Thank you very much. I have a few other doubts concerning a paraphrase. Could you please check it?
1) He thinks that even the clear water of the ocean (from Neptune’s ocean?) will not be able to clean his hands and that the blood he has on them will rather make the water red.
2) “My hands are of your colour; but I shame to wear a heart so white.” Possible rephrase: She says that her hands are just as blood-stained as his but she would be ashamed of having a white heart.
3) OR She says that her hands are also red and she is ashamed (present) to have a coward’s heart.
( the difference is in the translation of “shame”: can you please help me understand the sentence?)
4) Lady Macbeth’s main concern is to get back to their room and disguise what they have done by pretending they were asleep. Macbeth’s words once again just give voice to his remorse.
1) He thinks that even the clear water of the ocean will not be able to clean his hands, that the blood he has on his hands would make the water red.
2) “My hands are of your colour; but I shame to wear a heart so white.” Possible rephrase: She says that her hands are just as blood-stained as his, but she would be ashamed of having a white heart.
What do you think "white" means in describing his "heart" -- that he's fearful? that he's a coward?
3) She is admitting her guilt, but she also admits she's a coward and doesn't want to admit her guilt. ???
4) Lady Macbeth’s main concern is to get back to their room and disguise what they have done by pretending they were asleep. Macbeth’s words once again just give voice to his remorse.
Have you read over these sections of the play itself -- in No Fear Shakespeare? http://nfs.sparknotes.com Once you find the act and scene you need, you will find the original Shakespearean language on the left and modern-day English on the right.
1) To paraphrase the first sentence, you can say: He believes that even the pure water of the ocean, perhaps referring to the water from Neptune's ocean, won't be able to wash away the blood on his hands but instead, will turn the water red.
2) The possible rephrase of the second sentence can be: She states that her hands are stained with the same blood as his, but she would be ashamed to have a heart as innocent as his.
3) Here are two alternative ways to rephrase the sentence, based on different interpretations:
- She expresses that her hands are also covered in blood and feels ashamed to possess a heart like a coward's.
- She conveys that her hands are stained red like his, and she is presently feeling ashamed of her cowardly heart.
In terms of the difference in the translation of "shame," in the first rephrase, it emphasizes the feeling of shame or guilt associated with having a white, innocent heart. In the second rephrase, the emphasis is on her shame and the present state of having a coward's heart, rather than specifically linking it to the color white.
4) To paraphrase the last sentence: Lady Macbeth's primary concern is to return to their room and conceal their actions by pretending they were asleep; Macbeth's words serve as a medium for expressing his remorse once again.