| Hear not my steps | Continues the apostrophe |
| thy very tones | continues the apostrophe (once more) |
| thy very stones…take the present horror from the time | metaphor: the noise gives away his sneaky intentions |
| the one halfworld | one hemisphere |
| Nature seems dead | Metaphor: it is dark |
| wicked dreams abuse | Dreams are like evil people who attack sleep: personification |
| The curtain’d sleep | Sleep is a person: personification; also she is “curtain’d”, which could refer to her eyelids (metaphor) or the curtains around her bed (metaphor). |
| witchcraft celebrates | Witchcraft is a person who is happy about Hecate’s gifts (personification) |
| Pale Hecate’s offerings | Allusion to the Greek goddess of witchcraft; her gifts are the evil things going on (metaphor). |
| wither’d murder | Murder is like an old man (personification) |
| Alarum’d by his sentinel, the wolf | Murder is alerted by a wolf (extended personification) |
| Whose howl’s his watch | Again, continues the extended personification. Also: a wolf’s howl could be heard. |
| his stealthy pace | Murder’s stealthy pace – again, extended personification. |
| With Tarquin’s ravishing strides | Allusion to Roman history |
| towards…moves like… | Ends the extended personification; also simile (like a ghost). |
| Thou…earth | Apostrophe: addresses Earth. |
Macbeth: Pale Hecate’s Offerings
September 7, 2019