Macbeth
In the story of Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, Lady Macbeth uses rhetorical devices in Act 1, Scene 7, such as rhetorical questions and diction. She asks him rhetorical questions, challenges his manhood, and reassures him of success.
By asking rhetorical questions, Lady Macbeth leaves Macbeth speechless, and he is unable to respond. In line 39, she asks if “the hope drunk wherein you dressed yourself?” She is asking if he was drunk when he made his plan of murdering Duncan. With this type of question, Macbeth obviously cannot answer if without looking like a fool. Next, Lady Macbeth asks him another question, daring Macbeth to answer. She questions his actions saying “Art thou afeard to be the same in thine own act and valor as thou art in desire?” She asks if he is brave enough to do what he wants. Again, he cannot answer without looking like a fool.
Lady Macbeth then speaks strong words that causes Macbeth to look at his own actions in fear of him not being a man. She calls him a coward saying “wouldst thou have that which thou esteem'st the ornament of life, and live a coward in thine own esteem.” She is so brazen, that she calls her own husband a coward. She is challenging his manhood. She appeals to Macbeth's emotions, and he would not want to be called a coward because of the opinion of others; people will think he is weak and he does not commit to what he says. She also says “when you durst do it, then you were a man.” This sentence clearly shows that because Macbeth is trying to back out of the murder, Lady Macbeth now views him as something other than a man, not a person worthy of being a Thane. She also adds in a point that “to be more than what you were, you would be so much more the man.” If Macbeth goes through with killing Duncan, Lady Macbeth would view him as a greater man. A man that is brave and worthy of Thane. If Macbeth does not do this, then he cannot be a man in her viewpoint.
When Macbeth brings up a contradicting argument, such as
By asking rhetorical questions, Lady Macbeth leaves Macbeth speechless, and he is unable to respond. In line 39, she asks if “the hope drunk wherein you dressed yourself?” She is asking if he was drunk when he made his plan of murdering Duncan. With this type of question, Macbeth obviously cannot answer if without looking like a fool. Next, Lady Macbeth asks him another question, daring Macbeth to answer. She questions his actions saying “Art thou afeard to be the same in thine own act and valor as thou art in desire?” She asks if he is brave enough to do what he wants. Again, he cannot answer without looking like a fool.
Lady Macbeth then speaks strong words that causes Macbeth to look at his own actions in fear of him not being a man. She calls him a coward saying “wouldst thou have that which thou esteem'st the ornament of life, and live a coward in thine own esteem.” She is so brazen, that she calls her own husband a coward. She is challenging his manhood. She appeals to Macbeth's emotions, and he would not want to be called a coward because of the opinion of others; people will think he is weak and he does not commit to what he says. She also says “when you durst do it, then you were a man.” This sentence clearly shows that because Macbeth is trying to back out of the murder, Lady Macbeth now views him as something other than a man, not a person worthy of being a Thane. She also adds in a point that “to be more than what you were, you would be so much more the man.” If Macbeth goes through with killing Duncan, Lady Macbeth would view him as a greater man. A man that is brave and worthy of Thane. If Macbeth does not do this, then he cannot be a man in her viewpoint.
When Macbeth brings up a contradicting argument, such as