act 3 scene 2 events and quotes Flashcards
What motif keeps recurring in the scene and what does it present?
sleep- it represents peace and innocence
“Nought’s had…
(Lady Macbeth)
all’s spent, where our desire is got without content”
“Tis safer to be that…
(Lady Macbeth)
which we destroy Than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy”
What does “Tis safer to be that which we destroy than by destruction dwell in destruction joy mean?”
it’s better to be the murdered than to live in a constant state of fear (being the murderer)
it’s safer to be what we destroy-now just get on with Macbeth being King- safer to not dwell on the past
What does Lady Macbeth keep saying to Macbeth to reassure him?
“What’s done is done”
What does Macbeth say that shows they haven’t completely eradicated the threat of Banquo?
“We have scotch’d the snake, not kill’d it”
“Ere we will…
eat our meal in fear and sleep”
“Better be with the dead…
whom we, to gain our peace, have sent to peace”
What does the quote “better be with the dead whom we, to gain our quote, have sent to peace” mean?
they would rather be dead as in order to gain their peace, they had to kill them- “sent to peace”.
they killed in order to gain peace but it has resulted in their minds being tortured
“in restless…
ecstasy”
What does “in restless ecstasy” mean?
Macbeth has lost the gift of being able to sleep- he is envious of the dead
What does “Duncan is in his grave; after life’s fitful fever he sleeps well” mean?
Duncan is in the state of eternal sleep, in peace and serendipity
“Nothing…
can touch him further”
“Duncan is in his grave…
after life’s fitful fever, he sleeps well”
“Gentle my lord, sleek o’er your rugged looks…
(Lady Macbeth)
Be bright and jovial among your guests tonight”
What motifs appear in this act?
the eye- represents the witness
the hand- represents action
What does “gentle my lord, sleek o’er your rugged looks Be bright and jovial among your guests tonight” mean?
Lady Macbeth tells him to put on a act for his guests- parallel to the scene of Lady Macbeth telling Macbeth to act like the flower but be the serpent- appearance vs reality- the duplicitous nature of both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth
“so shall I love; and so, I pray, be you” signifies what?
Macbeth is not as submissive anymore
“So shall I love…
and so I pray be you”
“And make our faces…
vizards to our hearts, disguising what they are”
What is a vizard?
a mask
What does “make our faces vizards to our hearts, disguising what they are” mean?
hide how you are truly feeling- Macbeth is instructing Lady Macbeth how to act- inversion to other previous scenes
“O full of…
scorpions is my mind, dear wife!”
What does “O full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife” mean?
exemplifies the central idea of the play that unchecked ambition leads to tragic consequences
What technique does Macbeth use when he talks about the scorpions?
a metaphor- animal imagery
Using the image of a scorpion conveys what?
scorpions attack stings- Duncan’s death is constantly attacking and stinging at him- he cannot escape this mental torment
“Banquo and…
his Fleance lives”
“But in them nature’s…
(Lady Macbeth)
copy’s not eterne”
What does “But in them nature’s copy’s not eterne mean?
Banquo and Fleance are not a threat right now- she is trying to reassurance Macbeth
“Be innocent of the knowledge…
dearest chuck, till thou applaud the deed”
“Come, seeling night…
scarf up the tender eye of pitiful day”
What does “come, seeling night, scarf up the tender eye of pitiful day” mean?
parallel to “come thick night”- Lady Macbeth Act 1 Scene 5- mirroring her language
“Which keeps me…
pale!”
What does “which keeps me pale” mean?
the guilt is keeping him pale- his body language is showing the feelings he is experiencing
What is the effect of Macbeth speaking in rhyming couplets?
makes the speech seem more powerful
