Well, just kindness basically. Lady Macbeth thinks her husband is "too full of the milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way" which means that he's too nice a guy to go around murdering people. Her assessment of him is correct as it turns out. The association of "milk" with kindness gives a suggestion of cowardice, as white was a colour associated with lack of courage (see "lily-livered" for example.)
The milk of human kindness.
He is too full of the milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way.
Lady Macbeth
Lady Macbeth thinks Macbeth will not achieve power because he will not kill the King who he shall become (says the witches first prophecies). When he eventually does, Lady Macbeth is proven wrong. So shame on herself!
Macbeth interpreted it as meaning "having a mother", which meant the same as being a human being. But in fact it meant "being delivered in the usual way" as opposed to by Caesarian section.
The Milk of Human Kindness was created on 2005-04-18.
The milk of human kindness.
He is too full of the milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way.
No. She thinks he is too full of the milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way. But Macbeth's hesitation comes from caution, not kindness. Lady Macbeth is projecting her own feelings onto Macbeth--she will later say that "if he had not resembled my father as he slept, I'd ha' done it", showing that she is the one who is deterred by the "milk of human kindness". Macbeth, on the other hand, is deterred by his anticipation of the consequences of the murder. It is thoughts, not feelings, that are holding him back.
It is apparently too full of the milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way. Or so she says.
He is "too full of the milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way."
The phrase "too full o' the milk of human kindness" comes from Shakespeare's "Macbeth," where it describes someone who is overly compassionate or gentle, to the point of being weak or indecisive. In the context of the play, it refers to Macbeth's initial reluctance to commit regicide despite his ambition. This expression highlights the tension between moral integrity and the ruthless pursuit of power. Ultimately, it suggests that excessive kindness can hinder one's ability to achieve their goals.
Lady Macbeth
She thinks he is a valiant, noble, worthy, good, brave , ambitous soldier. But she thinks his flaw is have to much of the 'milk of human kindness'.
Lady Macbeth uses a metaphor in the underlined words "Yet do I fear thy nature; It is too full o' the milk of human kindness" to emphasize that Macbeth's ambition to become king is hindered by his inherent compassion and gentleness. The metaphor compares Macbeth's kindness to milk, highlighting its purity and nurturing quality.
One notable example of assonance in Macbeth is found in Act 1, Scene 5, when Lady Macbeth says: "I fear thy nature. It is too full o' the milk of human kindness." Here, the repetition of the short 'i' sound in "milk" and "kindness" creates an assonant effect.
We need to know which speech you are talking about. Are you talking about "thy nature . . . is too full of the milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way"? If so, it's not hard to see what she is thinking.