macbeth quotes

• "Foul is fair, and fair is foul."


  said by: the weird sisters (act 1 scene 1)

  themes: good and evil

  significance: appearance can be deceiving and what seems to be good or fair on the surface may underlying with corruption and be morally foul.
• The instruments of darkness tell us truths, Win us with honest trifles, to betray's'


  said by: Banquo (act 1 scene 2)

  themes: betrayal

  significance: he voices his concern that the witches offer future with caution, which foreshadows the upcoming prophecies
• Stars hide your fires'


  said by: Macbeth (act 1 scene 4)

  themes: knowing he is in the wrong

  significance: he is asking the stars to hide their light so that no one will be able to see the dark desires he has inside him.
• "Come, you spirits That tend on mortal thoughts! Unsex me here,'


  said by: Lady Macbeth (act 1 scene 5)

  themes: removing weaknesses

  significance: a request for her femininity or womanhood to be drained out of her, so she is more 'manly' and ready to kill.
• "Look like the innocent flower, But be the serpent under it."


  said by: Lady Macbeth (act 1 scene 5)

  themes: being deceitful

  significance: she is referring to Macbeth and telling him to appear innocent but act brutally.
• Vaulting ambition'


  said by: Macbeth (act 1 scene 7)

  themes: ambition

  significance: he wishes to become successful powerful and rich more than anything, even the sacrifice of loosing his wife.
• Sleep no more, Macbeth has murdered sleep'


  said by: Macbeth (act 2)

  themes: murder/ evil

  significance: this quotes implies how he has lost his internal peace, for he would then live in fear and guilt at the reminder of the act he committed.
• Oh full of scorpions is my mind'


  said by: macbeth (act 3)

  themes: guilt

  significance: : Ones moral conscious triumphing over their actions and the fear of repercussions of their actions if court
• we have scorched the snake not killed it'


  said by: macbeth (act 3)

  themes: ambition

  significance: never being satisfied when goes too far and the idea of fate and that the snake cannot be truly killed because of the prophecy - Macbeth believes law of the survival, kill or be killed
• Will all of Neptune's ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?'


  said by: macbeth (act 2)

  themes: murder/ evil

  significance: this quote demonstrates the theme of consequences staying with them and shows the audience that Macbeth simply trying to undo or cover the act will not help his situation no matter what he does
• theirs daggers in mens smiles'


  said by: macbeth (act 2)

  themes: guilt

  significance: macbeth worries that the men are hiding their concerns and inadequate fears that macbeth killed Duncan through the smiles (metaphor for betrayal)
• whats done is done'

  said by: lady macbeth (act 3)

  themes: suppressing guilt

  significance: there is nothing either of them can do to change there actions so should act like nothing has happened
• when they did say "god bless us"..." "amen" stuck in my throat.


  said by: macbeth (act 2)

  themes: guilt

  significance: he can't ask for gods blessing because evil has overtook his moral compass and god wouldn't forgive him
• be innocent of the knowledge my dearest chuck'


  said by: macbeth (act 3)

  themes: appearance vs reality

  significance: Macbeth wants the murderers to hide the fact that they are targeting Banquo. They are targeting Banquo because he has become suspicious of the fact that Macbeth became king.
• a knell that summons thee to heaven or to hell.'


  said by: macbeth (act 2)

  themes: murder/ evil

  significance: he prays that he can do the deed without being caught and he has now overcome the mental battles to actually do the deed.
• Your spirits shine through you. Within this hour at most.'


  said by: macbeth to the first murderer (act 3)

  themes: murder/evil

  significance: This proves Banquo's ideas that Macbeth is not fit for king. When Macbeth wants Banquo killed, he can't do it himself and puts his work on others claiming that they are best fit. Although the murderers may have had an aptitude for killing, they were not agains Banquo until the king had told them to be, proving that Macbeth had the most hate and most reason to kill.
• Double, double toil and trouble,Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.'

  'by the pricking of my thumb something wicked this way comes'


  said by: witches (act 4)

  themes: illusions

  significance: Casting spell to make Macbeth see illusions
• Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! Beware Macduff.Beware the thane of Fife. Dismiss me. Enough.'

  'Be bloody, bold, and resolute. Laugh to scornThe power of man, for none of woman bornShall harm Macbeth.'


  said by: witches (act 4)

  themes: apparations/ naitvy

  significance: First ApparitionWarning Macbeth of Macduff
• Be lion-mettled, proud, and take no careWho chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are.Macbeth shall never vanquished be untilGreat Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane HillShall come against him.


  said by: witches (act 4)

  themes: apparations/ naitevy

  signifiance: third Apparition. Telling Macbeth not to worry, that his regime will be strong until the Great Birnam Wood goes to Dunsinane Hill
• Be bloody, bold, and resolute. Laugh to scornThe power of man, for none of woman bornShall harm Macbeth.'


  said by: witches (act 4)

  themes: apparitions/ naviety

  significance: second ApparitionTelling Macbeth not to worry and be bold because no one who was born of a woman can harm Macbeth
• Fathered he is, and yet he's fatherless.'


  said by: Lady Macduff (act 4)

  themes: ambition

  significance: speaking to Ross, speaking of her son and how Macduff has abandoned them
• What, all my pretty chickens and their dam, At one fell swoop?'


  said by: Macduff (act 4)

  significance: Speaking to Ross, asking if all of his children and their mother have been killed. Frantic and grief-stricken

  themes: victimn, prey
• "All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand."


  said by: lady macbeth (act 5)

  themes: guilt

  significance: (too much guilt form murders, she is excommunicated from the community that might otherwise be able to help her)
• "Hell is murky."


  said by:Lady Macbeth (act 5)

  themes: ambition

  significance: (ambiguity, and when characters isolate themselves they sever connection to any sense of direction, literally in hell)
• "Bring me no more reports. Let them fly all."


  said by: macbeth (act 5)

  themes: isolation

  significance: (doesn't care what anybody thinks, increasingly isolated, admirable in battle, not changed by prophecies)
• "Should have died hereafter. There would have been a time for such a word."


  said by: Macbeth (act 5)

  themes: grief

  significance: (response to hearing Lady Macbeth has died, says she would have died anyway, immovable; can't be moved by emotions, can't experience richness of life)