Nickerson-Macbeth-Quotations

“All hail, Macbeth! that shalt be king hereafter”. 1.3 – “All hail, Macbeth, the future king!” (No Fear Shakespeare: Macbeth, http://nfs.sparknotes.com/macbeth/page_14.html)This is the second witch talking to Macbeth early in the play when Macbeth and Banquo first meet the witches. This plants the seed of ambition of becoming King in Macbeth’s mind which leads to him killing Duncan.
“Be bloody, bold, and resolute; laugh to scorn / The power of man, for none of woman born / Shall harm Macbeth”. 4.1 – “Be violent, bold, and firm. Laugh at the power of other men, because nobody born from a woman will ever harm Macbeth.” (No Fear Shakespeare: Macbeth, http://nfs.sparknotes.com/macbeth/page_136.html)*This is the second apparition talking to Macbeth later in the play when Macbeth meets the witches in a cavern.*They tell him that he can’t die of anyone born of a woman so he feels invincible, but he doesn’t know Macduff was cut out of the womb
“Be lion-mettled, proud, and take no care / Who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are: Macbeth shall never vanquish’d be until / Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill / Shall come against him”. 4.1 – “Be brave like the lion and proud. Don’t even worry about who hates you, who resents you, and who conspires against you. Macbeth will never be defeated until Birnam Wood marches to fight you at Dunsinane Hill.” (No Fear Shakespeare: Macbeth, http://nfs.sparknotes.com/macbeth/page_138.html)*This is the Third Apparition talking to Macbeth later in the play when Macbeth meets the witches in a cavern.*They tell him he can’t be conquered until a forest marches to his castle to fight him. This seems impossible.
“But there’s no bottom, none,In my voluptuousness: your wives, your daughters, / Your matrons, and your maids, could not fill up / The cistern of my lust.” 4.3 – “But there is no end, absolutely none, to my sexual desires. Your wives, your daughters, your old women, and your young maids together could not satisfy my lust.” (No Fear Shakespeare: Macbeth, http://nfs.sparknotes.com/macbeth/page_160.html)*This is Malcolm talking to Macduff later in the play. This is when Macduff leaves his family and flees to England trying to form an army with Malcolm against Macbeth.*He is lying to Macduff in order to gain his trust as he is not sure if he is really on his or Macbeth’s side.
“Well too.” 4.3 – “They’re well too.” (No Fear Shakespeare: Macbeth, http://nfs.sparknotes.com/macbeth/page_170.html)*This is Ross talking to Macduff later in the play at King Edward’s Court.*Ross lies to Macbeth – telling him that his wife and children are fine when he knows that they were brutally slaughtered by Macbeth’s assassins. He doesn’t want to tell Macduff the terrible news.
“Faith, here’s an equivocator, that could swear in both the scales against either scale; who committed treason enough for God’s sake, yet could not equivocate to heaven”. 2.3 – “Maybe it’s some slick, two-faced con man who lied under oath. But he found out that you can’t lie to God, and now he’s going to hell for perjury.” (No Fear Shakespeare: Macbeth, http://nfs.sparknotes.com/macbeth/page_62.html)*This is the Porter on his way to answer the door for Lennox and Macduff around the middle of the play.*This is another definition for an equivocator. This may have been the only definition for equivocator in the Elizabethan era.
“Well then, now / Have you considered of my speeches? Know That it was he, in the times past, which held you So under fortune, which you thought had been Our innocent self. This I made good to you In our last conference, passed in probation with you, / How you were borne in hand, how crossed, the instruments, / Who wrought with them, and all things else that might / To half a soul and to a notion crazed / Say, “Thus did Banquo.” 3.1 – “Well, did you think about what I said? You should know that it was Banquo who made your lives hell for so long, which you always thought was my fault. But I was innocent. I showed you the proof at our last meeting. I explained how you were deceived, how you were thwarted, the things that were used against you, who was working against you, and a lot of other things that would convince even a half-wit or a crazy person to say, “Banquo did it!” (No Fear Shakespeare: Macbeth, http://nfs.sparknotes.com/macbeth/page_90.html) *This is Macbeth talking to the Murderers in the middle of the play at Macbeth’s castle*Macbeth tells the murderers that Banquo messed up their lives so they should kill Banquo
“If you shall cleave to my consent, when ’tis,It shall make honor for you.” 2.1 – “If you stick with me, when the time comes, there will be something in it for you.” (No Fear Shakespeare: Macbeth, http://nfs.sparknotes.com/macbeth/page_50.html)*Macbeth talking to Banquo at the first part of the play in Macbeth’s castle*Macbeth is seeing if Banquo really trusts Macbeth and is really wondering if Banquo will suspect him when Duncan is murdered
“I think not of them. / Yet, when we can entreat an hour to serve,We would spend it in some words upon that business, / If you would grant the time.” 2.1 – “I don’t think about them now. But when we have an hour to spare we can talk more about it, if you’re willing.” (No Fear Shakespeare: Macbeth, http://nfs.sparknotes.com/macbeth/page_50.html)*Macbeth talking to Banquo at his castle in the first part of the play.*Originally he said he was thinking a lot about them but he lies to Banquo and said that he doesn’t think about the witches at all
“Here’s our chief guest.” 3.1 – (indicating BANQUO) “Here’s our most important guest.” (No Fear Shakespeare: Macbeth, http://nfs.sparknotes.com/macbeth/page_84.html)*This is Macbeth talking to Banquo before the banquet when Banquo is about to go on a horse ride.*He says he respects Banquo and that he is so important, but then he tells the Murderers right after that he is bad and they should kill him.
“if ‘t please you, Fleance killed,For Fleance fled. Men must not walk too late.Who cannot want the thought how monstrousIt was for Malcolm and for DonalbainTo kill their gracious father? Damnèd fact!How it did grieve Macbeth!” 3.6 – “If you like, we can say that Fleance must have killed him, because Fleance fled the scene of the crime. Clearly, men should not go out walking too late! And who can help thinking how monstrous it was for Malcolm and Donalbain to kill their gracious father? Such a heinous crime—how it saddened Macbeth!” (No Fear Shakespeare: Macbeth, http://nfs.sparknotes.com/macbeth/page_126.html)*This is Lennox talking to a Lord midway through the play, after the murder of Duncan and Banquo.* Lennox is being sarcastic to the Lord – he doesn’t believe that all the children are killing their fathers. He is suspicious of Macbeth
“Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! Beware Macduff.Beware the thane of Fife. Dismiss me. Enough.” 4.1 – “Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! Beware Macduff. Beware the thane of Fife. Let me go. Enough.” (No Fear Shakespeare: Macbeth, http://nfs.sparknotes.com/macbeth/page_136.html)*This is the First Apparition talking to Macbeth in the cavern in the later part of the play.*The First Apparition says that he should be afraid of Macduff, but then says that no man can harm him.
“When the hurly-burly’s done,When the battle’s lost and won.” 1.1 – “We’ll meet when the noise of the battle is over, when one side has won and the other side has lost.” (No Fear Shakespeare: Macbeth, http://nfs.sparknotes.com/macbeth/page_2.html)*These are the witches talking among each other at the very beginning of the play.*They are saying that it doesn’t matter, it’s just war. Everything bad is good
“Fair is foul, and foul is fairHover through the fog and filthy air.” 1.1 – “Fair is foul, and foul is fair. Let’s fly away through the fog and filthy air.”*These are the witches talking among each other at the very beginning of the play.*They are saying that everything is all good. All bad things are good.