Macbeth Key Quotes

Macbeth Key Quotes

1. Act 1

   • Scene 1- Fair is foul and foul is fair
     • Links to reality and appearances- not everything is as it seems to be and the fact that witches speak in paradoxes warn the audiences not to trust everything they see. Foreshadows the facade put on by the Macbeths. Questions the reality at hand and the morals of humans. Trochaic tetrameter makes it sem as though a spell is being cast and accentuates the mystery and the bad will of the witches.
   • Scene 3- Lesser than Macbeth and greater
     • The witches use equivocation to mislead Macbeth and Banquo. It references to how Banquo will not become king but he will have a dynasty. Could also show how Banquo is virtuos and is not corrupted by his ambition unlike Macbeth.
       • Scene 3- The instruments of darkness tell us truths
         • Banquo is less credulous of the witches' prophecies and sees that they are evil. 'Darkness' shows that despite the knowledge imposed by the witches, they leave Macbeth in more uncertainty and it could also foreshadow the doom caused by the witches as well as the hidden crimes of the Macbeths
           • Scene 3- Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair
             • Macbeth is already conflicted and horrified by the amibition that the witches had kindled within him as well as by the thoughts of comiting regicide. He still has moral consciousness as well as a sense of loyalty but this signals the beginning of Macbeth's hamartia and how it will cause downfall and agony
   • Scene 4- Stars hide your fires, Let light not see my black and deep desires
     • Macbeth speaks in rhyming couplets as he exits, which links him to the witches and the supernatural, so he is influenced heavily by them. He wants his ambition to saty hidden from everyone, including himself and wants to inhibit it. It also foreshasdows the facade put on by the Macbeths and how they hide their crime of regicide. Also shows the beginning of hopelessness in Scotland as stars provide light and thus hope yet Macbeth extinguishes the good that surrounds him.
   • Scene 5- thy nature, it is too full o'th' milk of human kindness
     • Lady Macbeth assumes that Macbeth is not cruel enough to kill Duncan, showing that Macbeth is not completely evil at this point. Milk is noramlly asscoiated wiht females, shwoing that Lady Macbeth believes that women are too kind and nurturing.
       • Scene 5- Come you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here
         • Lady Macbeth wants to transcend the limitations of her gender in order to gain more power and influence. She connotes cruelty and evil with masculinity. The command words and imperitives display her coercive nature and her power as well as her controlling and demanding nature. The evil spirits links her with the witches and shows that she canot be trusted and has plunged too far into her ambition- cannot be salvaged.
           • Scene 5- And take my milk for gall
             • The juxtaposition emphasises the sudden change of evil and the destructive and acidic nature of gall contrasts with the the kind and nurturing nature of milk. She wants to become more brutal as she knows that any sign of emotion or vulnerabilty would be a weakness when plotting regicide. She is ambitious.
               • Scene 5- Come thick night and pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell
                 • The dark imagery makes her seem evil and that she is trying to spread it to her surroundings. 'Hell' indciates that she works with the devil and that not even God can prevent her sins. Shows to the audiecne that she would be sent to hell for her evil actions. Also foreshadows the future anarchy in Scotland as the natural order of God is disrupted.
                   • Scene 5- Look like th' innocent flower but be the serpent under't
                     • Lady Macbeth encourages Macbeth to put on a facade and hide his evil intentions of commiting regicide. Serpent connotes to poison, showing the true venomous nature of the Macbeths. The juxtaposition also reflects Macbeth's conflciting emotions. Religious connotaions as it could relate to the serpaent of tempation in Adam and Eve and how their lust for power woud be detrimental as well as showing that Lady Macbeth goes against religion and is a Biblical villain.
   • Scene 7- I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition which o'erleaps itself
     • Macbeth is aware that his ambition is his hamartia and he knows that there is no excuse for regicide but blames his ambition for the evil thoights. He also belives that his ambition can evoke over-onfidence and can eventualy lead in destruction. This describes the tension between Macbeth’s unwillingness to move ahead with his plan, and his candid acknowledgement that his ambition is leading him down a dangerous path.
       • Scene 7- We will proceed no further in this business: he hath honour'd me of late
         • Macbeth finally attempts to have power over his wife and not let her cooerce him as he speaks with more confidence and uses an imperitiave. He does not directly address Duncan as he is perhpas ashamed of saying his name due to his horrific thoughts of regicide.
           • Scnene 7- Was the hope drunk
             • Lady Macbeth personifies Macbeth's ambition and gives it its own life, which accentuates its strength. The past tense aslo shows that it is fading away
               • Scene 7- Ornament of life and live a coward
                 • Metaphor Lady Macbth uses to describe the crown. She presents the crown as precious and essential to life- this heightens its value. Also shows how the corwn is fragile. Prestige of its shows to Macbeth how it can enhance his reputation. She also emasculates Macbeth by caling him a cowrd, which pressurises Maceth to prove his masculinty by murdering Duncan, especially as society was patriarchl and being masculine was improtant.

2. Act 2

   • Scene 1- Is this a dagger which I see before me
     • The dagger symbolises death and murder and hints at Duncan's murder. It symbolises destruction, darkness, and cold-bloodedness. Dagger is associated of murder without awareness-like a criminal- unlike a hero or a warrior. Also represents how his honour is tainted with blood
       • Scene 1- Hear it or not Duncan for it is a knell that summons thee to heaven or to hell
         • This rhyming couplet links Macbth to the witches, showing that they have invaded his mind with their prophecies and have a constant influence upon him
   • Scene 2- 'Amen' stuck in my throat
     • Accentuates the horror of regicide as even religion has rejected Mabeth and he cannot asscoiate himslef with God- this foreshadows how this act will commit Macbeth forever to hell
       • Scene 2- Macbeth does murder sleep
         • Links to how Macbeth murdered Duncan when he was at his most vulnerable. It alos shows that Macbeth shall be fporever wracked with guilt as the ability to sleep symbolises a clear conscience and peace. This shows that his crimes shall forever haunt him and will perturb him. Also foreshadows Lady Macbeth's sleepwalking
           • Scene 2- My hands are of your colour but I shame to wear a heart so white
   • Scene 3- There's daggers in men's smiles
     • Donaldbain and Malcolm cannot trust anyone and are aware of the facade put on my people who lust after power. They know that people put on appearncees and fear for their lives (they are suspicious of everyone)
   • Scene 4- 'Tis said they eat each other
     • The old man is talking about Duncan's horses eating each other and resorting to cannibalism. It shows how the natural order of the world has turned upside down after Duncan's death, showing that the regicide has gone against God's wishes. Everything is chaoatic and there is anarchy- a bad omen has been cast upon Scotland as it is being destroyed as a result of Macbeth's actions. The turmoil of Scotland also reflects the inner turmoil of Macbeth

3. Act 3

   • Scene 1-