Homework Help: English: Macbeth Act 2-3 Quote Explanations

“Thou sure and firm-set earth, / Hear not my steps, which way they walk, for fear / Thy very stones prate of my whereabouts / And take the present horror from the time, / Which now suits with it” (2.1.69-73).

Context: Macbeth is talking to the earth, in a soliloquy. He is making his way to Duncan’s chamber to kill him at night.

Meaning: You hard ground, do not listen to the direction of my footsteps, as I am afraid that you will tell others of where I am going and take away with the sound of my footsteps the horror of this moment’s absolute silence, which now fits with the moment.

Significance: There are several possible meanings to this quote. Macbeth could be saying that the sound of his footsteps will spoil the horror-filled atmosphere of his murder, that sound will break his trance so he’ll lose his determination to kill Duncan, or just quite literally that sound will alert others to the fact that he is still walking about. If Macbeth is saying that sound will spoil the mood, then that is an example of metatheatre, which in a way, takes away from the gruesome details of the murder, as it somewhat breaks the forth wall and remind the listeners that Macbeth is only a character in a play. This quote contains apostrophe, as Macbeth is talking to an inanimate object, and personification

 

“Methought I heard a voice cry, “Sleep no more! / Macbeth does murder sleep”—the innocent sleep, / Sleep that knits up the raveled sleave of care, / The death of each day’s life, sore labor’s bath, / Balm of hurt minds, great nature’s second course, / Chief nourisher in life’s feast. / Still it cried, “Sleep no more!” to all the house… / “Glamis hath murdered sleep, and therefore Cawdor / Shall sleep no more. Macbeth shall sleep no more” (2.2.47.57).

Context: This quote is said by Macbeth to Lady Macbeth. Macbeth had just killed Duncan, and he and Lady Macbeth are discussing what he had done. Macbeth is horrified and imagines voices that speak of his evildoings.

Meaning: It seemed to me that I heard a voice cry, “Sleep no more! Macbeth murders sleep”— innocence sleep, sleep that fixes the tangled threads of care, marks the end of each day, cleanses our aching bodies, and soothes our hurt minds. Sleep is the main course of nature and the main nourishment of life, yet the voice still cried “Sleep no more!” all throughout the house… “The Thane of Glamis has murdered sleep, and therefore the Thane of Cawdor will no longer sleep. Macbeth will not sleep anymore.”

Significance: The line “sleep no more” follows the motif of ambiguity in that it can mean that Macbeth murders those who sleep, that Macbeth has literally murdered sleep, and that Macbeth murdered his own peaceful sleep, as his murder will haunt him, preventing him from sleeping. It is also interesting to note that Macbeth calls sleep the “death of each day’s life,” which could be referring to the fact that Macbeth has murdered Duncan in his sleep or that death is the final sleep. Sleep is also the second part of the day, so it is the second, or main, course of nature, while the time you’re awake is the appetizer. Later, Macbeth refers to himself using his three names, which could symbolize the three stages of his prophesy and his development. When Macbeth says that “Macbeth shall sleep no more,” this actually refers to when he is king, as kings and queens are called by their first names, such as King Macbeth. Therefore, Glamis could symbolize his past self, which he was before he killed Duncan, Cawdor could symbolize his current self, which is who killed Duncan, and Macbeth could refer to his future self. This follows the motif of three, as there were three witches and Hecate was commonly portrayed with three faces. Also, this shows Macbeth’s feelings of killing Duncan. He feels very guilty, worried, and paranoid, so much as that he believes he will never be able to sleep again. His sleep will disappear along with his innocence, as sleep is depicted as innocent and good. The witches punish people with lack of sleep, such as when they punished the sailor whose wife was mean with a lack of sleep. This quote contains many metaphors.

 

“By the’ clock ‘tis day, / And yet dark night strangles the traveling lamp. Is ‘t night’s predominance or the day’s shame / That darkness does the face of the earth entomb / When living light should kiss it?” (2.4.7-12).

Context: This quote is said by Ross to an old man. They exchanging accounts of recent unnatural happenings. It is the morning after Macbeth killed Duncan.

Meaning: According to the clock, it is day, but darkness blocks the sun. Is it dark because night has become more powerful than day, or because day is hiding its face in shame?

Significance: This quote relates to the motif of natural acting in unnatural ways in response to Macbeth’s crime, as killing goes against nature. Duncan’s horses ate each other; chimneys were blown down; there were earthquakes; strange screams of death could be heard throughout the night, and an owl attacked and ate a falcon. The owl and falcon section could also be symbolic as a falcon is considered to be much “worthier” than the small owl. People at this time believed that social standing was determined by God, so trying to usurp someone to put yourself in their place goes against the natural order of things. Kings were believed to also have been chosen by divine powers, so killing and usurping Duncan was especially heinous. The falcon could be representing King Duncan, while the owl, a bird often attributed to death, could represent witchcraft; therefore, this could be saying that witchcraft has killed Duncan. Also, night, which can represent evil, is taking over day, which is good and supposed to be predominate. The quote also follows the motif of darkness, as Macbeth had asked for darkness in Act 1 Scene 4 and Lady Macbeth in Act 1 Scene 5. The fact that it is dark, shows that the heavens had listened to the Macbeths’ request. This quote contains personification and metaphors. It also foreshadows the consequences of Duncan’s murder.

 

If ‘t be so, / For Banquo’s issue have I filed my mind; / For them the gracious Duncan have I murdered; / Put rancors in the vessel of my peace / Only for them; and mine eternal jewel / Given to the common enemy of man, / To make them kings, the seed of Banquo kings! / Rather than so, come fate into the list, / And champion me to th’ utterance” (3.1.69-77).

Context: Macbeth is talking to himself, in a soliloquy.

Meaning: If that’s true, then I have soiled my mind for Banquo’s descendants; I have murdered the compassionate Duncan for them. I have ruined my peace for their benefit and given my soul to the devil to make them, the sons on Banquo, kings. Instead of letting that happen, let fate come to the arena and fight me to the death.

Significance: The fact that it is not Macbeth’s descendants who will reign, but Banquo’s, show that Macbeth’s power-hungriness and scheming will amount to nothing good, but instead have negative repercussions on his person. Macbeth, who committed evil deeds, will be punished, while Banquo, who has been good and loyal to the king, will be rewarded. This quote also contains personification and metaphors.

 

“We have scorched the snake, not killed it. / She’ll close and be herself whilst out poor malice / Remains in danger of her former tooth. / But let the frame of things disjoint, both the worlds suffer, / Ere we will eat our meal in fear, and sleep / In the affliction of these terrible dreams / That shake us nightly. Better be with the dead, / Whom we, to gain our peace, have sent to peace, / Than on the torture of the mind to lie / In restless ecstasy” (3.2.15-25).

Context: Macbeth is speaking to Lady Macbeth.

Meaning: We have hurt the snake, but have not killed it. The snake will heal and be good as new again while we, who have committed malicious acts that now seem weak and ineffective, remain in danger of the snake’s poisoned fang that grew back to what is was before it was hurt. But I’d let the structure of everything fall apart and heaven and Earth perish before we eat our meals in fear and spend out nights tossing and turning from the plague of nightmares that haunt us every night. It is better to be with the dead, whom we have killed and put to rest in order to secure our peace, than to lie with tortured minds in a frenzy of sleeplessness.

Significance: The snake represent the Macbeths’ enemies. Although Macbeth had already became king, through killing Duncan, is spot at kingship is only temporarily secured, and he could be toppled by the other “snakes.” The fear of being realized as Duncan’s murderer and overthrown prevents him from properly enjoying his kingship. He decides that he rather destroy the world than continue to live in fear, which indicates the reign of terror that Scotland will fall under.