Lady Macbeth urges Macbeth to appear innocent and welcoming about Duncan’s visit, while secretly planning the murder. She tells him to look like a harmless host and to hide his true thoughts, effectively convincing him to go through with the deed. Breakdown of the moment when Macbeth arrives home
- She presses him to put on a calm, hospitable front: “look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under’t.” This means he should act normal and cheerful, concealing any agitation or thoughts of violence. This advice is aimed at masking their lethal plan from Duncan and others.
- She insists on striking decisiveness and patience: Macbeth is to follow her lead, because she believes he is too moral or hesitant on his own. Her directive is that he should rely on her to execute the plan rather than hesitate or negotiate the risks aloud.
- She minimizes the risk by assigning the immediate work to her: she takes charge of the timing, arrangements, and the actual act, reducing the chance that Macbeth will waver in the moment.
Key quotes you’ll recognize
- Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under it.
- Leave all the rest to me.
- Be so much the man, and take what is yours by force through decisive action.
Context
- This exchange occurs just as Macbeth returns home to Inverness after hearing Duncan will stay, and Lady Macbeth is already resolved to push him toward regicide. Her provocation of his ambition and her own willingness to discard feminine gentleness for ruthless strategy are central to how she shapes the plan and Macbeth’s participation.
If you’d like, I can quote the exact lines from Act 1, Scene 5 in a modern- English rendering or provide a brief scene-by-scene paraphrase to anchor this moment in the text.
