499. (A) Lady Macbeth's sleepwalking reveals her deep guilt over the murders of Duncan and Macduff’s family.
(R) She repeatedly tries to wash her hands, symbolizing her desire to cleanse herself of the bloodstains of her crimes.
Key Concept: Guilt and Sleepwalking Scene
a) Both Assertion and Reason are true, and Reason is the correct explanation of Assertion.
[Solution Description]
The Assertion states that Lady Macbeth's sleepwalking reveals her guilt over the murders of Duncan and Macduff’s family. This is true as seen in Act V, Scene 1, where she exhibits signs of extreme guilt, such as trying to wash imaginary blood from her hands and recalling past murders. The Reason states that her hand-washing symbolizes her desire to cleanse herself of the bloodstains of her crimes. This is also true, as she explicitly says, "Out, damned spot! out, I say!" and mentions the smell of blood on her hands. Additionally, the Reason correctly explains the Assertion because her actions during the sleepwalking scene directly reflect her psychological torment caused by guilt. Therefore, both Assertion and Reason are true, and Reason is the correct explanation of Assertion.
Your Answer is correct.
a) Both Assertion and Reason are true, and Reason is the correct explanation of Assertion.
[Solution Description]
The Assertion states that Lady Macbeth's sleepwalking reveals her guilt over the murders of Duncan and Macduff’s family. This is true as seen in Act V, Scene 1, where she exhibits signs of extreme guilt, such as trying to wash imaginary blood from her hands and recalling past murders. The Reason states that her hand-washing symbolizes her desire to cleanse herself of the bloodstains of her crimes. This is also true, as she explicitly says, "Out, damned spot! out, I say!" and mentions the smell of blood on her hands. Additionally, the Reason correctly explains the Assertion because her actions during the sleepwalking scene directly reflect her psychological torment caused by guilt. Therefore, both Assertion and Reason are true, and Reason is the correct explanation of Assertion.