Macbeth Quotes + Themes

Act 1 Scene 2 - “Brave Macbeth - Well he deserves that name”

Emphasises Macbeth’s worthy and valiant nature as he fights for his king. However also shows 2 things - King’s poor judge of character due to irony of betrayal.

Foreshadows his braveness to do anything - ambition and downfall

Act 1 Scene 4 - “Let not light see my dark and deep desires”

Insinuates how even before LM Macbeth had dark thoughts (killing the king).

“Light” - metaphor for God or people around him.

“Deep Desires” - thoughts are deep inside them - he knows they are wrong and has to hide them.

Act 1 Scene 5 “Unsex me here, and fill me, from the crown to the toe, top-full of direst cruelty”

Reduce her feminine qualities. To be powerful, she needs to sacrifice beauty and innocence.

“direst cruelty” - the worst possible evil. Relates to the supernatural.

For a woman to become powerful, she had to become as masculine as possible

Act 1 Scene 7 - “When thou durst do it, then you were a man”

Emphasises the danger of a patriarchal society - It oppresses man. Macbeth had to be brave and confident in the eyes of his wife.

This quote asserts that society equates masculinity with bravery and action, pressuring men to conform to these ideals. Lady Macbeth challenges Macbeth's courage, pushing him toward the act of regicide.

Act 2 Scene 2 - “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand”

“all great Neptune’s ocean” - (the vast sea) wouldn’t be enough to cleanse him. This conveys the enormity of his guilt.

symbolism of “blood” as a manifestation of guilt. It is no longer a physical stain but a psychological one.

Act 5 Scene 2 - “Out, Out brief candle! Life’s but a walking shadow”

The repetition of “Out, out” conveys a sense of urgency, frustration, or despair, possibly reflecting Macbeth's hopeless acceptance of death.

Macbeth has the brief realisation and sign of regret before he dies. Was it worth it chasing a “shadow” out of reach.

Act 1 Scene 5 - “Look like the innocent flower but be the serpent under’t”

“innocent flower” - depicts deception and deceit - “serpent” symbolises danger, betrayal, and evil. Shakespeare uses a natural image (flower) to contrast with the biblical, sinister image (serpent).

Ambition and Morality: This line marks the moment when moral boundaries begin to erode in both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth.

Act 1 Scene 1 - “Fair is foul, and foul is fair”

Equivocal language from the Witches - links to the supernatural, as well as repitition of “f” to sound like chanting spells.

Links to the inversion of the natural order, which is a reoccurring motif in the play.