| “fair is foul and foul is fair” | The witches to themselves-theme, paradox, foreshadowingThings aren’t always as they seem, establishes mood |
| “No more that thane of Cawdor shall deceive our bosom interest. Go pronounce his present death. And with his former title, greet Macbeth” | Duncan –> Ross -CoupletDuncan learns of the Thane of Cawdor’s treason and gives the title to Macbeth |
| “So fair and foul a day I have not seen.” | Macbeth –> Banquo-ParadoxNever seen a day so good and bad |
| “Good sir, why do you start and seem to fear things that do sound so fair?” | Banquo –> Macbeth-Foreshadow*Asks why Macbeth seems so startled by the witches’ predictions |
| “But ’tis strange; and oftentimes to win us to our harm, the instruments of darkness tell us truths, win us with honest trifles, to betray us in deepest consequence.” | Banquo –> Macbeth-ForeshadowWarning to not believe the things the witches said |
| “There’s no art to find the mind’s construction in the face. He was a gentleman on whom I had built an absolute trust” | Duncan –> Malcolm-Thematic, Irony (then trusts Macbeth who kills him)The look on his face was untrustworthy |
| “The Prince of Cumberland! That is a step on which I must fall down, or else o’erleap, for in my way it lies.” | Macbeth to himself-ForeshadowingMacbeth talking about Malcolm being in his way of becoming king |
| “Glamis that art, and Cawdor; and shalt be what thou art promised. Yet do I fear thy nature; it is too full of the milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way.” | Lady Macbeth to herself-Foreshadow-suggests something will happen to MacbethFears Macbeth is too kind to get what he wants, to be king |
| “Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under’t” | Lady Macbeth to Macbeth-Foreshadow, Theme, Simile & MetaphorLook innocent but be guilty inside |
| “…that we but teach bloody instructions, which being taught, return to plague the inventor” | Macbeth to himself-Foreshadow, Theme: KarmaFears that people who kill will be killed |
| “The bell invites me. Hear it not, Duncan; for it is a knell that summons thee to heaven or to hell.” | Macbeth to himself-CoupletMacbeth is nervous and hopes Duncan has not heard the bell that leads him to his death |
| “Me though I heard a voice cry, ‘Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep, the innocent sleep, sleep that knits up the revealed sleeve of care..” | Macbeth to Lady Macbeth-ForeshadowHe feels so guilty that he doesn’t think he deserves sleep |
| “Infirm of purpose. Give me the daggers. The sleeping and the dead are but as pictures; ’tis the eye of childhood that fears a painted devil.” | Lady Macbeth to Macbeth-MetaphorLady Macbeth will go back and frame the servants |
| “Will all great Neptune’s Oceans wash this blood from my hand? No, this my hand will rather the multitudinous seas incarnadine, making the green one red.” | Macbeth to Lady Macbeth-Foreshadow, HyperboleFeels like he has so much blood on his hands that he would turn the whole ocean red |
| “Our separated fortunes shall keep us both the safer. Where we are, there’s daggers in men’s smiles. The near in blood, the nearer bloody.” | Donalbain to Malcolm-Thematic: fair is foul & foul is fairThey should flee to Ireland because they can’t trust the men here |
| “Thou hast it now, King, Cawdor, Glamis, all as the weird women promised, and I fear thou played most foully for it.” | Banquo to himself-ForeshadowSuspects Macbeth killed the king |
| “Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown and put a barren scepter in my grip, then to be wrenched with an unlimited hand, no son of mine succeeding.” | Macbeth to himself-ForeshadowHe knows nothing will come of him being king since Bandquo’s sons will take the crown |
| “Naught’s had, all’s spent, where our desire is got without content. ‘Tis safer to be that which we destroy than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy” | Lady Macbeth to herself-Couplet/Foreshadow*regretful of killing Duncan, would rather be the one killed than the killer.” |
| “There the grown serpent lies; the worm that’s fled hath nature that in time will venom breed, no teeth for the present.” | Macbeth to the first murderer-MetaphorBanquo is dead but his son had fled |
| “It will have blood; they say, blood will have blood.” | Macbeth to Lady Macbeth-Theme: RetributionKarma, everything will come back to him |
| “I am in blood stepped in so far that should I wade no more, should I wade no more, returning were as tedious as go’er” | Macbeth to himself-ForeshadowingMacbeth is tired of tormenting himself already killed King and Banquo |
| “My strange and self abuse is the initiate fear that wants hard use; returning were as tedious as go o’er” | Macbeth to Lady Macbeth-CoupletHe’s imagining things because he can’t sleep |
| “Security is mortal’s chiefest enemy” | Hecate to Lady Macbeth-Theme: nothing as it seems, CoupletFor Macbeth to feel secure would be disastrous |
Macbeth Quotes
August 30, 2019