| “As his host, / Who should be against his murderer shut the door, / Not bear the knife myself.” | Macbeth before killing Duncan:He is contradicting his way of life, he should welcome Duncan to his home and greet him warmly rather that mislead and betray him |
| “Is this a dagger which I see before me, / The handle towards my hand?” | Macbeth before killing Duncan:Macbeth is overcome by the pressure of killing Duncan and starts to hallucinate. The illumination is a symbol of guilt, foreshadowing the guilt Macbeth will feel and warning him of the dangers ahead |
| “Sleep no more” | Macbeth after killing Duncan:The guilt Macbeth feels is causing him to lose sleep and thus his mind is getting riddled with remorse |
| “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood / Clean from my hand” | Macbeth after killing Duncan:The imagery used here suggests that not even all of the water in the world could wash the guilt form Macbeth’s hands, this shows his immediate regret |
| “Thou canst not say I did it. Never shake / Thy gory locks at me” | Macbeth after killing Banquo:This shows that Macbeth is going mad as he is seeing Banquo’s ghost |
| “Out, damned spot! Out, I say!” | Lady Macbeth as a result of killing Duncan:Lady Macbeth cannot deal with the guilt of killing Duncan she can’t erase the memory |
| “All the per- / fumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand” | Lady Macbeth as a result of killing Duncan:Lady Macbeth is now feeling the gilt from murdering King Duncan |
| “I am in blood, stepp’d in so far” | Consequences of guilt:Macbeth has made so many mistakes that there is no way he can undo his wrongdoings |
| “Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck” | Consequences of guilt:Macbeth distances himself from others, especially his wife, because of his guilt-induced paranoia. This subsequently leads to the downfall of their relationship |
| Topic Sentences: | 1. Macbeth before killing Duncan2. Macbeth after killing Duncan3. Macbeth after killing Banquo4. Lady Macbeth as a result of killing Duncan5. Consequences of guilt |
English – Macbeth Quotations – Guilt
August 19, 2019