Macbeth Character Quotes

Macbeth Character Quotes

1. Act 1

   • "brave", "noble"
     • Shows how respected Macbeth was
   • "All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!"
     • said by witches
       • Tempts Macbeth's ambition
         • Prophecies - supernatural
   • "Stay, you imperfect speakers! Tell me more!"
     • imperatives show he is keen to know more
   • "Stars hide your fires, let not light see my black and deep desires"
     • Straight away he's struggling to contain his ambition
   • "He's here in double trust", "Duncan hath borne his faculties so meek", "his virtues will plead like angels"
     • Having doubts about killing the Duncan because of he's been such a good king
       • context: Shakespeare being obsequious to King James
     • This reminds us of the grave outrage killing the king is init - regicide context: Guy Fawkes
     • soliloquy
   • ‘Bellona’s bridegroom
     • Saying he could be the goddess of war’s groom
   • repetition of conditional "If" and "but"
     • show Macbeths indecisiveness about killing Duncan
     • Solioquy
   • "Valour's minion"
     • said by captain
       • blinded by bravery
   • "mock the time with fairest show"
     • suggest MB = more deceptive like LMB

2. Act 2

   • 1st soliloquy
     • "Is this a dagger which I see before me", "wicked dreams", "witchcraft", "ghost"
       • he's gone hallucinatory
         • refers to dagger as "false creation"
     • "the wolf"
       • animalistic, losing self-control
     • "Nature seems dead"
       • nature personified
         • his previously loyal nature is dead

3. Act 3