Macbeth (AQA GCSE English Literature)

By emphasising her desire to maintain her husband's honour

By showing her relentless pursuit of power, even at the cost of her sanity

By portraying her as a reluctant participant in Macbeth’s murderous plans

By having her encourage Macbeth to focus on his family line instead

It highlights her overwhelming guilt and inability to cope with her actions.

It shows her strategic planning for the future.

It indicates her growing influence over Macbeth.

It demonstrates her fearlessness in the face of danger.

Her downfall is portrayed as an unfortunate accident, not an example of moral justice.

Her demise is shown as a result of her inherent weakness as a female character.

Her tragic fate is presented as unrelated to her actions in the play.

Her guilt and suicide demonstrate the consequences of disrupting the natural order.

It strengthens their bond as they work together to achieve their murderous plans.

It leads to her murderous influence over Macbeth, which ultimately leads to a more distant relationship.

It increases the respect and trust between them.

It causes Macbeth to distance himself from Lady Macbeth to protect her.

She is ultimately unable to cope with the guilt and consequences of her actions.

She overcomes her guilt but decides to end her life because of her changed relationship with Macbeth.

She feels no guilt but is driven to suicide by external forces.

She successfully manages her guilt but is killed by Macbeth.

She believes she can control the consequences of their actions, which ultimately overwhelms her.

Her overconfidence makes her careless and her involvement in the murder of Duncan is exposed.

Her hubris allows her to achieve her goals without any obstacles.

Her overconfidence is shown to be justified, and she remains powerful throughout the play.

Lady Macbeth might be viewed as a character who supports traditional, patriarchal ideas about gender and power.

Lady Macbeth could be seen as offering a critique of traditional gender roles, showing the dangers of forcing women into restrictive roles.

Lady Macbeth could be interpreted as being symbolic of women’s inherent weakness.

Lady Macbeth could be seen as irrelevant to modern discussions of gender and power.

Her ambition leads to her empowerment and success.

Her ambition provides her with initial strength, but ultimately leads to her downfall.

Her ambition is never fulfilled, and she remains passive throughout the play.

Her ambition results in her becoming a tragic hero like Macbeth.

Lady Macbeth’s ambition seems initially more ruthless, leading to quicker consequences, while Macbeth’s is slower to develop but equally destructive.

Lady Macbeth’s ambition is weaker than Macbeth’s, leading to her downfall.

Both display equal levels of ambition, resulting in similar consequences.

Macbeth’s ambition is driven by fate, while Lady Macbeth’s is driven by personal gain.

Lady Macbeth’s influence over Macbeth diminishes as he becomes more independent and secretive.

Lady Macbeth remains the dominant partner throughout the play, consistently influencing Macbeth’s actions.

Macbeth's growing dependence on Lady Macbeth leads to her increased power and control.

Their relationship remains unchanged, with Macbeth always deferring to Lady Macbeth’s authority and judgement.

Lady Macbeth’s actions are driven solely by personal ambition, without any supernatural influence.

The supernatural has little influence over Lady Macbeth, but has a significant influence over Macbeth’s actions.

The supernatural elements amplify Lady Macbeth’s ambition, leading to her moral and psychological corruption.

The supernatural elements serve to protect Lady Macbeth from the consequences of her actions.

Her subversion of gender roles allows her to successfully attain and maintain power throughout the play.

Her acceptance of traditional gender roles results in a stable, supportive marriage with her husband Macbeth.

Her challenge to gender roles has no significant impact on her fate.

Her rejection of traditional gender roles partly leads to her downfall, illustrating the dangers of disrupting societal norms.

Lady Macbeth succumbs to guilt while Macbeth becomes increasingly desensitised to his guilt.

Lady Macbeth is largely unaffected by her guilt, unlike Macbeth, who is consumed by it.

Both characters manage their guilt in similar ways, showing no significant difference in their reactions.

Both characters suffer with the psychological consequences of their guilt, but without lasting consequences.