lady macbeth

• Brave Macbeth


  The Captain recognises Macbeth's bravery in battle

  
• Unseam'd him from the nave to th'chaps


  The Captain explains that Macbeth was violent in battle by describing how he stripped the enemy of his skin

  
• Fix'd his head upon our battlements


  The Captain explains that Macbeth decapitated the enemy and placed it on the battlefield to act as a warning; this could be seen as foreshadowing Macbeth's death later on.

  
• O valiant cousin, worthy gentleman


  The King recognises Macbeth's bravery

  
• They meant to bathe in reeking wounds


  The Captain explains how Macbeth and Banquo were determined to succeed in the fight no matter how bloody it would be.

  
• So fair and foul a day I have not seen


  Macbeth mirrors the Witches' words by discussing how contradictory the day has been

  
• All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Glamis / Cawdor / King


  The Witches greet Macbeth with predictions about what will be.

  
• Why do you dress me in borrowed robes?


  Macbeth doesn't believe he has been given the new title and that the Witches' prophecies have come true

  
• This supernatural soliciting Cannot be ill, cannot be good


  Macbeth doesn't know what to think about the fact that the Witches' prophecies have come true; he doesn't think any good will come of it.

  
• Horrid image doth unfix my hair and make my seated heart knock at my ribs


  Macbeth knows that in order to become king, he may have to do horrible things. This has a profound physical effect on him.

  
• The Prince of Cumberland: that is a step / On which I must fall down, or else o'erleap


  Macbeth acknowledges that to become king, he will need to overthrow Malcolm who is the rightful heir to the throne

  
• Stars hide your fires Let not light see my black and deep desires


  Macbeth asks the stars to go out so that they do not shine a light on his evil nature

  
• My dearest partner of greatness


  In a letter to his wife, Macbeth recognises her power in their relationship

  
• Th'assassination / Bloody instructions / Horrid deed


  Macbeth's use of euphemistic language shows he cannot bring himself to admit what he is about to do.

  
• Bloody instructions return To plague th'inventor


  Macbeth is worried that the regicide will come back to haunt him

  
• I have no spur To prick the sides of my intent, but only Vaulting ambition


  Macbeth knows that there is no real reason to kill King Duncan other than his own selfish ambition

  
• We will proceed no further in this business


  Macbeth tells Lady Macbeth that he does not want to carry on with the plan to kill King Duncan

  
• Golden opinions


  Macbeth has been given lots of new honours that should be celebrated and not cast aside

  
• I dare do all that may become a man


  Lady Macbeth questions Macbeth's masculinity and he replies by exclaiming that he is the personification of masculinity. He is offended by her question.

  
• False face must hide what the false heart doth know

  Macbeth agrees to kill the King and says that he needs to be duplicitous in order to get the job done

  
• [in response to Banquo discussing the Witches] I think not of them


  Dramatic irony - Macbeth hasn't stopped thinking about the Witches
• Is this a dagger which I see before me


  Macbeth hallucinates a dagger - this is the first sign that he is susceptible to supernatural misgivings

  
• Fatal vision


  Macbeth recognises that what he sees will be fatal. There is a double meaning here; not only is it a dagger that will cause harm, it could also be a symbol of Macbeth's downfall
• Art thou but A dagger of the mind, a false creation, Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain


  Macbeth knows that what he is seeing isn't real (he hasn't gone mad) but he questions why it has arrived.

  
• These hangman's hands


  Macbeth knows there will be guilt on his hands

  
• I could not say Amen


  Regicide goes against God so he has committed the ultimate sin

  
• Macbeth does murder sleep

  Regicide has meant that Macbeth will no longer sleep soundly again.

  
• Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood Clean from my hand?


  Macbeth does not believe there is enough water in the ocean to clean the blood from his hands

  
• Wake Duncan with thy knocking: I would thou couldst


  Macbeth's immediate guilt means he wants to wake Duncan up and take back what he has done.

  
• O, yet I do repent me of my fury That I did kill them

  Macbeth admits to killing the servants (who were framed for King Duncan's death). This is the first time that Macbeth strays from his wife's plan

  
• Who can be wise, amaz'd, temp'rate, and furious, Loyal and neutral in a moment? No man.


  Macbeth discusses the qualities that are expected of him as a way of justifying killing the servants.

  
• Fail not our feast


  Macbeth tells Banquo not to fail coming to the celebratory dinner, but he is about to kill him.

  
• To be thus is nothing, but to be safely thus


  Macbeth does not feel safe whilst Banquo is alive because Banquo also heard the Witches' prophecies

  
• Our fears in Banquo stick deep / There is none but he, Whose being I do fear


  Macbeth does not want Banquo around any longer because his position on the throne is threatened while Banquo is alive
• Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown


  Macbeth is angry at the Witches for giving him an empty promise - he doesn't think anything will come of him becoming king if his children can't also be royalty.

  
• For Banquo's issue have I filed my mind


  Macbeth admits that everything he has done so far is for Banquo's benefit

  
• We have scorch'd the snake, not killed it


  Macbeth tells LM that they haven't finished the job that they set out to do.

  
• Make our faces vizards to our hearts


  Macbeth mirrors LM's command about being a serpent under a flower in this line by saying his face needs to hide what his heart wants.

  
• O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife!


  Macbeth admits that his mind is full of evil, poisonous imagery

  
• Be innocent of the knowledge dearest chuck


  Macbeth doesn't want to let LM in on his plan to kill Banquo. Note how his language has changed from "dearest partner" to "dear wife" to "dearest chuck" showing his changing perception of her.