‘Macbeth’ Quotations Flashcards
What do the witches say in the opening scene?
Fair is foul and foul is fair
How does the Captain describe Macbeth after the battle against Norway?
Brave Macbeth
Complete the quotation by Lady Macbeth “ Pour my…”
spirits in thine ear
How does Macduff describe the killing of the king?
Most sacrilegious murder
Macbeth describes the blood on his hands after killing the king, what does Lady Macbeth advise that he does?
Wash this filthy witness from your hands
Complete the quotation by Macbeth after seeing Banquo’s Ghost: “ Never shake thy…”
Gory locks at me
Complete the quotation by Banquo in response to the witches: “ to win us to our harm…”
The instruments of darkness tell us truths
How does Macduff describe Macbeth’s dismembered head?
the usurper’s cursed head
Macbeth has a mind full of what creature?
Scorpions
What does Lady Macbeth say whilst sleepwalking and seeing blood on her hands?
Out damned spot
witches - “fair is foul and foul is fair”
. Foreshadows that everything is not as it seems
. Supernatural
. Appearances can be deceiving
.Macbeth repeats it in act 1 scene 5 - deceptive words foreshadowing his involvement with the witches - his downfall
Banquo about the Witches- “you should be women, and yet your beards forbid me to interpret that you are so”
.Banquo is acknowledging the physical flaws of the witches
-> Stating that thereby were unknown creatures who could not be a regular person like himself
Witches - “When shall we three meet again in thunder, lightning, or rain”
. Pathetic Fallacy
. Dark weather is a warning to the audience
. Dark imagery of the supernatural
Banquo - “Neither beg nor fear”
. contrast between macbeth and banquo
. he is sceptical about the witches
Banquo - “restrain in me the cursed thoughts”
.Haunted by the same fantasies of regicide as macbeth
-> Banquo is moral and withholds himself/ isn’t corrupted
Banquo - “if i grow the harvest is your own”
. doesn’t give into the dark thoughts of regicide
-> channels it to benefit the king
-> loyal
Macduff - “thy hope ends here”
. presents his pessimistic outlook
-> wouldn’t be able go live in happiness if Scotland was ruled by a tyrant
.proves him not to be naive
-> has strong emotion to the well-being of the country and the true king
macduff - “most sacrilegious murderhath broke open the lords anointed temple”
. Shakespeare uses metaphorical language staring Duncan’s body to be a “temple”
-> reinforces holiness of Duncan’s reign
. recognises Duncan as the true king
. represents his loyalty tog he country and intense patriotic nature
Duncan - “naked new-born babe”
. shows duncan’s modesty as a King and imagery of a newborn baby suggests purity and innocence
Duncan - “Valiant cousin, worthy Gentleman”
. Shows Duncan’s benevolence and respect as a King, presenting him to be a good king
Duncan - “ there’s no art to fund the minds construction in the face”
trusting of the other characters - too much
-> ironic because he can’t recognise macbeth’s hidden desires
Duncan - “This castle hath a pleasant seat ; the sir nimbly and sweetly recommends itself”
- Shows Duncan thinks highly of macbeth but is an example of dramatic irony
-> although the castle is appealing it is where he is murdered and betrayed
-> appearance vs reality
Lady Macbeth - “pour my spirits in thine ear”
. imagery evokes demonic possession - supernatural - wants to overpower macbeth with her villainy
. She wants to subvert traditional gender roles as a way of getting what she wants
. noun “ spirits” link her to the witches making audience suspicious
Lady Macbeth - “unsex me here”
. She doesn’t want to be emotionally remorseful
. wants power and equality of a man
. Shows audience she had enough ambition to drive her husband forward
. verb “unsex” - she associates her thigh this with masculinity
Lady Macbeth - “take my milk for gal”
. metaphor
. she would rather be evil than a mother
. stereotype of women being mothers
. she is manipulative and inpatient and power hungry
Lady Macbeth - “look like the innocent flower but be the serpent under it”
. Appearance vs reality
. imperative - LM is giving orders which is typical for the time period
. noun “flower” = connotation of life , seen as being feminine - gentle and unassuming
. noun “serpent” = snake/backstabbing and cold blooded - deadly
