Important Quotations in Macbeth

Memorising key quotations from Macbeth helps to understand character development, major themes, and Shakespeare’s use of imagery and symbolism. Below are some of the most significant quotes, along with explanations of their relevance.

Characters: Words That Reveal Personality or Motivations

Macbeth

  • “Vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself and falls on the other.” (Act 1, Scene 7)
    • Relevance: Macbeth acknowledges that his ambition is dangerous and could lead to his downfall, foreshadowing future events.
  • “Is this a dagger which I see before me, the handle toward my hand?” (Act 2, Scene 1)
    • Relevance: This hallucination reveals Macbeth’s inner turmoil before he kills Duncan. The dagger symbolises his temptation and fate.
  • “I am in blood stepp’d in so far that, should I wade no more, returning were as tedious as go o’er.” (Act 3, Scene 4)
    • Relevance: Macbeth realises he has killed so many people that stopping now would be pointless—he is fully committed to his tyranny.
  • “Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow creeps in this petty pace from day to day.” (Act 5, Scene 5)
    • Relevance: After Lady Macbeth’s death, Macbeth reflects on the meaningless of life, showing his deep despair and loss of purpose.

Lady Macbeth

  • “Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here.” (Act 1, Scene 5)
    • Relevance: Lady Macbeth wants to remove her femininity to become ruthless enough to push Macbeth into murder.
  • “Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under’t.” (Act 1, Scene 5)
    • Relevance: She advises Macbeth to deceive others, introducing the theme of appearance vs reality.
  • “Out, damned spot! Out, I say!” (Act 5, Scene 1)
    • Relevance: Her hallucination of bloodstained hands symbolises her overwhelming guilt, contrasting with her earlier confidence.

Banquo

  • “Thou hast it now: King, Cawdor, Glamis, all, as the weird women promised, and I fear thou play’dst most foully for’t.” (Act 3, Scene 1)
    • Relevance: Banquo suspects Macbeth of foul play in securing the throne, but he remains passive, leading to his death.

Macduff

  • “O horror, horror, horror! Tongue nor heart cannot conceive nor name thee!” (Act 2, Scene 3)
    • Relevance: Macduff reacts with genuine grief upon discovering Duncan’s murder, showing his loyalty and honour.
  • “Turn, hell-hound, turn!” (Act 5, Scene 8)
    • Relevance: Macduff calls Macbeth a “hell-hound” before killing him, reinforcing Macbeth’s transformation into a villain.

Themes: Phrases That Encapsulate Major Ideas

Ambition and Power

  • “Thriftless ambition that will ravin up thine own life’s means.” (Act 2, Scene 4)
    • Relevance: Ross comments on how ambition, when unchecked, destroys the person who seeks power.
  • “Macbeth shall never vanquish’d be until Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill shall come against him.”(Act 4, Scene 1)
    • Relevance: This prophecy gives Macbeth false confidence, showing how ambition blinds him to reality.

Fate vs Free Will

  • “If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me without my stir.” (Act 1, Scene 3)
    • Relevance: At first, Macbeth considers letting fate take its course, but later, he takes matters into his own hands.
  • “Come fate into the list, and champion me to th’ utterance.” (Act 3, Scene 1)
    • Relevance: Macbeth actively challenges fate, refusing to let Banquo’s descendants take the throne.

Guilt and Conscience

  • “Methought I heard a voice cry, ‘Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep!’” (Act 2, Scene 2)
    • Relevance: Macbeth’s guilty conscience manifests immediately after Duncan’s murder, showing his descent into paranoia.
  • “What’s done cannot be undone.” (Act 5, Scene 1)
    • Relevance: Lady Macbeth’s words show that she now regrets her actions but cannot change the past.

Appearance vs Reality

  • “Fair is foul, and foul is fair.” (Act 1, Scene 1)
    • Relevance: The witches introduce the theme that appearances can be deceiving.
  • “There’s no art to find the mind’s construction in the face.” (Act 1, Scene 4)
    • Relevance: Duncan says this about a traitor, ironically trusting Macbeth too much.

Imagery or Symbols: Words or Phrases That Enhance Understanding of the Text’s Style

Blood Imagery

  • “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?” (Act 2, Scene 2)
    • Relevance: Macbeth realises that no amount of water can cleanse him of his guilt.
  • “It will have blood, they say; blood will have blood.” (Act 3, Scene 4)
    • Relevance: Macbeth believes violence leads to more violence, showing his growing paranoia.

Sleep Imagery

  • “Macbeth shall sleep no more.” (Act 2, Scene 2)
    • Relevance: Sleep represents peace and innocence, which Macbeth has lost forever.
  • “The sleeping and the dead are but as pictures.” (Act 2, Scene 2)
    • Relevance: Lady Macbeth dismisses guilt at first but later suffers from sleep disturbances herself.

Darkness and Light

  • “Come, thick night, and pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell.” (Act 1, Scene 5)
    • Relevance: Lady Macbeth calls on darkness to hide her evil deeds.
  • “Out, out, brief candle!” (Act 5, Scene 5)
    • Relevance: Macbeth compares life to a candle that can be easily extinguished, showing his despair.

Animal Imagery

  • “O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife!” (Act 3, Scene 2)
    • Relevance: Macbeth’s paranoia is described through dangerous creatures, showing how his mind is poisoned.
  • “Approach thou like the rugged Russian bear, the arm’d rhinoceros, or th’ Hyrcan tiger.” (Act 3, Scene 4)
    • Relevance: Macbeth wishes Banquo’s ghost would take on a physical, animal form rather than haunting his mind.

Conclusion

These key quotations help illustrate the motivations of characters, the major themes of the play, and Shakespeare’s powerful use of imagery. Understanding and analysing these lines will allow deeper engagement with Macbeth, making essays and discussions more insightful