Macbeth

• "I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, only vaulting ambition"


  - Macbeth in Act 1 Scene 7

  - the theme of ambition and power

  - Comes from his soliloquy where he is deciding whether he should kill Duncan

  - he clearly states his hamartia and implies there is no other motivation for his actions

  - suggesting that Macbeth's ambition overcomes all of his other positive character traits
• "When you durst do it then you were a man"


  - Lady Macbeth in Act 1 Scene 7

  - theme of masculinity and the Macbeth's' relationship

  - emasculating Macbeth to hurt his pride

  - in the Jacobean era manliness was equated with strength so she is also calling him weak

  - example of role reversal in their relationship as Lady Macbeth takes on the more dominant and masculine role
• "Life...is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing"


  - Macbeth in Act 5 Scene 5

  - soliloquy after Lady Macbeth's death

  - an example of nihilism, Macbeth believes that life is pointless and everything is ultimately pointless

  - for a Christian audience this rejection of God would have been shocking

  - despite his blasphemous words, the audience still feels sympathy for him losing his wife

  - representing a moment of anagnorisis, a tragic hero's realisation of his fate

  - also signifies the love and care he still harbours for his wife
• "Fair is foul and foul is fair"


  - witches in Act 1 Scene 1

  - the use of a trochaic tetrameter gives a mysterious and ominous tone as if a spell is being cast

  - the juxtaposition and paradox symbolize chaos and strangeness

  - this is the catalyst for the whole plot of Macbeth as it ultimately drives Macbeth to follow his ambition

  - Macbeth echoes this language, "so foul and fair a day I have not seen"

  - Macbeth is associated with the supernatural without meeting the witches yet
• "Stars hide your fires; let not light see my dark and deep desires"


  - Macbeth in Act 1 Scene 4

  - theme of duplicity

  - beseeching for his evil desires to be hidden from god

  - religious symbolism of "stars" and light" suggests he is aware of the consequences of committing regicide

  - imperative verbs used to control the natural world, could be seen as blasphemous as it is an attempt to disrupt the Great Chain of Being

  - the personification of celestial bodies - "stars" - emphasises his need to hide his ambition from both himself and the prying eyes of morality
• "The dead butcher and his fiend-like queen"


  - Malcolm in Act 5 Scene 9

  - final soliloquy after the Macbeths are dead, Malcolm posthumously dehumanises the Macbeths

  - "butcher" is someone who kills without feeling or remorse, Macbeth is reduced to a common murderer

  - Lady Macbeth is compared to a demon, she is associated with the evil forces in the play - the witches - who bring chaos

  - neither character is referred to by their name, the omission shows their fall in status

  - the final judgement encapsulates their brutal legacy and the moral repulsion they elicited
• "Come you spirits... unsex me here"


  - Lady Macbeth in Act 1 Scene 5

  - imperative verbs when commanding the evil spirits which shows the power she has or believes she has at this point

  - can also show her hubris as it is arrogant for a mortal to believe they can command evil forces

  - she wants to subvert(overturn a powerful structure) the characteristics of a typical woman and signifies her rejection of female passivity commonly present in the Jacobean era

  - this would've been disturbing to a Jacobean audience as it is akin to the actions of a witch
• "Look like the innocent flower but be the serpent under't"


  - Lady Macbeth in Act 1 Scene 5

  - suggesting Macbeth to hide his true treasonous self from Duncan

  - reflective of Lady Macbeth's duplicitous nature

  - imperative verbs also show her power over Macbeth

  - epitomizes deceit and strategic manipulation for power, shows the discrepancy between appearance and reality

  - religious connotations of "serpent" referring to the snake who tempts Eve in the Garden of Eden, Shakespeare suggests that committing blasphemous acts will always lead to ruin
• "Out, damned spot: out, I say!"


  - Lady Macbeth in Act 5 Scene 1

  - her desperation is shown through the use of punctuation and the repetition of "out"

  - The use of imperative verbs is ironic as it lacks the power it had before, it has turned into pleas of desperation

  - the hypocrisy of her criticising Macbeth's guilt whereas now it is taking over her consciousness whilst Macbeth has turned into a cruel tyrant
• "Out, out brief candle"


  - Macbeth in Act 5 Scene 5

  - echoing Lady Macbeth's language, shows their connection is still there despite the ambition that tore their relationship apart

  - a sense of finality and remorse for his wife

  - also could reflect his nihilism as the candle is a metaphor for life

  - captures the transient nature of life and the futility of his actions due to his ambition
• "A little water clears us of this deed"

  "All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand"


  - Lady Macbeth in Act 2 Scene 2 and Act 5 Scene 1

  - Lady Macbeth displays hubris when she confidently asserts that she and Macbeth won't be troubled by guilt or remorse

  - confidence contrasts Macbeth's guilt

  - displaying a pragmatic but naive understanding of guilt and consequence

  - "hands" represent responsibility

  - ironic that later she sees blood on her hands and her original confidence was misplaced

  - Shakespeare suggests that once Lady Macbeth accepted responsibility, the guilt was overwhelming

  - signifies the indelible nature of guilt
• "Macbeth does murder sleep!"


  - Macbeth in Act 2 Scene 2

  - motif of sleep

  - the personification of sleep

  - "sleep" symbolizes peace or calm which suggests Macbeth will no longer be at peace for committing regicide

  - suggesting that by murdering a king he has murdered his chance at peace - eternal peace like heaven
• "Till Birnam forest come to Dunsinane"


  - Macbeth in Act 5 Scene 3

  - conveys Macbeth's overconfidence in the witches' prophecy which showcases his fatalistic view

  - the dramatic irony foretelling his downfall as the audience knows Birnam Wood will come to Dunsinane

  - shows Macbeth's hubris
• "Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?"


  - Macbeth in Act 2 Scene 2

  - the hyperbolic image of Neptune's oceans not being sufficient to clean his hands underscores the magnitude of his guilt

  - showcases the psychological impact of Macbeth's actions and the inescapable nature of his guilt

  - motif of blood to symbolize guilt

  - "My hand" is symbolic of Macbeth being the architect of his downfall
• "Is this a dagger I see before me?"


  - Macbeth in Act 2 Scene 1

  - the hallucination reveals his psychological turmoil and guilt before even committing Duncan's murder

  - demonstrates his vacillation between ambition and conscience

  - the dagger symbolizes the actualization of his murderous thoughts as he is manifesting his inner conflict and foreshadowing the real act of violence

  - shows the deterioration of Macbeth's mental state and is a manifestation of his guilt

  - the rhetorical question could also hint at his hesitancy and how unsure he is of his plan to murder Duncan
• "My dearest partner of greatness"


  - Macbeth in his letter in Act 1 Scene 5

  - the term "partner" denotes equality and mutual support

  - challenges gender roles in the Jacobean era as wives were not seen as equal to their husbands but rather their property

  - immediately establishes the shared ambitions and unusual power Lady Macbeth holds in their relationship
• "Dashed the brains out"


  - Lady Macbeth in Act 1 Scene 7

  - horrific image demonstrates her ruthless determination and the extent she will go to fulfil her ambitions

  - shows her rejection of maternal instincts
• "My hands are of your colour but I shame to wear a heart so white"


  - Lady Macbeth in Act 2 Scene 2

  - using the colour "white" to symbolize cowardice

  - emasculates Macbeth and expresses her disdain for weakness
• "I have begun to plant thee, and will labour to make thee full of growing"


  - King Duncan in Act 1 scene 4

  - metaphorical language likening Macbeth's burgeoning honour to a plant he plans to nurture

  - showcases Duncan's kindness and generosity

  - shows his role in cultivating the ambition that will lead to his own demise

  - presents Duncan's benevolent kingship and his naivety in trusting Macbeth
• "The sin of my ingratitude even now was heavy on me"


  - King Duncan in Act 1 Scene 4

  - he expresses remorse for not rewarding loyalty sufficiently, showing his conscientious leadership

  - emphasis on the moral weight he poses on rulership and the need for gratitude

  - he understands the responsibilities of kingship contrasting Macbeth who is immoral and tyrannical
• "But signs of nobleness like stars shall shine on all deservers"

  - King Duncan in Act 1 Scene 4

  - the metaphor associates nobility with celestial beings, suggesting that nobility is both conspicuous and eternal

  - his idealistic view emphasizes the divine right of kings and connecting human actions with cosmic imagery

  - Duncan believes in the inherent goodness of all of his subjects

  - the antithesis of Macbeth who commanded celestial beings to hide his immoral and malevolent deeds
• "For none of woman born shall harm Macbeth"


  - the witches in Act 4 Scene 1

  - the prophecy is paradoxical and ambiguous, falsely reassuring Macbeth of his invincibility

  - showcases the theme of fate and the supernatural's influence on mortal actions

  - displays the tragic consequences of trusting the supernatural and associating with evil
• "In thunder, lightning, or in rain?"


  - the witches in Act 1 Scene 1

  - their first line introduces them as inextricably linked to chaos and the elements

  - their speech is rhythmic and incantatory which reinforces their supernatural influence and the subversion of natural order
• "Infirm of purpose!"


  - Lady Macbeth in Act 2 Scene 2

  - the exclamatory sentence shows her frustration with Macbeth's incompetence

  - not only criticizing his inability to cover up the murder but also as a euphemism for their intimate relationship

  - subverts gender roles in the Jacobean era as the failure to conceive a child was usually blamed on the woman

  - depicts Lady Macbeth's challenge to the patriarchal beliefs of the audience
• "the instruments of darkness tell us truths, win us honest trifles"

  - Banquo in Act 1 Scene 3

  - he metaphorically describes the witches which shows his scepticism towards the supernatural, the antithesis of Macbeth

  - the use of equivocation depicts the supernatural as deceitful

  - his slight interest shows that even the nobility and most moral beings can be shaken by supernatural forces of evil
• "I heard the owl scream and the crickets cry"


  - Lady Macbeth in Act 2 Scene 2

  - nature is revolting against the evil deed of regicide committed by the Macbeths

  - the natural order is disturbed, serves as the turning point in Macbeth's fate

  - he is destined for failure due to his sins