Macbeth- foils -comparison quotes

Unsex me here" (Lady Macbeth, 1.5)

Analysis- A desperate imperative and a request for a "reversal of nature." She views her femininity as a moral barrier to the "cruelty" needed for regicide. Comparison- While Macbeth’s "single state of man" is naturally shaken by evil, she actively invites it in, showing she is the more "valiant" sinner at the start.

"A little water clears us of this deed" (Lady Macbeth, 2.2)

Analysis- Use of litotes (understatement) and a dismissive, practical tone to mock Macbeth’s moral horror. Comparison- This contrasts directly with Macbeth’s "vessel of my peace." He knows the sin is internal and permanent; she maintains the delusion that guilt is merely external and physical.

"All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand" (Lady Macbeth, 5.1)

Analysis- Hyperbole and sensory imagery. The "little hand" reflects her loss of power; her morality returns as a lethal, subconscious haunting. Comparison- By the end, they swap roles. Macbeth is "supp’d full" and numb, but Lady Macbeth is destroyed by the return of her moral conscience.

"Instruments of darkness" (Banquo, 1.3)

Analysis- A metaphor for the Witches. Banquo recognizes that evil uses "small truths" to lure men into "deepest consequence" and spiritual ruin. Comparison- While Macbeth is "smother'd in surmise," Banquo remains analytical. He views morality as a shield, whereas Macbeth views it as a weight.

"Restrain in me the cursed thoughts" (Banquo, 2.1)

Analysis- An apostrophe to the heavens. Unlike Macbeth, who hides his "black and deep desires," Banquo asks for Divine help to suppress temptation. Comparison- This is the "Moral Man" Macbeth could have been. It proves that Macbeth’s fall was a choice of the will, not an inevitable destiny.

"I fear / Thou play'dst most foully for't" (Banquo, 3.1)

Analysis- The use of "foully" echoes the Witches' "fair is foul." Banquo identifies the moral stain on Macbeth’s crown immediately. Comparison- Banquo represents the External Conscience. Macbeth must kill him because Banquo’s "royalty of nature" makes Macbeth feel morally small and inferior.

"Fair is foul, and foul is fair" (The Witches, 1.1)

Analysis- Chiasmus establishing a world of moral anarchy where all values are inverted and the natural order is destroyed. Comparison- Macbeth echoes this in his first line ("So foul and fair a day"). It shows he is spiritually synchronized with the Witches from the very beginning.

"A deed without a name" (The Witches, 4.1)

Analysis- Use of vague abstraction. By refusing to "name" their actions, the Witches exist outside of human law and moral language. Comparison- Macbeth eventually tries to live in this "nameless" space, but as a human, he cannot escape the "rancours" (guilt) that naming a sin brings.

"Double, double toil and trouble" (The Witches, 4.1)

Analysis- Trochaic Tetrameter. This rhythmic chanting trivializes the horrific destruction they cause, turning regicide into a "game" for their amusement. Comparison- This mocking tone relates to Macbeth’s final "tale told by an idiot" speech; both suggest that in the end, the "sound and fury" of life signifies nothing.