English MacBeth Quotes Flashcards
what significance are the witches being the first people on stage
To a contemporary audience the witches would’ve shocked and scared them as the witchcraft trials were going on at the time of the play being written. also the people of the time would not have known anything about witchcraft and would’ve confused and scared the audience.
but all too weak for brave Macbeth
this shows Macbeth’s superiority in battle and nobility. This makes Macbeth’s fall from grace even more shocking to the audience.
Brandished steel which smock’d with bloody execution
This shows how fearless and brave Macbeth is making him seem like a really good character and make him become the audiences favorite character at the start and their least favorite at the end.
(enter macbeth and Banquo)
this shows the unity of the two characters and makes them seem as one which contrasts to act 3 when the characters never appear entering stage at the same time.
macbeth- speak if you can:what are you?
this shows Macbeth control and superiority over the witches as he asks them what are they. this also shows how fearless Macbeth is as he encounters the supernatural and doesn’t run away he confronts the witches
all hail Macbeth who shalt be king hereafter
this plant the seed in macbeth’s head to kill duncan. the witches could be seen as the root of all evil to a contemporary audience as they are the people who get macbeth to kill duncan and a king is seen to be a holy figure chosen by god
yet i do fear thy nature,/ it is too full of thye milk o’th’milk of human kindness
this shows how Lady macbeth is doubting her husband and doensnt trust him to do ‘the dee’ the referance to ‘the deed’ indirectly mentions the murder as Macbeth is ashamed of what he has done.
Banquo: what can the devil speak true
this shows banquos amazement that the witches prophecy has come true and could show his hope that the witches prophecy can come true for him(may they not be my oracles as well.
i fear thou hast played most foully for’t
this shows banquos suspicions of macbeth killing duncan. however as banquo is loyal to his friend he doesn’t tell anyone making banquo look like a righteous generous character.
pour my spirits in thine ear.
The verb pour is a violent verb as it is done forcefully and without consent. this is showing that lady macbeth wants her husband to become king even if shew has to persuade her husband to kill duncan.
that my keen knife not see the wound it makes.
the adjective keen shows that she is full of ambition and greed to get the power she desires. this shows that lady macbeth doestnt want to see the death of duncan and that she wants macbeth to kill duncan(pour my spirits in thine ear).
leave all the rest to me
this shows lady macbeths controlling nature and her ambition that she wants her husband to be king.
if it were done when tis done then twere well it were done quickly.
this shows macbeths self doubt in killing duncan. it also shows macbeths cautiousness in killing duncan that someone might find out that it was him
the use of the caesura in act1 scene 6 means
shows that lady macbeth is a controlling character as she interupts macbeth to reasure him about killing duncan. this also shws her greed and power hungry ness
