Key Quotations Flashcards
(37 cards)
What phrase do the Witches use to express the theme of ambiguity in ‘Macbeth’?
‘Fair is foul, and foul is fair’
This phrase suggests that appearances can be deceiving.
Who describes Macbeth as ‘brave’ and deserving of that name?
The Captain
This quote highlights Macbeth’s valor in battle.
Which character states, ‘So foul and fair a day I have not seen’?
Macbeth
This reflects the play’s central theme of moral confusion.
What does Macbeth mean by ‘Stars hide your fires, let not light see my black and deep desires’?
He wishes to conceal his dark ambitions
This reveals Macbeth’s inner conflict and ambition.
What does Lady Macbeth ask when she says, ‘Come you spirits…unsex me here’?
She seeks to remove her femininity to gain cruelty
This illustrates her desire for power and control.
What advice does Lady Macbeth give regarding appearance and deception?
‘Look like the innocent flower but be the serpent under’t’
This emphasizes the theme of duplicity.
In Act 1, what does Lady Macbeth mean by, ‘When you durst do it, then you were a man’?
She challenges Macbeth’s masculinity
This reflects her manipulation and pressure on Macbeth.
What does Lady Macbeth mean by, ‘But screw your courage to the sticking place and we’ll not fail’?
She urges Macbeth to be resolute
This signifies her determination for their plan.
What is Macbeth questioning when he says, ‘Is this a dagger I see before me, the handle towards my hand?’
His hallucination and guilt over murder
This moment signifies his mental unraveling.
What does Lady Macbeth mean when she says, ‘Give me the daggers. The sleeping and the dead are but as pictures’?
She views death as inconsequential
This highlights her pragmatic approach to murder.
What does Macbeth mean by, ‘Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?’
He questions if he can ever be free of guilt
This metaphor illustrates his overwhelming remorse.
What is Lady Macbeth’s response to guilt when she says, ‘A little water clears us of this deed’?
She believes that washing will remove their guilt
This contrasts with Macbeth’s deeper sense of remorse.
What does Macbeth express when he says, ‘Wake Duncan with thy knocking, I would thou couldst.’?
His wish to undo his actions
This reflects his regret after committing murder.
What does Macduff exclaim in horror after discovering Duncan’s murder?
‘Oh horror! Horror! Horror! Tongue nor heart cannot conceive, nor name thee’
This emphasizes the shock and tragedy of the act.
What does Donaldbain mean by, ‘There’s daggers in men’s smiles’?
He suggests that people may have hidden intentions
This underscores the theme of betrayal.
What does Banquo say about Macbeth’s rise to power?
“Thou has it all now, King, Cawdor, Glams, all, as the weird sisters promised, and I fear though play’st most foully for’t.” (3.1) Banquo
What is Macbeth’s concern regarding Banquo?
“To be thus is nothing, but to be safely thus. Our fears in Banquo stick deep” (3.1) Macbeth
How does Macbeth describe his troubled mind?
“Of full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife” (3.2) Macbeth
What does Macbeth tell Lady Macbeth about their plans?
“Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck, till thou applaud the deed” (3.2) Macbeth
What does Macbeth say in response to seeing Banquo’s ghost?
“Thou canst not say I did it; never shake they gory locks at me” (3.4) Macbeth
What does Lady Macbeth say about Macbeth’s behavior?
“My lord is often thus, and hath been from his youth” (3.4) Lady Macbeth
What does Macbeth say about his commitment to his actions?
“I am in blood stepp’d so far, that, should I wade no more, returning were as tedious as go o’ver” (3.4) Macbeth
What do the Witches say in Act 4?
“Something wicked this way comes” (4.1) Witches
What does Macbeth command in Act 4?
“Speak, I charge you” (4.1) Macbeth
