Themes with Quote Bank

Theme Quote Explanation

Ambition: “We still have judgement here… Demonstrates that there are
- Macbeth sees what his This even-handed justice consequences [even-handed
unchecked ambition has commends the ingredients of justice] and implications for his
cost him: the loss of all he our poisoned chalice to our own actions [poisoned chalice]
holds dear. lips.”
- Shakespeare presents Device:
ambition as an inherently (Macbeth) Metaphor – poisoned chalice is
destructive trait. a metaphor for ambition, with
- Shakespeare uses ambition even-handed justice
as the tragic flaw of the commending his consequences
central protagonists ‘I have no spur to prick the sides This strongly foreshadows the
(Macbeth and Lady of my intent but only vaulting tragic hero’s own demise in the
Macbeth) – it is inarguably ambition which overleaps itself’ play. Fails to take caution and
the source of their mutual instead becomes excessively
demise. (Macbeth) proud and complacent through
- The main theme is the the witches’ second prophesies
destruction wrought when suggesting the fact that
ambition goes unchecked ambition leads to failure.
by moral constraints.
Device:
Metaphor – Macbeth likens his
- In Shakespeare’s time it was intent to a horse and his
accepted that god created ambition to the spur.
all living things and set out
their order in the universe Compares his ambition to a
- Believed that God decided rider jumping into the saddle of
peoples roles in society (i.e. a horse. High leaps (tries to
divine right if Kings) seize the crown of Scotland).
- A crime against the king was Misses his seat and falls (meets
therefore a crime against with disaster)
God (Macbeth killing the “The instruments of darkness Banquo resists the temptation
king to become king) tell us truths, to betray us in given by Macbeth. Shakespeare
deepest consequence.” uses the characts to show
supernatural presence.
(Banquo)
Device:
Foreshadowing – what will
eventually happen to Macbeth,
shows Macbeths true character
– consumed by his ambition

“All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee - The witches are playing on

thane of Cawdor! All hail, Macbeths ambition and
Macbeth! that shall be king planting the idea of murder.
hereafter.” - This scene is important for
the whole play that it works
(The Witches) as foreshadowing. The
prophecy is the major cause
for Macbeths tragedy
“My thought, whose murder yet - The witches’ words have
is but fantastical, shakes so my stirred some ambition in
single state of man that Macbeth
function is smothered in - Macbeth’s thoughts are
surmise.” significant to his ambition
since the witches did not
(Macbeth) tell Macbeth that he would
have to kill King Duncan.
- It demonstrates the
strength of Macbeth's inner
ambition.
“If chance will have me king, He is thinking about his future
why, chance may crown me as a king. He believes in destiny
without my stir.” and prophecy will create a
situation for him to be the king
(Macbeth) without him trying

Device:
juxtaposition - Contrasts the
person Macbeth was before and
after the murder. This is in
complete juxtaposition to his
prior thoughts of “whose
murder yet is but fantastical”.
“The Prince of Cumberland! Macbeth is innocent before he
That is a step on which I must decides to become king. His
fall down, or else o’erleap, for in ambition to become King, in his
my way it lies.” eyes, has been thwarted and he
believes that it is a “step on
which [he] must fall down, or
else overleap”.

Device:
Metaphor – The step represents
the success of his ambition
where he must either “fall
down” or “overleap” suggesting
his downfall is due to his
ambition or failure [Ties again
with theme of Fate]
“To be thus is nothing, but to be Macbeth speaks this line after
 safely thus” he has become king but
continues to feel restless and
(Macbeth) insecure.

Macbeth finds it meaningless to

be king. This quote reveals how
him giving in to his ambition
and murdering Duncan has not
brought him peace, but rather
has just left him more paranoid
and anxious
Gender: “I dare do all that may become - Macbeth believes that he’s
- Shakespeare wrote during a man, who dares do more is willing to do anything he
and about a time where none.” considered ‘manly
men and women had strict - Tt’s left purposefully
role, with men in higher (Macbeth) unclear whether Macbeth is
positions of power and a moral person manipulated
women raising a family by bad influences and
- Shakespeare subverts circumstances, or merely an
traditional roles and instead immoral coward who needs
portrays a much more his wife
complex gender landscape “When you durst do it, then you She asserts that he must truly
- This leads the text to be were a man; And to be more be a coward if he won’t carry
highly enduring in today’s than what you were, you would out the murder and doing so
modern world Be so much more the man” will make him more of a man.

(Lady Macbeth)
“Like the Poor cat in the Lady Macbeth questions her
adage?” husband's manhood when he
decides he does not want to go
(Lady Macbeth) ahead with assassinating
Duncan.

Device:
Simile - The cat would eat fish,
but she will not wet her feet,"
and urges the idle or timid to
action. In short, Lady Macbeth
accuses her husband of
cowardice

“My hands are of your colour, Lady Macbeth is free from guilt
but I shame to wear a heart so but is appalled by Macbeth’s
 white” cowardice and emotion, which
to her is unbecoming of a man.
(Lady Macbeth) Lady Macbeth’s shame to wear
a heart so white is
representative of the reverse
gender roles in her relationship,
this quote also becomes ironic
as she gives in to her guilt in Act
5.
“Dispute it like a man” – This line serves somewhat as a
(Malcolm); “I shall do so, but I foil of Lady Macbeth’s belief for
must also feel it as a man” believing that sensitivity is
(Macduff) unbecoming of a man and her
association of emotions for
cowardice.
Fate: “The raven himself is hoarse, The raven is an OMEN for
that croaks the fatal entrance of death, in this instance, it is the
Duncan” death of Duncan. Omens bring a
sense of the inevitable; nothing
(Lady Macbeth) can be done to change it.
“I go, and it is done, the bell - fate controls his actions
invites” - “The bell invites me,”
implies not only its time to
(Macbeth) go, but he is being drawn
there by some alternate
force
“The Prince of Cumberland! - If fate wants him to become
That is a step on which I must king, fate will make it
fall down, or else o’erleap, for in happen without Macbeth
my way it lies. Stars, hide your doing anything, like murder
fires; Let not light see my black the king
and deep desires” - he calls upon the stars to
hide their “fires”, so that no
(Macbeth) one will know his
“black”/evil desires, those
being to become king.
Macbeth is back on the path
of manipulating fate

Guilt: “I'll go no more: I am afraid to In this dialogue, Macbeth is

- one of the most emotionally think what I have done” saying that he will go no more
to the place where he has gone
 powerful and haunting (Macbeth) and committed the murder. He
theme of the play won't even think of what he has
- contextually, the portrayal done.
of guilt is often used as
punishment for unjust “I am in blood stepped in so far Macbeth sees no purpose in
actions that, should I wade no more, turning back, he has gone too
- It is used to destroy returning were as tedious as go far with his murders and cannot
characters for the over” receive forgiveness, demeaning
wrongdoing either inspiring the purpose of turning back.
their redemption or driving (Macbeth)
them to madness Device:
- Macbeths quilt also reflect Metaphor - Macbeth has
the deeply religious society stepped at the middle of the
of Shakespeare’s time river of blood caused by his
- Believed that if you are to murders and unforgivable
commit a crime against god regicide of the king. If he does
he will punish you not only not move forward and decides
in your lifetime but in the to come back to home bank it
afterlife as well will be similar difficult to move
- Macbeths madness could forward and reach to far bank.
be a warning about women “A little water clears us of this Water symbolizes purification of
trying to take on a males deed” the conscience.
role in society
(Lady Macbeth)
“All the perfumes of Arabia will By Lady Macbeth washing her
not sweeten this little hand” hands in her sleep, it conveys to
the reader her guilty conscience
(Lady Macbeth) which manifests into
sleepwalking.

Device:
Metaphor – The action of
cleaning her hands is a
metaphor used to clean the
guilt away from her as she says
her hands will “never be clean”
suggesting she cannot remove
the guilt from her conscience.
Lady Macbeth throughout the
play appears to be a strong
character, especially when
controlling her husband,
however this shows how guilt
can affect the human mind and
eventually lead her to suicide.
“Will all great Neptune’s oceans Blood becomes a symbol for
wash this blood Clean from my guilt in this play. Macbeth can
 hand?” wash the blood from his hands
literally, but his guilty
(Macbeth) conscience means he can
always see it in his mind and
nothing can remove it
Supernatural: “Fair is foul, and foul is fair, Points out the paradox and
The unnatural events of the hover through the fog and filthy similarity between two terms -
physical world emphasise the air” links to the impression Lady
horror of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth gives "look like the
Macbeth’s actions, mirroring (Witches) innocent flower, but be the
the warping of their souls serpent under it"

- Things do not appear as

they seem; appearances are
deceiving
“All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee - The witches are playing on
thane of Cawdor! All hail, Macbeth's ambition and
Macbeth! that shall be king planting the idea of murder
hereafter” in his head although they do
not express this method to
(Witches) become king.
- This scene is very important
for the whole play that it
works as foreshadowing.
Also, the prophecy is the
major cause of Macbeth's
tragedy.
“Double, double toil and - The witches are actually
trouble” trying, with their spells, to
add toil and trouble until
(Witches) they "double"—yielding
twice the toil and double
the trouble for Macbeth,
presumably.