English Flashcards
Macbeth Quotes
“Fair is foul, and foul is fair.”
Location: (Act 1 Scene 1)
The line simply points out that things are not always, as they seem and that what people see or think is not always, what it really is.
Language techniques:
Inversion: The reversal of the normal order of words in “fair is foul” and “foul is fair” serves to emphasize the twisted reality and moral confusion within the play.
“Double, double toil and trouble: Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.”
Location: Act 4 Scene 1
can refer to the witches’ equivocation, or use of double meanings to obscure the truth. It can also be read as a curse upon Macbeth.
Language techniques:
Imagery: The imagery of “fire burn” and “cauldron bubble” evokes the image of a boiling cauldron with flames, which is a common motif in witchcraft and magic, further enhancing the supernatural atmosphere of the scene.
“When our actions do not, Our fears do make us traitors.”
Location: Act 4, Scene 2
fear can make people appear disloyal or treacherous, even if their actions are innocent.
Language techniques:
The juxtaposition of “actions” and “fears” highlights a contrast, emphasizing the idea that while one’s actions may not necessarily betray them, their fears can lead them to treasonous behavior.
“To prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself and falls on th’other.”
Location: Act 1, Scene 7
Macbeth is describing his lack of motivation, and the fact that the only thing driving him at present is ambition
Language techniques:
Paradox: The idea that ambition can “o’erleap itself and falls on th’other” is paradoxical, suggesting that excessive ambition can lead to self-destruction.
“Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee: I have thee not, and yet I see thee still.”
Location: Act 2, Scene 1
By posing the question, it is clear thatMacbeth is unsure of the existance of the dagger. Yet by having a vision of a dagger, it is clear that the violent ambition of Macbeth is clearly tempting Macbeth to commit the murder of Duncan.
Language features:
Personification: Macbeth personifies the dagger by addressing it as if it were a sentient being, inviting it to come to him and allowing him to “clutch” it, despite its intangibility.
“Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood Clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather The multitudinous seas incarnadine, Making the green one red.”
Location: Act 2, Scene 2
This quote suggests that Macbeth will be burdened by this murder forever and that there is no way to erase it. The language that Shakespeare uses in this quote perfectly portrays the way that Macbeth is feeling. He has recently killed King Duncan and is engulfed in guilt.
Language features:
Repetition: The repetition of the word “hand” reinforces the central focus on Macbeth’s guilt and the impossibility of escaping it.
“The raven himself is hoarse That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan Under my battlements.”
Location: Act 1, Scene 5
Lady Macbeth is referring to the servant who delivered the message but she calls him a raven. Ravens often symbolise death or murder and make an ominous sound when they call. Fatal: Foreboding evil and death. Battlements: Are a part of a castle, mostly used in war.
Language features:
Imagery: The imagery of the raven croaking under the battlements conjures a dark and eerie scene, adding to the atmosphere of impending doom and treachery.
“Yet do I fear thy nature; It is too full o’ the milk of human kindness.”
Location: Act 1, Scene 5
Lady Macbeth says her husband is ‘too full o’the milk of human-kindness’ (line 15). Shakespeare uses this metaphor to suggest thatdespite his reputation as a brave warrior, Macbeth also has a strong sense of compassion. Milk is mild, natural and, importantly, white.
Language features:
Lady Macbeth uses the metaphor of “the milk of human kindness” to describe Macbeth’s compassionate and gentle nature. This metaphorical expression implies that Macbeth possesses an excess of kindness and mercy, which Lady Macbeth views as a weakness.
“Your hand, your tongue. Look like th’ innocent flower, But be the serpent under.”
Location: Act 1, Scene 5
In this simile,Lady Macbeth exhorts her husband to conceal his murderous intentions with innocent behavior, similar to a snake lurking beneath a harmless flower
Language features:
Contrast: The contrast between the innocent flower and the serpent highlights the theme of deception and duplicity, suggesting that one should appear harmless on the surface but act with cunning and malice underneath.
“That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full Of direst cruelty.”
Location: Act 1, Scene 5
This quote makes a connection between gender and violence;Lady Macbeth asks spirits to make her less like a woman so that she can do what she needs to do
Language features:
Metaphor: Lady Macbeth uses the metaphor of being “unsexed” to describe her desire to rid herself of feminine qualities traditionally associated with compassion and mercy. This metaphorical expression underscores her ambition and willingness to embrace cruelty.
“Come, thick night, And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell, That my keen knife see not the wound it makes, Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark.”
Location: Act 1, Scene 5
Lady Macbeth asks upon the night to hide her deed from both heaven and gods eyes, and from herself and other people. She asks that the night shade covers the estate, and nobody can see her do the evil deed, as she would be punished severely. She feels as though if nobody sees her crime, it will simply go away and she will feel no guilt, as though it never happened.
Language features:
Imperative: Macbeth uses imperative language to call upon the night to come and envelop him in darkness, requesting its assistance in hiding his actions.
“What’s done cannot be undone.”
Location: Act 5, Scene 1
What’s done cannot be undone. To bed, to bed, to bed”shows her acceptance of her responsibility and lack of power to change her situation and leaves the audience unsurprised when we learn of her death
Language features:
Finality: The stark declaration of “cannot be undone” adds to the sense of finality and resignation, suggesting that there is no possibility of reversing the course of events.
“I am in blood. Stepped in so far that I should wade no more, Returning were as tedious as go o’er.”
Location: Act 3 Scene 4
Macbeth feels trapped in a cycle of violence and guilt. He says he’s in too deep to turn back. He compares his situation to wading through blood, meaning he’s done so many bad things, it’s like he’s swimming in it. He realizes it’s just as hard to go back as it is to keep going forward.
Language features:
Metaphor: The metaphor of being “in blood” represents being deeply involved in violence and wrongdoing. It symbolizes Macbeth’s guilt and moral corruption.
” My hands are of your colour, but I shame to wear a heart so white. [knocking within] I hear a knocking / At the south entry: retire to our chamber: / A little water clears us of this deed
guilt, “WHITE”, recurring motif in shakespeare retold.
