Macbeth Lit essay quotes and themes

Fair is foul and foul is fair

-the witches, represents that things are never what they seem

so foul and fair a day I have not seen

-Macbeth, Atmosphese, contrasts his valiant victory with the miserable weather. This sets the precedent for the witches later visit

Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent undr’t

-Lady Macbeth. Facades and superficiality

“When you durst do it, you were a man”

-Lady Macbeth, Her emasculation of him attacks his core identity as a warrior

Is this a dagger I see before me, the handle toward my hand?

• Macbeth. the beginning of his guilt and psychological fracture.

could be a sign from the witches or a deadly warning

Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown

• Macbeth. Captures his paranoia. He has achieved his primary goal and yet still feels constantly uneasy / vulnerable

sleep no more, Macbeth does murder sleep

• macbeth. His guilt and shame gives him nightmares.

If t’were done when t’is done then t’were well

• Macbeth.

• Doesn’t say what “it” is (the murder of Duncan).

• He is euphemistic because he is horrified at the extent of his own actions

Fatal vision, Marshall’s me the way I was going?

-Macbeth

contemplates whether his vision should resolve him to kill Duncan and he has no agency over fate, or where it warns him against his own violent tendencies

Yet I do fear thy nature, It is too full o’ the milk of human kindness

• Lady Macbeth

• she views kindness as a feminine weakness and worries Macbeth’s “kindness” will lead to him not committing to the deed

Stars hide your fires, let light not see my black and deep desires

• Macbeth

• this confirms Macbeth’s desire to kill Duncan even before lady macbeth speaks to him. this is also before his dagger hallucination and it demonstrates that Macbeth has agency.

there’s husbandry in heaven, all the candles have gone out

• Banquo

• atmosphere, the night is especially dark, almost to conceal the evil deed that Macbeth commits