In the annals of literature, few works capture the tumultuous essence of ambition, power, and the human psyche quite like Shakespeare's "Macbeth." Shakespeare's compelling tragedy is ripe with quotes that encapsulate the moral and psychological struggles of its characters, most notably Macbeth himself. In this exploration, we delve into key quotes from Macbeth, sprawling across ten thematic subtitles, to unravel the profound insights hidden within his words.
Quotes on Ambition
"I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition."
"Stars, hide your fires; let not light see my black and deep desires."
"The Prince of Cumberland! That is a step on which I must fall down, or else o'erleap."
"If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well it were done quickly."
"Thou wouldst be great; art not without ambition, but without the illness should attend it."
"To be thus is nothing, but to be safely thus."
"I am in blood stepped in so far that should I wade no more, returning were as tedious as go o'er."
"The very firstlings of my heart shall be the firstlings of my hand."
"Nothing in his life became him like the leaving of it."
"Unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe top full of direst cruelty."
"I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent."
"Be bloody, bold, and resolute."
Quotes on Power
"All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!"
"This is the very painting of your fear."
"The power of man, for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth."
"Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage."
"Thou hast it now: King, Cawdor, Glamis, all, as the weird women promised."
"There's daggers in men's smiles."
"The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee."
"I have bought golden opinions from all sorts of people."
"I conjure you, by that which you profess, howe'er you come to know it, answer me."
"There's no art to find the mind's construction in the face."
"False face must hide what the false heart doth know."
"What's done cannot be undone."
Quotes on Fate and Free Will
"If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me."
"Come what come may, time and the hour runs through the roughest day."
"I am settled, and bend up each corporal agent to this terrible feat."
"The instruments of darkness tell us truths."
"The weird sisters, hand in hand, posters of the sea and land."
"We will proceed no further in this business."
"What, all my pretty chickens and their dam at one fell swoop?"
"Thou canst not say I did it; never shake thy gory locks at me."
"Ourself will mingle with society and play the humble host."
"If we should fail?"
"Fail not our feast."
"Infected be the air whereon they ride."
Quotes on Guilt and Conscience
"Methought I heard a voice cry, 'Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep!'"
"Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?"
"This is a sorry sight."
"To know my deed, 'twere best not know myself."
"Glamis hath murdered sleep, and therefore Cawdor shall sleep no more."
"O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife!"
"Things bad begun make strong themselves by ill."
"Duncan is in his grave; after life's fitful fever he sleeps well."
"I am afraid to think what I have done."
"Here's the smell of the blood still; all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand."
"Out, out brief candle!"
"I bear a charmed life."
Quotes on Reality vs. Appearance
"Fair is foul, and foul is fair."
"Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under't."
"None of woman born shall harm Macbeth."
"Is this a dagger which I see before me, the handle toward my hand?"
"There's daggers in men's smiles."
"Thou marvell'st at my words, but hold thee still."
"There's no art to find the mind's construction in the face."
"Things without all remedy should be without regard: what's done is done."
"False face must hide what the false heart doth know."
"Angels are bright still, though the brightest fell."
"False as the promises of hell."
"Dispute it like a man."
Quotes on Time
"Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, creeps in this petty pace from day to day."
"The time is free."
"Time and the hour runs through the roughest day."
"Iginbe no more, thy time has come."
"I pull in resolution and begin to doubt the equivocation of the fiend."
"Let every man be master of his time."
"My way of life is fall'n into the sear, the yellow leaf."
"I am in blood stepped in so far."
"Methought I heard a voice cry, ‘Sleep no more!’"
"The seeds of time."
"Time, thou anticipat'st my dread exploits."
"The time approaches that will with due decision make us know what we shall say we have and what we owe."
Quotes on Identity and Self-Perception
"I am in blood stepped in so far"
"I have almost forgot the taste of fears."
"I dare do all that may become a man."
"Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him?"
"My hands are of your color, but I shame to wear a heart so white."
"I am a man again. Pray you sit still."
"We have scorched the snake, not killed it."
"I drink to the general joy of the whole table."
"How is't with me when every noise appals me?"
"I bear a charmed life."
"I 'gin to be aweary of the sun."
"None serve with him but constrained things whose hearts are absent too."
Quotes on Betrayal and Treachery
"Fair is foul, and foul is fair."
"There's daggers in men's smiles."
"The castle of Macduff I will surprise."
"The loyalty I owe, in doing it, pays itself."
"From this moment the very firstlings of my heart shall be the firstlings of my hand, and even now."
"To betray's in deepest consequence."
"Infirm of purpose! Give me the daggers."
"Ourself will mingle with society and play the humble host."
"Angels are bright still, though the brightest fell."
"I am in blood stepped in so far that should I wade no more, returning were as tedious as go o'er."
"What need we fear who knows it, when none can call our power to account?"
"False face must hide what the false heart doth know."
Quotes on Courage
"Be bloody, bold, and resolute."
"We will proceed no further in this business."
"Do not muse at me, my most worthy friends, I have a strange infirmity."
"Come, let me clutch thee."
"I’ll fight till from my bones my flesh be hacked."
"If we should fail?"
"I dare do all that may become a man."
"Fail not our feast."
"The time is free."
"Dispute it like a man."
"The spirits that know all mortal consequences have pronounced me thus."
"I have lived long enough."
Quotes on Leadership
"My dearest partner of greatness."
"I have bought golden opinions from all sorts of people."
"To be thus is nothing, but to be safely thus."
"Fail not our feast."
"The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee."
"Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under't."
"The very firstlings of my heart shall be the firstlings of my hand."
"Was the hope drunk wherein you dressed yourself?"
"We have scorched the snake, not killed it."
"Give me the daggers."
"The loyalty I owe, in doing it, pays itself."
"From this moment the very firstlings of my heart shall be the firstlings of my hand."
Final words
Shakespeare's "Macbeth" remains a timeless masterpiece that deeply explores the vicissitudes of the human condition through its iconic quotes. From ambition and power to fate, consequence, and redemption, these lines illuminate the intricate tapestry of Macbeth’s psyche and the moral quandaries he faces. Each quote is a mirror reflecting age-old truths and the persistent battle between good and evil within us all. Ultimately, these quotes are powerful reminders of the impermanence of power and the enduring nature of consequence. It prompts us to recognize our agency in navigating life's tumultuous path and remains a compelling reflection of the human experience. As timeless as it is enlightening, "Macbeth" invites each new reader to uncover the depth of these quotes anew, fostering a timeless connection across generations to Shakespeare's enduring insight.
Dive into the intricate world of Macbeth with this comprehensive collection of over 100 quotes, reflecting the timeless themes and psychological depth of Shakespeare's masterpiece.
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