Question

macbeth. prithee, peace:
i dare do all that may become a man;
who dares do more is none.

—william shakespeare, macbeth, act i, scene vii

what evidence from the text supports the idea that lady macbeth believes her husband has decided not to kill the king because he is weak and cowardly?

a. prithee, peace: / i dare do all that may become a man; / who dares do more is none.

b. was the hope drunk / wherein you dressed yourself? hath it slept since? / and wakes it now, to look so green and pale

c. i have bought / golden opinions from all sorts of people, / which would be worn now in their newest gloss, / not cast aside so soon.

d. we will proceed no further in this business: / he hath honour’d me of late

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze each option:

• Option A: Macbeth's own statement about daring as a man, not Lady Macbeth's view of his weakness.
• Option B: Lady Macbeth's words ("Was the hope drunk...") imply she thinks his change of mind (not killing the king) is due to losing courage/hope, seeing him as weak/cowardly for backing out.
• Option C: Macbeth's concern about reputation, not Lady Macbeth's view of his weakness.
• Option D: Macbeth's decision to stop, not Lady Macbeth's perception of his weakness.

Answer:

B. Was the hope drunk / Wherein you dressed yourself? Hath it slept since? / And wakes it now, to look so green and pale