Question

excerpt 1: read the excerpt from act 1, scene 7 of the tragedy of macbeth. macbeth has just told lady macbeth that he no longer thinks it is right to kill duncan. lady macbeth is trying to convince macbeth to move forward with the murder by accusing him of being a coward.
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?
how does the universal theme \the quest for power\ relate to the universal theme \the consuming power of guilt\ in these excerpts?
○ lady macbeth’s desire for power is strong enough to overcome any guilt she feels.
○ lady macbeth believes she has the power to wash away the guilt of her actions
○ lady macbeth wants to obtain more power in order to free herself from guilt.
○ lady macbeth is incapable of handling the guilt caused by her actions to gain power.

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze each option:

• Option 1: Lady Macbeth is very eager for power (to become queen through Duncan's murder). Her desire for power is so strong that she doesn't let guilt stop her—she accuses Macbeth of cowardice to push him to commit the murder, showing her power - quest overrides guilt.
• Option 2: The excerpt doesn't show her believing she can wash away guilt, but rather ignoring or overcoming it for power.
• Option 3: She wants power (murder Duncan) not to free from guilt, but to gain status; guilt isn't her motivation for power.
• Option 4: The excerpt shows she's pushing for the murder, not being unable to handle guilt—she's aggressive in pursuing power despite potential guilt.

Answer:

A. Lady Macbeth’s desire for power is strong enough to overcome any guilt she feels.