32-page Heart of Darkness A* Quote
Bank GRADE A+ SOLUTIONS
Stars hide your fires; let not light see my black and deep desires -
Macbeth (Act 1 Scene 4)
Macbeth wants to hide his dark feelings he wants his secret yearning
for the throne to remain covered in darkness, especially the fact
that he would be willing to do anything, including murdering Duncan,
the rightful king, to achieve his ambition.
"Stars hide your fires" is personification. The stars are being asked
to give Macbeth darkness, so no one can see his "black and deep
desires." Calling his desires black and deep is a metaphor, because
the thoughts are not literally dark, but he is saying they are dark
because they are evil.
"Double, double, toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble!" - The witches (Act 4 Scene 1)
These lines show how what the witches say can have double meanings
and can be contradictory.
"Look like the innocent flower,
But be the serpent under it." - Lady Macbeth (Act 1 Scene 5)
Lady Macbeth is telling Macbeth to have the guise of the innocent
while his true nature should be of a serpent. He should have the
temptation to do evil with in him and not have any remorse when going
through with what is believed to be the necessary actions.
Lady Macbeth is using this metaphor to show her true feeling's and
influence for Macbeth into looking innocent like a flower but without
hiding from the devious nature that she believes he should have as a
man.
"What's done cannot be undone. To bed, to bed, to bed!"- Lady Macbeth
(Act 5 Scene 1 )
Lady Macbeth is trying to be reassuring she tries to stay away from
the whole womanly bit. And that includes reassuring her husband.
We're thinking this is about more than actual blood staining her
hands. In fact, we think blood is a symbol for guilt in this play.
"Out, out, brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and is heard no more.
, It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying
nothing." - Macbeth (Act 5 Scene 5)
It is spoken by Macbeth after he hears that his wife has committed
suicide and he also knows that armies are marching against him. He
says that days on this world are short, a 'brief candle' and
ultimately one is enveloped in darkness. He compares life to an
unimportant actor, a 'walking shadow' for the character he plays.
This insignificant actor "struts and frets his hour upon the stage"
or is proud and anxious for the small part he has to perform on stage
and then he is heard no more. He then compares life to the tale told
by a director which is full of noise and passion but ultimately it
signifies nothing. Comparing life to theatre, Shakespeare not only
questions the purpose of life but also gives a reminder of the
illusionary nature of theatre.
"False face must hide what the false heart doth know." - Macbeth (Act
1 Scene 7)
Macbeth is saying that he will put on a false front and act as if
everything is normal, even though he is plotting to kill Duncan. This
betrayal of his king is what he is talking about when he speaks of a
"false heart." In the lines of literature this theme falls within
"appearance vs. reality." We know that Macbeth is easy to read, or
it's easy to tell what he's feeling, so he must work extra hard to
change his appearance to hide the reality of his murderous plot.
"Fair is foul, and foul is fair, hover through fog and filthy air." -
The Witches (Act 1 Scene 1)
It could be simply deciphered as what is fair or pretty will become
foul or ugly and vice versa, i.e. things would be opposite to what
they appear. It could be also interpreted as suggesting that
Macbeth's world will become upside down and he will do things he
considers foul or unfair disregarding what appears fair to him. This
line is among the most important in Macbeth and can be considered
closest to describing the theme of the play.
"I dare do all that may become a man;
Who dares do more, is none" - Macbeth (Act 1 Scene 7)
Macbeth replies in self-defense that he "dares do all that may become
a man," meaning that he dares to do all that is good for a man to do.
This is "become" in the sense that we mean when we say that a color
"becomes you." He then adds, "who dares do more is none," meaning
that someone who dares do more than what is good for a man to do is
not really a man at all.
Soon, however, he succumbs to his ambitions and his wife's urging,
and does the act which is "more than may become a man" — he murders
his king, to whom he has sworn fealty and who is also his guest,
Bank GRADE A+ SOLUTIONS
Stars hide your fires; let not light see my black and deep desires -
Macbeth (Act 1 Scene 4)
Macbeth wants to hide his dark feelings he wants his secret yearning
for the throne to remain covered in darkness, especially the fact
that he would be willing to do anything, including murdering Duncan,
the rightful king, to achieve his ambition.
"Stars hide your fires" is personification. The stars are being asked
to give Macbeth darkness, so no one can see his "black and deep
desires." Calling his desires black and deep is a metaphor, because
the thoughts are not literally dark, but he is saying they are dark
because they are evil.
"Double, double, toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble!" - The witches (Act 4 Scene 1)
These lines show how what the witches say can have double meanings
and can be contradictory.
"Look like the innocent flower,
But be the serpent under it." - Lady Macbeth (Act 1 Scene 5)
Lady Macbeth is telling Macbeth to have the guise of the innocent
while his true nature should be of a serpent. He should have the
temptation to do evil with in him and not have any remorse when going
through with what is believed to be the necessary actions.
Lady Macbeth is using this metaphor to show her true feeling's and
influence for Macbeth into looking innocent like a flower but without
hiding from the devious nature that she believes he should have as a
man.
"What's done cannot be undone. To bed, to bed, to bed!"- Lady Macbeth
(Act 5 Scene 1 )
Lady Macbeth is trying to be reassuring she tries to stay away from
the whole womanly bit. And that includes reassuring her husband.
We're thinking this is about more than actual blood staining her
hands. In fact, we think blood is a symbol for guilt in this play.
"Out, out, brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and is heard no more.
, It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying
nothing." - Macbeth (Act 5 Scene 5)
It is spoken by Macbeth after he hears that his wife has committed
suicide and he also knows that armies are marching against him. He
says that days on this world are short, a 'brief candle' and
ultimately one is enveloped in darkness. He compares life to an
unimportant actor, a 'walking shadow' for the character he plays.
This insignificant actor "struts and frets his hour upon the stage"
or is proud and anxious for the small part he has to perform on stage
and then he is heard no more. He then compares life to the tale told
by a director which is full of noise and passion but ultimately it
signifies nothing. Comparing life to theatre, Shakespeare not only
questions the purpose of life but also gives a reminder of the
illusionary nature of theatre.
"False face must hide what the false heart doth know." - Macbeth (Act
1 Scene 7)
Macbeth is saying that he will put on a false front and act as if
everything is normal, even though he is plotting to kill Duncan. This
betrayal of his king is what he is talking about when he speaks of a
"false heart." In the lines of literature this theme falls within
"appearance vs. reality." We know that Macbeth is easy to read, or
it's easy to tell what he's feeling, so he must work extra hard to
change his appearance to hide the reality of his murderous plot.
"Fair is foul, and foul is fair, hover through fog and filthy air." -
The Witches (Act 1 Scene 1)
It could be simply deciphered as what is fair or pretty will become
foul or ugly and vice versa, i.e. things would be opposite to what
they appear. It could be also interpreted as suggesting that
Macbeth's world will become upside down and he will do things he
considers foul or unfair disregarding what appears fair to him. This
line is among the most important in Macbeth and can be considered
closest to describing the theme of the play.
"I dare do all that may become a man;
Who dares do more, is none" - Macbeth (Act 1 Scene 7)
Macbeth replies in self-defense that he "dares do all that may become
a man," meaning that he dares to do all that is good for a man to do.
This is "become" in the sense that we mean when we say that a color
"becomes you." He then adds, "who dares do more is none," meaning
that someone who dares do more than what is good for a man to do is
not really a man at all.
Soon, however, he succumbs to his ambitions and his wife's urging,
and does the act which is "more than may become a man" — he murders
his king, to whom he has sworn fealty and who is also his guest,
