| Macbeth | “The service and the loyalty I owe/In doing it pays itself. Your highness’ part/Is to receive our duties, and our duties/Are to your throne and state, children and servants,/Which do but what they should by doing everything/Safe toward your love and honor” (1.4.22-27).Translation: Macbeth is telling Duncan that he honors and serves only King Duncan and his family. He tells this to Duncan even after he has heard the prophecy. |
| Macbeth | “Approach thou like the Russian bear,/The armed rhinoceros, or th’ Hyrcan tiger;/Take any shape but that, and my firm nerves/Shall never tremble. Or be alive again,/And dare me to the desert with thy sword;/If trembling I inhabit then, protest me/The baby of a girl. hence, horrible shadow!/Unreal mockery, hence!” (3.4.100-107).Translation: When Macbeth sees the ghost of his murdered friend, Banquo, Macbeth says he would rather Banquo take the form of an angry bear, a fierce tiger, or a rhinoceros than the form of his best friend. It would be less painful that way. |
| Lady Macbeth | “…Yet do I fear thy nature./It is too full o’ th’ milk of human kindness/To catch the nearest way: though wouldst be great,/Art not without ambition, but without/The illness should attend it” (1.5.15-19).Translation: Lady Macbeth is talking about Macbeth. She thinks he is too nice; he has ambition, but doesn’t have enough wickedness to do anything about it. |
| Lady Macbeth | “…I have given suck and know/How tender ’tis to love the babe that milks me./I would, while it was smiling in my face,/Have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums/And dashed the brains out, had I so sworn as you/Have done this” (1.7.54-59).Translation: Lady Macbeth is telling Macbeth that f she had promised to do something, she would follow through with it even if it meant she had to take her child that she may have breast fed and dash it’s brains out. |
| Banquo | … |
| Banquo | … |
| King Duncan | “No more that Thane of Cawdor shall deceive/Our bosom interest. Go pronounce his present death/And with his former title greet Macbeth” (1.2.63-66).Translation: King Duncan tells Ross to go announce that the Thane of Cawdor is dead because he is a traitor so Macbeth has now been given his title. |
| King Duncan | “We will establish our estate upon/Our eldest, Malcolm, whom we name hereafter/The Prince of Cumberland, which honor must/Not unaccompanied invest him only,/But signs of nobleness, like stars, shall shine/On all deservers” (1.4.37-42).Translation: King Duncan is telling Banquo and Macbeth that his son, Malcolm, is next in line for the throne. |
| Macduff | |
| Macduff | … |
| Malcolm | … |
| 3 Witches | nut quote |
Macbeth Characterization (with quotes)
July 7, 2019