MACBETH

• Speaker: 'Quote'
• This quote is the closing line from the first scene in Macbeth
• The quote "Fair is foul and foul is fair" sets the tone for the rest of the play
• The quote is spoken by the witches, indicating the significant presence of the supernatural throughout the story
• Shakespeare purposely wrote this line to stand out and linger in the minds of the audience
• The theme of not trusting appearances comes up often in Macbeth


  Macbeth and his wife may put on a pretense of loyalty to the king but behind his back they are plotting to murder him
• The theme of not trusting appearances comes up often in Macbeth


  The witches themselves are very deceptive, telling Macbeth fair-sounding promises that are almost always half-truths
• Macbeth says in Act 1 Scene 3, "So foul and fair a day I have not seen," foreshadowing his involvement with the witches and reminding the audience to beware of his deceptive words
• In this quote, Macbeth reveals the depth of his ambition and admits that he is aware that his desires are morally wrong
• Macbeth wants to hide his thoughts from God, represented by the symbols of stars and light
• Macbeth is conflicted between his intense desire for power and his unwillingness to openly challenge God by murdering the divinely appointed king
• The literary devices used in these lines highlight Macbeth's dilemma
• This quote is from Lady Macbeth in Act 1 Scene 5 and refers to her husband, Macbeth
• Lady Macbeth implies that Macbeth is not a murderer by nature, showing he is not a two-dimensional villain
• Lady Macbeth's wording subtly associates Macbeth's good qualities with breastfeeding, implying weakness in his nature
• Lady Macbeth sets herself up to be a villain and manipulator in the eyes of the audience
• Lady Macbeth knows she will have to convince her husband to go through with the murder
• This quote appears in Act 1 Scene 5 where Lady Macbeth is asking dark spirits to strip her of her femininity so she can take on the role of a cold-blooded killer
• Many alliterative words are used in this quote, giving the impression of a ritual or invocation
• These few lines illustrate the idea of gender roles in the play, as Lady Macbeth believes she needs to rid herself of femininity to achieve power
• Alliterative words used

  • fill
  • full
  • crown
  • cruelty
  • toe
  • top
• The use of alliterative words gives the impression of a ritual or invocation
• The idea of gender roles in the play is illustrated as the character believes she needs to embody traits associated with masculinity to achieve power
• The character must play the masculine role as she does not trust her husband to carry out a task
• The character must call on the supernatural to make a change in her behavior
• The character is not naturally disposed towards cruelty
• Macbeth speaks the line "Is this a dagger which I see before me" in Act 2 Scene 1
• The line "Is this a dagger which I see before me" reveals Macbeth's hesitation and inner conflict before the murder of King Duncan
• The vision of the bloody dagger brings up the theme of fate vs free will


  It is not clear whether it is a supernatural sign guiding him towards his destiny or a hallucination proceeding from his anxiety
• The vision of the dagger leads Macbeth to finally make the choice to serve his selfish ambition
• The line "Had he not resembled my father as he slept, I had done it" is said by Lady Macbeth in Act 2 Scene 2
• Lady Macbeth's line "Had he not resembled my father as he slept" potentially exposes a softer, more vulnerable side to her character
• In Shakespearean times, it was assumed that women were incapable of violence
• Lady Macbeth's attempts to embody masculine traits lead to a mental breakdown at the end of the play
• Speaker: '"Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep"'
• The line "Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep" is said by Macbeth after he murders King Duncan
• Sleep is often used as a symbol of innocence throughout the play
• The line "It is unnatural, even like the deed that's done" is spoken by an old man in Act 2 Scene 4
• The murder of King Duncan disrupts the natural order and nature reacts violently as a result
• Unnamed old man: 'These events are not commonplace as he says he has not seen the like in all his years of living'