The Secret Diary of Lady Macbeth :: essays research papers

The Secret Diary of Lady Macbeth After receiving a letter from Macbeth Earlier today, I received a most urgent letter from Macbeth. He told me that he was accosted by three witches on the night of the battle between Scotland and Norway. They greeted him "All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Glamis! All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor! All hail Macbeth, that shalt be King hereafter!" Macbeth was "rapt" with what the witches had said and tried to question them further but they vanished into a haze of fog. I could see his enthusiasm from his vocabulary and could tell that he believed the witches, even though they are feared and many hundreds have been burned. He said he "burned in desire" to question them further, indicating that he was almost on fire with this knowledge that came from the "perfect'st report". Witches have metaphysical powers and "more in them than mortal knowledge". Later that day Macbeth received a message from the King saying he was to become Thane of Cawdor. He called me his "dearest partner of greatness" and plans to share the glory of the golden round with me. He sent the letter by messenger despite the danger of the contents being read by others, when it could have waited until he arrived here. Having seen Macbeth's enthusiasm, I will take my cue from him. His letters have "transported me beyond this ignorant present". I nearly told a messenger who brought news of the King coming to stay, of my thoughts and for one moment, I reacted as though Macbeth were already King, and I Queen, I must be more careful in the future. I have made the decision that Macbeth will be King, the only problem being that he is "too full of the milk of human kindness" and does not have it in him to do the unthinkable deed, at heart Macbeth is a giver and not a destroyer. I see my role as Macbeth's strengthener. I wish that I could persuade him to "catch the nearest way". To this end, I asked the evil spirits to take my womanly qualities away. I asked them to take my milk and replace it with gall. I am asking to become a poisoner instead of a nourisher. I asked for unnatural darkness so that heaven will not see and cry: "Hold, hold!" No one must see the murder, as killing the King is an unthinkable act; it is just like killing God.