P4 x 2 Flashcards
point/evidence
Furthermore, Macbeth continues to make bad choices as seen when he says, “I am in blood/Stepped in so far that should I wade no more, Returning were as tedious as go o’er” to his wife during this conversation.
analysis
Shakespeare uses a metaphor here to compare Macbeth’s murders to a stream of blood. Just as it is difficult to return to shore when you are deep in a river, so too it would require a large amount of effort and energy for Macbeth to stop his murder spree and get out of the mess he is in.
link
This suggests Macbeth believes he is so far down this path of murders that turning back would be just as hard as continuing on. This leads him to make the decision to carry on murdering people so long as it ensures he remains in power, instead of choosing to stop killing people and attempting to improve the situation he is in. This choice further seals him to his tragic death.
