Macbeth Quotes

Question 1

In thunder, lightning or in rain?

Answer 1

• Act 1.
• Theme: Evil and supernatural.
• Pathetic Fallacy of bad weather. Shows the negative impact that they have on their surroundings. The witches bring badness where ever they go.

Question 2

Till he unseam’d him from the naves to th’chaps.

Answer 2

• Act 1
• Theme: Ambition, violence, what makes a king.
• Imagery of clothing. “unseam’d”.
  Suggests the ease he has when killing someone, has had a lot of practice.

Question 3

Pour my spirits in thine ear.

Answer 3

• Act 1
• Theme: Appearance versus reality, Loyalty.
• Possessive pronoun, “my”.
  Lady Macbeth has control over Macbeth when they are lone, in reality. Where as, they create an appearance that Macbeth has control over Lady Macbeth. It shows the going against the divine order and the chaos that creates.
  Also, the way that Macbeth does what Lady Macbeth says shows that there is a degree of loyalty between them.
• Verb “pour”.
  Creates the impression that Lady Macbeth has ultimate control over Macbeth, even though her persuasive skills give Macbeth and others the impression that he has the control in the relationship.

Question 4

There is husbandry in heaven. Their lights are all out.

Answer 4

• Act 2.
  -Theme: Evil and supernatural, Guilt and conscience, Loyalty.
• Connotations of light and darkness. Suggests that Macbeth’s conscience may be betraying him, that he is not the “brave Macbeth” he once once at the start of the play. It shows the slow demise of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.
  “Light” also shows the fate in the play. What fate has install will have no effect on what Macbeth will do.
  “Light” can represent King Duncan who was recently killed. Duncan was good and popular, and showing his death can represent the darkness and evil in Macbeth being shown.

Question 5

There are daggers in men’s smiles.

Answer 5

• Act 2.
• Themes: Ambition, Evil and supernatural, Violence, Guilt and conscience.
• Juxtapostion between “daggers” and “smiles”.
  The ambition is shown as it can emphasis how Macbeth hides what he is doing to everyone apart from Lady Macbeth. It shows the physical (“daggers” that he uses) strategies and the more mental (“smiles”) strategies that he uses.
  It can show the guilt and conscience theme because of what Macbeth hides and presents to others.
  Evil and supernatural is shown because the normality presented to others by Macbeth emphasizes the chaos created within him by his greed and going against the divine order.
• Imagery within “daggers”.
  The violence theme is shown within the imagery and what Macbeth will do to make the prophecies come true and to gain his power.

Question 6

A woman’s story at a winters fire.

Answer 6

-Act 3
- Themes: Appearance and reality, Loyalty.
- Allegory, “a woman’s story”.
It shows what a woman wants in a story. This can represent the control that Lady Macbeth has over Macbeth because she has been implicitly and explicitly telling Macbeth what to do.

Question 7

Full of scorpions in my mind.

Answer 7

• Act 3.
• Themes: Appearance and reality, guilt and conscience, Loyalty.
• Imagery, “scorpions”.
  The mind is destroying itself and is becoming dangerous. The pain to Macbeth because of the guilt is becoming more and more obvious, which also can be due to going against the divine order.
• Going against the divine order can show Macbeth’s loyalty to Lady Macbeth, no matter how evil or dangerous it ca be.

Question 8

Angels are bright still, though the brightest fell.

Answer 8

• Act 4.
• Themes: Appearance and reality, Evil and Supernatural, Loyalty.
• Metaphor.
  they are comparing Macbeth to Lucifer. Macbeth was once the most loyal and well respected of Duncan’s subjects. However, he “fell” due to his own greed and ambition.
  The comparison to Lucifer also shows the effect of supernatural on those who were most loyal and there is an evil effect. Once supernatural has interfered, the Bright angels” will not have as much trust as they has done before.
  On top of that, it can represent that there always will be evil amongst many good.

Question 9

The royal father was a most sainted king.

Answer 9

• Act 4.
• Themes: Ambition, what makes a king, loyalty.
• Metaphor “Royal father”.
  The traits or a king is representitive of God and what he is. The divine order is heavily influential, even though Macbeth decides to go against it.
  However, the metaphor of “most sainted king” shows that Macbeth still thinks he should become king .
• Juxtaposition between the Lucifer quote, The divine order causes his evil as he is going against it.

Question 10

Out damned spot! Out I say!

Answer 10

• Act 5.
• Themes: Appearance and reality, Order and disorder, Guilt and conscience.
• Repetition, “out”.
  Echoes the power that she has had all throughout the play, but it is coming to an end as Macbeth displays traits of his own conscience.
• Command, “out”.
  Her power means that there is a shift in the divine order. Lady Macbeth has always had power, but as it is coming to an end, she is going back to her place in the divine order.

Question 11

Before my body, I throw my warlike shield.

Answer 11

• Act 5.
• Themes: Evil and supernatural, violence, guilt and conscience.
• Metaphor.
  “Throw”, His bravery is now surrendered, There is nothing to protect him now as it was like it was the only thing protecting him from Seyton.

Question 12

Foul is fair and fair is foul

Answer 12

-Act 1
- Themes: Appearance vs reality, Evil and Supernatural
- Repetition “Foul”, “fair”
The witches say it, showiung that itis chant-like and childish. It is also said in a similar way by Macbeth, wich can forshdow his downfall.
- Monosyllabic
Seems like the witches are childlike, doing a chant-like spell. Seems simple, but can foreshadow the evil that they appear to cause.
- Juxtaposition, “Foul”, “Fair”

Question 13

Unsex me here

Answer 13

• Act 1
• Themes: Appearance vs reality,
• Going against the expectations of the female form. It defeminises her. making sure that she is the more powerful one in the relationship.