This passage, taken from the fifth scene of act I, is Lady Macbeth's soliloquy prior to the arrival of King Duncan. Earlier in the Act, Macbeth and Banquo had encountered the three witches who told them both various predictions for their future. Banquo was told he would be father to Kings and Macbeth told that he would first become Thane of Cawdor and then King of Scotland one day. When, after a display of his valor during a battle, the King gave Macbeth the title of Thane of Cawdor and part of the witches' prophecy had become a reality, Lady Macbeth began plotting to kill King Duncan so that the second prophecy would also come true, and Macbeth would infact become King. After receiving news that Duncan would be traveling to the Macbeth castle to stay as their guest, Lady Macbeth's plans became within reach and she organized with Macbeth that the murder would take place during the King's visit. As she stands awaiting the King's arrival, Lady Macbeth gives this speech which creates a dark tone and carries a motif of death foreshadowing the death of the King, as she prepares herself mentally and physically for the murder.
             The dark and gloomy environment in this passage is exacerbated by Lady Macbeth's use of diction. Describing Duncan's entrance as "fatal" on line 46 opens the scene with an initial tone of disaster, the catastrophe that is about to happen. All through the speech, the surroundings are given adjectives emphasizing their sinister nature such as the "hoarse" raven on line 45 and Lady Macbeth's "mortal thoughts" on line 48. With this use of language throughout the passage, the reader is given a clear image of the evil intentions in Lady Macbeth's mind. The grave expression used foreshadows the real doom that is about to occur. These words describe the castle as a "hell" that Duncan is about to enter, oblivious to his fate.
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