Macbeth Literary devices and quotes

“Fair is foul and foul is fair”

(I, I) Theme of appearance vs reality. Setting up the play in a tone of moral ambiguity and deception

“Look like the flower, be the serpent underneath”

(I, V) Theme appearance vs reality. Shakespeare utilized imagery that visualised how Macbeth was going to mask his ambition under innocence.

“vaulting ambition”

(I, VII) Theme ambition. Impact; revealing how Macbeth’s ambition has become corrupted and is willing to do anything to fulfill his prophecy

“loyalty I owe”

(I, IV) Macbeth pledging his loyalty. said after the witches told his prophecy

"Out, damned spot”

(V, I) symbolising her remorse and guilt for her part in manipulating Macbeth to kill duncan.

“Sleep no more!”

(II,II) theme of guilt and by killing Duncan has disrupted the natural order

“Nature seems dead”

(II, I) theme disruption of natural order. Shakespeare personifies sleep within Macbeth silique before killing Duncan. Impacting audience through foreshadowing.

“Glamis hath murder’d sleep,”

(II, II) Macbeth acknowledges he has disrupted the natural order and destroyed his ability for a guilt free peaceful sleep.

“eat our meal in fear and sleep” “better be with the dead”

(III, II) Theme Sleep and Guilt. Foreshadowing his future demise and his guilty consciousness