#72: Macbeth Analysis: Acts I-III

[Mr. Neary]

Pick one passage (a phrase, a line, a couple lines) from anywhere in
Acts I-III and provide an interpretation. In particular, complete the
following step:

A. Introduce your quote, providing the context from which the quote
arises and identifying the speaker

B. Discuss the significance of the quote. In other words, look
closely at the line and explain what you think Shakespeare was trying
to communicate through it. Please do not merely paraphrase (though
that might be a valuable step); instead offer some insight into what
conclusions and what meaning we, the readers, can extract from this
line.

Here's a lengthy example:

Following the murder of Duncan, Macbeth assesses the state of their
masterplan, which remains incomplete, for he has not yet reached the
throne and Banquo's son Fleance still lives. Macbeth declares, "We
have scorched the snake, not killed it" (III.ii.15). His statement,
specifically his choice of metaphor, offers several insights into
Macbeth's grand vision. First, his use of "[w]e" reinforces the
collaborative nature of their evil endeavor; this murder, even more
than marriage, binds Macbeth and Lady Macbeth together. Second, the
comparision to the snake proves ironic. The snake seems to represent
Macbeth's vision of fulfilling the witch's prophecy by becoming
Scotland's king. Yet, the first cut (or intial "scorch") of the
snake is the violent murder of Duncan, a man who embodies benevolence
and innocence. Duncan is more like a sheep led blindly to slaughter
than an elusive serpeant slashed with a knife. In fact, Macbeth
himself has transformed into the snake, the creature who symbolizes
the Devil universally, and Shakespeare has portrayed Inverness,
Macbeth's castle, as hell with Macbeth as its chief occupant (i.e
Satan). Lastly, the phrase "not killed it" indicates that Macbeth
knows his work is not yet complete; thus, he expects that he and his
wife will see their murderous plot out to its end, until the snake
lies dead, which ronically might foreshadow the demise of the real
snake, Macbeth.

[Alexa Lee]

Before killing Duncan, Lady Macbeth and Macbeth discuss the issue or
rather Lady Macbeth lays down the rules. Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth
"Your hand, your tongue: look like the innocent flower, But be the
serpent under't" (I, IV, 65-66). She means that Macbeth must put on a
façade of harmlessness in front of Duncan to prevent him from
suspecting that something is wrong. Secretly, underneath this mask
Macbeth must be vicious and ready to attack. Shakespeare uses this
language such as "flower" and "serpent" as an allusion to the Garden
of Eden. Macbeth must outwardly act as harmless as the fruit in the
Garden or flower, but must strike like Satan as the trickster
serpent. The reference to the Garden of Eden and the Biblical story
could also foreshadow the plot and ending of this work. Just as the
Bible has Satan damaging the earth and God destroying him in the end
times, Macbeth could play that Satanic role in killing Duncan and
hurting the kingdom until a hero arises and kills him. This quotation
adds onto the theme of appearance versus reality: Macbeth appears to
be harmless versus really being evil. Additionally Lady Macbeth's
directions show that she is the mastermind behind the murder as well
as the dominant one in their relationship.

[Connor]

After forming a plan to kill Duncan with Lady Macbeth, Macbeth debates to himself whether or not to go through with it. Macbeth says "Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return to plague the inventor." This line shows either how Macbeth knows how his plan to kill Duncan will come back to haunt him or it foreshadows it. The word "bloody" has a dual meaning. It can mean "bad" in the sense of a curse. It can also relate to the bloody killing of Duncan. This shows not only that Macbeth's fate will not end up well, but it explains how it will happen. It means that when a sinful deed is committed, the killing of Duncan, it "teaches" others to do the same. It is ironic because that which originates from Macbeth trying to gain power will be "taught" to others who will do the same to Macbeth.

[Melissa Lee]

When Macbeth returns from having just killed Duncan, Lady Macbeth
interrogates Macbeth about the results of the murder. As Lady Macbeth
sees he has brought the daggers he had used to kill Duncan with him,
she criticizes him for it and essentially calls him a child and after
telling him to wash his hands says, “My hands are of your color, but I
shame/To wear a heart so white.” (II.II.82-83) She is saying her part,
and evidently, her responsibility of the immoral scheme is the same as
his, as she says their hands are of the same color red, although
literally her hands are not covered in blood. It is ironic she seems
to be complying with Macbeth in this way, while she had just
reprimanded him throughout the scene. Red is typically associated with
something strong, from evil to fire, so she may be associating herself
with the powerful color. However, she contrastingly mentions her
“heart so white”, implying her heart she wears, usually of the color
red, is drained of its vivid pigment as she shamingly admits she is
losing compassion for the sake of the death of Duncan. Her lost
sensitivity coincides with her gradually lost femininity.

On Jan 3, 1:49 pm, "Mr. Neary" <tjne...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Leigh]

The morning after Macbeth kills Duncan, Macduff is the first to tell people what happens. When Lady Macbeth asks him what's going on he says, " 'Tis not for you to hear what I can speak: The repetition, in a woman's ear would murder as it fell." This line further reminds readers that regardless of what Lady Macbeth wants, she will always be treated like a woman. Its also very ironic that Macduff basically says, Oh you cant hear this because it would kill you, when actually Lady Macbeth was very involved it the murder plot. It serves as a reminder that no one has any idea that Lady Macbeth had anything to do with the plan. Also when Macduff said "the repetition, in a woman's ear" goes along with the motif of guilt that continually haunts Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. It creates an image of an unshakable reminder that Duncan is dead, but Lady Macbeth has to pretend she knows nothing about it.

[Lizzy Hilt]

Lady Macbeth has just received the letter from Macbeth containing the
information that the three witches bestowed upon him. Thus, initiating
her soliloquies of fascination and lust for power. Towards the
conclusion of this scene, Macbeth enters and she becomes extremely
enthusiastic about her praise. She says to Macbeth, “Thy letters have
transported me beyond this ignorant present, and I feel now the future
in an instant” (I.iiiiii.64). I believe Shakespeare intends for us to
gather two meanings from this line. One, that the letter made her very
happy and got her out of her boring life and into a more desirable
situation. The second meaning I’ve concluded from this line is the
supernatural meaning of it. In her previous lines she wishes to be
“unsexed”. This could mean she wishes to become more like the witches
and contain supernatural abilities. I believe this supports that
argument because she says that the letters have transported her beyond
the present and into the future. Transportation, in this context,
almost means being transported through mystical ways. It alludes to
that feeling of witchcraft and sorcery.  I believe Shakespeare is
trying to plant the seed that she is thriving to become one of
supernatural powers.

[Quincy Shuda]

The Weird Sisters are talking about an incident involving a woman and
a chestnut that she refused to share with one of the witches, when
Macbeth and Banquo enter. After the witches reveal Macbeth and
Banquo’s future to them, the disappear into thin air. But before they
leave, as he reacts to Macbeth’s anxiety, Banquo says, “If you can
look into the seeds of time/And say which grain will grow and which
will not” (I.iii.61-62). Here, he is asking the sisters if they can
see into the future, what his fate will be and tell him. The part of
this quote that I found interesting was the metaphor of grains growing
or not. We used the analogy of Duncan as a farmer, nurturing and
caring. So this quote seems to refer to him, and ask whether the
“seeds of time” which they have planted, will grow or die. Since
Macbeth is not the kind plant tender that Duncan is, it is assumed
that his “grain” will not “grow”, or he will not prosper. But we don’t
know where Banquo fits into the equation. He could be caring or deadly
like Macbeth, so it is unknown whether he will have success the
sisters speak of or not. Later in the scene, after the sisters are
gone, Banquo speaks again and asks, “Or have we eaten the insane root/
That takes the real prisoner?” (I.iii.87-88). Here, he refers to the
motif of growth again. This time he wonders if they have been poisoned
by some herb which has caused their insanity. Since Macbeth is not a
nurturer like Duncan, perhaps the root they may have eaten was
supposed to hurt him. In that case, as Banquo says, they would become
prisoner to the root, or Duncan would have the upper hand in the final
outcome. Although we know Duncan gets killed, perhaps there is
something more to be said about this evil root that could have
poisoned Banquo and Macbeth’s minds.

[Rachel Hochberger]

After killing Duncan in attempts to fulfill the witches’ prophecy that
named him king of Scotland, Macbeth is overwhelmed with guilt. He now
feels he is a changed man, saying “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash
this blood clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather the
multitudinous seas incarnadine, making the green one red” (II, II,
57-60). He is saying how the guilt of killing Duncan is so strong it
has become a part of him, and the hands that made him a hero have now
made him a villain. He also describes his hands as red, often a color
representative of evil, and that they “make the green one red”. Green
can often represent nature and purity, which described Duncan’s
character, showing how Macbeth has corrupted him with his dark ways.
He says all the water in the ocean could not cleanse him of this awful
sin, and now everything he does will be a reflection of this deed,
both mentally and physically, as he proceeds to kill again, convinced
on fulfilling his supposed destiny.

[Josh Klag]

After King Duncan is discovered dead, everybody is thrown into a panic
and Macbeth says, "Had I but died an hour before this chance, I had
lived a blessed time; for from this instant there's nothing serious in
mortality. All is but toys. Renown and grace is dead. The wine of life
is drawn, and mere lees is left this vault to brag of" (II.iii.
107-112). Obviously, since he was the one who murdered Duncan, he is
fervently expressing his woe in order to avoid being suspect. However,
there is some truth in his words, as Macbeth was forced into the crime
by his wife and still has mixed emotions about the ordeal. In his line
about only lees remaining in "the vault", he is possibly referring to
himself as the "lees" (sediment), or the scum of the vault, with him
having taken Duncan's "wine of life" away (murdered him). The wine may
also represents happiness and cheer, which is now absent due to
Macbeth's guilty predicament.

[Cat Mosier-Mills]

In Act 2 Scene 2, after Lady Macbeth successfully murders Duncan and
returns to tell Macbeth the news, she is annoyed with his weak,
unmasculine behavior. In line 68, she says with vigor: "Infirm of
purpose!/Give me the daggers. The sleeping and the dead/Are but as
pictures. 'Tis the eye of childhood/That fears a painted devil." By
bringing up this childish metaphor, she not only addresses Macbeth as
though he were a naughty child (therefore questioning his maturity to
handle such things), but plays along with the nuturing theme of
Duncan. As we discussed before, Duncan is associated with helping
things grow, while Lady Macbeth goes against this, vowing to kill any
mortal thing if she so pleases; it's not surprising that Lady Macbeth
would choose to associate childhood with ridiculousness and ignorance.
Additionally, by addressing the "sleeping and the dead" as "pictures",
she attempts to put Macbeth's fears at rest -- that only children fear
that fictional (painted) devil, and that the dead are simply tricks of
the imagination that can be easily removed. However, this presents
some irony, as the supposively imaginary "painted image" is what
eventually stains Macbeth's conscience and fills him with guilt.

On Jan 3, 1:49 pm, "Mr. Neary" <tjne...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Claire Kirby]

Before he finds out about Duncan planning to visit Inverness, when Macbeth is talking to Duncan he learns that Duncan's eldest son, Malcolm, will be the heir to his father's throne. Just before he exits, Macbeth says "Stars, hide your fires;/Let not light see my black and deep desires," (I.iv.57-58). This line references the contrast between light and dark, which is a common Shakespeare theme, and also eludes to Macbeth's evilness that will soon be revealed to the readers. These lines also reference the monologue when Lady Macbeth is appearing to turn from feminine to masculine to be able to assist Macbeth with his plan. These two passages connect because of the theme of light being covered up and hidden by darkness; in this passage it is about stars being covered by darkness, and in the other it is the light of heaven being blanketed by darkness. Also, these lines connect to Macbeth's not wanting to see what he's doing while he is killing Duncan, and rather would have his actions be hidden from himself as well as from others.

[Sarah M]

Shortly after the beginning of the banquet scene, Macbeth’s
hallucination of Banquo appears. After his wife has reprimanded him
for his outburst, he angrily replies to both her and the ghost,
“Prithee, see there! behold! look! lo!/how say you?/Why, what care I?
If thou canst nod, speak/too/If charnel-houses and our graves must
send/Those that we bury back, our monuments/Shall be the maws of
kites.” (III.iv.82-87). Macbeth furiously demands his wife and their
guests to look and see the ghost haunting his vision. Then, he
interrogates the ghost and mocks him by saying that if this person is
returning from the dead, then there’s no point to burying people
because birds will just eat their bodies when they arise.
Figuratively, this is Macbeth’s articulation of the fear, fury, and
guilt that consume express his utter disbelief at the appearance of
the man he sent to death in his home.

[Allie Martin]

In Act I Scene IV, Macbeth is talking to Duncan about who will succeed
him and Duncan names his son. Macbeth realizes that he must kill
Duncan and to himself says "Stars hide your fires." This line
obviously fits in with the dark and light motif of the play and also
coincides with what Lady Macbeth says about hell covering the world
with smoke so the heavens can't see what these two are about to do.
Stars seem like and innocent thing and Maceth doesn't want them to
witness his wrongdoing. It also makes it seem that Macbeth is ashamed
of himself for coming up with such a plan because he wants to hide
from such pure things like the stars. Macbeth doesn't want to witness
himself killing Duncan, so he wants the whole world to be dark, so no
one can see it.

[Ashley Gubernick]

When Macduff first hears that there has been a murder committed he
goes screaming to Lennox and Macbeth. Once Lennox and Macbeth leave
the room, Lady Macbeth enters. Macduff tells her "O gentle lady,/'Tis
not for you to hear what I can speak./The repetition in a women's ear/
Would murder as it fell. (II.iii.96,97,98,99). I think this quote
connects well to the idea of Lady Macbeth "unsexing" to commit
murder. Here, Macduff thinks murder is to heavy for a women to hear.
Lady Macbeth understood such when she sort of "defemenized" herself.
When Macduff says repeating his news into a women's ear "would murder
as it fell," he means it would hurt a women too much to hear such
awful news as if she is not strong enough to handle it.

[Ashley Gubernick]

Here Macbeth thinks murder is too** heavy not to* heavy... oops!

[Shefain Islam]

During the banquet, Macbeth sees Banquo's ghost and is haunted by this. After Lady Macbeth and Macbeth exit the banquet hall, Macbeth says "More shall they speak, for now I am bent to know/By the worst means the worst. For mine own good,/All causes shall give way. I am in blood/Stepped in so far that, should I wade no more,/Returning were as tedious as go o'er/Strange things I have in head, that will to hand/Which must be acted ere they be scanned" (III, iv, 166-170). Literally, Macbeth is basically saying that he has reached a point in his greedy, tyrannical, and violent pursuits from which he cannot return. In scene, we can see that Macbeth himself has realized he has jumped off another edge into a depth that he is and never will be prepared to endure. However, this quote serves as a literal indication of the turning point in this novel. As Macbeth said, he cannot go back as he is now not only covered in blood, but soon drowning in it. Since blood represents guilt in this novel, this phrase can be taken both in a literal and figurative way. From all the blood that was left over from the slaughters that Macbeth had a part in, Macbeth is literally surrounded by blood (i.e. When one of the murderers has blood on their face). However, metaphorically, Macbeth feels so guilty and is consumed by this guilt to a point where no banquet or title can help him ignore the guilt. He is suffocating and slowly being eaten alive by the pool of blood that he waded into without knowing what he was really getting into. Towards the end of the scene/passage, Macbeth mentions that he has his own plans and since he cannot return, he must wade further into the pool. This could be some sort of foreshadowing for an event or many events that could push Macbeth so far into the pool that he finally drowns, leading to his demise. Also, Macbeth mentioned that he was searching for something to wipe his hands of the blood which even Neptune's water couldn't wash away. I guess his thought is to fight off blood with more blood. Interesting, blood as gone from just covering Macbeth's hands to becoming a whole pool which shows the progression of Macbeth's guilt following seeing the ghost of Banquo.

[Maureen McDermott]

Macbeth is discussing the truths that have already come of the witches
prophecies, and wondering what is yet to come. Will he become king?
The idea of killing Duncan to be granted that title crosses his mind,
but he adamantly pushes it away. It shakes him up to much to even
think about, drawing him to the conclusion that "if chance will have
me king, why, chance may crown me". (I.iii.157) This shows he wants
nothing to do with any scheme that will assist his quest for kingship.
He thinks that if it's meant to be then it will happen. And in that
case he, nor anyone else, should need to interject. This phrase is
really interesting because in the end, the exact opposite happens. He
engages in a plot to kill Duncan, kills him, and becomes King. He
becomes King in an almost artificial manor, despite him disapproving
of anything of those sorts in this quote.

On Jan 3, 1:49 pm, "Mr. Neary" <tjne...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Colin Castro]

As Macbeth contemplates the future of Duncan, and the possible murder of his king, great questions and guilt creep into his head and linger. Duncan's kindness and humility make Macbeth question himself, "First, I am his kinsmen and his subject, Strong both against the deed; then, as his host, Who should against his murderer shut the door, Not bear the knife myself. Besides, this Duncan Hath born faculties so meek, hath been so clear in great office, that his virtues Will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued, against The deep damnation of his taking off" (I.vii.13-20). I find these lines interesting and important in a multitude of ways. A main theme of this act is the unwillingness of Macbeth to go through with this murder. Lady Macbeth must prod him in many ways, including questioning of his manhood. When Macbeth thinks of killing Duncan, he questions how a kinsman and a subject could go back on such important ties. Macbeth also finds it inappropriate that he'd serve as the host to the man he'd assassinate. But, most interestingly, Shakespeare says Duncan was "born of faculties so meek, hath been so clear in great office" this is cool use of language, because Shakespeare is showing Duncan's humility and maturity and power. Shakespeare also goes on to say, "his virtues will plead like angles, trumpet-tongued against the deep damnation of his taking off". This is a good example of Shakespeare's poetry in is saying Duncan's goodness is so radiant that his honorable traits will speak like Angels with trumpets that will exclaim with music the horror of Duncan's murder. These traits and thinking all makes this murder cloud over Macbeth, and  leave Macbeth with this perpetual feeling of being blood-stained. 

[Jeremy Rhome]

When preparing for the arrival of Duncan at Macbeth’s castle, Macbeth
is contemplating whether on not he should murder Duncan. Macbeth is
pondering to himself, “If it were done when tis’ done, then twere
well / If it were done quickly…” (I.VII.1-2). Macbeth means that the
deed of killing Duncan would be easy as long as he knew it would have
no consequences. Obviously this would be a thought before making a
risky decision but in Macbeth’s case it connects directly back to the
witches. Macbeth believes that he is going to be king because of the
witch’s prediction but they spared him details. He is wondering
whether he needs to take an initiative for king or if the position
will simply be granted to him. This questioning of actions brings in
the idea of fate into play. His fate announced by the witches might
be jeopardized by mistakes in his free will. Appearance versus
reality also takes play. It appears to Macbeth that he will be the
king but in reality his uncertainty might prevent that all from
happening.

[Erica]

While planning the murder of Duncan, Lady Macbeth tries to convince
Macbeth that the end result will benefit both of them, and change the
rest of their lives. When Macbeth is nervous about the murder plot,
Lady Macbeth tells him exactly how to act- from his facial
expressions, to his hand gestures, to his words- in order to leave
Duncan unsuspecting. She tells Macbeth, "Your face, my thane, is as a
book where men may read strange matters. To beguile the time, look
like the time. Bear welcome in your eye, your hand, your tongue" (I,
IV, 63-67). There seems to be a recurring theme of Macbeth's face
being like an open book. Despite doing such horrid deeds, he remains
sensitive- a combination that is contradictory. The idea of deception
goes along with the murder of Duncan, as well as that of Banquo, since
Macbeth lures them into traps as if they were mice. Macbeth seems to
only betray those he knows and loves, which is why deception is a
necessary tool for his success.

On Jan 3, 1:49 pm, "Mr. Neary" <tjne...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Alex Freedman]

Macbeth ends act 2 scene 1 with, "I go, and it is done. The bell
invites me. Hear it not, Duncan, for it is a knell / That summons thee
to heaven or to hell." I believe this quote is talking about the
king's death. The bell represents fate, and Macbeth is trying to
convey that the king's is meant to happen, and he should not feel
guilty. A knell, which is usually a bell sound for a funeral, is the
bell sound heard. The bell sound either means someone has died
(heaven) or someone is going to hell (for killing them). I think this
quote ended the scene well by leaving Duncan with something to think
about.

On Jan 3, 1:49 pm, "Mr. Neary" <tjne...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Addy]

Before the murder of Duncan, Macbeth, and Lady Macbeth are plotting,
and kind of reasuring each other that they can do this. In the last
line of Act One Macbeth says, "False face must hide what the false
heart doth know" (I,vii,95-96). This quote is a very interesting use
of almost double negative language. By saying 'false face', Macbeth is
saying that they need to keep their outer complexion unpreturbed. THe
use of another false in 'false heart', is kind of like a double
negative, because it says that he has false heart for the whole
ordeal. I'm interpreting this as meaning that he isn't really happy
about killing Duncan, but he is simply going through with the plan to
please his wife. And the the double negative means that a false
barrier is hiding a false meaning. Because the two falses cancel each
other, that means that as he is saying this, a true heart still
excists under this false one, and a real face is hidden under the fake
one. There is still good in Macbeth at this point, but will that
goodness continue? I'm predicting that it will stil remain throughout
the remainder of the book, but it will continualy be covered by a
thicker and thicker layer of false face.

On Jan 3, 1:49 pm, "Mr. Neary" <tjne...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Kaleigh Link]

In act 3 scene 2 (right after the example quote) Lady Macbeth says to
Macbeth: "Come on:/ Gentle me lord, sleek o'er your rugged looks;/ Be
bright and jovial among your guests tonight." It seems to me that Lady
Macbeth is telling Macbeth to kind of suck it up and pretend that he's
happy and that nothing's wrong. Also to me it seems that the
underlying message is Lady Macbeth telling Macbeth to kind of let
loose and relax because if not then their plans would be ruined.
Basically I see it as a backhanded threat, it seems kind of nice and
like she cared for him and how he should appear in the court but when
you put what Macbeth had said before this it looks like he is becoming
scared and is really starting to reakout because they have only
"scorched the snake" and haven't killed it yet and Lady Macbeth is
really trying to steer Macbeth the the direction of becoming a man and
just fussing like a girl.

On Jan 3, 1:49 pm, "Mr. Neary" <tjne...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Drew Vollmer]

During the execution of the original Thane of Cawdor, king Duncan and
his son Malcolm discuss the trickery and betrayal of the Thane. At one
point, Duncan raises a valid point, suggesting that "There's no art/
To find the mind's contruction in the face./ He was a gentleman on
whom I built an absolute trust." (I.iv.13-16) This is a quite
intellectual insight into the concept of betrayal. Duncan believes
that there is no way someone could be able to determine another mind's
intentions on the outside. The "face" is a tool used to blatantly and
completely lie to another man. After all, it is what is inside that
truly counts. In this case, the Thane of Cawdor declared his
intentions for Duncan, and "built an absolute trust". Unfortunately,
he was a true Benedict Arnold, and sided with the Norwegians in the
time of battle, when their is no middle ground. Furthermore, this
concept of straightforward betrayal rings throughout the play,
especially with the title character, Macbeth.

On Jan 3, 1:49 pm, "Mr. Neary" <tjne...@gmail.com> wrote:

[James Lofton]

Immediately before Macbeth enters Duncan's chamber to kill the king,
Lady Macbeth speaks from outside the chamber seems to be getting a
little nervous about the deed. She speaks the first line of the scene
by saying, "That which hath made them drunk hath made me bold" (II,II,
1-2). In this line the Lady is telling the audience that through
drinking the same wine as her visitors, and now her victims, she has
become emboldened. This is understandable through a very literal
translation by saying that since the victims are drunk, and thus in a
drunken sleep, it will be easier for her and her husband to carry out
their plan. From a completely other angle, it could be seen that what
has made Lady Macbeth bolder was information, in the form of the
prophecy by the witches. So conceivably, Duncan and his entourage are
"drunk" on information, thus letting their guard down and making them
vulnerable. Meanwhile, the Lady uses information to spark her plan,
which she likely never thought of before the witches had made their
prophecy. I think Shakespeare could have intended to have either of
these interpretations understood by the audience. Regardless, however,
the boldness, as it often does with "super-villians", becomes their
downfall. When used incorrectly, confidence often times is the fast
track to demise.

[Michael Wong]

When Macbeth announces that King Duncan would return by nighttime Lady Macbeth is, at first stunned, but then realizes it is the opportunity to fulfill her husband's destiny.  She urges him to "Look like th' innocent flower,/But be the serpent under ’t."  

Lady Macbeth's insistance that Macbeth sieze this opening reaffirms the notion that she is the dominant figure in their relationship, that the real serpent, asking Macbeth to eat the apple and kill Duncan.  Her muddled gender roles and the presentation of a Snake's bite as hiding under the cover of a delicate flower exemplify Shakespeare's affinity for contradictions, all enforcing a motif that nothing ever is as it seems.  The theme appeared before in the following lines where lady macbeth insisted her husband act a kind host, but be a cold serent... Drawing from the ancient tradition of the relationship between a host and guest Macbeth will defile this kind notion and murder his guest in utter disregard for custom.  Macbeth, supposedly being a product of an honor code that is often associated with his royal class, not only violates regular customs, but also transforms himself into less of a night and more of a serpent.  Again: appearance and action are different, the former can be deceiving- the lader deadly.

Serpents and flowers used together creates an immediate image, the serpent is a sleepy creature, one that waits to strike, and the flower is an innocent celebration of life's beauty.  The snake can embody the theme of sleep, its resting stance- lying with unblinking eyes waiting forever to strike.  Lady Macbeth's insane obsession with the power of prophesy is represented in a snake's coiled poise, waiting for the right moment.  While it's unblinking eyes and devilish nature might foreshadow Macbeth's future insomnia.        

         

[Maddie Chapin]

In the opening to the novel in Act 1, Scene 1 Macbeth is talking to
Banquo and he says, "So foul and fair a day I have not seen". This
ironically stated line by Macbeth sets up the theme and idea of the
novel about the day being both fair and foul at the same time and
establishes a certain mood to the play. Directly after this quote, the
men meet the three witches who exemplify the foul aspect to this quote
because they are urging Macbeth to kill Duncan so he can gain the
thrown. Also Macbeth is referring to the foulness of the death of many
soldiers in the battle. But, it is also fair because the Scottish won
the battle. Also, by Macbeth using the word "foul" before the word
"fair" in his statement this could reflect his personality and how he
is technically an "executioner" and could be foreshadowing for later
in the play where Macbeth is doomed for darkness after killing Duncan.
Lastly, this quote relates to the witches quote in the beginning that
"fair is foul and foul is fair" meaning good and bad are often
confused, which is another foreshadowing technique and relates with
Macbeths quote because although he doesn't know it yet, Macbeth is, in
a way, controlled by these witches.