Maceth's - Reputation as a soldier & awakening of ambition

“Valour’s minion… Bellona’s bridegroom”

→ Captain describing Macbeth to Duncan | Theme: heroism
→ Technique: mythological imagery
→ Macbeth is initially noble and god-like. (Bellona is the roman godess of war!)

“Stay, you imperfect speakers. Tell me more.”

Macbeth ordering the witches to continue revealing prophecies'

→ Macbeth to witches | Theme: ambition
→ Technique: imperatives
→ Immediate fascination shows ambition awakening.

“And nothing is / But what is not”

Macbeth’s first aside, showing the confusing effects of his hearing the prophecy

→ Macbeth’s aside | Theme: confusion
→ Technique: paradox
→ Echoes witches—his mind is already destabilised.

“Stars, hide your fires; / Let not light see my black and deep desires”

Macbeth says to himself in a second aside, he shows his inner darkness and jelousy

→ Macbeth after Malcolm named heir | Theme: ambition/evil
→ Technique: imagery, personification
→ He recognises his desires as sinful.

“If it were done when ’tis done, then ’twere well
It were done quickly.”

macbeth says this before murdering Dunacn,means (If this will really all be over once it’s done, then it would be best to get it over with quickly.)

→ Macbeth soliloquy before murder | Theme: ambition vs morality
→ Technique: repetition
→ Shows hesitation and fear of consequences.