Macbeth – Key Quotes & Analysis
Macbeth
“Stars, hide your fires, let not light see my black and deep desires”
Macbeth: Wants to hide his thoughts from God who is represented by the symbols
of stars and light, shows how Macbeth is conflicted as although he has his desires, he
is also unwilling to openly challenge God by murdering the divinely appointed King.
Alliteration of ‘let’ and ‘light’ and ‘deep’ and desires. Juxtaposition of ‘stars, fires,
light’ and ‘black, deep’. These emphasise the choice he must make between the path
of morality or the path of uncontrolled ambition. – Act 1
“Is this a dagger which I see before me?”
Macbeth: Reveals his hesitation and inner conflict right up to the points of murder. It
follows the theme of fate vs free will as it is not clear if it is a supernatural sign or a
hallucination from his anxiety ridden mind. He may use this as an excuse as he would
not be able to forgive himself otherwise. – Act 1
“Sleep no more, Macbeth does murder sleep”
Macbeth: Supernatural element as Macbeth explains to Lady Macbeth that he has
been hearing these voices, reflecting his mental state as he knows he has
condemned his soul by committing regicide. Due to this strong reaction, it allows the
audience to feel some sympathy towards Macbeth. Theme of sleep as innocence is
used across the play and in this quote, it is personified which implies Macbeth has
destroyed the innocence of himself and his wife. Furthermore, they are both then
troubled with insomnia. – Act 2
“Out, out brief candle. Life’s but a walking shadow… It is tale, Told by an idiot, full of sound
and fury, Signifying nothing”
Macbeth: Reflects on the briefness and pointlessness of life using the metaphors of
candles and shadows. His reaction is quite cold in comparison to Macduff’s
passionate reaction to his family being killed, possibly showing how death has
become a reoccurrence in his life and it has no effect anymore, or how warn down
he is by his guilt and paranoia. Shakespeare seems to suggest this is the consequence
of going against God and the natural order. – Act 5
Macbeth
“Stars, hide your fires, let not light see my black and deep desires”
Macbeth: Wants to hide his thoughts from God who is represented by the symbols
of stars and light, shows how Macbeth is conflicted as although he has his desires, he
is also unwilling to openly challenge God by murdering the divinely appointed King.
Alliteration of ‘let’ and ‘light’ and ‘deep’ and desires. Juxtaposition of ‘stars, fires,
light’ and ‘black, deep’. These emphasise the choice he must make between the path
of morality or the path of uncontrolled ambition. – Act 1
“Is this a dagger which I see before me?”
Macbeth: Reveals his hesitation and inner conflict right up to the points of murder. It
follows the theme of fate vs free will as it is not clear if it is a supernatural sign or a
hallucination from his anxiety ridden mind. He may use this as an excuse as he would
not be able to forgive himself otherwise. – Act 1
“Sleep no more, Macbeth does murder sleep”
Macbeth: Supernatural element as Macbeth explains to Lady Macbeth that he has
been hearing these voices, reflecting his mental state as he knows he has
condemned his soul by committing regicide. Due to this strong reaction, it allows the
audience to feel some sympathy towards Macbeth. Theme of sleep as innocence is
used across the play and in this quote, it is personified which implies Macbeth has
destroyed the innocence of himself and his wife. Furthermore, they are both then
troubled with insomnia. – Act 2
“Out, out brief candle. Life’s but a walking shadow… It is tale, Told by an idiot, full of sound
and fury, Signifying nothing”
Macbeth: Reflects on the briefness and pointlessness of life using the metaphors of
candles and shadows. His reaction is quite cold in comparison to Macduff’s
passionate reaction to his family being killed, possibly showing how death has
become a reoccurrence in his life and it has no effect anymore, or how warn down
he is by his guilt and paranoia. Shakespeare seems to suggest this is the consequence
of going against God and the natural order. – Act 5
