‘Macbeth’ Quotations

Question 1

What do the witches say in the opening scene?

Answer 1

Fair is foul and foul is fair

Question 2

How does the Captain describe Macbeth after the battle against Norway?

Answer 2

Brave Macbeth

Question 3

Complete the quotation by Lady Macbeth “ Pour my…”

Answer 3

spirits in thine ear

Question 4

How does Macduff describe the killing of the king?

Answer 4

Most sacrilegious murder

Question 5

Macbeth describes the blood on his hands after killing the king, what does Lady Macbeth advise that he does?

Answer 5

Wash this filthy witness from your hands

Question 6

Complete the quotation by Macbeth after seeing Banquo’s Ghost: “ Never shake thy…”

Answer 6

Gory locks at me

Question 7

Complete the quotation by Banquo in response to the witches: “ to win us to our harm…”

Answer 7

The instruments of darkness tell us truths

Question 8

How does Macduff describe Macbeth’s dismembered head?

Answer 8

the usurper’s cursed head

Question 9

Macbeth has a mind full of what creature?

Answer 9

Scorpions

Question 10

What does Lady Macbeth say whilst sleepwalking and seeing blood on her hands?

Answer 10

Out damned spot

Question 11

witches - “fair is foul and foul is fair”

Answer 11

. 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

Question 12

Banquo about the Witches- “you should be women, and yet your beards forbid me to interpret that you are so”

Answer 12

.Banquo is acknowledging the physical flaws of the witches
-> Stating that thereby were unknown creatures who could not be a regular person like himself

Question 13

Witches - “When shall we three meet again in thunder, lightning, or rain”

Answer 13

. Pathetic Fallacy
. Dark weather is a warning to the audience
. Dark imagery of the supernatural

Question 14

Banquo - “Neither beg nor fear”

Answer 14

. contrast between macbeth and banquo
. he is sceptical about the witches

Question 15

Banquo - “restrain in me the cursed thoughts”

Answer 15

.Haunted by the same fantasies of regicide as macbeth
-> Banquo is moral and withholds himself/ isn’t corrupted

Question 16

Banquo - “if i grow the harvest is your own”

Answer 16

. doesn’t give into the dark thoughts of regicide
-> channels it to benefit the king
-> loyal

Question 17

Macduff - “thy hope ends here”

Answer 17

. 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

Question 18

macduff - “most sacrilegious murderhath broke open the lords anointed temple”

Answer 18

. 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

Question 19

Duncan - “naked new-born babe”

Answer 19

. shows duncan’s modesty as a King and imagery of a newborn baby suggests purity and innocence

Question 20

Duncan - “Valiant cousin, worthy Gentleman”

Answer 20

. Shows Duncan’s benevolence and respect as a King, presenting him to be a good king

Question 21

Duncan - “ there’s no art to fund the minds construction in the face”

Answer 21

trusting of the other characters - too much
-> ironic because he can’t recognise macbeth’s hidden desires

Question 22

Duncan - “This castle hath a pleasant seat ; the sir nimbly and sweetly recommends itself”

Answer 22

• 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

Question 23

Lady Macbeth - “pour my spirits in thine ear”

Answer 23

. 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

Question 24

Lady Macbeth - “unsex me here”

Answer 24

. 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

Question 25

Lady Macbeth - “take my milk for gal”

Answer 25

. metaphor
. she would rather be evil than a mother
. stereotype of women being mothers
. she is manipulative and inpatient and power hungry

Question 26

Lady Macbeth - “look like the innocent flower but be the serpent under it”

Answer 26

. 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