Macbeth Quotes

• "Fair is foul, and foul is fair." 


  Act 1, scene 2

  -The line reflects the theme of ambiguity and the inversion of values in the play. It suggests that things are not what they seem, and good may be perceived as bad while bad may be perceived as good.
• "Out, out, brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow."


  Act 5, Scene 5

  -Macbeth's soliloquy in this quote reflects his dispair and nihilistic view of life. He sees life as fleeting and meaningless, like a brief candle that is quickly distinguished.
• "Double, double toil and trouble,/ Fire burn and cauldron bubble."


  Act 4, Scene 1

  -This chant from the witches emphasises the theme of the supernatural and the use of witchcraft in the play. It also emphasises that evil is afoot.
• "All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand."


  Act 5, Scene 1

  -Lady Macbeth is sleepwalking and reveals her guilt over the murders she and Macbeth have committed. This quote highlights the theme of guilt and its inability to be washed away. This is ironic because when Macbeth says a similar thing to LM in Act 2, Scene 2 she says "And wash this filthy witness from your hand."
• "Is this a dagger I see before me,/ The handle towards my hand?"


  Act 2, Scene 1

  -Macbeth's hallucination of a dagger signifies his inner conflict and descent into madness. He is about to commit regicide and this quote reflects his inner turmoil.
• "Blood will have blood."


  Act 3, Scene 4

  -Macbeth acknowledges the idea that the consequence of his violent actions will lead to further violence and retribution. It reflects the theme of the inevitable cycle of violence.
• "All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor."


  Act 1, Scene 3Act 1, Scene 3

  -The witches' prophecy sets the events of the play in motion, leading Macbeth to consider his ambition to become king. It introduces the theme of fate and ambition.
• "False face must hide what the false heart doth know."


  Act 1, Scene 7

  -This quote represents the theme of deception and secrecy and the need for Macbeth to hide his true intentions and feelings as he contemplates the murder of King Duncan.
• Theme: Ambition


  "I have no spur / To prick the sides of my intent, but only / Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself / And falls on the other"

  Act 1, Scene 7

  "I am in blood / Stepped in so far that, should i wade no more, / Returning were as tedious as go o'er."

  Act 3, Scene 4
• Theme: Guilt

  "Out, damned spot! Out, I say!"

  Act 5, Scene 1

  "Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood / Clean from my hand?"

  Act 2, Scene 2

  "Wake Duncan with thy knocking. I would thou couldst."

  Act 2, Scene 2
• Theme: Supernatural


  "Double, double toil and trouble, / Fire burn and cauldron bubble."

  Act 2, Scene 2

  "Fair is foul, and foul is fair."

  Act 1, Scene 1
• Theme: Appearance vs Reality


  "Look like the innocent flower, / But be the serpent under't."

  Act 4, Scene 5

  "False face must hide what the false heart doth know."

  Act 1, Scene 7
• Theme: Fate


  "All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!"

  Act 1, Scene 3

  "If you can look into the seeds of time, / And say which grain will grow and which will not, / Speak then to me"

  Act 1, Scene 3

  "Blood will have blood."

  Act 3, Scene 4
• Theme: Violence and Ambition


  "Is this a dagger which I see before me, / The handle pointed toward my hand?"

  Act 2, Scene 1

  "Blood will have blood."

  Act 2, Scene 4
• Theme: The Corruption of Power


  "I am settled, and bend up / Each corporal agent to this terrible feat."

  Act 1, Scene 7

  "To show unfelt sorrow is an office / Which the false man does easy."

  Act 2, Scene 3
• Theme: The role of Woman


  "Come, you spirits / That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here."

  Act 1, Scene 5

  "I dare do all that may become a man; / Who dares do more is none."

  Act 1, Scene 7 Macbeth
• What does the motif of blood symbolize in the play?

  Guilt, violence, and the consequence of immoral actions
• How does blood function as a recurring image in the play?

  It represents the irrevocable damage done by Macbeth and Lady Macbeth's crimes
• What does Macbeth mean when he says, "Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood / Clean from my hand?"


  He expresses his guilt and the impossibility of erasing the guilt of King Duncan's murder
• What does Lady Macbeth's line "Out, damned spot! Out, I say!" reveal about her character?


  It reveals her guilt and the haunting presence of bloodstains
• What does the phrase "Blood will have blood" signify in the context of the play?

  It acknowledges the cycle of violence and revenge set in motion by Macbeth's actions
• Motif: Darkness and Light

  "Stars, hide your fires, / Let not light see my black and deep desires."

  -Macbeth calls upon darkness to hide his wicked intentions

  "Come, thick night, / And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell."

  -LM welcomes darkness to conceal her cruel deeds.
• Motif: Sleep


  The motif of sleep represents innocence, peace, and the restoration of power of sleep. As the play progresses, it reflects the characters' loss of peace and innocence as they descend into guilt and madness.
• Motif: Sleep quotations

  "Methought I heard a voice cry, 'Sleep no more: / Macbeth does murder sleep.'"

  
  

  "Sleep that knits up the raveled sleave of care."

  
  

  "Glamis hath murdered sleep, and therefore Cawdor / Shall sleep no more; Macbeth shall sleep no more."
• Theme: Kingship


  "All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor."

  Act 1, Scene 3

  This quotation is one of the prophecies given by the witches, which foretells that Macbeth will become the Thane of Cawdor. It sets in motion Macbeth's ambition to become king an introduces the theme of divineand right of kings, as it suggests that Macbeth is destined to rule.
• Theme: Kingship


  "Look like th' innocent flower, / But be the serpent under't."

  Act 1, Scene 5

  LM advises Macbeth on how to act when King Duncan visits their home. This quote emphasises the importance of appearances and deception in maintaining power and authority. It reflects the theme of the artifice of Kingship, where rulers may have to conceal their true intentions.
• Theme: Kingship


  "His gashes cried for help."

  Act 1, Scene 2

  This is a description of the wounded sergeant's injuries when he reports on Macbeth's bravery in battle. It illustrates the idea that a good king, like Duncan, cares for and protects his subjects. Duncan's kingship with justice and the well-being of his people.