hunger for power, consuming ambition, possible derangement, corruption and pure evilness.
Here are two examples in the sample we are studying:
Supernatural:
In Lady Macbeth's soliloquy, she states that she wants the evil spirits to remove her womanly characteristics. These spirits could possibly be a metaphor in today's times, and maybe in those times also, but it references towards the pure and utter evilness and power involved in the theme of supernatural.
Ambition:
Macbeth is a play about ambition run amok. The weird sisters' prophecies spur both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to try to fulfill their ambitions, but the witches never make Macbeth or his wife do anything. Macbeth and his wife act on their own to fulfill their deepest desires. Macbeth, a good general and, by all accounts before the action of the play, a good man, allows his ambition to overwhelm him and becomes a murdering, paranoid maniac. Lady Macbeth, once she begins to put into actions the once-hidden thoughts of her mind, is crushed by guilt.
(Litcharts)
Reality and appearance:
The contrast between what is real and the appearance of something is also used by Shakespeare. The classic dagger scene, when Macbeth is not sure if he can trust his eyes, is only one of many references to this theme. For instance, he sees Banquo's ghost at the banquet and Lady Macbeth imagines blood on her hands.
The contrast between reality and appearance is also shown with all the references tothoughts, dreams and actions. Banquo talks about the 'cursed thoughts' he has had and his dreams of the witches. Macbeth talks of the world of thought and dreams and sometimes is stuck there. For instance, Lady Macbeth is critical of Macbeth's 'foolish thoughts' and talks of him being 'lost' because of this.
Sleep is another theme associated with reality, because characters view it as vital to life, but like death or being in another world. Macbeth is told he has murdered sleep and will 'sleep no more' whilst Lady Macbeth thinks of sleep as death, calling it the sternest 'goodnight'.
Here are two examples in the sample we are studying:
Supernatural:
In Lady Macbeth's soliloquy, she states that she wants the evil spirits to remove her womanly characteristics. These spirits could possibly be a metaphor in today's times, and maybe in those times also, but it references towards the pure and utter evilness and power involved in the theme of supernatural.
Ambition:
Macbeth is a play about ambition run amok. The weird sisters' prophecies spur both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to try to fulfill their ambitions, but the witches never make Macbeth or his wife do anything. Macbeth and his wife act on their own to fulfill their deepest desires. Macbeth, a good general and, by all accounts before the action of the play, a good man, allows his ambition to overwhelm him and becomes a murdering, paranoid maniac. Lady Macbeth, once she begins to put into actions the once-hidden thoughts of her mind, is crushed by guilt.
(Litcharts)
Reality and appearance:
The contrast between what is real and the appearance of something is also used by Shakespeare. The classic dagger scene, when Macbeth is not sure if he can trust his eyes, is only one of many references to this theme. For instance, he sees Banquo's ghost at the banquet and Lady Macbeth imagines blood on her hands.
The contrast between reality and appearance is also shown with all the references tothoughts, dreams and actions. Banquo talks about the 'cursed thoughts' he has had and his dreams of the witches. Macbeth talks of the world of thought and dreams and sometimes is stuck there. For instance, Lady Macbeth is critical of Macbeth's 'foolish thoughts' and talks of him being 'lost' because of this.
Sleep is another theme associated with reality, because characters view it as vital to life, but like death or being in another world. Macbeth is told he has murdered sleep and will 'sleep no more' whilst Lady Macbeth thinks of sleep as death, calling it the sternest 'goodnight'.