Macbeth Quotes

• Fair is foul, and foul is fair: 'Witches'
• Witches


  • Supernatural agents who will disturb the natural order
• Brave Macbeth...disdaining fortune: 'Macbeth'
• Macbeth

  • Depicted as courageous and honourable to make his later fall more apparent
• Unseamed him from the nave to th' chops: 'Macbeth'
• Macbeth


  • Mercilessly and excessively maims his enemy, introducing the violent aspect of his personality
• I will drain him dry as hay: 'Witches'
• Witches


  • Plot to make Macbeth impotent and sleepless, hinting at exsanguination-to drain him of blood
• to win us to our harm, the instruments of darkness tell us truths, win us with honest trifles: 'Banquo'
• Banquo


  • Scepticism to the witches acts as a foil and a warning against trusting the supernatural
• supernatural soliciting cannot be ill, cannot be good: 'Macbeth'
• Macbeth


  • Dilemma over whether to trust the witches
• Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair and make my seated heart knock at my ribs: 'Macbeth'
• Macbeth

  • Thoughts planted by the witches disrupt the normal functioning of his body
• Present fears are less than horrible imaginings: 'Macbeth'
• Macbeth


  • Thinking about the brutal war he has fought in is less horrible than his current thoughts of regicide
• If chance will have me king, chance may crown me: 'Macbeth'
• Macbeth


  • Puts trust in fate to run its course, doesn't believe he needs to take any further action
• The Prince of Cumberland! That is a step on which I must fall down, or else o'erleap: 'Macbeth'
• Macbeth


  • Realises Malcolm is not an obstacle he must overcome in order to become the next king
• Stars, hide your fires; Let not light see my black and deep desires.: 'Macbeth'
• Macbeth


  • Indicates he is about to pursue an evil path that goes against the path that fate may dictate
• yet do I fear thy nature; It is too full o' the milk of human kindness: 'Lady Macbeth'
• Lady Macbeth


  • Fears Macbeth's personality is too compassionate to fully commit to killing the king
• Art not without ambition, but without the illness should attend it: 'Lady Macbeth'
• Lady Macbeth


  • Fears her husband lacks ruthlessness
• unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty!: 'Lady Macbeth'
• Lady Macbeth

  • Asks evil spirits to remove her femininity in order to have the ruthlessness to commit evil
• Come to my woman's breasts, and take my milk for gall, you murdering ministers: 'Lady Macbeth'
• Lady Macbeth


  • Feels her womanhood impedes her from performing acts of violence & cruelty associated with manliness
• look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under it: 'Lady Macbeth'
• Lady Macbeth


  • Advocates duplicity to ensure her evil plans are disguised in an appearance of innocence
• All our service in every point twice done and then done double: 'Lady Macbeth'
• Vaulting ambition, which overleaps itself and falls: 'Macbeth'
• Macbeth

  • Likens himself to a horse trying to leap over a high obstacle with fear of failing to land on the other side
• We will proceed no further in this business: 'Macbeth'
• Macbeth


  • Attempts to cancel his plans to kill Duncan, using the euphemism 'business' to refer to the impending murder suggesting it is a transaction he must reluctantly complete
• Was the hope drunk wherein you dressed yourself?: 'Lady Macbeth'
• Lady Macbeth

  • Directly questions Macbeth's honour, integrity and ability to keep to his work
• Lady Macbeth


  • Feels Macbeth must prove his masculinity through his actions not his words, he must kill to prove he loves her