12 quotes

• "Fair is foul and foul is fair." -Act 1,Scene 1-The Witches

  • THEMES:Supernatural, Appearance VS reality.
  • Closing line and sets tone for rest of play.
  • Supernatural is going to be significance in play.
  • Inversion of fair is foul and foul is fair.
  • Stand out and linger in mind of audience
  • Not to trust appearances.
  • eg( Macbeth and Lady Macbeth having a fake act in front of Duncan before they murder him."
  • Witches tell Prophecies which are half truth but Macbeth ruins it as he acts violently towards it.
  • "So foul and fair a day i have not seen." -Act 1,Scene 3
  • This foreshadows his involvement with the witches.
• "Stars hide your fires,let not light see my black and deep desires." -Act 1,Scene 4-Macbeth

  THEMES: AMBITION AND GUILT.

  • Reveals depth of ambition
  • His desires is morally wrong
  • Wants to hide his thoughts from God (God described as the stars.)
  • Desires power but wants to challenge God by killing divinely appointed king.
  • Language devices-Alliteration-/let light/deep desires
  • Juxtaposition-Starts,fires,light Vs Black and deep.
  • Uncontrolled ambition.
• "Yet do i fear thy nature. It is too full o'th' milk of human kindness." -Act 1,Scene 5-Lady Macbeth.

  • THEMES: Masculinity, Cruelty, Ambition and Guilt.
  • Although Macbeth is a soldier he's not a murderer by nature.
  • Which shows Macbeth may be kind and empathetic by heart.
  • He fears his nature (kindness) as a weakness.
  • Milk of human kindness is a subtle dig at his masculinity as it shows his good qualities as masculinity.
  • Lady Macbeth is a manipulator and a Villain
• "Come you,spirits that tend on mortal thoughts,unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty."

  -Act 1,Scene 5, Lady Macbeth.

  • THEMES: MASCULINITY AND CRUELTY,AMBITION.SUPERNATURAL AND APPEARANCE V REALITY
  • Lady Macbeth asking dark spirits to strip her femininity.)
  • Alliterations (FILL/FULL, CROWN/CRUELTY, TOE/TOP)
  • Shows GendER ROLES
  • She needs to embodies traits of masculinity to be cruel
  • She must play the masculine role to see it through.
  • Behaviour is unnatural for a women therefore she needs to call for supernatural.
  • Later on,in Act 5 she can't handle the consequences of this unatural role.
• "Is this a dagger which i see before me?"- Act 2, Scene 1-Macbeth.

  • THEMES: SUPERNATURAL, APPEARANCE VS REALITY, GUILT, FATE VS FREE WILL.
  • On his way to kill King DuncaN.
  • Reveals his hesitation.
  • Could be supernatural sign or hallucination.
  • Could be using fate as a vision as an excuse to kill the king.
  • Vision leads him to make a choice.
• "Has he not resembled my father as he slept,i had done't." -Act 2,Scene 2.-Lady Macbeth

  • THEMES: GUILT,MASCULINITY AND CRUELTY,APPEARANCE VS REALITY.
  • Vulnerable side to her Character
  • Relates Duncan to her father
  • could be a excuse to hide her capability to kill
  • Shakespeare women CONTEXT- although women could manipulate they were incapable of violence.
  • She must rely on her Husband to carry out murder.
  • suffers a breakdown at the end of the play.
  • Supports old fashion view of women being the weaker sex.
• "Sleep no more,Macbeth does murder sleep." Act 2,Scene 2-Macbeth

  • THEMES: Supernatural and guilt.
  • Hears a voice-supernatural element
  • Reflects his mental sate
  • He has condemned his soul as he committed regicide
  • Allows audience to feel sympathy as it reveals his guilt.
  • He is afraid of the consequences.
  • Sleep is used as innocent but its personified-implies Macbeth destroyed innocence.
  • They both never sleep in peace.
• "Tis unnatural, even like the deed that's done."-Act 2,Scene 4-Old Man.

  • THEMES: KINGSHIP VS TYRANNY, SUPERNATURAL
  • Remarks the strange events.
  • CONTEXT:The murder of the divinely appointed king of time would've interrupted the natural order and nature would respond violently
  • Said by an Old man as it isn't a common occurrence.
  • Even Nature is against Macbeth.
  • Foreshadows the failure of his reign.
• "Naught's had, all's spent, where our desire is got without content." -ACT 3, Scene 2- Lady Macbeth

  • THEMES: AMBITION,GUILT, APPEARANCE VS REALITY.
  • A different side of her alone instead of the facade she puts up in front of others.
  • Reveals her remorse.
  • She and Macbeth are not suited for Villainy.
  • Not ready to deal with consequences of actions.
• "Out damn spot;, out i say.. here's the smell of blood still. All the perfumes over Arabia will not sweeten this little hand." -ACT 5, Scene 1-Lady Macbeth.

  • THEMES: GUILT,SUPERNATURAL,MACULINITY VS CRUELTY, APPEARANCE VS REALITY.
  • Lady Macbeth sleepwalking
  • Her consequence
  • Symbol of blood and lack of sleep represents guilt
  • Inability to get rid of smell and blood of hands contradicts when she said "A little water clears us of this deed.
  • This hallucination drives her to kill herself.
• "Out, out, brief candle. Life's but a walking shadow.. It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound a fury,signifying nothing." -Act 5, Scene 5-Macbeth

  • THEMES: GUILT,AMBITION, FATE VS FREE WILL, KINGSHIP VS TYRANNY.
  • After hearing his wife's death, Macbeth reflects on life being pointless using candle.
  • No real joy or meaning to be found in life
  • consequence of going against God's natural order
  • His negative perspective of life is because of his immoral actions
  • His life has become miserable.
• "This dead butcher and his fiend -like queen."- Act 5,Scene 11- Malcolm

  • THEMES: AMBITION,KINGSHIP VS TYRANNY.
  • Speaks this line before he becomes rightful king
  • General hatred towards macbeth and his wife
  • No sadness for his death or respect for macbeth.
  • Butcher-implies Macbeth was ruthless
  • They both are dehumanised.
  • Malcolm not being sympathetic.