That which hath made them drunk hath made me bold,
What hath quenched them hath given me fire.
– William Shakespeare
Macbeth, Act 2, Scene 2. Lady Macbeth has played an active part in the murder of King Duncan. She drugged Duncan’s guards’ drink, enabling her husband to kill him. The success of the criminal enterprise has given her confidence, a kind of Dutch courage, as she experiences a feeling of empowerment. It has metaphorically given the ambitious Lady Macbeth “fire,” or strength.