you shall put this night's great business into my dispatch (1.5.76-7)
i.e., you shall leave the murder of the king to me.
This line is further evidence to support the theory that Lady Macbeth intends to commit Duncan's murder herself. Modern readers might take the word dispatch to mean manage, in that Lady Macbeth is simply overseeing the murderous plan. However, in Elizabethan England, the word would have meant to kill with quick efficiency. Thus, Lady Macbeth prepares to slay Duncan while her husband plays the gentle host.
For more on this passage please see the annotations at the bottom of the main page of Macbeth 1.5
How to cite this article:
Mabillard, Amanda. Macbeth Glossary. Shakespeare Online. 20 Aug. 2000. (date when you accessed the information) < http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/macbeth/macbethglossary/macbeth1_1/macbethglos_dispatch.html >.
