Macbeth ... help me out.

[joggerjayne]

I'm reading Macbeth, and I got to this bit ...

Inspired by 3 mad old bats, Macbeth plans to murder King Duncan.

Then he gets cold feet.

Lady Macbeth persuades him to do it (because she wants to be Queen ... she was SUCH a WAG !!).

When explaining just how badly she wants Macbeth to do the murder, she says ...

... "I have given suck"

(Act 1, Scene 7, Line 54)

Now ... she could be saying that she has been a mother, and breast fed her children.

However, Macduff says that Macbeth ... " ... has no children"

(Act 4, Scene 3, Line 215)

Now, Lady Macbeth was clearly very persuasive, because Macbeth goes ahead with the murder.

But in explaining how she got her own way by saying ... "I have given suck" ...

... what has Lady Macbeth been doing ?

[beejay1124]

dont believe a word Macduff says

[ttfn]

The quote is incomplete - suck all - is in my version

[mccfluff]

she gave him a ***

(someone had to say it, it might as well be me :-)

[McMouse]

Def a bj.

[joggerjayne]

beejay ... how appropriate.

ttfn ...

The "all" can't be there. The iambs wouldn't scan properly.

Did you get your copy cheap from a bloke down the market? LOL

[joggerjayne]

It does sound like a bit of downstairs action, doesn't it !

[ttfn]

In the words of Dame Shirley - I yam wot I yam

[redman41]

'I have given suck, but one swallow does not make a summer' Now go and f*ck a Duck Macbeth....

[joggerjayne]

Mmmm ... the next line is a bit different in my copy, Redman.

[ChuckFickens]

Macbeth is chatterbank??? whatever next!!

the full line is "I have given suck, and know How tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me"

Which would certainly seem to imply that they have children that she has breastfed and knows the love of a suckling baby. but it is also pretty clear from the rest of the play that they have no children. (Macbeth will be king but Banquo's descendants will rule)

Early continuity error maybe?

[redman41]

Always came bottom of my Class in English Lit JJ ! Was always misinterpreting the words of Shakespeare....:- D

[bibblebub]

"I have given suck, and know
How tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me:
I would, while it was smiling in my face,
Have pluck'd my nipple from his boneless gums,
And dash'd the brains out, had I so sworn as you
Have done to this."

She's not being maternal if you read on.

[joggerjayne]

Could be, Chuck.

Or maybe a rude joke from Will ?

I would have put this in Art and Literature, but there's no one there at the mo.

I expect Mollykins will be along sooner or later. She may be studying it, and might know the answer.

[Davethedog]

Now JJ I hope this enhances your question unfortunately it doesn't answer it though.

http://www.enotes.com...have-any-children-114

[joggerjayne]

Ya, it's a bit gory, bibble.

She is, as you say, definitely not being "maternal"

LOL

[joggerjayne]

Thanks, Dave.

I think that, if the Macbeths had lost a child, more would have been made of it.

[redman41]

While you are here JJ, your Fantasy Team sucks as well ! Get over to the site and use your Transfer Button to take out the duffers as you holding us all up at present with -3 ! lol

[joggerjayne]

How can I have a minus ???

I thought I'd picked quite a good team.

[OrcadianOil]

How dare you????????????????????? It's "The Scottish Play" !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You'll now have warts on yer bits, worms up yer nostrils, and ants in yer pants!!!!!!!

Serves you rrrrrrrrrright!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[McMouse]

All this sucking is getting me quite excited. In my youth I knew a young lady who "could suck-start a Norton 650"