What is the most famous line from Macbeth?
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.
What is the answer to Macbeth's question: "Shall Banquo's issue ever reign in this kingdom?" Someone in Banquo's family will eventually become king.
The main theme of Macbeth —the destruction wrought when ambition goes unchecked by moral constraints—finds its most powerful expression in the play's two main characters. Macbeth is a courageous Scottish general who is not naturally inclined to commit evil deeds, yet he deeply desires power and advancement.
“Come you spirits, That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here.”
- 'When shall we three meet again? '
- 'Fair is foul, and foul is fair'.
- 'By the pricking of my thumbs, ...
- 'I have no spur. ...
- 'Is this a dagger which I see before me, ...
- 'Yet do I fear thy nature; ...
- 'If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well. ...
- 'Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood.
What is a flaw in Macbeth's character? Macbeth has the flaw of ambition. He wants to be king and follows through on his plans without considering the consequences for himself or the kingdom.
A brave Scottish general named Macbeth receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland. Consumed by ambition and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth murders King Duncan and takes the Scottish throne for himself. He is then wracked with guilt and paranoia.
“Give sorrow words; the grief that does not speak knits up the o-er wrought heart and bids it break.” “Look like the innocent flower, But be the serpent under it.” “What's done cannot be undone.”
It is too late, he drags me down; I sink, I sink, — my soul is lost forever!
The Witches in Macbeth cast a spell together as they chant the famous lines, "Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble." Just like a chorus in a song today, the Witches repeat these famous lines throughout the spell.
What is the most important symbol in Macbeth?
Light and Darkness in Macbeth
Light and darkness are used throughout Macbeth to symbolize good and evil. Shakespeare uses references of lightness in nature and the weather to symbolize life, purity, and innocence, and references of darkness in death, destruction, and guilt.
Macbeth uses a metaphor to explain that his guilty conscience is attacking and stinging him. Macbeth uses a simile to say that he would rather deal with wild animals than Banquo's ghost which he has just seen. One of the Witches' apparitions uses a simple metaphor to advise Macbeth about being brave.

When Macbeth hears of Lady Macbeth's death, he responds that she was eventually going to die anyway—“She should have died hereafter” (5.5. 17)—just like everyone else.
In Act 1 of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, sensing her husband's shaky resolve in committing murder to secure the crown of Scotland, asks spirits to “unsex” her ‑ to take away the “weaknesses” associated with being female.
Lady Macbeth receives a letter from Macbeth, calling her his "dearest partner of greatness," and telling her of the witches' prophecy.
- “To be, or not to be: that is the question.” ...
- “All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” ...
- “A horse! a horse! ...
- “We are such stuff as dreams are made on.” ...
- “The course of true love never did run smooth.” ...
- “If music be the food of love, play on.” ...
- “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.”
The color of milk, white, is also used by both Macbeth and his wife, as an image of cowardice, while red — the color of blood — represents not only courage and the energy of life but also terror and the curtailment of life.
As she awaits her husband's arrival, she delivers a famous speech in which she begs, “you spirits / That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, / And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full / Of direst cruelty” (1.5. 38–41).
5) Practice lots of exam questions and mark your own work
You can then see what the examiner is looking for and get a really good idea of where you can improve your essay answers. After you've marked a question, take a break and then try writing an even better answer based on what you've learnt from the mark scheme.
What three question does Macbeth ask Banquo? Are you going riding today? Is Fleance going with you? How far do you plan on going?
What do the witches do to answer Macbeth's questions?
He asks the witches to reveal the truth of their prophecies to him. To answer his questions, they summon horrible apparitions, each of which offers a prediction to allay Macbeth's fears. First, a floating head warns him to beware Macduff; Macbeth says that he has already guessed as much.
Lady Macbeth is horrified and wracked with guilt, which drives her to kill herself; in her last appearance, she sleepwalks in profound torment, and hallucinates that her hands are stained with the blood of Duncan and Macduff's family, scrubbing furiously in a vain attempt to "clean" them.
In Shakespeare's Macbeth, Lady Macbeth's desire and ambition leads to her eventual downfall. When Lady Macbeth hears of Macbeth's prophecy she dreams of the glory and high-standing that awaits being queen. She cannot withhold her ambitions and she is willing to manipulate fate to bring about Macbeth's prophecy.
Macduff presents Macbeth's severed head to Malcolm as proof that he has killed the tyrant. He hails Malcolm as the new King of Scotland.
On August 15, 1057, Macbeth was defeated and killed by Malcolm at the Battle of Lumphanan with the assistance of the English.
According to folklore, Macbeth was cursed from the beginning. A coven of witches objected to Shakespeare using real incantations, so they put a curse on the play. Legend has it the play's first performance (around 1606) was riddled with disaster.
In the play, Macbeth, Ross does not represent good or evil. Ross is a messenger who delivers important messages to various noblemen. Not until his cousin, Lady Macduff, is murdered does Ross' support of Macbeth wane.
At the end of the play, Macbeth's severed head is brought to Malcolm by Macduff, proof that Macbeth has been overthrown, and that Scotland is now Malcom's to rule. Malcolm promises rewards to all who have fought for him, and names them all earls, the first in Scotland.
Macbeth says he has avoided fighting Macduff because he has enough blood on his hands already. They fight. Macbeth mocks Macduff, saying his effort is wasted: no one of woman born can beat Macbeth.
Oxymoron in Shakespeare's Macbeth
Fair is foul, and foul is fair: Hover through the fog and filthy air. In this particular scene, the oxymoron "fair is foul, and foul is fair" speaks to the witches' evil character.
What is the most used word in Macbeth?
Three of the most important key words in the play are blood, night and time.
Situational Irony in Macbeth
Another example of situational irony is Macbeth's ultimate defeat. According to the prophecies of the witches, Macbeth cannot be defeated, yet Macduff is able to do so because he was born by Caesarean section. The witches' prophecies are examples of situational irony in Macbeth.
If thou beest slain, and with no stroke of mine, My wife and children's ghosts will haunt me still.
The witches tell Macbeth that he will become king, that no man born of woman can defeat him, and that he will not be vanquished until Birnam Wood should come to Dunsinane, all of which turns out to be true.
After a battle in Scotland, Macbeth and his friend Banquo meet three witches, who make three prophecies - Macbeth will be a thane, Macbeth will be king and Banquo's sons will be kings.
That grouping is part of a long tradition. The three witches of Macbeth are the obvious starting point. Shakespeare may have based those fate-deciding 'weird sisters' on the Fates—the Moirai of Greek myth or Parcae in the Roman version—of whom there were also three.
Answer and Explanation: Banquo's ghost is not meant to be taken by the audience as real, but rather an hallucination that reveals Macbeth's disturbed state of mind. The ghost can be seen as a symbol of Macbeth's guilt and fear about the consequences of murder.
The blood on Macbeth's hands symbolizes the guilt he feels for murdering Duncan. Lady Macbeth speaks these words at the end of the play, wandering around the castle in a delirium trying to wash out an invisible bloodstain, a symbol of her guilt.
There is irony in the words of Macbeth when he expresses to Banquo that they would have been more hospitable to the King and Banquo, if they would have been aware of it. There is dramatic irony in Macbeth's speech in the royal banquet scene, as well as in his conversation with Banquo's ghost.
Lady Macbeth's journey from a position of strength and control to depression, somnambulism, and probable suicide is clearly outlined in the play. She appears to have experienced a neonatal death, which may be attributed to congenital syphilis.
What does Macbeth mean when he says we have scorched the snake?
By scorching the snake but not killing it, Macbeth means that they still have threats to face, even with Duncan out of the picture. He also references that they have put Duncan to rest in peace, while they must still suffer through challenges so long as they are alive.
Macbeth's death appeared as an outcome of his defeat both physically and militarily. His 'military death' refers to his loss of political leadership as well as the rise of the opponent as he was predicted.
Macduff is the archetype of the avenging hero, not simply out for revenge but with a good and holy purpose.
Sleep symbolizes peace and innocence in Macbeth. For example, in Act 2, Scene 2, after murdering King Duncan in his sleep, Macbeth hears a voice say, ''Macbeth does murder sleep. '' Not only has Macbeth destroyed Duncan's sleep but also his own ability to rest peacefully.
What is this? “I dare do all that may become a man; / Who dares do more is none.” “If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well / It were done quickly.” “To prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself and falls on th'other.”
The Witches in Macbeth cast a spell together as they chant the famous lines, "Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble." Just like a chorus in a song today, the Witches repeat these famous lines throughout the spell.
1-“Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.” 2-“Fair is foul, and foul is fair.” 3-“The milk of human kindness.”
Interestingly, Macbeth's first line in the play is “So foul and fair a day I have not seen” (1.3.36). This line echoes the witches' words and establishes a connection between them and Macbeth.
It is too late, he drags me down; I sink, I sink, — my soul is lost forever!
"I'll go no more:/I am afraid to think what i agve done;/Look on't again i dare not." (2,2,51-53) This line is said by Macbeth after killing King Duncan. Macbeth regrets his decision. This demonstrates that Macbeth is experiencing guilt and remorse for his decesion.
What are the three main points of Macbeth?
As a tragedy, Macbeth is a dramatization of the psychological repercussions of unbridled ambition. The play's main themes—loyalty, guilt, innocence, and fate—all deal with the central idea of ambition and its consequences.
Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none: So all hail Macbeth, and Banquo. Your children and descendants will be kings.
Motto. Speak. Demand. We'll answer.
"To be, or not to be: that is the question." Perhaps the most famous of Shakespearean lines, the anguished Hamlet ponders the purpose of life and suicide in this profound soliloquy.
HELLO = = GOODBYE
Here are some of the greetings the Elizabethans used matched with the sort of phrases we would use today: Good Morrow, Mistress Patterson. Good morning, Mrs. Patterson.
Three witches tell the Scottish general Macbeth that he will be King of Scotland. Encouraged by his wife, Macbeth kills the king, becomes the new king, and kills more people out of paranoia. Civil war erupts to overthrow Macbeth, resulting in more death.
In Act 1 of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, sensing her husband's shaky resolve in committing murder to secure the crown of Scotland, asks spirits to “unsex” her ‑ to take away the “weaknesses” associated with being female.
Macbeth finally faces off against Macduff, boasting that he cannot be killed by any naturally born man. Macduff reveals that he was born via Caesarean section and Macbeth resigns himself to death. Macduff slays Macbeth and hails Malcolm as the new King of Scotland.