Macbeth Quiz 1 Quotes Flashcards
Good sir, why do you start; and seem to fear
Things that do sound so fair? I’ the name of truth,
Are ye fantastical, or that indeed
Which outwardly ye show? My noble partner
You greet with present grace and great prediction
Of noble having and of royal hope,
That he seems rapt withal: to me you speak not.
If you can look into the seeds of time,
And say which grain will grow and which will not,
Speak then to me, who neither beg nor fear
Your favours nor your hate.
Speaker: Banquo
Spoken to: Macbeth and Witches
Circumstance: The three witches have given the three prophecies, thane of glamis, thane of cawdor and king to Macbeth.
DP #1 Character Revelation: Once the three witches told Macbeth about his three prophecies, Banquo is not scared as he views these prophecies as he questions “Things that do sound so fair?” and states that Macbeth has nothing to “seem to fear”. It suggests that he views them as positive but also is resistant to the fact that the witches have predicted Macbeth’s future but not his so tests the witches to “Speak then to [him]”, suggesting that he is suspicious about their powers and desires his future if they can show it. The intelligence and demand that Banquo asks from the witches to share his prophecies “who neither beg nor fear / Your favours nor your hate”, establishing his sense of bravery as he desires to face what is predicted from him in his true future.
DP #2 Theme of Ambition and Power: When Banquo desires to test the witches and also have them “look into the seeds of time”, it suggests that he wants to know if he is predicted to achieve great power and greatness as Macbeth has. His ambition to desire “neither beg nor fear / Your favours nor your hate” shows his growing ambition to drive him to ask the witches to predict his future, feeding into unhealthy decisions of knowing what will happen to him. Once the witches will fulfill his demand, he may be pleased or disappointed, unable to understand the cost these prophecies will be toward their lives as his ambition grows to blind him.
The Prince of Cumberland! That is a step
On which I must fall down, or else o’erleap,
For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires;
Let not light see my black and deep desires:
The eye wink at the hand; yet let that be,
Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see.
Speaker: Macbeth
Spoken to: Aside
Circumstance: King Duncan’s son has been declared to be the Prince of Cumberland.
DP #1 Character Revelation: Once Macbeth finds out that Malcolm has been given the title of Prince of Cumberland , he exclaims how “That is a step / On which I must fall down” which reveals the jealousy side of Macbeth and diminishes his loyalty to the King’s decision. When he comments that “or else o’erleap, / For in my way it lies” showing how he is frustrated by the fact that he must go over one more step to beat Malcolm in order to fulfill his last prophecy, King. The ease in which he achieved the other two prochies developed his ambitious side to desire more and more to be ahead and remove the wall that Malcolm embodies in Macbeth’s ambition to be king. His decline is present when he mentions that the King’s death is not upsetting but if his hands do the act, “which the eye fear” through this act. By considering to kill Duncan, it drives away from his original character who is devoted and loyal to the King.
DP #2 Theme of power, greed and ambition: As Macbeth becomes more jealous that Malcolm is one step ahead of him, he reveals his deep and dark desires to the audience by calling out to the stars to “hide your fires; / Let not light see my black and deep desires” where he asks darkness and evil to cover him. Macbeth does not want to see what he must do to achieve the throne by stating “The eye wink at the hand; yet let that be”, yet he urges “Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see” relating to his ultimate desire to have the end result, the crown despite killing Duncan. By considering this idea, it shows how greed and the power the King embodies has blinded him.
That trusted home
Might yet enkindle you unto the crown,
Besides the thane of Cawdor. But ’tis strange:
And oftentimes, to win us to our harm,
The instruments of darkness tell us truths,
Win us with honest trifles, to betray’s
In deepest consequence.
Cousins, a word, I pray you.
Speaker: Banquo
Spoken to: Macbeth and Ross and Angus
Circumstance: Ross and Angus have told Macbeth that he is Thane of Cawdor and believes that the next prophecy he will have is king, defeating the fact that Banquo’s children will be kings.
DP #1 Character Revelation: After Ross and Angus has told Macbeth that he has fulfilled the second prophecy, Thane of Cawdor, Banquo warns Macbeth that “to win us to our harm, / The instruments of darkness tell us truths”, explaining that evil creatures don’t have to lie but tell the truth to drive one to hurt themselves which leads to bad events. He further comments on the “deepest consequence” Macbeth might encounter if he believes in “the instruments of darkness”, showing his care for Macbeth and that he is aware of the dangers evil may pose allowing him to not give up to it as easily.
DP #2 Foreshadowing: As Banquo comments how the “instruments of darkness” may appear to give us good but can truly harm and intrap us foreshadows the events that “deepest consequence” will follow for Macbeth as the fulfillment of two prophecies shows him how easy and powerful it will be to fulfill the last prophecy. Banquo warns him as he knows the dangers of evil and points out the idea how good can “betray’s” one who is blinded by the true good. It outlines the idea that what seems too good to be true is likely to lead to consequences, ultimately foreshadowing Macbeth’s betrayal.
There’s no art
To find the mind’s construction in the face:
He was a gentleman on whom I built
An absolute trust.
Speaker: Duncan
Spoken to: Malcolm
Circumstance: Malcolm tells King Duncan that the traitor Cawdor has been seen to die and pleaded for forgiveness.
DP #1 Theme of Appearance vs. Reality: King Duncan comments on the appearance of the traitor of Thane of Cawdor and how “There’s no art / To find the mind’s construction in the face”, explaining the idea of how there is no way of seeing the true qualities one embodies by looking at their face. Duncan judged him by appearance and the status of his role putting his “absolute trust” on the “gentleman” he was because of the title he had. The king learnt the lesson to not judge one by appearance as one may appear as loyal and devoted yet can do the opposite to fulfill their ultimate desires. Also, the idea of titles can portray someone as a certain character but can deceive others as well.
DP #2 Character Revelation: King Duncan is perceived to be as a loyal and kind king to his people as he describes the traitor as “a gentleman on whom I built / An absolute trust”, showing the good relationship of trust he had built with him. But, as he describes the idea of how he was betrayed reveals his character as being too trusting and naive as this is the first time he has experienced this situation which has left him vulnerable to the traitor. His lack of wisdom and portrayal as a generous and trusting ruler leads to his downfall as his poor judgment allows him to be deceived by the Thane of Cawdor which originally was a “gentleman” who praised him.
The raven himself is hoarse
That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan
Under my battlements. Come, you spirits
That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here,
And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full
Of direst cruelty! Make thick my blood;
Stop up the access and passage to remorse,
That no compunctious visitings of nature
Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between
The effect and it! Come to my woman’s breasts,
And take my milk for gall, you murdering ministers,
Wherever in your sightless substances
You wait on nature’s mischief! 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,
To cry “Hold, hold!”
Speaker: Lady Macbeth
Spoken to: Soliloquy
Circumstance: The servant has told Lady Macbeth that the King was coming to their house.
DP #1 Character Revelation: Lady Macbeth is perceived as powerful, psychotic, evil and superstitious as she supports the idea of murdering King Duncan and calls upon the “spirits / That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here” where she desires to have evil strip her of her femininity and fill her up with evil to experience “cruelty” and “Make thick my blood; / Stop up the access and passage to remorse, / That no compunctious visitings of nature / Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between / The effect and it!”. She wants every vulnerable emotion to be stripped away from her so that she isn’t prevented from not committing the murder. She is depicted as ambitious and demanding as she desires to have “pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell” where “nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark, / To cry “Hold, hold!” as she is very passionate about the murder where she wants to make sure she is capable of stopping every force and anything that can stop this event from happening.
DP #2 Theme of Gender Roles: In Shakespeare’s time, women were oppressed not allowing Lady Macbeth to show her strength to be a lady thane in order to be equal to men. She views the murder as the only way in which she can embody ultimate power. She is presented as desiring masculinity as she orders the spirits to “unsex” her and “Come to my woman’s breasts, / And take my milk for gall” where she wants her femininity to be gone as they prevent her ambition to achieve power. To achieve cruelty, her femininity must be stripped as women are not viewed as evil or violent but Lady Macbeth is aware that to be recognized and have power, she must embody evilness to drive her to commit the murder. The struggle women have with gender roles drives them to escape this trap of oppression as they desire to experience power in which men embody, causing evil and violence to come over them.
If it were done when ’tis done, then ’twere well
It were done quickly: if the assassination
Could trammel up the consequence, and catch
With his surcease success; that but this blow
Might be the be-all and the end-all here,
But here, upon this bank and shoal of time,
We’ld jump the life to come. But in these cases
We still have judgement here; that we but teach
Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return
To plague the inventor: this even-handed justice
Commends the ingredients of our poison’d chalice
To our own lips. He’s here in double trust;
First, as I am his kinsman and his subject,
Strong both against the deed; then, as his host,
Who should against his murderer shut the door,
Not bear the knife myself. Besides, this Duncan
Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been
So clear in his great office, that his virtues
Will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued, against
The deep damnation of his taking-off;
And pity, like a naked new-born babe,
Striding the blast, or heaven’s cherubim, horsed
Upon the sightless couriers of the air,
Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye,
That tears shall drown the wind. I have no spur
To prick the sides of my intent, but only
Vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself
And falls on the other.
Speaker: Macbeth
Spoken to: Solioquy
Circumstance: The party is about to start at Macbeth’s castle.
DP #1 Character Revelation: As Macbeth thinks about the murder, he contemplates different reasons whether he should or should not kill Duncan, showing his internal battle and cautious side of his character. He comments on the fact that “First, as I am his kinsman and his subject, / Strong both against the deed; then, as his host, / Who should against his murderer shut the door” where he feels the need to protect him as he has obtained to title of Thane of Cawdor and is his host who should ultimately protect him under his own roof rather than take the advantage of killing him. As he mentions “I have no spur” shows how he recognizes that there is no reason to kill the king because only his desire wants to because of the crown, but he states the fact of how “Duncan / Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been / So clear in his great office, that his virtues” showing his recognition that no one wants him gone. He reveals that he is still indeed noble and loyal to King Duncan by contemplating the situation and by knowing how his ambition “o’erleaps itself / And falls on the other” makes his character more wise and contemplative as he is aware of the effects ambition may have on him.
DP #2 Theme of Karma: Out of all the reasons that Macbeth mentions, the idea of how “But in these cases / We still have judgement here; that we but teach / Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return / To plague the inventor” shows his complete awareness of the effects violent acts has upon people and the consequences that likely returns can deeply affect him as well. The idea of karma and his recognition of the idea how those who do bad things might have bad things come upon them shows how he is scared of this happening to him and the effects karma can have upon one.
What beast was’t, then,
That made you break this enterprise to me?
When you durst do it, then you were a man;
And, to be more than what you were, you would
Be so much more the man. Nor time nor place
Did then adhere, and yet you would make both:
They have made themselves, and that their fitness now
Does unmake you. I have given suck, and know
How tender ’tis to love the babe that milks me:
I would, while it was smiling in my face,
Have pluck’d my nipple from his boneless gums,
And dash’d the brains out, had I so sworn as you
Have done to this.
Speaker: Lady Macbeth
Spoken to: Macbeth
Circumstance: Macbeth has told Lady Macbeth that he has concluded that he will not murder him.
DP #1 Character Revelation: Lady Macbeth is seen as more powerful than Macbeth as she manipulates him with his words, showing her strong, influential role she has upon him. She uses the advantage of Macbeth’s weakness of kindness to manipulate him, representing her character as a wise, strong and convincing women who desires nothing more than committing the muder. She is aware that if Macbeth dosen’t follow through, her power won’t be recongized. By mentioning, “Does unmake you. I have given suck, and know / How tender ’tis to love the babe that milks me: / I would, while it was smiling in my face” outlines her scary and utterly cruel woman she has become to immeidtaly kill her baby because she has sworn to do it and she is seen as a lady of her word.\
DP #2 Theme of Manhood: Lady Macbeth shows the dangers of stereotypes and how easy it is for a woman or man to manipulate a man by commenting on their manly attributes. She comments on the fact of how, “What beast was’t, then, / That made you break this enterprise to me? / When you durst do it, then you were a man; / And, to be more than what you were, you would / Be so much more the man.” where she makes the statement that by wanting to commit the murder, Macbeth was a man and by obtaining the title of king, he will be more manly. This manipulates and motivates Macbeth to be more ambitious and greedy for power as when a women tells a man to be more powerful and manly, it blinds the man to prove their manhood to the woman. Macbeth begins to admire Lady Macbeth’s stern confidence as the manly attributes she embodies inspires him to actually listen to her words.
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.
Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible
To feeling as to sight? Or art thou but
A dagger of the mind, a false creation,
Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain?
I see thee yet, in form as palpable
As this which now I draw.
Thou marshall’st me the way that I was going;
Speaker: Macbeth
Spoken to: Soliloquy
Circumstance: Macbeth has decided to proceed with the murder and starts walking up to King Duncan’s room.
DP #1 Foreshadowing: In this quote, Macbeth comments on the fact that the dagger is moving away from him, in the direction of Duncan’s room further foreshadowing the future events that are about to commence as it is going to “the way that I was going”. His realization and connection that “The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee” shows that he accepts that dagger’s power and control over his actions to ultimately motivate him into committing the murder. The dagger symbolizes the foreshadowing of his murder as he questions whether it is “a dagger of the mind” where he pictures the dagger as if he is predicting his future using the exact same dagger that is leading him to his future actions.
DP #2 Theme of the effect of guilt on mental health: Macbeth’s comments on his “heat-oppressed brain” connects to the fact that with no medication, fevers break and cause hallucinations, further feeding into Macbeth’s desire to perceive it as real and follow its tricks upon his mental health. He interprets these hallucinations as a warning and ultimately connects to the effects guilt has on his mental health as his beginning of mental decline is shown here as he is taken over by his guilt and growing insanity which drives him to perceive his imagination as his awaited future and his destiny.
Methought I heard a voice cry“Sleep no more!
Macbeth does murder sleep,” the innocent sleep,
Sleep that knits up the ravell’d sleeve of care,
The death of each day’s life, sore labour’s bath,
Balm of hurt minds, great nature’s second course,
Chief nourisher in life’s feast,—
.
Speaker: Macbeth
Spoken to: Lady Macbeth
Circumstance: Macbeth has performed the murder and heard Malcolm and Donalbain yell “murder” and pray in their room yet he couldn’t say “Amen” back.
DP #1 Develops Pathos: Macbeth’s character shows genuine regret and fear from hearing the voice cry “‘Sleep no more! / Macbeth does murder sleep’” making him traumatized and wondering about his actions. We, as the audience, develop pathos for his character in this scene as he comments on the great wonders of sleep and further concludes that he can no longer sleep as “sleep that knits up the ravell’d sleeve of care” no longer applies to him. He also still is grasping the dagger in his hands, opposing the original plan, which shows Macbeth’s immediate traumatizing feelings he experiences the moment Duncan dies to make him forget that he should’ve left the dagger. This makes the audience feel bad for Macbeth as he can no longer enjoy sleep as it is and that he actually has a genuine guilt for his actions.
DP #2 Theme of the effect of guilt on the individual: As he comments on the beauties of sleep and how “sleep that knits up the ravelle’d sleeve of care” where sleep smoothes away our fear and worries can no longer resonate with him or sooth him because of his murderous actions. This poses the beginning of Macbeth’s mental decline as he cannot sleep anymore or rest because of his heavy guilt and his desire for ambition and power through the murder. He comments on the fact of “the innocent sleep” where he can longer be as he has committed a murder that has stripped him of his innocence and replaced it with guilt and fear. This guilt has traumatized him to the point that he is possibly hallucinating the voice, causing him to have a mental decline as he has been perceived as a murder who shall not rest no more.
Whence is that knocking?
How is’t with me, when every noise appalls me?
What hands are here? Ha! They pluck out mine eyes.
Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood
Clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather
The multitudinous seas in incarnadine,
Making the green one red.
Speaker: Macbeth
Spoken to: Self
Circumstance: Lady Macbeth is shocked that Macbeth still has the daggers in his hands so she goes to the room with the daggers to make the servants appear to have killed King Duncan.
DP #1 Theme of the effect guilt has on an individual: Macbeth metaphorically explains his guilt through his realization of how much blood his hands are covered with that the ocean cannot even wash it all off or remove the blood stain of his hands. This parallels the idea that Macbeth’s murderous action has scared or stained his mental well being that now he is imagining “knocking” where he questions “How is’t with me, when every noise appalls me?”. He comments on the fact that “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood”, where Neptune symbolizes the king of the sea and will not allow this blood to be removed as Macbeth has rebelled against the king. This blood has been ingrained in him and he exaggerates how the water will be turned from “green one red”, representing all his guilt in the fact that not even all the world’s oceans could erase his action from his life and hands.
DP #2 Develops Pathos: We, as the audience, view Macbeth as traumatized and defeated as he exaggerated the amount of blood on his hands to the fact that no ocean could wash off his blood. He comments on the “knocking” and “How is’t with me, when every noise appalls me?” where it leaves the audience feeling a sense of sadness for the toll guilt has had upon his imagination. The knocking signifies the constant reminder of Macbeth’s murder and his guilt will not let him forget what he has done which makes the audience remind themselves how Macbeth has been manipulated into murdering Duncan and further consumed by power, ambition and his own guilt. His comments in this scene allow the audience to resent from viewing him as a bad character as he does view his action as permanent and bad.
The night has been unruly: where we lay,
Our chimneys were blown down; and, as they say,
Lamentings heard i’ the air; strange screams of death,
And prophesying with accents terrible
Of dire combustion and confused events
New hatch’d to the woeful time: the obscure bird
Clamour’d the livelong night: some say, the earth
Was feverous and did shake.
Speaker: Lennox
Spoken to: Macbeth
Circumstance: It is the morning and Macduff and Lennox have come to Macbeth to show them the King’s room to awaken him for his departure.
DP Dramatic Irony: Lennox comments on the fact of how last night was a very rough night “Our chimneys were blown down…strange screams of death…some say, the earth / Was feverous and did shake”. He further describes how a “new hatch’d to the woeful time” came upon him. This creates massive dramatic irony as the audience is aware of what has happened last night that will cause the beginning of a new and awful time without the King. Also, the comment on “screams of death” relates to the King’s ultimate death and how Macbeth’s action has shaken the earth by eliminating the King of great power where now change has to commence in Scotland.
DP Suspense: Lennox describes many different things from last night to Macbeth of how it was a wild night full of “Our chimneys were blown down…strange screams of death…some say, the earth / Was feverous and did shake” which creates tension and suspense for the audience as they wonder whether or not Lennox has heard the murder. By mentioning “some say” relates to the fact that many people have experienced the exact same feelings as Lennox last light, creating suspicion and suspense in the play as Lennox’s points will be proven later on after they find out the King has been killed.
