Macbeth Quotes:
1. "Fair is Foul, and foul is fair" - Witches Act 1.1
Paradoxical Language - ambiguity: seems wonderful ("Fair" - Abstract Noun) but turns out to be horrible ("foul" -
Abstract Noun) which represents Macbeth's Kingship
Witches' represent the women's attempt to gain power in a society set up to be controlled by men. They only attack
men, never the female characters in the play. Could say that patriarchy creates more witches because women are
denied power, natural for women to turn to superstition, the cult or devil to achieve power
Paradoxical language causes the audience to not trust the witches, and forebodes the tricks they play later on in the
play.
Trochaic Tetrameter makes witches stand out as it sounds as if they are chanting compared to the other characters
who are speaking in iambic pentameter, suggesting their unnaturalness
THEMES: Supernatural
2. "Unseam'd him from the nave to the chaps" - Seargent Act 1.2
Verb "unseam'd" uses graphic description to show what happens to traitors (Macdonwald) whilst showing Macbeth
is a powerful character - good swordsman and thane which shows his masculinity
Verb shows that he killed him with ease - less power needed to unzip something - emphasising the power of
Macbeth
Audience would see him as heroic = they can already see that’s he's capable and desensitised to violence: some may
fear him as he might be too powerful (sense of foreboding)
THEMES: Violence, Masculinity
3. "Worthy Macbeth" and "Brave Macbeth" and "Valliant's minion" - Seargent Act 1.2
Witches have just said "fair is foul and foul is fair" which suggests that Macbeth may not be as good as the other
characters believe. Audience has not met Macbeth so their views on him is based on which the other characters.
At this point in the play, he is loyal to his King and country. Ironic that this violence is which led to the downfall of
Scotland later on in the play
Some of the audience may fear his violence early on, as he has the power to overthrow someone
THEMES: Masculinity
4. "…So fair and foul a day …" Macbeth Act 1.3
Similar to the line at the scene with the witches, highlighting his flaws and what may lead to his downfall later on -
he became too reliant on the witches
Witches describe sending out the storm on a sailor's ship so he cannot sleep. This could be read as a metaphor for
what will happen to Macbeth, who's made sleepless by guilt, and the ship could be a metaphor for Scotland, which
is almost destroyed in Macbeth's tyrannical reign
THEMES: Supernatural
5. "You should be women, and yet your beards forbid me to interpret so" - Banquo Act 1.3
Women given the noun "beards" symbolise their desires to become more male - Lady Macbeth also wants to be
more male later on in the play
Beards would also show how ugly they look as in Jacobean society, women were judged based on their looks -
witches want to revenge the males
Context - the witches can be played by male actors. The actors can have beards - comedic effect.
Poor, ugly women have no way of power into society. They resort to ugly appearances, as they feel powerless,
something is missing. Same for L.M?
THEMES: Supernatural, Patriarchy
6. “That suggestion whose horrid image doth unfix my hair”- Macbeth Act 1.3
The thought of committing regicide horrifies him. Speaks in “aside” because he knows the thought of regicide is
sinful and would be in trouble if he said it aloud thus he keeps it a secret
Ambition- he’s thinking of doing the ultimate sin because he wants to be King: Macbeth’s hamartia.
Adjective "horrid" and verb "unfix" emphasises the cruelty, and unnaturalness of the event. Forebodes the unfixing
of the Great Chain of Being
He overthrew the traitor Macdonwald who was the original Thane of Cawdor, once Macbeth has this title, he starts
to have the thought of betraying the King
THEMES: Ambition, Supernatural
7. “Stars hide your fires: Let not light see my black and deep desires” - Macbeth Act 1.4
The sounds of "let light" and "deep desires" which emphasize the passion behind his words - symbolises ambition
Macbeth also uses metaphor in his depiction of light as symbolic of goodness, while black symbolizes the evil he is
about to commit. This juxtaposition of light and dark emphasizes Macbeth's tumultuous mental state
THEMES: Ambition, Madness
1. "Fair is Foul, and foul is fair" - Witches Act 1.1
Paradoxical Language - ambiguity: seems wonderful ("Fair" - Abstract Noun) but turns out to be horrible ("foul" -
Abstract Noun) which represents Macbeth's Kingship
Witches' represent the women's attempt to gain power in a society set up to be controlled by men. They only attack
men, never the female characters in the play. Could say that patriarchy creates more witches because women are
denied power, natural for women to turn to superstition, the cult or devil to achieve power
Paradoxical language causes the audience to not trust the witches, and forebodes the tricks they play later on in the
play.
Trochaic Tetrameter makes witches stand out as it sounds as if they are chanting compared to the other characters
who are speaking in iambic pentameter, suggesting their unnaturalness
THEMES: Supernatural
2. "Unseam'd him from the nave to the chaps" - Seargent Act 1.2
Verb "unseam'd" uses graphic description to show what happens to traitors (Macdonwald) whilst showing Macbeth
is a powerful character - good swordsman and thane which shows his masculinity
Verb shows that he killed him with ease - less power needed to unzip something - emphasising the power of
Macbeth
Audience would see him as heroic = they can already see that’s he's capable and desensitised to violence: some may
fear him as he might be too powerful (sense of foreboding)
THEMES: Violence, Masculinity
3. "Worthy Macbeth" and "Brave Macbeth" and "Valliant's minion" - Seargent Act 1.2
Witches have just said "fair is foul and foul is fair" which suggests that Macbeth may not be as good as the other
characters believe. Audience has not met Macbeth so their views on him is based on which the other characters.
At this point in the play, he is loyal to his King and country. Ironic that this violence is which led to the downfall of
Scotland later on in the play
Some of the audience may fear his violence early on, as he has the power to overthrow someone
THEMES: Masculinity
4. "…So fair and foul a day …" Macbeth Act 1.3
Similar to the line at the scene with the witches, highlighting his flaws and what may lead to his downfall later on -
he became too reliant on the witches
Witches describe sending out the storm on a sailor's ship so he cannot sleep. This could be read as a metaphor for
what will happen to Macbeth, who's made sleepless by guilt, and the ship could be a metaphor for Scotland, which
is almost destroyed in Macbeth's tyrannical reign
THEMES: Supernatural
5. "You should be women, and yet your beards forbid me to interpret so" - Banquo Act 1.3
Women given the noun "beards" symbolise their desires to become more male - Lady Macbeth also wants to be
more male later on in the play
Beards would also show how ugly they look as in Jacobean society, women were judged based on their looks -
witches want to revenge the males
Context - the witches can be played by male actors. The actors can have beards - comedic effect.
Poor, ugly women have no way of power into society. They resort to ugly appearances, as they feel powerless,
something is missing. Same for L.M?
THEMES: Supernatural, Patriarchy
6. “That suggestion whose horrid image doth unfix my hair”- Macbeth Act 1.3
The thought of committing regicide horrifies him. Speaks in “aside” because he knows the thought of regicide is
sinful and would be in trouble if he said it aloud thus he keeps it a secret
Ambition- he’s thinking of doing the ultimate sin because he wants to be King: Macbeth’s hamartia.
Adjective "horrid" and verb "unfix" emphasises the cruelty, and unnaturalness of the event. Forebodes the unfixing
of the Great Chain of Being
He overthrew the traitor Macdonwald who was the original Thane of Cawdor, once Macbeth has this title, he starts
to have the thought of betraying the King
THEMES: Ambition, Supernatural
7. “Stars hide your fires: Let not light see my black and deep desires” - Macbeth Act 1.4
The sounds of "let light" and "deep desires" which emphasize the passion behind his words - symbolises ambition
Macbeth also uses metaphor in his depiction of light as symbolic of goodness, while black symbolizes the evil he is
about to commit. This juxtaposition of light and dark emphasizes Macbeth's tumultuous mental state
THEMES: Ambition, Madness
