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Yet do I fear thy nature; It is too full o' the milk of human kindness.

If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me.

False face must hide what the false heart doth know.

I am in blood Stepp'd in so far, that, should I wade no more, Returning were as tedious as go o'er.

A little water clears us of this deed.

Fair is foul, and foul is fair, hover through fog and filthy air.

Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself And falls on the other side

Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather the multitudinous seas incarnadine, making the green one red.

Look like the innocent flower, But be the serpent under it.

My hands are of your color, but I shame to wear a heart so white.

All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand! Oh, oh, oh!

Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return to plague the inventor.

I dare do all that may become a man; Who dares do more, is none

Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player, that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more; it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

So foul and fair a day I have not seen.

The instruments of darkness tell us truths.

Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,Creeps in this petty pace from day to day

Out, damned spot! Out, I say!

Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him? - Lady Macbeth

We fail! But screw your courage to the sticking-place, And we'll not fail.

It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury; signifying nothing.

By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes.

Nothing in his life became him like leaving it.

To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow, Creeps in this petty pace from day to day, To the last syllable of recorded time; And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player, That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, And then is heard no more. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing.

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43 of the best key quotes in Macbeth and their meanings

Laycie Beck

Studying Shakespeare is something everybody will do, whether it’s at school, college or university. There is no denying that Macbeth is a staple of English classes in general. But knowing the key quotes in Macbeth for your GCSEs, A-levels or degree is crucial, especially if you’re on a deadline or revising for an exam. We’ve provided a useful summary of all the Macbeth key quotes and a brief analysis to help you out.

What is Macbeth about?

Macbeth” is a renowned tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in the early 17th century. This dark and powerful play delves into the destructive effects of ambition, guilt, and moral corruption.

The story unfolds in medieval Scotland and follows the rise and fall of the titular character, Macbeth, a valiant warrior and a thane (a Scottish noble). The play begins with Macbeth earning high praise for his bravery and skill in battle, defending King Duncan’s realm. However, his encounter with three witches, or Weird Sisters, sets the stage for his tragic downfall. The witches prophesy that Macbeth will become the Thane of Cawdor and eventually the King of Scotland.

Intrigued and ambitious, Macbeth shares this prophecy with his wife, Lady Macbeth, a character as ambitious and ruthless as Macbeth himself. Together, they hatch a plan to hasten the prophecy’s fulfilment. This leads to Macbeth’s murder of King Duncan and his subsequent ascension to the throne. However, this act of regicide plunges both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth into a world of guilt, paranoia, and madness.

As the play progresses, Macbeth becomes increasingly tyrannical and bloodthirsty, ordering the murder of those he perceives as threats, including his friend Banquo and the family of his rival, Macduff. These acts of violence and betrayal create a climate of fear and unrest in Scotland.

Meanwhile, Lady Macbeth, tormented by guilt, descends into madness, leading to one of the play’s most famous scenes where she attempts to wash the imagined bloodstains from her hands. Macbeth, too, is haunted by his deeds, experiencing hallucinations and deepening paranoia.

The play reaches its climax as Macduff, seeking revenge for the slaughter of his family, leads an army against Macbeth. Despite a second set of prophecies from the witches that seem to suggest Macbeth is invincible, he is ultimately defeated and killed in battle, and Malcolm, Duncan’s son, is restored to the throne.

“Macbeth” explores themes such as the corrupting power of unchecked ambition, the moral and psychological effects of guilt and sin, and the relationship between violence and tyranny. It also delves into the supernatural and the ambiguous nature of prophecy. The play remains a timeless classic, resonating with modern audiences for its exploration of the dark aspects of human nature and the consequences of moral decay.

Most important Macbeth key quotes and analysis

1. “Fair is foul and foul is fair”

Who: The Witches

Where: Scene 1, Act 1

Meaning: This quote reflects the play’s theme of ambiguity and moral confusion. What is perceived as good (fair) is actually bad (foul) and vice versa, indicating a world turned upside down by deceit and evil.

2. “What bloody man is that?”

Who: King Duncan

Where: Scene 2, Act 1

Meaning : King Duncan is inquiring about a sergeant who is covered in blood. This sets the tone for the play’s violent and bloody nature.

3. “If you can look into the seeds of time, and say which grain will grow and which will not.”

Who: Banquo

Where: Scene 3, Act 1

Meaning : Banquo is asking the witches to predict his future, as they did for Macbeth, showing his curiosity about his own fate.

4. Or have we eaten on the insane root that takes the reason prisoner?”

Meaning : Here, Banquo is questioning the reality of his encounter with the witches, wondering if they have eaten a hallucinogenic plant that has led them to hallucinate the witches.

5. “What! Can the devil speak true?”

Meaning: Banquo is shocked that the witches’ prophecy about Macbeth has come true, suggesting that sometimes evil tells the truth to serve its purposes.

6. “Present fears are less than horrible imaginings.”

Where: Scene 4, Act 1

Meaning : This is King Duncan expressing that sometimes our fears are not as bad as the horrors we imagine, reflecting the theme of fear and foresight.

7. “There’s daggers in men’s smiles.”

Who: Donalbain

Where: Scene 3, Act 2

Meaning : Highlighting a theme of deception, Donalbain implies that there are hidden dangers and betrayals even in friendly appearances.

8. “Double, double toil and trouble: Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.”

Where: Scene 1, Act 4

Meaning : The witches chant this as they concoct a spell, symbolising the dark and mysterious forces at work in the play

9. “By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes.”

Who: Second Witch

Meaning: The Second Witch senses Macbeth’s approach, indicating that evil is drawn to evil.

10. “Macbeth shall never vanquished be until Great Birnam wood to high Dusinane Hill shall come against him.”

Who: Third Apparition

Meaning: The Third Apparition’s prophecy suggests that Macbeth will not be defeated until an impossible event (a forest moving) occurs, giving Macbeth a false sense of security.

11. “A deed without a name.”

Meaning: Here the Witches are refering to their own actions, which are so unnatural and horrific that they cannot be named.

12. “When our actions do not, our fears do make us traitors.”

Who: Lady Macduff

Where: Scene 2, Act 4

Meaning: Lady Macduff suggests that fear can lead us to betray ourselves or others, reflecting on the consequences of fear and paranoia.

13. “Tongue nor heart cannot conceive nor name thee!”

Meaning: This is a reaction from Lady Macduff, where she is expressing her inability to fully comprehend or articulate the horror and evil she is facing.

14. “The patient must minister to himself.”

Who: Doctor

Where: Scene 3, Act 5

Meaning:  The Doctor implies that some ailments, particularly those of the mind or soul, must be healed by the individual, not by a physician.

15. “Those clamorous harbingers of blood and death.”

Where: Scene 6, Act 5

Meaning:  Lady Macduff refers to the signs that foretell violence and death, possibly alluding to the omens and prophecies in the play that predict tragedy.

Macbeth quotes from Macbeth himself

Of course, many of the key quotes in Macbeth come from Macbeth himself. As the central character in William Shakespeare’s tragedy of the same name, he undergoes a profound and tragic transformation throughout the play. Initially presented as a valiant and respected hero, Macbeth’s character evolves dramatically following his encounter with the supernatural (the Weird Sisters) and under the influence of his ambitious wife, Lady Macbeth.

His bravery, ambition, and self-doubt are key attributes that struggle for dominance within him, according to Sparknotes.   As the play progresses, these traits, particularly his ambition and susceptibility to doubt and guilt, lead him down a dark path. Macbeth becomes a figure of tyranny and moral decay, illustrating the catastrophic effects of unchecked ambition and a weak character. His journey from hero to villain is marked by his increasingly ruthless actions, including regicide and other murders, and is driven by both human flaws and supernatural elements. Ultimately, Macbeth’s tragic downfall is a result of his internal conflicts and the consequences of his actions, making him a complex and deeply flawed character in Shakespearean literature If you’re in need of Macbeth quotes from the man himself, look no further…

16. “I have no spur, to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition which o’erleaps itself and falls on the other”

Who: Macbeth

Where: Scene 7, Act 1

Meaning: Macbeth acknowledges that he has no real reason to kill Duncan, only his excessive ambition, which might lead to his downfall.

17. “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather the multitudinous seas incarnadine, making the green one red.”

Where: Scene 2, Act 2

Meaning:  Macbeth realises that his guilt (symbolised by the blood on his hands) is so great that it would turn the oceans red, rather than being washed away.

18. “Nothing is but what is not.”

Meaning:  Macbeth is contemplating the paradoxical nature of reality, suggesting that what exists is defined by what does not.

19. “Come what come may, time and the hour runs through the roughest day.”

Meaning:  Here, Macbeth is expressing a sense of fatalism, accepting whatever may happen in the future.

20. “False face must hide what the false heart doth know.”

Meaning:  The advice given here by Macbeth is that one must hide their true, evil intentions behind a false appearance.

21. “Stars hide your fires; let not light see my dark and deep desires”

Meaning: Talking to the stars, Macbeth is asking them not to shine on his evil plans, so that his intentions remain hidden.

22. “I dare do all that may become a man; who dares do more is none.”

Meaning: Macbeth asserts that he is willing to do anything that is appropriate for a man to do; anyone who does more is not a true man.

23. “Is this a dagger which I see before me, the handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee: I have thee not, and yet I see thee still.”

Where: Scene 1, Act 2

Meaning: While hallucinating a dagger, Macbeth is manifesting his guilt and intent to murder Duncan

24. “I am in blood, steeped in so far, that, should I wade no more, returning were as tedious as go o’er”

Where: Scene 4, Act 3

Meaning:  Macbeth acknowledges that he is so deep into his murderous actions that it’s as hard to stop as it is to continue.

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

Meaning: This is the moment that Macbeth is musing that if the murder could be completed quickly and have no consequences, it would be best to get it over with quickly.

26. “Methought I heard a voice cry, ‘Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep: the innocent sleep, sleep that knits up the ravelled sleeve of care, the death of each day’s life, sore labor’s bath, balm of hurt minds, great nature’s second course, chief nourished in life’s feast.”

Meaning: Tormented by guilt after the murder of Duncan, Macbeth is feeling that he has murdered the peaceful innocence of sleep.

27. “Things bad begun make strong themselves by ill.”

Where: Scene 2, Act 3

Meaning:  This quote suggests that once you start doing evil things, they strengthen and perpetuate themselves through further evil actions.

28. “Blood will have blood.”

Where: Scene

Meaning: Macbeth means that one violent act will inevitably lead to another, as each act of violence necessitates further violence to cover it up.

29. “Thou sure and firm-set earth, hear not my steps, which way they walk, for fear thy very stones prate of my whereabouts.”

Meaning:  So consumed by guilt and fear, Macbeth is imagining the ground itself might betray his murderous actions.

30. “How now, you secret, black, and midnight hags!”

Meaning:  Macbeth addresses the witches, acknowledging their dark and mysterious nature.

31. “To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow, creeps in this petty pace from day to day to the last syllable of recorded time, and all our yesterdays have lighted fools the way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle! Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more: it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”

Where: Scene 5, Act 5

Meaning: After hearing of his wife’s death, Macbeth reflects on the futility and meaninglessness of life.

32. “I bear a charmed life.”

Where: Scene 8, Act 5

Meaning:  Macbeth believes he is invincible because of the witches’ prophecy that no man born of a woman can harm him.

33. “The devil damn thee black, thou cream-faced loon! Where gott’st thou that goose look?”

Meaning:  In a state of paranoia and anger, Macbeth berates a servant.

Macbeth quotes by Lady Macbeth

Among all of Shakespeare’s plays, Lady Macbeth is one of the most complex and powerful female characters, is central to the dramatic development of “Macbeth.” Known for her burning ambition to be queen, she exhibits a fascinating blend of strength, ambition, and psychological complexity. Initially, she is portrayed as a strong, manipulative figure, deeply involved in plotting King Duncan’s murder and challenging traditional gender roles. Her taunting of Macbeth’s courage and her lack of humanity highlight her ruthless nature.

However, as the play progresses, Lady Macbeth’s facade of strength crumbles under the weight of guilt and madness. Her descent into madness, marked by sleepwalking and obsessive hand-washing, reflects her deep remorse and inability to cope with the consequences of her actions. This transformation from a figure of immense power and control to a tragic, guilt-ridden character underscores the themes of ambition, power, and the psychological repercussions of guilt in Shakespeare’s work. If you’re studying Macbeth, it’s a good idea to know about Lady Macbeth and her most important key quotes and lines from Macbeth.

34. “The raven himself is hoarse that croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan under my battlements.”

Who: Lady Macbeth

Where: Scene 5, Act 1

Meaning:  Lady Macbeth sees the raven as a symbol of Duncan’s impending death at her castle.

35. “Yet do I fear thy nature; it is too full o’ the milk of human kindness.”

Meaning:  Fearing that Macbeth is too kind and moral to seize the crown by murder, Lady Macbeth is questioning his nature.

36. “O, never shall sun that morrow see! Your face, my thane, is as a book where men may read strange matters. To beguile the time, look like the time. Bear welcome in your eye, your hand, your tongue. Look like the’ innocent flower, but be the serpent under ‘t. He that’s coming must be provide for: and you shall put this night’s great business into my dispatch, which shall to all our nights and days to come give solely sovereign sway and masterdom.”

Meaning:  Lady Macbeth instructs Macbeth to hide his true intentions and act welcoming to King Duncan.

37. “Would’st thou have that which thou esteem’st the ornament of life, and live a coward in thine own esteem, letting “I dare not” wait upon “I would,” like the poor cat i’ the’ adage?”

Meaning: Challenging Macbeth’s manhood, Lady Macbeth is accusing him of being a coward for hesitating to murder Duncan.

38. “Here’s the smell of blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand”

Where: Scene 1, Act 5

Meaning: Here Lady Macbeth is showing how she is tormented by guilt, imagining that her hands will never be free of the smell of blood.

39. “Come, you spirits, that tend on mortal thoughts. Unsex me here, and fill me, from the crown to the toe, top-full of direst cruelty. Make thick my blood. Stop up the’ access and passage to remorse, that no compunctious visiting of nature shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between th’ effect and it. Come to my woman’s breasts, and take my milk for gall, you murd’ring ministers, wherever in your sightless substances you wait on nature’s mischief. Come, thick night, and pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell, that my keen knife see not the wound it makes, nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark, to cry “Hold, hold!””

Meaning: Lady Macbeth calls on evil spirits to make her ruthless and capable of committing murder.

40. “When thou durst do it, then you were a man”

Meaning:  This is another quote where Lady Macbeth questions Macbeth’s manhood, suggesting that he would be more of a man if he went through with the murder.

41. “I have given suck, and know how tender ’tis to love the babe that milks me. I would, while it was smiling in my face, have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums and dashed the brains out, had I so sworn as you have done to this.”

Meaning:  Lady Macbeth is expressing her commitment to their murderous plan, suggesting she would kill her own child if she had sworn to do so, as Macbeth has sworn to kill Duncan.

42. “I laid their daggers ready; he could not miss ’em. Had he not resembled my father as he slept, I had done’t.”

Meaning:  Here she reveals she would have killed Duncan herself if he hadn’t reminded her of her father, showing her ruthless nature and commitment to their plan.

42. “Out! Damned spot! One, two – why, then ’tis time to don’t. Hell is murky. Fie, my lord, fie, a soldier and afeard? What need we fear who knows it, when none can call our power to account? – Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him.”

Meaning:  In her madness, Lady Macbeth is obsessively trying to wash away an imaginary bloodstain, symbolising her guilt over the murders.

43. “What’s done cannot be undone.”

Meaning: Lady Macbeth is acknowledging that the consequences of their actions are irreversible, expressing despair and resignation.

The key quotes in Macbeth come from all different characters, with many from the leading characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. They’re bound to be an essential element of any assignment or exam surrounding the infamous Shakespeare play. If you’re planning to do more literature study in the future, then you’ll need to know the best universities for English Literature in the UK . Luckily, we’ve found them for you.

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by William Shakespeare

Macbeth quotes and analysis.

"Double, double toil and trouble / Fire burn, and cauldron bubble" Witches, 1.1

In this famous quotation from the play, the three witches are gathered around their cauldron as they predict Macbeth's future. This scene immediately imbues the play with a dark and sinister mood, while also showcasing how the supernatural will figure into the rest of the plot. The witches' incantation is frequently quoted due to its rhymed couplets and sing-song rhythm.

"Come, you spirits / That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, / And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full / Of direst cruelty!" Lady Macbeth, 1.5

In this famous quotation, Lady Macbeth expresses her desire to become more cruel so as to complete the murder of King Duncan alongside Macbeth. She asks for the spirits to "unsex" her, suggesting that in order to take part in Duncan's murder, she must dispel with femininity altogether. This quotation remains famous because it highlights the play's exploration of gender and power.

"I have given suck, and know / How tender ‘tis to love the babe that milks me / I would, while it was smiling in my face / Have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums / And dashed the brains out." Lady Macbeth, 1.7

After asking to be stripped of her femininity, Lady Macbeth appears to have gotten her wish as she delivers this disturbing but telling speech. Here, she attempts to prove how cold-hearted she can truly be by admitting that she would have murdered her own child. This quotation also reveals that Lady Macbeth had had a child at some point, despite not having any children in the present. This speech adds depth to Lady Macbeth's character while foreshadowing her formidable behavior for the rest of the play.

"If it were done when ‘tis done, then ‘twere well / It were done quickly." Macbeth, 1.7

This quotation introduces an extended soliloquy by Macbeth in which he puzzles over whether he should murder Duncan. He speaks here in the conditional tense, which underscores his uncertainty and doubts over the task that lies before him. By the end of the speech, he has all but decided not to go through with the murder, but Lady Macbeth will convince him otherwise.

"Is this a dagger which I see before me, / This handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee. / I have thee not, and yet I see thee still." Macbeth, 2.1

In this quotation, Macbeth imagines a dagger in front of him that is not really there. This instance marks the first time that Macbeth has a hallucination, suggesting his descent into stress-induced madness. It also reflects the play's overall interest in portraying the supernatural as a formidable force.

"Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood / Clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather / The multitudinous seas incarnadine." Macbeth, 2.2

After Macbeth murders Duncan, he runs into Lady Macbeth and attempts to clean his hands of Duncan's blood. Here, he expresses his anxiety that the blood will not come off, using a metaphor for the guilt he feels over what he has done. Macbeth is crippled by shame and does not foresee any relief.

"To be thus is nothing, but to be safely thus." Macbeth, 3.1

These are the words that Macbeth speaks after he has become king. Here, he devalues the simple act of becoming king (especially given the action he had to take to get there), and emphasizes that it is only a meaningful title if he can maintain it. Macbeth thus expresses anxiety and paranoia that he is unsafe in the position, which ultimately leads to his decisions to have more potential inheritors murdered.

"For Banquo’s issue have I filed my mind / For them the gracious Duncan have I murdered." Macbeth, 3.1

Here, Macbeth expresses his worry that the murder of Duncan was not worth the guilt he feels, as the witches have prophesied that it is Banquo's sons who will eventually take over the throne. This quotation emphasizes Macbeth's desperate state that eventually predicts his downfall. It also highlights the play's interest in patrilineal succession, as Macbeth has no heirs, like Banquo, to continue his line after his death.

"Thy bones are marrowless, thy blood is cold / Thou hast no speculation in those eyes." Macbeth, 3.4

When Macbeth sees Banquo's ghost, he attempts to convince himself that Banquo is not really there. In doing so, he admits that he is descending into madness with yet another hallucinatory experience. This quotation also underscores the guilt Macbeth feels over having called for the murder of Banquo and his sons.

"To bed, to bed. There’s knocking at the gate. Come, / come, come, come, give me your hand. What’s done / cannot be undone. To bed, to bed, to bed." Lady Macbeth, 5.1

These are the final lines that Lady Macbeth speaks in the play. Her nervous cadence and erratic repetition suggest her own descent into a mad state, as she can no longer think clearly or logically. Instead, she retreats "to bed," suggesting that she has lost the strength and fervor she carried in earlier acts of the play.

Macbeth Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Macbeth is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Macbeth Act 1 Scene 3 questions

What is significant about the first words that Macbeth speaks in the play?

A motif or recurring idea in the play is equivocation. There is the balance of the dark and the light, the good and the bad. Macbeth's first line reflects this. It...

What news took the wind out of Macbeth's invincibility?

Macbeth rethinks his invincibility when MacDuff tells him that he was torn from his mother's womb.

Did Banquo believe Ghosts? Why?

I'm sorry, are you asking if Banquo believed in ghosts? Based upon act and scene?

Study Guide for Macbeth

Macbeth study guide contains a biography of William Shakespeare, literature essays, a complete e-text, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About Macbeth
• Macbeth Summary
• Macbeth Video
• Character List

Essays for Macbeth

Macbeth essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Macbeth by William Shakespeare.

• Serpentine Imagery in Shakespeare's Macbeth
• Macbeth's Evolution
• Jumping the Life to Come
• Deceptive Appearances in Macbeth
• Unity in Shakespeare's Tragedies

Lesson Plan for Macbeth

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to Macbeth
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• Macbeth Bibliography

E-Text of Macbeth

Macbeth e-text contains the full text of Macbeth by William Shakespeare.

• Persons Represented
• Act I, Scene I
• Act I, Scene II
• Act I, Scene III
• Act I, Scene IV

Wikipedia Entries for Macbeth

• Introduction
• Sources for the play
• Date and text

Macbeth: Key Quotes Explained

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

If, as the old quip has it, Hamlet is a great play but it has too many quotations in it, a similar charge might be laid against Macbeth , one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays. So many lines in the play have become proverbial and are often quoted outside of the context of the play itself.

But what are the most famous quotations from Macbeth , and what do they mean? Let’s look at some of the most important quotations found in this short tragedy.

‘When shall we three meet again?’

This opening scene of the play , according to the stage directions, takes place in ‘an open place’. Immediately, Shakespeare establishes an atmosphere of foreboding: the storm which begins Macbeth heralds the turbulent events which are going to follow, all of which the Witches have prophesied. The opening lines of the play run:

FIRST WITCH When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning, or in rain?

SECOND WITCH When the hurly-burly’s done, When the battle’s lost and won.

‘ Fair is foul, and foul is fair ’.

This line is spoken by the three Witches or Weird Sisters towards the end of the play’s opening scene:

‘Fair is foul, and foul is fair Hover through the fog and filthy air.’

The line ‘Fair is foul, and foul is fair’ is almost proverbial, and was already so when Shakespeare wrote this line. In Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queene from the 1590s, for instance, we find the line, ‘Then faire grew foule, and foule grew faire in sight’.

Once again, here, we have the natural order being overturned and inverted, with the pair of opposites dissolving into one: fair has been rendered foul, and foul has become fair. Good and evil appear to have swapped places.

‘By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes.’

This line is spoken by one of the Weird Sisters as Macbeth approaches them with Banquo, and suggests that the Witches have a kind of ‘sixth sense’ (the strange tingling they experience in their thumbs) about Macbeth being a bad egg.

‘I have no spur To prick the sides of my intent, but only Vaulting ambition …’

Macbeth’s own description of his ‘vaulting ambition’ has become familiar to many a student of Shakespeare’s play: it neatly encapsulates the strong sense of ambition he feels, an ambition over which he does not have full control.

He is like a rider on a horse that got out of control, and whether or not the horse runs is not within his power (hence the reference to the ‘spur’, used by a rider to kick the horse into a run).

‘Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand?’

So begins one of the most famous soliloquies in Shakespeare’s Macbeth – indeed, perhaps in all of Shakespeare. We have analysed it in detail here . It begins:

Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee. I have thee not, and yet I see thee still.

‘Is this a dagger which I see before me’ is often staged, and filmed, with the dagger suspended in mid-air.

‘Yet do I fear thy nature; It is too full o’ the milk of human kindness’.

Spoken by Lady Macbeth to her husband, these lines reveal Lady Macbeth to be the more brutal and unfeeling of the pair, with no misgivings about murdering the king in order to achieve their aims.

In speaking these words, Lady Macbeth gave us a now ubiquitous phrase (‘milk of human kindness’, although Shakespeare may also have intended ‘milk of humankindness’, i.e. those qualities which make us part of humankind), drawing on early modern notions of milk-drinking as leading to softness and soppiness of temperament.

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

So begins one of the most famous and revealing soliloquies spoken by Macbeth. The words appear in act I scene VII of the play and see Macbeth, in a room in his castle, meditating on whether to go through with his (and his wife’s) plan to murder Duncan, the king, and seize the throne of Scotland for himself.

This speech also features the earliest known use of the word ‘assassination’.

‘Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood Clean from my hand?’

Spoken by Macbeth shortly after he has murdered Duncan in his bed, and his hands are still covered in the late king’s blood, this question is followed by an admission that nothing can wash the stain of this crime from his hand:

No, this my hand will rather The multitudinous seas incarnadine, Making the green one red.

‘I am in blood Stepp’d in so far that, should I wade no more, Returning were as tedious as go o’er.’

As you may have gathered by now, many of the most memorable quotations from Macbeth involve blood. In this quotation from Act 3, Macbeth acknowledges that he has already committed so many vile deeds that he may as well continue: he is beyond redemption, and there’s no way back now.

‘Double, double toil and trouble: Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.’

Spoken by the Witches in Act 4, these incantations are among the most memorable lines in the whole play, with the air of magic and witchcraft contained within them (they are spoken by the Weird Sisters as they put various disgusting ingredients into their bubbling cauldron) embodying the general mood of the play.

‘Out, damned spot! out, I say!’

Like Macbeth’s earlier complaint that all of Neptune’s oceans could not wash his bloody hand clean, Lady Macbeth’s sleepwalking mutterings betray her guilt: the blood on her hands may be metaphorical (or hallucinatory), but the guilt she feels is the same. Her conscience has been well and truly pricked, and she will die (offstage) shortly after this. We have analysed this scene here .

‘What’s done cannot be undone.’

Also spoken by Lady Macbeth as she sleepwalks around the castle grounds, this line points up another aspect of the play’s linguistic fingerprint: the word ‘done’ and its homophones, present in Duncan, Dunsinane, and all the various uses of the word ‘done’ in the play (‘If it were done’, etc.).

‘Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow’.

Spoken upon hearing of the death of his wife, Macbeth’s speech from towards the end of this play has become famous for this line as well as the phrases ‘full of sound and fury / Signifying nothing’ and ‘Out, out, brief candle!’ The speech begins:

Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, Creeps in this petty pace from day to day, To the last syllable of recorded time; And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death.

Macbeth’s speech is about the futility and illusoriness of all life and everything we do: we are all bound for the grave, and life doesn’t seem to mean anything, ultimately. He is responding to the news that Lady Macbeth is dead here; it’s the beginning of the end for him.

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How to Use Quotes When Analysing Macbeth

Tuesday 30th, August 2022

Jess Laven graduated in 2020 with an ATAR of 96.60. In this article, Jess runs through some tips on how to use quotes when analysing Macbeth , based on Jess' own study experiences. Check out ATAR Notes' Text Guide for Macbeth here . 📚

One of the challenges of Macbeth English exams is knowing what quotes to memorise and how to use them to analyse the play. In an earlier article, I gave 10 things you need to know when studying Macbeth . This article focuses on quotes, offering the tips and examples you need to ace your exam.

What Macbeth Quotes Should I Memorise?

Choose quotes:

That can be used for a range of essay questions. Doing this will mean you won’t need to remember as many quotes because you’ll be able to spin your quotes to suit different essay prompts.

From throughout the play. Don’t limit yourself to one Act in the play. This would make it harder to answer essay questions that focus on a different section of the play. It may also give markers the impression that you haven’t put in the effort to read and understand the full play.

That are well-known and less well-known. It is best to have a combination. Using less well-known quotes will showcase the depth of your knowledge. Meanwhile, using well-known quotes is helpful because they tend to suit many essay questions.

That cover a majority of the play’s themes. Macbeth has many themes. Essay questions tend to revolve around one or more of these themes either directly or indirectly. Knowing quotes that relate to most of these themes will set you up for success.

How Do I Use My Quotes to Analyse Macbeth ?

Macbeth quotes often relate to more than one of the play’s themes. You might find it helpful to note down what these themes are for each quote. I have pulled quotes from the list I memorised for my Year 12 external English exam and categorised them under one of their dominant themes. Hopefully, this will demonstrate the role and significance of these themes, and give you some ideas about good quotes and how to analyse them.

Macbeth quotes often relate to more than one of the play’s themes.

Power and Ambition

There are several types of power in Macbeth , including unearned power, corruption of power, women in power and supernatural power. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s desire for power is driven by their unchecked ambition, which is a closely interrelated theme.

Macbeth displays his ambition to become King after Duncan names his eldest son, Malcolm, as his heir to the Scottish throne. He pleads, “Stars, hide your fires; Let not light see my black and deep desires” (1.4). Lady Macbeth recognises this ambition, though she doesn’t believe he possesses the manliness to act on it by killing Duncan. In reference to Macbeth and his nature, she says:

“It is too full o’ th’ milk of human kindness To catch the nearest way: thou wouldst be great, Art not without ambition, but without The illness should attend it” (1.5).

She says this after reading the letter from Macbeth about the witches’ prophecies. It is at this point that she begins to devise her plan to coerce Macbeth to commit regicide. 

Macbeth supports Lady Macbeth’s suspicions when he admits, “I have no spur To prick the sides of my intent, but only Vaulting ambition” (1.7). Here, he indicates that ambition is his only motivation for killing Duncan.

After Macbeth becomes King, he reveals that he is still restless and insecure, fearing he may lose his position. He is also bothered that he has no heir and therefore no guarantee that his lineage will continue after his passing. He claims, “To be thus is nothing, But to be safely thus” (3.1).

This quote also explains why killing King Duncan triggered Macbeth to commit a series of future violent deeds in an attempt to secure his power. Macbeth refers to this chain reaction when he says, “I am in blood Stepped in so far that, should I wade no more, Returning were as tedious as go o’er” (3.4).

Guilt and Remorse

Macbeth expresses his uneasiness over his plan to kill Duncan, stating, “My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, Shakes so my single state of man” (1.3).

Once the deed is done, he immediately expresses his guilt and remorse. For example, Macbeth claims that all of the oceans in the world would not be able to wash the blood from his hands. Instead, he suggests that the blood would stain the ocean red, indicating that his guilt will never waver and his crime could be uncovered:

“Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood Clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather The multitudinous seas incarnadine, Making the green one red” (2.2).

Once the deed is done, he immediately expresses his guilt and remorse.

Macbeth clearly expresses his remorse over killing Duncan when he says, “Wake Duncan with thy knocking. I would thou couldst” (2.2). Macduff is knocking on Duncan’s door, and Macbeth is saying that he wishes Macduff could wake Duncan. In other words, he wishes he could take back his actions.

Macbeth also feels guilt over orchestrating Banquo’s murder. Macbeth says, “Thou canst not say I did it. Never shake Thy gory locks at me” (3.4). He is trying to convince himself that he was not guilty because it was not him who killed Banquo. Rather, it was the assassins he hired. 

Lady Macbeth’s guilt and remorse appear later than Macbeth’s. An example of this is when she demands, “Out, damned spot! Out, I say!” (5.1), believing that there is blood on her hands. This is a symbol of her involvement in Duncan’s death and her inability to undo it or rid herself of her guilt.

Appearance and Reality

Hallucinations, manipulation and deception are important in Macbeth . Banquo foreshadows the unfortunate events of the play when he says, “And oftentimes, to win us to our harm, The instruments of darkness tell us truths, Win us with honest trifles, to betray ’s In deepest consequence” (1.3). Banquo is warning Macbeth that the witches may be telling the truth about unimportant things, only to lie later when the consequences are worse.

Hallucinations, manipulation and deception are important in Macbeth .

The original Thane of Cawdor was a traitor, leading Duncan to conclude that, “There’s no art To find the mind’s construction in the face” (1.4). In other words, it is impossible to look at someone’s face and know their thoughts and plans. This is ironic because Macbeth, the subsequent Thane of Cawdor, asks the stars to hide his desires at the end of this scene and later goes on to kill Duncan.

One of Lady Macbeth’s most renowned quotes is, “Look like th’ innocent flower, But be the serpent under ’t” (1.5). Here, she is encouraging Macbeth to act normally so as to deceive everyone and avoid arousing suspicion about their plan to kill Duncan.

Macbeth’s hallucinations emerge before he kills Duncan. He asks, “Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand” (2.1)? This is symbolic of his impending crime. Macbeth may have been trying to rationalise his decision to kill Duncan by imagining a dagger, the killing weapon, and perceiving it as a sign that he is destined to commit regicide.   

Malcom and Donalbain, Duncan’s sons, recognise that they are in danger and decide to escape. Donalbain says, “There’s daggers in men’s smiles. The near in blood, The nearer bloody” (2.3). Here, he suggests that there are enemies among them who are hiding their evil intentions behind smiles. He suspects that the people who are close to them, and therefore close to the throne, are most likely to kill them.

Macbeth continues to hallucinate after killing Duncan. After he arranges the murder of Banquo, he hallucinates the ghost of his former friend at the banquet. Lady Macbeth scolds him, saying, “This is the very painting of your fear. This is the air-drawn dagger…” (3.4), emphasising the disjunction between appearance and reality for Macbeth.

There are many more themes and many more significant quotes in Macbeth . Keep an eye out for future articles in which I explore these.

In the meantime, happy reading and Googling!

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Macbeth: Essay Plan Examples

A* and Level 9 essays are always properly planned before they are written. But how should you plan a Macbeth Essay?

Here is a list of practise plans and notes that students have completed for a range of essays on Macbeth. Some are focused on ideas, and others on structuring. To get the best out of your plans, you should try to keep a balance between both of these.

Always plan a thesis before writing — this is your main argument, the main answer to the question that comes in the intro of your essay. The rest of the essay should then explore and argue on this thesis.

This page is suitable for students aged 14–18 (GCSE — A-Level), particularly those studying the following exam boards: CIE / Cambridge, AQA, OCR, WJEC / Eduqas, CCEA, Edexcel.

Thanks for reading! If you find this resource useful, you can take a look at our full online Macbeth course here . Use the code “SHAKESPEARE” to receive a 50% discount!

This course includes: 

• A full set of video lessons on each key element of the text: summary, themes, setting, characters, context, attitudes, analysis of key quotes, essay questions, essay examples
• Downloadable documents for each video lesson 
• A range of example B-A* / L7-L9 grade essays, both at GCSE (ages 14-16) and A-Level (age 16+) with teacher comments and mark scheme feedback
• A bonus Macbeth workbook designed to guide you through each scene of the play!

For more help with Macbeth and Tragedy, read our article here .

PRACTICE ESSAY 1:

Explore how Shakespeare discusses the theme of deception in Macbeth.

Trickery begets trickery — Macbeth deceives Duncan at the start, Banquo shortly after, he himself is deceived by the Witches > negative comment on deception.

Feudal system / divine right of kings vs New Politics / Machiavelli.

Deception creates temporary power, but the order of the world will be restored.

God ignores the castle — sinful behavior causes God to turn away.

Thesis: deception is evil and creates more evil and chaos, both for the individuals who deceive and the kingdom as a whole. For the human characters, it leads down a path to insanity, Shakespeare is drawing a parallel between deception and evil to show that it is ungodly and sinful.

P1 — Intro — Shakespeare discusses the theme of deception in Macbeth by exploring Macbeth’s insanity, showing the Macbeths covering their tracks and the temporary success with long term failure that deception brings.

P2 — Macbeth’s insanity — “oh full of scorpions is my mind”, “could not I pronounce Amen” “Is this a dagger I see before me”.

P3 — Showing the Macbeths covering their tracks — creates a climate of panic and paranoia — “I’ll gild the faces of the grooms withal”.

P4 — demonstrates the religious messages of Macbeth — don’t commit sinful behavior.

P5 — demonstrates Shakespeare’s political beliefs — his faith in the Feudal system / his mistrust of New Politics.

PRACTISE ESSAY 2:

How does Shakespeare make this scene particularly terrifying?

500–600 Words essay.

5 Paragraphs:

• Intro — 50 words — Go over points quickly > thesis at the end
• Paragraph 1 (PEAL) — 165 words
• Paragraph 2 (PEAL) — 165 words
• Paragraph 3 (PEAL) — 165 words
• Conclusion — Recap strongest points quickly > Link back to the thesis

Paragraph plans

• Shakespeare makes this scene particularly terrifying by… (religion)
• Furthermore, the scene is particularly terrifying due to … (fear)
• Another way that Shakespeare has made this scene particularly terrifying is… (supernatural)

PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE:

Point — 1 Sentence

Evidence — Quotation (no longer than 7 words).

Analysis — Identify techniques, language features, vocabulary, and dramatic devices ‘how / why’ something works in a certain way.

Evaluation — assessing the importance/significance of something.

Link — Link back to text and thesis.

Thesis: The significant turning point for Macbeth in the play as he realizes that he is unable to say amen and might be haunted due to his deed. Macbeth is a dynamic character, a tragic hero who undergoes a tragic fall, and this moment demonstrates the point at which his mind begins to disintegrate and he is abandoned by God, which would be very terrifying for a Shakespearean audience.

Top Level Mark Scheme:

• Answers in this band have all the qualities of Band 2 work, with further  insight, sensitivity, individuality, and flair.  They maintain a  sustained engagement  with both text and task.
• Sustains a perceptive, convincing and relevant personal response
• Shows a clear critical understanding of the text.
• Responds sensitively and in detail to the way the writer achieves her/his effects (sustaining a convincing voice in an empathic task).
• Integrates much well-selected reference to the text

‘Make’ > understand and discuss dramatic devices

‘Particularly’ > evaluation word

Thesis: ‘what we think/feel/realize’

Shakespeare makes this scene particularly terrifying through the implicit meanings in the text. He uses varying vocabulary and language features such as allegory and allusion, which are seen throughout the text, to create a frightening atmosphere. This mainly revolves around Macbeth, a dynamic character, whose insight to murder has changed. We realize that Macbeth is unable to cope with his past actions due to his current actions.

QUOTES/IDEAS:

“ Didst thou not hear a noise ?” — Macbeth builds tension/suspense, a small amount of fear, later layers up into terror.

“ The owl scream ” — Lady Macbeth, possible link to Duncan’s death, possible horror sound, ‘scream’ > personification.

“ As I descended ?” — Macbeth, descent downstairs, but also perhaps signifies hell/degeneration into evil + madness.

Disjoined / lack of connection between characters — Macbeth is jumpy. They disagree. Macbeth is empathetic towards Donalbain > ‘ sorry sight’, Lady Macbeth is cold and says he is ‘foolish’.

“ There’s one did laugh in’s sleep, and one cried ‘Murder !’,” > terrifying, because two random people woke up during Macbeth murdering Duncan, they have a premonition or some sort of awareness.

“ I had most need of blessing, and ‘Amen’/ Stuck in my throat. ” > he’s under the influence of evil, so God has abandoned him, he’s past the point of redemption, perhaps the turning point where he realizes he can’t go back, psychological?

“ It will make us mad ” > Lady Macbeth feels that the two of them will be mad if they dwell on their deeds in a negative way.

“ Macbeth does murder sleep ” > this is particularly terrifying as sleep also means rest and peace. Not only is Macbeth murdering sleep, but he is murdering rest and peace which he will not get as he will be haunted by the murder. ( personification )

“ Smear / The sleepy grooms with blood ” > the fact that they can pass the blame so easily and effectively is terrifying, what else can they pass the blame for if they can pass the blame for the murder.

“ Painted devil ” > the image of a dead body is likened to a painted devil seen by a child. They are just images that are feared.

“ Clean from my hand? No ” > No amount of water will be able to wash the blood off of Macbeth’s hands. He will never be able to forget about the blood on his hands, in a metaphorical sense.

“ Making the green one red ” > His hands will turn the sea red. That is the amount of blood which he bears.

Foreshadowing Lady Macbeth’s ‘out damned spot’:

“Out, damned spot! Out, I say! — One, two. Why, then, ’tis time to do ’t. Hell is murky! — Fie, my lord, fie! A soldier, and afeard? What need we fear who knows it, when none can call our power to account? — Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him?” >  5.1, just before she commits suicide, a descent into madness — she sees spots of blood on her hands, paralleling Macebeth’s visions of blood.

Motif – recurring element of a story (lack of sleep/blood on hands).

ESSAY PLAN 3:

In what ways does Shakespeare make the relationship between Macbeth and Banquo so compelling?

P1 — Intro — Shakespeare makes the relationship between Macbeth and Banquo so compelling through the exploration of the themes of deception, death, and good versus evil. The discussion of such themes leads us, as the reader, to come to the conclusion that Macbeth is a sinister character who has somehow managed to befriend an honest, decent man, Banquo which leads to a relationship filled with tension.

P2- Deception- “I fear thou have played most foully for it” “fruitless crown” “I wish your horses swift and sure of foot”

P3 — death- “Banquo, thy soul’s flight…find heaven”  Enter the Ghost of Banquo and sits in Macbeth’s place  (stage directions)

P4 — good versus evil- juxtaposing of characters

Conclusion — strongest points again

ESSAY PLAN 4:

‘Macbeth is not an evil man, but one led astray by those around him’.

To what extent do you agree with this view?

You should write 500–600 words.

Thesis — I believe that Macbeth is an evil man and is responsible for his own actions. His sheer greed for power is what has led him astray and it was his choice to kill Duncan and have Banquo and Fleance as well as Macduff’s family killed. He has shown throughout the play that his greed, not those around him, has led him astray.

Paragraph 1: — Intro- include thesis and quick overview Paragraph 2: — Disagree paragraph Paragraph 3: — Disagree paragraph Paragraph 4: — Agree paragraph (counter) Paragraph 5: — Conclusion (quick overview of strongest points, thesis)

Point -main point

Evidence -quotation

Analysis -why/how does it relate to argument

Context -context to shakespearean times

Alternative interpretation -alternative view

Link -back to thesis

• Told by the witches that he will be king.
• Pressured by Lady Macbeth to kill Duncan.
• Witches tell him that Banquo’s descendants shall be king, incites Macbeth. Witches may have known that this would have riled Macbeth up.
• Witches told Macbeth he will be king so he could have waited until he became King the right way.
• Macbeth could have stood up to Lady Macbeth and told her no.
• Macbeth felt the need to have Banquo and Fleance killed, nobody pressured him to do so.
• Macbeth had Macduff’s family killed for no good reason.
• Macbeth acted on his own accord.

If you’re studying Macbeth, you can click here to buy our full online course. Use the code “SHAKESPEARE” to receive a 50% discount!

You will gain access to  over 8 hours  of  engaging video content , plus  downloadable PDF guides  for  Macbeth  that cover the following topics:

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William Shakespeare

• Literature Notes
• Major Themes
• Macbeth at a Glance
• Play Summary
• About Macbeth
• Character List
• Summary and Analysis
• Act I: Scene 1
• Act I: Scene 2
• Act I: Scene 3
• Act I: Scene 4
• Act I: Scene 5
• Act I: Scene 6
• Act I: Scene 7
• Act II: Scene 1
• Act II: Scene 2
• Act II: Scene 3
• Act II: Scene 4
• Act III: Scene 1
• Act III: Scene 2
• Act III: Scene 3
• Act III: Scene 4
• Act III: Scene 5
• Act III: Scene 6
• Act IV: Scene 1
• Act IV: Scene 2
• Act IV: Scene 3
• Act V: Scene 1
• Act V: Scene 2
• Act V: Scene 3
• Act V: Scene 4
• Act V: Scene 5
• Act V: Scene 6
• Act V: Scene 7
• Act V: Scene 8
• Act V: Scene 9
• Character Analysis
• Lady Macbeth
• Character Map
• William Shakespeare Biography
• Critical Essays
• Major Symbols and Motifs
• Macbeth on the Stage
• Famous Quotes
• Film Versions
• Full Glossary
• Essay Questions
• Practice Projects
• Cite this Literature Note

Critical Essays Major Themes

The Fall of Man

The ancient Greek notion of tragedy concerned the fall of a great man, such as a king, from a position of superiority to a position of humility on account of his ambitious pride, or hubris . To the Greeks, such arrogance in human behavior was punishable by terrible vengeance. The tragic hero was to be pitied in his fallen plight but not necessarily forgiven: Greek tragedy frequently has a bleak outcome. Christian drama, on the other hand, always offers a ray of hope; hence, Macbeth ends with the coronation of Malcolm , a new leader who exhibits all the correct virtues for a king.

Macbeth exhibits elements that reflect the greatest Christian tragedy of all: the Fall of Man. In the Genesis story, it is the weakness of Adam, persuaded by his wife (who has in turn been seduced by the devil) which leads him to the proud assumption that he can "play God." But both stories offer room for hope: Christ will come to save mankind precisely because mankind has made the wrong choice through his own free will. In Christian terms, although Macbeth has acted tyrannically, criminally, and sinfully, he is not entirely beyond redemption in heaven.

Fortune, Fate, and Free Will

Fortune is another word for chance. The ancient view of human affairs frequently referred to the "Wheel of Fortune," according to which human life was something of a lottery. One could rise to the top of the wheel and enjoy the benefits of superiority, but only for a while. With an unpredictable swing up or down, one could equally easily crash to the base of the wheel.

Fate, on the other hand, is fixed. In a fatalistic universe, the length and outcome of one's life (destiny) is predetermined by external forces. In Macbeth, the Witches represent this influence. The play makes an important distinction: Fate may dictate what will be, but how that destiny comes about is a matter of chance (and, in a Christian world such as Macbeth's) of man's own choice or free will.

Although Macbeth is told he will become king, he is not told how to achieve the position of king: that much is up to him. We cannot blame him for becoming king (it is his Destiny), but we can blame him for the way in which he chooses to get there (by his own free will).

Kingship and Natural Order

Macbeth is set in a society in which the notion of honor to one's word and loyalty to one's superiors is absolute. At the top of this hierarchy is the king, God's representative on Earth. Other relationships also depend on loyalty: comradeship in warfare, hospitality of host towards guest, and the loyalty between husband and wife. In this play, all these basic societal relationships are perverted or broken. Lady Macbeth's domination over her husband, Macbeth's treacherous act of regicide, and his destruction of comradely and family bonds, all go against the natural order of things.

The medieval and renaissance view of the world saw a relationship between order on earth, the so-called microcosm , and order on the larger scale of the universe, or macrocosm. Thus, when Lennox and the Old Man talk of the terrifying alteration in the natural order of the universe — tempests, earthquakes, darkness at noon, and so on — these are all reflections of the breakage of the natural order that Macbeth has brought about in his own microcosmic world.

Disruption of Nature

Violent disruptions in nature — tempests, earthquakes, darkness at noon, and so on — parallel the unnatural and disruptive death of the monarch Duncan.

The medieval and renaissance view of the world saw a relationship between order on earth, the so-called microcosm, and order on the larger scale of the universe, or macrocosm. Thus, when Lennox and the Old Man talk of the terrifying alteration in the natural order of the universe (nature), these are all reflections of the breakage of the natural order that Macbeth has brought about in his own microcosmic world (society).

Many critics see the parallel between Duncan's death and disorder in nature as an affirmation of the divine right theory of kingship. As we witness in the play, Macbeth's murder of Duncan and his continued tyranny extends the disorder of the entire country.

Gender Roles

Lady Macbeth is the focus of much of the exploration of gender roles in the play. As Lady Macbeth propels her husband toward committing Duncan's murder, she indicates that she must take on masculine characteristics. Her most famous speech — located in Act I, Scene 5 — addresses this issue.

Clearly, gender is out of its traditional order. This disruption of gender roles is also presented through Lady Macbeth's usurpation of the dominate role in the Macbeth's marriage; on many occasions, she rules her husband and dictates his actions.

Reason Versus Passion

During their debates over which course of action to take, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth use different persuasive strategies. Their differences can easily be seen as part of a thematic study of gender roles. However, in truth, the difference in ways Macbeth and Lady Macbeth rationalize their actions is essential to understanding the subtle nuances of the play as a whole.

Macbeth is very rational, contemplating the consequences and implications of his actions. He recognizes the political, ethical, and religious reason why he should not commit regicide. In addition to jeopardizing his afterlife, Macbeth notes that regicide is a violation of Duncan's "double trust" that stems from Macbeth's bonds as a kinsman and as a subject.

On the other hand, Lady Macbeth has a more passionate way of examining the pros and cons of killing Duncan. She is motivated by her feelings and uses emotional arguments to persuade her husband to commit the evil act.

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Macbeth Essays

There are loads of ways you can approach writing an essay, but the two i favour are detailed below., the key thing to remember is that an essay should focus on the three aos:, ao1: plot and character development; ao2: language and technique; ao3: context, strategy 1 : extract / rest of play, the first strategy basically splits the essay into 3 paragraphs., the first paragraph focuses on the extract, the second focuses on the rest of the play, the third focuses on context. essentially, it's one ao per paragraph, for a really neatly organised essay., strategy 2 : a structured essay with an argument, this strategy allows you to get a much higher marks as it's structured to form an argument about the whole text. although you might think that's harder - and it's probably going to score more highly - i'd argue that it's actually easier to master. mainly because you do most of the work before the day of the exam., to see some examples of these, click on the links below:, lady macbeth as a powerful woman, macbeth as a heroic character, the key to this style is remembering this: you're going to get a question about a theme, and the extract will definitely relate to the theme., the strategy here is planning out your essays before the exam, knowing that the extract will fit into them somehow., below are some structured essays i've put together., macbeth and gender.

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Florida Man Sues G.M. and LexisNexis Over Sale of His Cadillac Data

Romeo Chicco’s auto insurance rate doubled because of information about his speeding, braking and acceleration, according to his complaint.

By Kashmir Hill

When Romeo Chicco tried to get auto insurance in December, seven different companies rejected him. When he eventually obtained insurance, it was nearly double the rate he was previously paying. According to a federal complaint filed this week seeking class-action status, it was because his 2021 Cadillac XT6 had been spying on him.

Modern cars have been called “ smartphones with wheels ,” because they are connected to the internet and packed with sensors and cameras. According to the complaint, an agent at Liberty Mutual told Mr. Chicco that he had been rejected because of information in his “LexisNexis report.” LexisNexis Risk Solutions, a data broker, has traditionally kept tabs for insurers on drivers’ moving violations, prior insurance coverage and accidents.

When Mr. Chicco requested his LexisNexis file, it contained details about 258 trips he had taken in his Cadillac over the past six months. His file included the distance he had driven, when the trips started and ended, and an accounting of any speeding and hard braking or accelerating. The data had been provided by General Motors — the manufacturer of his Cadillac.

In a complaint against General Motors and LexisNexis Risk Solutions filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, Mr. Chicco accused the companies of violation of privacy and consumer protection laws. The lawsuit follows a report by The New York Times that, unknown to consumers, automakers have been sharing information on their driving behavior with the insurance industry, resulting in increased insurance rates for some drivers. LexisNexis Risk Solutions, and another data broker called Verisk, claim to have real-world driving behavior from millions of cars.

In his complaint, Mr. Chicco said he called G.M. and LexisNexis repeatedly to ask why his data had been collected without his consent. He was eventually told that his data had been sent via OnStar — G.M.’s connected services company, which is also named in the suit — and that he had enrolled in OnStar’s Smart Driver program, a feature for getting driver feedback and digital badges for good driving.

Mr. Chicco said that he had not signed up for OnStar or Smart Driver, though he had downloaded MyCadillac, an app from General Motors, for his car.

“What no one can tell me is how I enrolled in it,” Mr. Chicco told The Times in an interview this month. “You can tell me how many times I hard-accelerated on Jan. 30 between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m., but you can’t tell me how I enrolled in this?”

A spokeswoman for G.M., Malorie Lucich, previously said that customers enrolled for SmartDriver in their connected car app or at the dealership, and that a clause in the OnStar privacy statement explained that their data could be shared with “third parties.” Asked about the lawsuit, she said by email that the company was “reviewing the complaint,” and had no comment, pointing instead to a statement the company previously gave about OnStar Smart Driver.

“G.M.’s OnStar Smart Driver service is optional to customers,” the statement said. “Customer benefits include learning more about their safe driving behaviors or vehicle performance that, with their consent, may be used to obtain insurance quotes. Customers can also unenroll from Smart Driver at any time.”

LexisNexis Risk Solutions, which previously said it analyzed the sort of driving data that Mr. Chicco found in his file to create a risk score that it then sold to insurers, declined to comment.

“I would never have given permission for this data to go out there,” Mr. Chicco previously said. Reached after the lawsuit was filed, he said he had no comment.

David Vladeck, a Georgetown law professor who previously ran the bureau for consumer protection at the Federal Trade Commission, said that the driving data companies were collecting was considered very sensitive, meaning there should be “clear notice” to consumers and explicit consent for its collection and sale.

Mr. Vladeck said he would expect an investigation by the F.T.C., as well as lawsuits by consumers against the automakers and data brokers.

“Just wait for the avalanche,” he said. “It’s coming.”

Read the Class Action Complaint Against G.M. and LexisNexis Risk Solutions

Romeo Chicco filed the complaint, alleging unfair and deceptive car data collection, in the Southern District of Florida on Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Kashmir Hill writes about technology and how it is changing people’s everyday lives with a particular focus on privacy. She has been covering technology for more than a decade. More about Kashmir Hill