Macbeth quotes

Stars hide your fires; let not light see my black and deep desires - Macbeth (Act 1 Scene 4)

Macbeth wants to hide his secret ambition to become king, even if it means killing Duncan. When he says, "Stars, hide your fires," he is using personification to ask the stars to cover him in darkness so no one can see his evil thoughts. Describing his desires as "black and deep" is a metaphor showing that his ambitions are dark and immoral.

"Double, double, toil and trouble; Fire burn, and cauldron bubble!" - The witches (Act 4 Scene 1)

These lines show how what the witches say can have double meanings and can be contradictory.

"Look like the innocent flower, But be the serpent under it." - Lady Macbeth (Act 1 Scene 5)

Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth to look innocent on the outside but be dangerous and deceitful on the inside, like a serpent hidden under a flower. This metaphor shows how she wants him to appear harmless while secretly being ready to do whatever evil is necessary, without guilt.

"What's done cannot be undone. To bed, to bed, to bed!"- Lady Macbeth (Act 5 Scene 1 )

Lady Macbeth is trying to be reassuring she tries to stay away from the whole womanly bit. And that includes reassuring her husband. We're thinking this is about more than actual blood staining her hands. In fact, we think blood is a symbol for guilt in this play.

"Out, out, brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and is heard no more. It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." - Macbeth (Act 5 Scene 5)

Macbeth says this after learning his wife has died and that enemies are approaching. He describes life as brief and meaningless, calling it a “brief candle” and a “walking shadow.” He compares people to unimportant actors who worry and show off for a short time and then disappear. He also says life is like a loud, emotional story that ultimately means nothing. Through these theatre images, Shakespeare shows Macbeth’s belief that life has no real purpose.

"False face must hide what the false heart doth know." - Macbeth (Act 1 Scene 7)

Macbeth says he will pretend everything is normal while secretly planning Duncan’s murder. His “false heart” refers to this hidden betrayal. This moment shows the theme of appearance vs. reality—Macbeth must hide his true intentions because he is usually easy to read, so he has to work especially hard to conceal his deadly plan.

"Fair is foul, and foul is fair, hover through fog and filthy air." - The Witches (Act 1 Scene 1)

The phrase means that what seems good can actually be bad, and what seems bad can turn out to be good—things are not what they appear. It also suggests that Macbeth’s world will be turned upside down, and he will choose actions he once saw as wrong. This line is important because it captures the main theme of the play: appearance vs. reality.

"I dare do all that may become a man; Who dares do more, is none" - Macbeth (Act 1 Scene 7)

Macbeth argues that he is brave enough to do anything that is proper for a man to do, and that anyone who goes beyond that is no true man. But he soon gives in to ambition and Lady Macbeth’s pressure, choosing to murder King Duncan—an act that crosses the moral line he claimed he would not cross. His own words become prophetic, because by doing what “is more than may become a man,” he begins the path that will lead to his ruin.

"Come, you spirits, That tend on mortal thoughts! Unsex me here" - Lady Macbeth (Act 1 Scene 5)

Lady Macbeth asks spirits to remove her femininity so she can gain power and push Macbeth to kill Duncan. She thinks her gender prevents her from committing violence, so she uses feminine tactics—like manipulation and pretending to be weak—while hiding a ruthless, masculine ambition. Since she can’t kill Duncan herself, she manipulates Macbeth into doing it. This mix of feminine influence and masculine aggression makes her especially powerful and threatening.

"I am in blood Stepp'd in so far that, should I wade no more, Returning were as tedious as go o'er." - Macbeth (Act 3 Scene 4)

Macbeth says he has committed so many murders that he is “in blood” too deeply to return to the person he once was. He compares himself to someone standing in the middle of a pool of blood: going back would be just as hard as moving forward. This metaphor shows he feels trapped in his violence and believes he must continue down his dark path.

"O, full of scorpions is my mind! ,my dear wife!" - Macbeth (Act 3 Scene 2)

Macbeth says his mind is “full of scorpions,” meaning his thoughts are violent, dangerous, and out of control. The scorpion metaphor shows that his mind has become deadly and unstable, with no conscience or empathy left. He desperately calls to his wife for help, showing he cannot tell right from wrong and switches between fear and affection. Ironically, Lady Macbeth is the one who pushed him into murder, yet now he looks to her for comfort. This highlights how far Macbeth has fallen from moral and Christian values, which the play’s audience would have strongly believed in.

"My hands are of your color, but I shame to wear a heart so white." - Lady Macbeth (Act 2 Scene 2)

Lady Macbeth criticizes Macbeth for his guilt and fear. When she says, “My hands are of your color,” she means she is just as guilty as he is. By saying, “But I shame to wear a heart so white,” she mocks him for having a weak, fearful heart.

"Look, how our partner's rapt." - Banquo (Act 1 Scene 3)

Banquo notices that Macbeth's brain is working overtime as he has just heard the witches' suggestion that he will become king. Banquo has suspicions about his friend's obsession for the crown.

"This is a sorry sight." - Macbeth (Act 2 Scene 2)

Macbeth has feelings of regrettable and unwelcome aspect or feature. Now also used to mean something or someone of untidy appearance.

"To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow" - Macbeth (Act 5 Scene 5)

Macbeth’s mental state is deteriorating even before Duncan’s murder. He reflects on human mortality and realizes that everything we leave behind amounts to nothing. Despite sacrificing his morals and sanity, his gain—a brief time on the throne—will vanish with his death.

"Yet do I fear thy nature, It is too full o' th' milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way." - Lady Macbeth (Act 1 Scene 5)

She is excited by the letter but fears that Macbeth is too 'full of the milk of human kindness' or of too good a nature, to take the shortest route to the crown which would be to eliminate the king and seize the throne.

"Be bloody, bold, and resolute. Laugh to scorn the power of man, for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth." - Second Apparition (Act 4 Scene 1)

This second apparition is significant because it gives Macbeth a false sense of security and encourages his tyrannical behavior. Macbeth is comforted and feels confident in his ability to maintain his position as king.

"There's daggers in men's smiles. The near in blood, The nearer bloody." - Donaldbain (Act 2 Scene 3)

Donalbain suspects that someone close to them, despite appearing kind, may have killed their father. By saying “daggers in men’s smiles,” he warns that not everyone who seems friendly is trustworthy. “The nearer in blood, the nearer bloody” suggests that those closest to you are the most likely to betray you.

"Here's the smell of the blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. " - Lady Macbeth (Act 5 Scene 1 )

Lady Macbeth is overwhelmed with guilt and feels she cannot wash the blood from her hands, even with all the perfumes of Arabia. This contrasts with her earlier claim that “a little water clears us of this deed.” As the main instigator of Duncan’s murder, her guilt now consumes her, and she cannot escape the weight of her sins.