Macbeth

Page 1

Act 1 Scene 2 ---- O valiant cousin! Worthy gentleman! - Duncan

Duncan is praising Macbeth for the way he acted during the battle (him killing Macdonwald).

Shows Macbeth is patriotic and willing to do anything to help his King.

Act 1 Scene 5 ---- Look like the innocent flower but be the serpent under't - Lady Macbeth

Lady Macbeth is telling Macbeth to be deceiving and show a false face towards Duncan.

Shows how Macbeth is easily manipulated by Lady Macbeth

Links to the theme of duality.

Act 1 Scene 5 ---- I do fear thy nature is too full o'the milk of human kindness - Lady Macbeth

Lady Macbeth is worried that Macbeth is too kind to kill Duncan.

Shows how she wants him to be different.

Act 1 Scene 5 ---- Come you spirits that tend on moral thoughts! Unsex me here! - Lady Macbeth

Lady Macbeth is demanding that the spirits make her more powerful and manly.

Tend on moral thoughts = guilty thoughts.

Shows how ambitious she is.

Act 1 Scene 5

Lady Macbeth tries to manipulate Macbeth into killing Duncan.

Context = Adam and Eve committed sin. Eve manipulated Adam into eating from the tree much like Lady Macbeth is manipulating Macbeth into killing Duncan.

Act 1 Scene 5 ---- Stop up the access and passage to remorse - Lady Macbeth

Lady Macbeth is asking the spirits to take away the guilt when she gets Macbeth to kill Duncan.

Shows she's not very powerful as she's afraid she'll feel guilt.

Act 2 Scene 1 --- Is this a dagger which i see before me, handle towards me hand! - Macbeth

Macbeth is beginning to hallucinate a dagger in front of him and is questioning what he's seeing.

Shows the beginning of Macbeth's downfall into insanity.

Act 2 Scene 2 ---- Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood clean from my hand? - Macbeth

Macbeth is asking for forgiveness for killing Duncan.

Shows Macbeth is remorseful as he s ashamed of what he's done.

Act 2 Scene 2 ---- I would shame to wear a heart so white - Lady Macbeth

Lady Macbeth is insulting Macbeth's manhood as he is starting to feel guilty for what he did to Duncan

Context = Lady Macbeth shows how much power she has which is unusual as women were the less dominant sex.

Act 2 Scene 2 ---- If he had not resembled my father as he slept i had done it - Lady Macbeth

Lady Macbeth is showing weakness here as she is admitting to not having the guts to kill Duncan as he looked like her father, who she clearly loves.

Shows Lady Macbeth as being like most women at that time as she is weak.

Act 5 Scene 1

Lady Macbeth sleepwalks and hallucinates blood on her hand due to the guilt she's feeling.

Context = Women were the weaker sex so Lady Macbeth acting like this makes it more prominent.

Act 5 Scene 1 ---- Out damned spot! Out i say! - Lady Macbeth

Lady Macbeth is imagining a spot of blood on her hand.

The blood is a representation of the guilt she's feeling.

Shows how Lady Macbeth isn't powerful.

Act 5 Scene 8

Macduff kills Macbeth during battle

Shows Macbeth isn't as powerful as he thinks.

Context = Reinforces the divine right of kings.

Act 5 Scene 1 ---- All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand - Lady Macbeth

Lady Macbeth is feeling guilty and knows that nothing she can do will ever fix what she's done.

Shows her downfall.