Macbeth Guilt, Punishment and Suffering Quotes Flashcards
“Of direst cruelty…”
“…make thick my blood, stop up th’access and passage to remorse.”
Lady Macbeth rejects her guilt - wants to not be able to feel it. Act 1 Scene 5
“Th’assasination.”
Macbeth refers to regicide as “th’assassination” - shows he is trying to make the murder seem less horrific and more political. Act 1 Scene 7
“We will proceed…”
“…no further in this business.”
Macbeth already guilty - wants to not commit the regicide. Lady Macbeth forces him into it. She says:
“And live a coward in thine own esteem.” Act 1 Scene 7
“The deep…”
“…damnation.”
Macbeth thinks he is going to hell - religious imagery; guilt + punishment. Act 1 Scene 7
“Bloody instructions…”
“…which being taught, return to plague the inventor.”
Macbeth thinks regicide will return to haunt him - punishment. Act 1 Scene 7
“Is this a dagger…”
“…which I see before me?”
Insanity + hallucination = guilt + punishment + suffering. Act 2 Scene 1
“I have done…”
“…the deed.”
Macbeth can’t name what he has done - guilt. Act 2 Scene 2
“I could not say ‘Amen’…”
“…when they did say ‘God bless us.’”
Hearing voices - insanity/suffering/punishment. Emphasises that he has committed a crime against God. Insanity = consequence. Act 2 Scene 2
“Macbeth does murder…”
“…sleep, the innocent sleep.”
Sleep imagery - sleep = innocence + nature, lack of sleep = unnatural, regicide is unnatural. Act 2 Scene 2
Still it cried ‘Sleep no more’ to all the house…”
“…Glamis hath murder’d sleep, and therefore Cawdor shall sleep no more, Macbeth shall sleep no more.”
Sleep imagery implies Macbeth is no longer a part of nature. Act 2 Scene 2
“I’m afraid to…”
“…think what I have done.”
Macbeth has lost his nerve - can’t escape the guilt. Act 2 Scene 2
“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.”
Macbeth can’t wash the guilt from his hands - metaphor shows he will never escape his guilt. Act 2 Scene 2
“A little water clears us of this deed…”
“…how easy is it then?”
Contrasts with previous - Lady Macbeth doesn’t feel the guilt yet - thinks she can just wash it away. Act 2 Scene 2
“Out damned spot! Out, I say! One, two…”
“…why then ‘‘tis time to do’t. Hell is murky.”
Damned to hell by her actions, can’t wash blood/guilt clean from her hands - metaphor. Act 5 Scene 1
“The Thane of Fife had a wife…”
“…where is she now? What, will these hands ne’er be clean?”
Rhyming = insanity, can’t escape guilt. Act 5 Scene 1
