Macbeth Quotes

Question 1

‘Had he not resembled my father as he slept, I had’t done it.’- lady Macbeth (act 2, scene 2)

Answer 1

Themes: guilt, masculinity, appearance vs reality
Context: waiting for Macbeth to murder the king (Duncan)
- tries to force her nature (unnatural masculinity) - leads her to suffer a mental breakdown at end of play which could be seen as a punishment for venturing outside of her gender norm/ challenging gender roles
- reveals: vulnerability, she may not be capable of murder and violence,
Jacobean era: woman were capable of manipulation but incapable of violence- she still relies on Macbeth to carry out the murdrr

Question 2

‘Is this a dagger which I see before me?’ -Macbeth (act 2 scene 1)

Answer 2

Themes: supernatural, guilt, appearance vs reality, fate vs. Free will.
Context: on his way to kill king Duncan
Reveals: he is conflicted until just before the murder (hesitation/ procrastination- scared of the consequences?)
Fate vs free will; not clear if it is a supernatural sign (guiding him towards his destiny) or a hallucination proceeding from his anxiety (could be an excuse to kill the king)

Question 3

‘Unisex me here’
(‘Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe too-full of dearest cruelty’)- lady Macbeth (act1, scene5)

Answer 3

Themes: masculinity, ambition, the supernatural, appearance vs reality)