Cette sollicitation surnaturelle
Ne peut pas être malade, ne peut pas être bon. Je remplis,
Pourquoi m'a-t-il donné un gage de succès,
Commencer dans une vérité ? Je suis thane de Cawdor.
Si bon, pourquoi dois-je céder à cette suggestion
Dont l'horrible image décoiffe mes cheveux
Et fais battre mon cœur assis contre mes côtes,
Contre l'utilisation de la nature ? Peurs présentes
Sont moins que d'horribles imaginations.
Ma pensée, dont le meurtre n'est encore que fantastique,
Secoue tellement mon seul état d'homme
Cette fonction est étouffée dans la supposition,
Et rien n'est mais ce qui n'est pas.
Le soliloque de Macbeth dans l'acte I, scène 3 le montre essayant de comprendre les implications de la prophétie des sorcières. Il raisonne que puisque ce que les sorcières ont prédit s'est avéré exact, cela ne peut pas être mauvais (il a tort). Mais Macbeth admet également qu'en raison de leur prédiction, il a déjà commencé à fantasmer sur le fait de tuer le roi Duncan et de prendre le trône.
Si c'était fait quand c'était fait, alors c'était bien
Cela a été fait rapidement. Si l'assassinat
Pourrait entraver la conséquence, et attraper
Avec son succès sursis; que mais ce coup
Peut-être l'alpha et l'oméga ici,
Mais ici, sur cette rive et banc de temps,
Nous sauterions la vie à venir. Mais dans ces cas
Nous avons encore un jugement ici, que nous ne faisons qu'enseigner
Instructions sanglantes, qui, étant enseignées, reviennent
Pour pester l'inventeur : cette justice impartiale
Recommande les ingrédients de notre calice empoisonné
A nos propres lèvres. Il est ici dans une double confiance :
Premièrement, comme je suis son parent et son sujet,
Fort à la fois contre l'acte; puis, comme son hôte,
Qui devrait contre le meurtrier fermer la porte,
Ne pas porter le couteau moi-même. De plus, ce Duncan
A porté ses facultés si douces, a été
Si clair dans sa grande fonction, que ses vertus
Plaideront comme des anges, en trompette, contre
La damnation profonde de son décollage ;
Et pitié, comme un nouveau-né nu,
Enjambant l'explosion, ou les chérubins du ciel, montés à cheval
Sur les courriers aveugles de l'air,
Soufflera l'horrible acte dans tous les yeux,
Que les larmes noieront le vent. je n'ai pas d'éperon
Pour piquer les côtés de mon intention, mais seulement
Ambition voltigeante, qui se dépasse
Et tombe sur l'autre.
Dans ce soliloque, trouvé dans l'acte 1, scène 7, Macbeth se demande s'il doit assassiner Duncan. Il sait que Duncan a été un roi bon et sage. Macbeth reconnaît également que son rôle en tant qu'hôte et sujet de Duncan est de protéger son roi, pas de le tuer dans son sommeil. Macbeth sent que le meurtre va changer sa vie, en le faisant roi, mais aussi en déchaînant sa sombre ambition sur le monde. À la fin du discours, il semble avoir décidé de ne pas commettre le meurtre, mais sa femme va bientôt le convaincre de revenir dessus.
Est-ce un poignard que je vois devant moi,
Cette poignée vers ma main ? Viens, laisse-moi t'agripper.
Je ne t'ai pas, et pourtant je te vois encore.
N'es-tu pas, vision fatale, sensible
Au toucher comme à la vue ? Ou n'es-tu que
Un poignard de l'esprit, une fausse création,
Issu du cerveau opprimé par la chaleur ?
Le soliloque de Macbeth dans l'acte 2, scène 1 est important car il marque la première fois qu'il hallucine. Nous pouvons supposer que les sorcières qu'il a vues plus tôt étaient réelles, car Banquo les a vues aussi. Dans ces lignes, cependant, Macbeth est conscient que le couteau flottant qu'il voit n'est pas vraiment là. Le fait qu'il soit suffisamment troublé pour halluciner, mais toujours assez sain d'esprit pour comprendre qu'il hallucine, peut être mis en contraste avec son état mental ultérieur, lorsqu'il croit pleinement qu'il voit le fantôme de Banquo, même si Lady Macbeth lui dit que personne n'est là.
D'où est-ce que ça frappe ? –
Comment ça va avec moi, quand chaque bruit m'effraie?
Quelles mains sont ici! Ha, ils m'arrachent les yeux.
Tous les grands océans de Neptune laveront-ils ce sang
Nettoyer de ma main? Non, ce sera plutôt ma main
Les mers innombrables incarnadine,
Rendre le vert rouge.
Macbeth dit ces lignes dans l'acte 2, scène 2, immédiatement après le meurtre de Duncan. Il entend frapper à la porte du château et pense que ce doit être son destin de venir le réclamer. Ce moment, maintenant que l'acte épouvantable est accompli, montre à Macbeth à quoi ressemblera le reste de sa vie : il deviendra roi, mais il sera aussi ravagé par la culpabilité et sûr que des éléments surnaturels l'avertissent de sa mort imminente.
Qui peut être sage, étonné, temp'rate et furieux,
Loyal et neutre, en un instant ? Personne.
L'expédition de mon amour violent
Dépassez le pauser, raison. Ici reposait Duncan,
Sa peau d'argent lacée de son sang d'or,
Et ses coups de couteau ressemblaient à une brèche dans la nature
Pour l'entrée inutile de la ruine; là, les meurtriers,
Imprégnés des couleurs de leur métier, leurs poignards
Culasse grossièrement sanglante. Qui pourrait s'abstenir,
Qui avait un cœur à aimer, et dans ce cœur
Le courage de faire connaître son amour ?
Macbeth a tué les serviteurs de Duncan après être rentré dans la chambre de Duncan. Dans ce discours de l'acte 2, scène 3, il explique à Macduff et aux autres qu'il ne pouvait pas être à la fois calme et furieux, et que ses émotions l'ont dépassé. Macbeth ment, ayant tué Duncan lui-même, ces lignes montrent donc sa capacité à penser rapidement et sa capacité croissante à faire le mal.
Il y aura du sang, disent-ils. Le sang aura du sang.
Les pierres sont connues pour bouger et les arbres pour parler.
Augures et relations comprises ont
Par des tartes aux asticots, des choughs et des freux produits
L'homme de sang le plus secret.
Au moment où Macbeth dit ces lignes, dans l'acte 3, scène 4, Banquo a été assassiné sur ordre de Macbeth. Macbeth a été hanté par le fantôme de Banquo lors de ce qui était censé être un dîner de fête. L'horreur totale de ce qu'il a fait pour réaliser son ambition est maintenant claire pour Macbeth, et il avertit sa femme que les morts auront leur revanche.
Ne m'apportez plus de rapports. Laissez-les tous voler.
Til Birnam Wood enlever à Dunsinane
Je ne peux pas souiller de peur. Quel est le garçon Malcolm?
N'est-il pas né d'une femme ? Les esprits qui savent
Toutes les conséquences mortelles m'ont prononcé ainsi :
« Ne crains rien, Macbeth. Aucun homme qui est né d'une femme
J'aurai toujours pouvoir sur toi. Alors volez, faux thanes,
Et mêlez-vous aux épicuriens anglais.
L'esprit par lequel je me balance et le cœur que je porte
Ne s'affaissera jamais de doute ni ne tremblera de peur.
Dans l'acte 5, scène 3, Macbeth dit hardiment à ses serviteurs qu'il ne s'inquiète pas de l'approche de Malcom et Macduff pour le combattre à cause des prophéties des sorcières : premièrement, qu'il ne peut pas perdre tant que Birnam Wood ne bouge pas, et deuxièmement, que il ne peut être tué que par un homme qui n'est pas né d'une femme. Il se vante que son esprit et son courage ne faibliront jamais. Cependant, sa vantardise prouvera bientôt que Birnam Wood déménagera et qu'il sera tué par Macduff, né par césarienne.
Elle aurait dû mourir plus tard.
Il aurait été temps pour un tel mot.
Demain, et demain, et demain
Rampe dans ce petit rythme de jour en jour
Jusqu'à la dernière syllabe du temps enregistré.
Et tous nos hiers ont allumé des imbéciles
Le chemin de la mort poussiéreuse. Out, out, brève bougie.
La vie n'est qu'une ombre qui marche, un mauvais joueur
Qui se pavane et s'agite son heure sur la scène,
Et puis on n'entend plus rien. C'est un conte
Dit par un idiot, plein de bruit et de fureur,
Ne signifiant rien.
Après que Macbeth a appris la mort de sa femme, il prononce ces mots dans l'acte 5, scène 5. Ces lignes forment l'un des discours les plus célèbres de la pièce, révélant le chagrin de Macbeth ainsi que son pessimisme et son désespoir. Il dit que la vie est inutile, dénuée de sens et qu'elle se termine trop vite. La prise de conscience par Macbeth du grand mal qu'il a fait, qui a provoqué la mort de sa femme, influence également ce discours. Il commence à réaliser que la deuxième prédiction des sorcières se réalisera : la lignée de Banquo deviendra rois, pas la sienne.
FAQs
What is Macbeth's most famous line? ›
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more.
What does come to my woman's breasts mean in Macbeth? ›Come to my woman's breasts, / And take my milk for gall,” Lady Macbeth says as she prepares herself to commit murder. The language suggests that her womanhood, represented by breasts and milk, usually symbols of nurture, impedes her from performing acts of violence and cruelty, which she associates with manliness.
What are 2 key quotes from Macbeth? ›- By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)
- '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.
It is too late, he drags me down; I sink, I sink, — my soul is lost forever!
What phrases from Macbeth are still commonly used today? ›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.”
What is Macbeth's first quote? ›Fair is foul, and foul is fair: Hover through the fog and filthy air.
What is the most used word in Macbeth? ›Three of the most important key words in the play are blood, night and time.
What does Lady Macbeth see before she kills herself? ›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.
How does Lady Macbeth emasculate her husband? ›She emasculates him and belittles his manhood, and with every insult that she throws at him, he gradually succumbs to the idea that the murder of Duncan will prove his masculinity to her. She uses rhetorical questions, accusing him of 'look[ing] so green and pale' and asking him 'art thou afraid?
What does the quote unsex me here mean? ›em> (<em>Macbeth</em>, Act 1, Scene 5) In Act 1 of <em>Macbeth</em>, 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.
What is the slogan of Macbeth? ›
What's done cannot be undone.
What is the most important scene Macbeth? ›The banquet (Act three, Scene four)
Macbeth is sick with worry and guilt about Banquo's murder. This is important. Banquo was his best friend, and Macbeth has ordered him to be killed.
- Lady Macbeth: manipulative / dominant / weak / powerful / emasculating / controlling / hypocritical /
- Macbeth: indecisive / ambitious / impulsive / intuitive / callous / tyrannical / duplicitous / zealous /
- Banquo: loyal / paternal / intuitive / virtuous / shrewd / diplomatic.
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.
What are Macbeth's fear quotes? ›Macbeth, however, is paralyzed with the horror of what he has done. He says, "I'll go no more: / I am afraid to think what I have done; / Look on't again I dare not" (2.2. 47-49). This makes Lady Macbeth scornful of her husband.
Who kills Macbeth? ›His reign was for the most part peaceful, and he was known for his generosity to the Church. He made a pilgrimage to Rome in 1050, 'scattering money like seed'. Seven years later, on 15 August 1057, he was killed at the Battle of Lumphanan in Aberdeenshire by Duncan's eldest son, Malcolm Canmore.
What does Macbeth say after killing? ›He has blood all over his hands and Lady Macbeth tells him to wash the blood off. Macbeth says, “Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood clean from my hand” (Shakespeare Act 2.2. 60-62). Macbeth is saying that not even a massive amount of water can wash the blood off his hands.
What quotes show Macbeth regret? ›Multiple quotes show Macbeth's guilt. For example, he laments, "Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood/ Clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather/ The multitudinous seas incarnadine," meaning he doesn't think anything will ever wash the metaphorical blood from his hands.
What quotes does Macbeth say when he kills the king? ›"Methought I heard a voice cry 'Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep. '" This quote reflects the fact that Macbeth murdered Duncan in his sleep.
What is Lady Macbeth's most important quote? ›“Come you spirits, That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here.”
What is a romantic quote from Macbeth? ›
William Shakespeare quote about love from Macbeth: “Who could refrain, That had a heart to love, and in that heart Courage to make's love known?”
What did Macbeth say before killing Duncan? ›“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.” “Is this a dagger which I see before me, / This handle toward my hand?
What is the best quote from Macbeth Act 1? ›“I dare do all that may become a man; Who dares do more, is none.”
What are some quotes from Macbeth about tragedy? ›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.
What are the famous quotes from the witches in Macbeth? ›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 Macbeth's famous speech? ›'Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow' is a well-known soliloquy written by William Shakespeare and delivered by his famous tragic hero, Macbeth. William Shakespeare is considered to be one of the most important English-language writers. His plays and poems are read all over the world.
What word did Shakespeare invent in Macbeth? ›In Macbeth, Shakespeare coins an extraordinary number of words and phrases, including 'assassination', 'unsex' and 'stealthy'. David Crystal shows how these linguistic innovations help express the action and atmosphere of the play and the troubled psychology of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.
What is the paradox in Macbeth? ›' The witches are saying that what is fair to man is foul to the witches, but what men may see as foul, the witches see as fair. Put simply, the witches are seen as evil, but they see themselves as good. This paradox also tells the audience that appearances can be deceiving, a main theme in the play.
What is Lady Macbeth's last words? ›Lady Macbeth speaks these final words in Act 5, Scene 1 of Macbeth: “To bed, to bed: there's knocking at the gate: come, come, come, come, give me your hand: what's done, cannot be undone: to bed, to bed, to bed.”
What is Lady Macbeth's real name? ›So who was the historical Lady Macbeth? Her real name was Gruoch, born around 1005, and she was a direct descendent from the Gaelic kings of Scotland. Macbeth's claim to the throne came through his marriage to her as she was said to have already been in line to the throne long before he married her.
How did Macbeth died? ›
Lady Macbeth dies; Macbeth is killed in battle by Macduff, who was “from his mother's womb untimely ripped” by cesarean section and in that quibbling sense was not “of woman born.” Malcolm becomes the rightful king.
What quotes show Lady Macbeth is guilty? ›"Here's the smell of blood still. All perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. (5,1,34-35) This line is said by Lady Macbeth as she reaches the stage of her guilty conscience.
What quotes show Lady Macbeth manipulative? ›“When you durst do it, then you were a man; And to be more than what you were, you would Be so much more the man” (1.7. 49-51). In this quote Lady Macbeth is manipulating her husband Macbeth by speaking of his manhood. She gains more and more control over Macbeth as the play goes on.
How did Lady Macbeth manipulate Macbeth into killing Duncan? ›As Lady Macbeth and her husband plot to kill King Duncan, she tells him to “Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under it”. Her command, though subtle, represents the recurring theme of manipulation, which can be seen throughout the play.
Why does Lady Macbeth cry out to the spirits to unsex her? ›Lady Macbeth cries out to the spirits to "unsex" her because she is distraught over the death of her youngest son. The witches tell Banquo that he will be king, but he will not father kings. Duncan is suspicious of Macbeth. The Thane of Cawdor is pardoned by King Duncan.
What is the point of no return in Macbeth? ›Climax · Macbeth's murder of Duncan in Act 2 represents the point of no return, after which Macbeth is forced to continue butchering his subjects to avoid the consequences of his crime.
What does a raven symbolize in Macbeth? ›Ravens are typically symbols of death or bad omens, creating an ominous atmosphere in a story. Lady Macbeth suggests that the raven's voice is harsh or rough from croaking over the dead bodies on the battlefields, and that it will have reason to croak again at Macbeth's castle with Duncan's fatal arrival.
What is the moral message of Macbeth? ›The findings of the research show that 1)The theme of the play is a blind ambition. Macbeth is goaded by his more ambitious wife, Lady Macbeth, to be king by evil way. He uses 'the goal justifies the means' to obtain it. But it causes the downfall.
What does the milk symbolize in Macbeth? ›Compassion, sympathy, as in There's no milk of human kindness in that girl—she's totally selfish. This expression was invented by Shakespeare in Macbeth (1:5), where Lady Macbeth complains that her husband “is too full of the milk of human kindness” to kill his rivals.
What is the milk quote from Macbeth? ›A quotation from Macbeth (1606), spoken by Lady *Macbeth as she expressed her concern that her husband lacked the necessary ruthlessness to kill Duncan and seize the throne: 'Yet do I fear thy nature; it is too full o' the milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way.
What caused Lady Macbeth's downfall? ›
She was never really an evil person. It was Macbeth who had faith in supernatural powers. Lady Macbeth invited them in, they possessed her, and have left her powerless. The isolation has driven her mad as Macbeth no longer seems to exist for her, Lady Macbeth always instinctively saw herself as part of a couple.
Why is Macbeth so special? ›Macbeth is one of Shakespeare's most famous tragic heroes, not least because he represents the Man Who Has It All (seemingly) and yet throws it away because of his 'vaulting ambition' to have Even More: to be king.
How Macbeth is a tragic hero? ›Macbeth fits the role of a tragic hero because he is born to nobility, and he has good character. But his fatal flaw, his ambition, leads to his death at the end of the play. It also pushes him to commit many atrocities, including murder, as he falls deeper and deeper into darkness.
How does Macbeth end? ›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.
What is Macbeth's purpose in the play? ›Macbeth is a warrior and the Thane of Glamis. His ambitions lead him to betray and murder his king to take the throne of Scotland.
What does Lady Macbeth need? ›Her desire for Macbeth to be king doesn't stem from a belief he'd be a good ruler; she wants him to be king because she wants to be queen. As a woman, queen is the most powerful role she can hope for in the court.
What is Macbeth depressing quotes? ›“Stars, hide your fires; Let not light see my black and deep desires.” “Life ... is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing.” “Give sorrow words; the grief that does not speak knits up the o-er wrought heart and bids it break.” “What's done cannot be undone.”
What is the most important message in Macbeth? ›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.
What is an example of good in Macbeth? ›Good is shown in many symbols throughout the play. Heroism - Duncan and his men represent right and order. They are trying to restore peace to Scotland. Symbols of good - Malcolm and Macduff are built up as figures of goodness and provide a contrast to the evil of Macbeth.
What is Macbeth's tragic flaw quote? ›At the end of his soliloquy, Macbeth admits he has 'no spur/To prick the sides of my intent, but only/Vaulting ambition' (lines 25–7). This reveals his fatal flaw to the audience, and suggests the tragedy to come.
What is Macbeth's guilt quote? ›
"Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood/ Clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather/ The multitudinous seas incarnadine." After murdering Duncan, Macbeth speaks these lines and admits that the act will change him.
What quotes does Macbeth say when he kills the King? ›After killing Duncan, Macbeth expresses remorse and guilt in Act Two, Scene Two, in these words: “I'll go no more: I am afraid to think what I have done; Look on't again I dare not.”
What is Macbeth a metaphor for? ›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.
What are the 3 main themes in Macbeth? ›The play's main themes—loyalty, guilt, innocence, and fate—all deal with the central idea of ambition and its consequences. Similarly, Shakespeare uses imagery and symbolism to illustrate the concepts of innocence and guilt.
What are the three symbols in Macbeth? ›Macbeth is complex play, filled with symbols that help develop the plot and themes. Blood, sleep, and weather are three major symbols found in the play that we will discuss in this lesson.
What does Macbeth teach us about life? ›It also teaches you to trust yourself and to stand up for yourself. I have learnt that sometimes your ambition can lead you astray and you can do bad things. I have learnt that with enough pressure you can do something you never thought you could do. Furthermore, that people can use you because of what you have.
What is irony in Macbeth? ›An example of dramatic irony is Duncan thanking Lady Macbeth for her hospitality because the audience knows that Lady Macbeth wants Macbeth to murder King Duncan, so when Duncan thanks her for her hospitality, it is dramatic irony because the audience knows what her true intentions are.
What are the 10 main points of Macbeth? ›- The Witches Prophecy. The witches say that Macbeth will become Thane of Thane of Cawdor and will become king, but don't mention how.
- Macbeth Murders King Ducan. ...
- Banquet scene. ...
- Macbeth Sees Ghosts. ...
- Banquo Murdered.
Key Points
Macbeth describes his own fear about his ambition. He calls his ambition “vaulting”, suggesting it is too extreme. Shakespeare shows this extreme ambition leads to murder and madness for the individual and tyranny for the whole country. Lady Macbeth shares this extreme ambition (and perhaps even exceeds it).