Macbeth- Quote Bank
*Below is a small selection of quotes that may be relevant to you in discussing power in Macbeth Quote “All hail Macbeth, Thane of Glamis!All hail Macbeth, Thane of "awdor! "awdor! All hail Macbeth, that shalt be #ing hereafter$ %&'()(+
Technique -epetition
Macbeth: “Glamis, and Thane of "awd "awdor or// ! The The grea greate test st is behind %&'&&0&&)
Aside
Macbeth: “4f good, why do 4 yield to the suggestion, ! 5hose horrid image doth un67 my hair! And ma#e my seated heart #noc# at my ribs! Against the use of nature8$ %&'&'' &')
2olilo 2oliloquy quy99 aside aside
Banquo: “;oo# how our partner.s rapt$ %&'&(&
"haracterisatio n9 dialogue
Banquo: “And oftentimes, to win us to our harm, the instruments of dar#ness tell us truths=!5in truths=!5in us in honest tri>es, to betray.s! 4n deepest consequence$
Exit (Attendant)
Lady Macbeth: “The raven
?u7taposition9 characterisatio n
2tage direction, soliloquy
Analysis - The witches use their supernatural supernatural powers to prophesy Macbeth.s future and manipulate his ambition The witches. abuse of their power drives the action of the play, planting the scene for Macbeth.s violent reign - -oss -oss and Angus. Angus. messa message ge that that 1unca 1uncan n has granted Macbeth the title of Thane of "awd "awdor or give gives s cred credib ibil ilit ity y to the the witc witche hes. s. prophecies 2ha#espeare uses an aside to comm commun unic icat ate e Macb Macbet eth. h.s s thou though ghts ts as he begi begins ns to cons conside iderr that that he may may beco become me 3ing and reveal his ambitious character to the audience, whilst veiling it from Banquo 2ha#es 2ha#espea peare re uses uses a soli soliloq loquy uy %once %once again again in the form of an aside to allow the audience to learn of Macbeth.s dar# and treacherous treacherous thoughts, while hiding them from the other characters on stage 4t is clear that Macbeth.s ambitious nature has been quic#ly awo#en by the witches. prophecies prophecies They have abused their power to great e:ect, with Macbeth already considering murdering his 3ing Banquo.s comment serves to emphasise that Macbeth is deep in thought after hearing the prophecies
himself is hoarse! That croa#s the fatal entrance of 1uncan! @nder my battlements$ %&0')'+
Lady Macbeth: “5hen you durst do it, then you were a man$ %&(
1ialogue, characterisatio n
Exit Servant
2tage directions, soliloquy
Macbeth: “To be thus is nothing! But to be safely thus Cur fears in Banquo! 2tic# deep$ %'&(0&
D7its and entrances of Banquo.s ghost %Act ' scene ( Macbeth: “Thou canst not say 4 did it= never sha#e! Thy gory loc#s at meE$ %'(0F0&
2taging, dialogue
Malcolm: “This tyrant, whose sole name blisters our tongues,! 5as once thought to be honest$ %('&&'
"haracterisatio n
Macduf: “Hot in the legions! Cf horrid hell can come a devil more damned! 4n evils to top Macbeth$ %('000
1iction, "haracterisatio n, Biblical allusions
Lady Macbeth: “
Monologue
leaving her alone The soliloquy allows the audience to hear ;ady Macbeth.s thoughts, revealing her to be even more ambitious than her husband 2he is willing to #ill her #ing in order to attain greater power without a second thought - ;ady Macbeth taunts her husband after he refuses to go ahead with the plan to murder 1uncan 2he manipulates him by suggesting that he is cowardly and has betrayed her he is not a man ;ady Macbeth abuses her power as Macbeth.s wife The stage directions indicate that Macbeth.s servant e7its, leaving Macbeth alone to thin# The soliloquy allows us to hear Macbeth as he thin#s aloud Although he is 3ing, and has attained the highest position of power, he is now fearful that it will be ta#en away The impact of such power on Macbeth is that it has made him paranoid, and turned him into a tyrant who would murder his friend in order to secure his position The appearance of Banquo.s ghost emphasises that Macbeth.s violent murder of his friend, committed in order to maintain and secure power, has caused guilt and paranoia in the 3ing Macbeth.s descent into violence and madness is a consequence 9 impact of his rise to power 4n death, Banquo wields more power than in life Macbeth.s behaviour at the banquet arouses suspicions about his role in 1uncan.s murder in his Thanes and can be seen as the beginning of his downfall Malcolm highlights that while Macbeth is now a brutal tyrant, maintaining his power through violence, he used to be a trusted Thane to 1uncan Ambition and power have corrupted a once good man Macdu: is saying that Macbeth is more evil than even the devil
smell of blood still= all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little handE$ %0&(('
literally trying to wash her hands of the blood of Macbeth.s victims
