English – Macbeth Quotations – Guilt

“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