Macbeth Quotes/Themes

• O valiant cousin, worthy gentleman!" - Duncan (1,2) + THEMES


  - connotations of bravery and courage --> ironic as later, Macbeth lacks the coursge to stand up to his wife Lady Macbeth (LM)

  - Exclamatory "O" - adds emphasis to the greeting and shows how pleased Duncan is of Macbeth's (M) victory over Cawdor.

  - "worthy" - positive adjective - positive connotations which juxtapose w/ Macbeth's behaviour later in the play.

  
  

  THEMES:

  MACBETH

  DUNCAN

  APPEARANCE VS REALITY

  LOYALTY / DUTY

  KINGSHIP
• brave Macbeth' - Duncan (1,2) + THEMES


  - Shakespeare establishes him as the epitome (best example), of a courageous, honourable man

  - "brave" described with the epithet 'brave' as he fights for his king and country

  CONTEXT: ^

  In the Jacobean era, Military strength was seen as an important part of being a man --> as was loyalty to the king.

  
  

  THEMES:

  MACBETH

  DUNCAN

  APPEARANCE VS REALITY

  KINGSHIP
• "So foul and fair a day" (Macbeth) + THEMES


  - Macbeth's opening words comment on the day and weather - this immediately associates him with the witches (as they chanted 'fair is foul') and makes the audience wonder if he is already under the witches' spell.

  - the use of PARADOX emphasises this theme of appearance vs reality; the day is ambiguous - just like the witches' prophecies which are full of "fair" promises yet have "foul" consequences

  
  

  CONTEXT:

  The jacobean audience were very superstitious with deep-rooted beliefs in witches and their malevolent (evil) power. Therefore, Macbeth's words, which link him to the witches, would have made Shakespeare's audience uneasy and skeptical/distrusting of him (or even fear him)

  
  

  THEMES:

  MACBETH

  WITCHES

  APPEARANCE VS REALITY

  GOOD VS EVIL

  DECEPTION

  BETRAYAL
• "Stars hide your fires, let not light see my black and deep desires" - Macbeth (1,4) + THEMES


  - "stars" --> connotations to the heavens and fate --> the heavens and God are omniscient - therefore they see and know everything --> this indicates M knows that the murder he is contemplating is wrong as he seeks to conceal it from higher powers

  - "let not light see" - personification --> light symbolising God and showing how he is actively watching Macbeth (DIVINE RIGHT OF KINGS).

  
  

  THEMES:

  MACBETH

  AMBITION / GREED

  DECEPTION

  APPEARANCE VS REALITY

  BETRAYAL

  FATE
• "my dearest partner of greatness"- Macbeth in letter (1,5) + THEMES


  - "My" - possessive pronoun --> as LM is his wife, she would have been considered M's property by laws at the time (patriarchal society)

  - "dearest" - term of endearment --> indicating M and LM have a genuinely loving relationship --> perhaps explains why M is so easily manipulated by Lady Macbeth - bc he loves her.

  
  

  THEMES:

  MACBEH

  LADY MACBETH

  LOVE

  AMBITION

  UNNATURAL

  MASCULINITY/FEMININITY
• "But wherefore could I not pronounce "amen?" I had most need of blessing, and "amen" stuck in my throat" - Macbeth (2,2) + THEMES


  - rhetorical Q shows M's fear as he is abandoned by God

  - ^ his surprise suggets that he didn't expect to be cut off from God --> could be interpreted as though he is asking God, not LM, why he is no longer able to pray.

  - "need of blessing" - acknowledging that the crime he has committed is a sin that only God can forgive --> it is quite interesting that after committing the murder M's first thought is to pray. This perhaps suggests that he didn't really want to kill Duncan and was pushed into doing it.

  
  

  THEMES:

  MACBETH

  RELIGION

  GUILT

  LOYALTY/DUTY

  UNNATURAL

  SUPERNATURAL
• "O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife!" + THEMES


  - "Full of scorpions..." - metaphor - shows his mental distress is getting increasingly difficult to handle --> could also suggest that he has been taken over by evil desires and ambition (his hamartia (fatal flaw) is his ambition)

  
  

  - "scorpions" - connotations of danger and death, as scorpions are dangerous animals that bring about death and poison (M poisoned himself w this act) --> perhaps it could be seen to foreshadow Macbeth's demise.

  
  

  - "dear" - term of endearment - despite everything, Macbeth still appears to care deeply for his wife - does not blame her for the situation

  
  

  Exclamation mark - suggests his panic - he is unable to think clearly or calmly, and this affects his ability to think through the witches prophecies. - this highlights his minds deterioration (sympathy)

  
  

  THEMES:

  MACBETH

  LADY MACBETH

  MADNESS

  GUILT

  AMBITION/GREED

  SUPERNATURAL
• "deny me this, and an eternal curse fall on you! Let me know!" - macbeth (4,1) + THEMES


  - Since he is king, he is not used to being "den[ied]" anything that he wants

  
  

  - "an eternal curse ..." - irony - > he attempts to threaten the witches with a curse, which is illogical as they have the power to curse, but he does not. - could also demonstrate a lack of understanding with regards to the power the witches have

  
  

  - Exclamation mark - demonstrates his panic and frustration

  
  

  THEMES:

  MACBETH

  WITCHES

  MADNESS

  AMBITION/GREED

  SUPERNATURAL

  FATE
• "Out, out, brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more" - Macbeth (5,5) + THEMES


  - "Out out" - repetition - creates tension - shows that M feels grief over the death of LM

  
  

  - "brief candle" - metaphor - highlights the short nature of life and how quickly it can be ripped away

  
  

  - the metaphor suggests that life is without purpose, as devoid of substance as a "shadow"

  ^

  and that he has reached this position of power, but doesnt seem to be fulfilled.

  
  

  - audience can see that his ambition is his hamartia (fatal flaw)

  - reveals the danger of ambition

  
  

  - ^^ M appears to realise the futility of trying to gain power as in the end everyone dies..

  
  

  -It prompts the audience to reflect on their own mortality and the fleeting nature of human existence. - "the stage" - metatheatre - breaks fourth wall

  
  

  THEMES:

  MACBETH

  LADY MACBETH

  MADNESS

  GUILT

  FATE ( OF AMBITION)
• "Sleep no more, Macbeth hath murder sleep" (2,2)


  - This line demonstrates M's immediate guilt following the murder of King Duncan. This may evoke a small amount of sympathy for M from the audience, however, the act of regicide was still seen as unforgivable in Jacobean society. The idea of M's guilt and regret strays away from the concept of a two-dimensional villain. Sleep is a recurring motif in Macbeth that symbolises innocence, peace, and moral conscience. By murdering Duncan, Macbeth metaphorically kills his own ability to sleep peacefully, signifying the loss of innocence and the beginning of his descent into moral darkness.

  
  

  - This line reflects Macbeth's internal conflict and guilt over his actions. Despite committing the murder to fulfill his ambitions, Macbeth realizes the enormity of his crime and is tormented by guilt. The repetition of "Sleep no more" emphasizes the irreversibility of his actions and the haunting nature of his guilt.

  
  

  -This line foreshadows Macbeth's increasing paranoia and descent into madness as the play progresses. His inability to sleep becomes a recurring motif, symbolizing his troubled conscience and mental deterioration.

  
  

  -The line marks a significant turning point in Macbeth's character. It shows his transformation from a loyal and honorable warrior into a ruthless and morally bankrupt tyrant consumed by ambition.
• 'Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?' - Macbeth (2,3)

  motif of blood

  • blood represents his guilt
  • descent into madness
  • even the great ocean of a mythological God cannot cleanse him of his sin/guilt