Key quotes

Key quotes

1. lady Macbeth's soliloquy

   • Lady Macbeth asks the spirits to rid of her feminine side so that she wouldn't feel frightened and to make her strong for the incoming events
     • "Come to my woman’s breasts, And take my milk for gall"
       • "Gall" Acid like bile
       • "Milk" innocence
     • "Unsex me here"
       • If she was a man, she would haven't be frightened and have the power
     • This backfired on her as she is unable to kill king Duncan herself because he looked like her father sleeping
       • Much like the witches' prophecy for Macbeth, showing that meddling with witches and black magic will kill you in the end
   • Act 1, scene 5

2. “Stars, hide your fires; Let not light see my black and deep desires.”

   • When Malcolm is dubbed the heir to the throne
     • He doesn't want his dark thoughts to be seen so they can hide in the shadows
   • Stars are bright and could represent hope

3. “Look like the innocent flower, But be the serpent under it.”

   • He must hide his intentions with an innocent act
   • Lady Macbeth to Macbeth
     • She tries to convince him that he needs to kill King Duncan

4. "And oftentimes, to win us to our harm, The instruments of darkness tell us truths, Win us with honest trifles, to betray's In deepest consequence." Banquo Act I, scene 3

   • He's saying that the witches words shouldn't be taken seriously
   • He fails to believe them

5. Lady Macbeth mocks Macbeth in Act 1, scene 5

   • "do I fear thy nature; It is too full o' the milk of human kindness"
   • Art not without ambition; but without The illness should attend it.
   • It makes him want to kill the king to prove that he is manly

6. "I dare do all that may become a man; Who dares do more, is none"

   • Macbeth tries to prove his manlyness to Lady Macbeth by saying those who try to do more aren't men