Macbeth - William Shakespeare

Quotes for written text

Act 1, Scene 1 - Witches

Intro themes: Inversion, moral confusion, and deceptive appearances

“Fair is foul, and foul is fair: Hover through the fog and filthy air”

Act 2, Scene 1 - Macbeth

Exhibits psychological fracture and moral crisis/panic before regicide

“Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand?”

Act 1, Scene 4 - Macbeth

Highlights hidden treasonous ambitions

“Stars, hide your fires; Let no light see my black and deep desires”

Act 1, Scene 7 - Macbeth

Fatal flaw

“Vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself And falls on the other“

Act 3, Scene 2 - Macbeth

Illustrates paranoia and psychological toment after taking the crown

“O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife!”

Act 1, Scene 5 - Lady Macbeth

Advising Macbeth to mask murderous intent behind a gentle face

“Look like th’ innocent flower, But be the serpent under’t.”

Act 2, Scene 2 - Macbeth

Inescapablestain of guilt

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

Act 5, Scene 1 - Lady Macbeth

Psychological unraveling and sleepwalking guilt

"Out, damned spot! Out, I say!"

Act 1, Scene 5 - Lady Macbeth

“Yet do I fear thy naturel It is too full o’ the milk of human kindness.“

Act 1, Scene 5 - Lady Macbeth

“Come you spirits, That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here.”

Act 5, Scene 1 - Lady Macbeth

“What’s done cannot be undone”

Act 1, Scene 3 - Witches’ Prophecy

“All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis!” - Current title

“_, Thane of Cawdor” - Next title

“_, that shalt be king hereafter!“ - Becoming king

“Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none.“ - Spoken to Banquo, telling him his descendants will rule the throne.

Act 5, Scene 5 - Macbeth

Nihilism

“Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player, / That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, / And then is heard no more.”