Macbeth key quotes 2- Acts1-5

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

Act 1 Scene 4

Metaphor- Light is used to represent the truth and morality- two interpretations-- the truth is simple explanation; he doesn't want anyone to know what he is plotting, creates tension in the audience and foreshadows that he will son do something immoral-- morality is much deeper; at this point he still has morality and is fully aware that what is doing is immoral; he attempts to hide this from himself

Imperatives- Shows his ambition and ego have overtaken him and he now believes that he can do anything- he can command stars and fully believes he can bend this to his will- can link to jacobean belief of stars being deities, related to fate, he believes he can control fate and defy

Alliteration+Unpleasant imagery- he knows all about how wrong this is and at least still has a conscience

Look like th'innocent flower, but be the serpent under't.

Act 1 Scene 5

Simile- The fact that she used this method alone shows her manipulative and machiavellian beliefs, and shows that she beliefs anyone can and should be able to appear like an 'innocent flower' even if they are planning something macabre

Metaphor- While the technical technique is a metaphor, if we compare this with the simile, it's very possible that she is speaking literally- she believes that he should literally be a snake and brutally murder to survive

Biblical Imagery- serpent links to adam and eve- she is telling him to commit sin; link to how audience would react at the time- effective

'Under'- Relates to being cowardly, shows she has no honour, as she is instructing him to kill someone by sneaking up on them and not confronting them

Is this a dagger I see before me? ... come let me clutch thee

Act 2 Scene 1

Rhetorical question- links to supernatural themes, as he is unsure if it is actually what he is seeing- also the fact that it is unclear shows he still has a conscience and a sense of morality; the concept of murder (the theme of daggers and blood is a recurring motif for murder)

Imperative- Shows that he wants this, and the motif of murder comes up again- despite before wanting nothing to do with the murder, now he wants it and demands it

Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?

Act 2 Scene 2

Metaphor- The theme of blood and daggers comes up again- blood now symbolises guilt- relate to l macbeth in act 5- he now feels absolutely nothing could ever free him from the guilt of the awful action he has done

Rhetorical Question- Shows he is now not sure- while he was before using imperatives, now he uses questions, which shows he is questioning his actions and this links to ambition and morality

Neptune- By using a polytheistic god is now completely exiled from the real god- jacobeans were strictly monotheistic and christian, and saying that the oceans belong to neptune is a serious sin- he is so far gone is resulting to other gods, because what he has done is so sinful that god has disowned him- social context and discuss the way the audience will react

Oh full of scorpions is my mind!

Act 3 Scene 2

Metaphor- Two interpretations- can show the guilt and anguish he is feeling, as if the scorpions are used to represent their sting, and show the agony he feels by betraying someone like this, theme of guilt and morality-- other interpretation is this is not an expression of pain, but a glorious expression of corruption; scorpions are used to represent betrayal, like in the story of the scorpion and the toad- the scorpion swears he won't sting the toad and in return the toad will let him across the river. But the scorpion stings the toad and betrays him anyway, despite dooming them both, simply because it is in his nature. Macbeth is the scorpion and he continues to sting, while knowing that with each toad he drowns, becomes ever closer to drowning himself. This is themes of ambition as he wills stop at nothing for power, even if it kills him; could be related to themes of supernatural as the witches have corrupted him to the point where their supernatural abilities have put themselves into him

Thou canst not say I did it; never shake thy gory locks at me!

Act 3 Scene 4

Pronouns and not names- Two interpretations; one way could be that he can barely tell who it is because he is so brutally torn apart and violently murdered that he is unrecognisable, links to supernatural as this ghost is an actual representation of Banquo, and the morality of God and other supernatural aspects have come back to punish him for what he did, linkot to ten commandments and social context; other interpretation could be he is so racked with guilt by seeing him, that he can't stomach saying his name, as he is guilty; links to themes of morality and guilt

Imperatives- Shows he still believes he has the real power over him, and is still obsessed about it, links to themes of ambition as his lust for power still stems from this

Gory- Connotations of macabre murder and and violent killing, creates an uncomfortable atmosphere in the audience by picturing what he looks like, and therefore more hatred towards him- however there is also a distressing tone from Macbeth, indicating guilt, so the audience is conflicted, and this is effective, as even when he is committing the most heinous of crimes, the audience still has some compassion for him- the true tragic hero

By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes

Act 4 Scene 1

Rhyming- Makes their speech spell like, and makes the audience uncomfortable by their presence, links the theme of supernatural

Trochaic Tetrameter- Everyone else speaks in iambic pentameter, and this is the exact opposite of that, showing there is something not right about them, and marginalises them from the rest of the characters- they are the true evil here, link to king James and his issues with the boat, again links to supernatural

Juxtaposition between Macbeth being described as 'something wicked' by the witches but at the start being described as simply 'Macbeth'; this serves a double purpose; one is to surprise the audience that anyone or anything could be described as 'wicked' by the witches, then he must truly be gone- the sins he has committed have built up to being worse than literally colluding with the devil- link to social context;; also links to this corruption has changed him so much that even in the eyes of the witches, he is so far gone that he is no longer Macbeth- link to morality

For none of woman born shall harm Macbeth

Act 4 Scene 1

Juxtaposition here as to what is real and what is being said- a general confusing tone is created and the audience questions what the witches are saying. However despite this, they trust what they say, because what they have said in the past has been true; this also works as a potential manifestation of what Macbeth feels; he believes that no one can possibly hurt him because he is invincible; links to themes of ambition

Out, out, brief candle

Act 5 Scene 5

Repetition of out- shows he is struggling to do it and indicates weakness- relates to the 'stars hide your fires' quote which shows him using strong imperatives and showing strength- the death of l macbeth meant a lot to him, and again we see this theme of contrasting views- l macbeth was an evil and manipulative woman, yet wen see macbeth mourning over her, and this tragic hero aspect of him comes out again.

The theme of light representing ambition has come up again- while before he believed he could command stars, now be struggles to blow out a candle- this shows that he has no ambition anymore because his wife, his driving force is gone, theme of ambition comes up here again

Of this dead butcher and his fiend-like queen

Act 5 Scene 8 [Malcom]

Metaphor- Butcher implies that he was simply killing and slaughtering without thought and he is seen as someone who believes that killing is part of his job- we lose respect for Macbeth and start to believe what Malcom does; however butchers also kill for a reason, and provide a service to their people; while possibly not intentional from Malcolm, it is evidently intentional from Shakespeare as this tragic hero idea is still appearing now, as butchers aren't all evil, and neither is macbeth, theme of morality