![]() Here, he devalues the simple act of becoming king (especially given the action he had to take to get there), and emphasizes that it is only a meaningful title if he can maintain it. These are the words that Macbeth speaks after he has become king. "To be thus is nothing, but to be safely thus." Macbeth, 3.1 Macbeth is crippled by shame and does not foresee any relief. Here, he expresses his anxiety that the blood will not come off, using a metaphor for the guilt he feels over what he has done. "Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood / Clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather / The multitudinous seas incarnadine." Macbeth, 2.2Īfter Macbeth murders Duncan, he runs into Lady Macbeth and attempts to clean his hands of Duncan's blood. It also reflects the play's overall interest in portraying the supernatural as a formidable force. This instance marks the first time that Macbeth has a hallucination, suggesting his descent into stress-induced madness. ![]() In this quotation, Macbeth imagines a dagger in front of him that is not really there. I have thee not, and yet I see thee still." Macbeth, 2.1 "Is this a dagger which I see before me, / This handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee. By the end of the speech, he has all but decided not to go through with the murder, but Lady Macbeth will convince him otherwise. He speaks here in the conditional tense, which underscores his uncertainty and doubts over the task that lies before him. This quotation introduces an extended soliloquy by Macbeth in which he puzzles over whether he should murder Duncan. ![]() "If it were done when ‘tis done, then ‘twere well / It were done quickly." Macbeth, 1.7 This speech adds depth to Lady Macbeth's character while foreshadowing her formidable behavior for the rest of the play. This quotation also reveals that Lady Macbeth had had a child at some point, despite not having any children in the present. Here, she attempts to prove how cold-hearted she can truly be by admitting that she would have murdered her own child. "I have given suck, and know / How tender ‘tis to love the babe that milks me / I would, while it was smiling in my face / Have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums / And dashed the brains out." Lady Macbeth, 1.7Īfter asking to be stripped of her femininity, Lady Macbeth appears to have gotten her wish as she delivers this disturbing but telling speech. This quotation remains famous because it highlights the play's exploration of gender and power. She asks for the spirits to "unsex" her, suggesting that in order to take part in Duncan's murder, she must dispel with femininity altogether. In this famous quotation, Lady Macbeth expresses her desire to become more cruel so as to complete the murder of King Duncan alongside Macbeth. "Come, you spirits / That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, / And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full / Of direst cruelty!" Lady Macbeth, 1.5 The witches' incantation is frequently quoted due to its rhymed couplets and sing-song rhythm. This scene immediately imbues the play with a dark and sinister mood, while also showcasing how the supernatural will figure into the rest of the plot. ![]() In this famous quotation from the play, the three witches are gathered around their cauldron as they predict Macbeth's future. "Double, double toil and trouble / Fire burn, and cauldron bubble" Witches, 1.1
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |