Lady Macbeth

Question

That which hath made them drunk hath made me bold.

What hath quenched them hath given me fire.

Hark! Peace!

It was the owl the shrieked, the fatal bellman,

Which gives the stern’st good night. He is about it.

The doors are open, and the surfeited grooms

Do mock their charge with snores. I have drugged their possets,

That death and nature do contend about them,

Whether they live or die.

What interpretation could be made about the owl the Lady Macbeth claims to hear?

Lady Macbeth is trying t o convince her husband that the murder never actually occurred

Lady Macbeth actually hears Duncan shriek as her husband approaches him with his dagger

Lady Macbeth is beginning to lose her sanity and only thinks she hears an owl shrieking

Lady Macbeth hears her husband shrike in terror when he has a vision of a dagger

Answer 1

The line "It was the owl that shrieked, the fatal bellman, / Which gives the sternest good night" suggests a specific interpretation of the owl's call as a harbinger of death. In this context, the owl represents a symbol of imminent doom, often associated with bad omens or death. Lady Macbeth interprets the owl's shriek as a signal that their dark deed (the murder of King Duncan) is underway.

Among the interpretations you provided, the most fitting one would be:

Lady Macbeth is beginning to lose her sanity and only thinks she hears an owl shrieking.

This interpretation holds weight because Lady Macbeth's initial composure begins to unravel as the gravity of their actions sets in. The imagery of the shrieking owl can illustrate her mental state, teetering between boldness and the dawning realization of what they have done. While she is currently driven by ambition and a sense of urgency, the reference to the owl serves as a reminder of the morally unsettling act they are committing, foreshadowing the psychological consequences that will follow.