Macbeth Quotes- Act 3

Thou hast it now: king, Cawdor, Glamis, all,As the weird women promised, and I fearThou played’st most foully for ‘t. Yet it was saidIt should not stand in thy posterity,But that myself should be the root and fatherOf many kings. Banquo Believes that Macbeth has acquired everything promised to him by cheating. Then he contemplates on how he will be the root and father of many kings and hopes it to be true.
To be thus is nothing,But to be safely thus. Our fears in BanquoStick deep, and in his royalty of natureReigns that which would be feared. ‘Tis much he dares,And to that dauntless temper of his mindHe hath a wisdom that doth guide his valorTo act in safety. There is none but heWhose being I do fear, and under himMy genius is rebuked, as it is saidMark Antony’s was by Caesar. MacbethSpeaking to audience, Fears Banquo because he is smart, has a good nature, wisodm and reason. Also he was told that he would have many kings to follow him so Macbeth thinks that Banquo will befall him.
KnowThat it was he, in the times past, which held youSo under fortune, which you thought had beenOur innocent self. This I made good to youIn our last conference, passed in probation with you,How you were borne in hand, how crossed, the instruments,Who wrought with them, and all things else that mightTo half a soul and to a notion crazedSay, “Thus did Banquo.” MacbethSpeaking to the murderers and saying that Banquo is the reason for their poverty and the dismal quality of their lives
Do you findYour patience so predominant in your natureThat you can let this go? Are you so gospeledTo pray for this good man and for his issue,Whose heavy hand hath bowed you to the graveAnd beggared yours forever? MacbethQuestioning the murderers and egging them on to anger towards Banquo since he wronged them, trying to make them seem faulty in their ways for not wanting revenge
The valued fileDistinguishes the swift, the slow, the subtle,The housekeeper, the hunter, every oneAccording to the gift which bounteous natureHath in him closed, whereby he does receiveParticular addition, from the billThat writes them all alike. And so of men.Now, if you have a station in the file,Not i’ th’ worst rank of manhood, say ‘t, MacbethSpeaking to the Murderers, saying all dogs are dogs but you must start listing them as certain things to distinguish them as certain types, such as people. Saying murderers are at the very bottom due to Banquo and Macbeth has a plan to fix this and bring the murderers closer to him
Who wear our health but sickly in his life,Which in his death were perfect. MacbethSpeaking to Murderers, sickly in Banquo’s life and healthy in his death
I am one, my liege,Whom the vile blows and buffets of the worldHave so incensed that I am reckless whatI do to spite the world. MurdererSpeaking to Macbeth, so angry with the world that he will do anything for revenge and to redeem himself
And I anotherSo weary with disasters, tugged with fortune,That I would set my life on any chance,To mend it or be rid on ‘t. Murderer Speaking to Macbeth, Agrees, saying he would rather fix his life on this chance or have it be the end-all be-all
So is he mine; and in such bloody distanceThat every minute of his being thrustsAgainst my near’st of life. MacbethSpeaking to the Murderers, says Banquo’s life tears at Macbeth’s every waking moments because he hates him so much.
It is concluded. Banquo, thy soul’s flight,If it find heaven, must find it out tonight. MacbethPlans for Banquo’s murder
Naught’s had, all’s spent,Where our desire is got without content.’Tis safer to be that which we destroyThan by destruction dwell in doubtful joy. Lady MacbethSpeaking to audience, saying if you are not happy after spending everything it is worth nothing and it is better to be the victim of a murder than the murderer living in anxiety
How now, my lord! Why do you keep alone,Of sorriest fancies your companions making,Using those thoughts which should indeed have diedWith them they think on? Things without all remedyShould be without regard. What’s done is done. Lady MacbethAsking why he is sad, saying those thoughts should have died with the men and things that can not be fixed should not be thought of anymore
We have scorched the snake, not killed it.She’ll close and be herself whilst our poor maliceRemains in danger of her former tooth.But let the frame of things disjoint, both the worlds suffer,Ere we will eat our meal in fear, and sleepIn the affliction of these terrible dreamsThat shake us nightly. MacbethSpeaking to Lady Macbeth, Macbeth is saying that they have not killed the snake but only injured it and it will strike again, universe can fall apart before Macbeth eats meals in peace and sleeps without nightmares due to guilt. Macbeth is basically saying that he must kill Banquo to feel at peace again
Better be with the dead,Whom we, to gain our peace, have sent to peace,Than on the torture of the mind to lieIn restless ecstasy. MacbethSpeaking to Lady Macbeth, better to be dead than dealing with the torture of mind
Both with eye and tongue: unsafe the while that weMust lave our honors in these flattering streams,And make our faces vizards to our hearts,Disguising what they are. MacbethTelling Lady Macbeth to be extra kind to Banquo tonight to hide their true feelings- does not tell her of his plans to kill Banquo, shows deception even with his most prized confidant
. Ere the bat hath flownHis cloistered flight, ere to black Hecate’s summonsThe shard-borne beetle with his drowsy humsHath rung night’s yawning peal, there shall be doneA deed of dreadful note. MacbethSpeaking to Lady Macbeth, saying before the flight of the bat or the hum of the dung beetle, there will be an evil deed committed. Referring to Banquo’s planned murder but does not tell her of his plans
Come, seeling night,Scarf up the tender eye of pitiful dayAnd with thy bloody and invisible handCancel and tear to pieces that great bondWhich keeps me pale. Light thickens, and the crowMakes wing to th’ rooky wood.Good things of day begin to droop and drowse;Whiles night’s black agents to their preys do rouse. Macbeth Speaking to the night, saying it will cut up Banquo who causes fear. Night falls and a crow flies home, the good day leaves
O treachery! Fly, good Fleance, fly, fly, fly!Thou may ‘st revenge —O slave! BanquoRealizes that he has been cornered
‘Tis better thee without than he within.Is he dispatched? MacbethSpeaking to the Murderer about the blood on his face- says it is better that it is on his face than flowing through his veins (referring to Banquo)
Ourself will mingle with societyAnd play the humble host.Our hostess keeps her state, but in best timeWe will require her welcome. MacbethSpeaking to the lords, saying he will mingle and play host and his wife will sit in her royal chair and will be welcomed in time
Thou art the best o’ th’ cutthroats:Yet he’s good that did the like for Fleance.If thou didst it, thou art the nonpareil. MacbethSpeaking to the Murderer, saying he is the best at cutting throats and if he did the same to Fleance he is the best of all
Then comes my fit again. I had else been perfect,Whole as the marble, founded as the rock,As broad and general as the casing air.But now I am cabined, cribbed, confined, bound inTo saucy doubts and fears.—But Banquo’s safe? MacbethSpeaking to Murderer, Frightened because Fleance has escaped and with the death of Fleance he would have been perfect and solid as a rock and as free as air itself
Ay, my good lord. Safe in a ditch he bides,With twenty trenchèd gashes on his head,The least a death to nature. MurdererSpeaking of Banquo who lies in a ditch with twenty gashes
There the grown serpent lies. The worm that’s fledHath nature that in time will venom breed;No teeth for th’ present. MacbethSpeaking to Murderer. The old snake has died (Banquo) the young snake has escaped and will in time become dangerous but not for now (Fleance)
Thou canst not say I did it. Never shakeThy gory locks at me. MacbethSpeaking to ghost of Banquo
Sit, worthy friends. My lord is often thusAnd hath been from his youth. Pray you, keep seat.The fit is momentary; upon a thoughtHe will again be well. If much you note him,You shall offend him and extend his passion. Lady MacbethSpeaking of the way Macbeth responds to ghost of Banquo and covers it up by saying it is simply a fit similar to the ones that he has gotten ever since he was a child.
Are you a man? Lady MacbethReferring to the way he is acting in front of his guests
Ay, and a bold one, that dare look on thatWhich might appall the devil. MacbethSpeaking to Lady Macbeth, saying he is a man and that he is bold because he is looking at a sight that would scare a devil
This is the air-drawn dagger which you saidLed you to Duncan. Oh, these flaws and starts,Impostors to true fear, would well becomeA woman’s story at a winter’s fire,Authorized by her grandam. Shame itself!Why do you make such faces? When all’s done,You look but on a stool. Lady MacbethComparing Macebeth’s fear to one that a woman would have when listening to a scary story, saying he looks foolish
If thou canst nod, speak too.If charnel houses and our graves must sendThose that we bury back, our monumentsShall be the maws of kites. MacbethSpeaking to the ghost of Banquo, if the dead can come back what is the point of burying them and what do the birds feed on
The time has beenThat, when the brains were out, the man would die,And there an end. But now they rise againWith twenty mortal murders on their crownsAnd push us from our stools. This is more strangeThan such a murder is. MacbethSpeaking of how murder used to just end when the victim was killed, but now the dead rise again
Avaunt, and quit my sight! Let the earth hide thee.Thy bones are marrowless, thy blood is cold.Thou hast no speculation in those eyesWhich thou dost glare with! MacbethSpeaking to the ghost, telling him to go away and that his bones are without marrow, blood is cold, and he looks with eyes that have no power to see
What man dare, I dare.Approach thou like the rugged Russian bear,The armed rhinoceros, or th’ Hyrcan tiger;Take any shape but that, and my firm nervesShall never tremble. Or be alive again,And dare me to the desert with thy sword.If trembling I inhabit then, protest meThe baby of a girl. MacbethSpeaking of his bravery to the ghost and saying his nerves will never tremble, and if he does shake if Banquo came back with a sword, he can be called a little girl
You make me strangeEven to the disposition that I owe,When now I think you can behold such sights,And keep the natural ruby of your cheeks,When mine is blanched with fear. MacbethSpeaking to Lady Macbeth saying she makes him feel like he doesn’t know himself because she can look a these terrible things without the look of fear that Macbeth possesses
It will have blood, they say. Blood will have blood.Stones have been known to move, and trees to speak.Augurs and understood relations haveBy magot pies and choughs and rooks brought forthThe secret’st man of blood.—What is the night? MacbethSpeaking to Lady Macbeth, saying that death will bring revenge, and murderers have been revealed by mystical signs.
Almost at odds with morning, which is which. Lady MacbethSpeaking to Macbeth, saying that the night is almost morning, can not tell the difference- shows the evil and murder consuming their lives
For mine own good,All causes shall give way. I am in bloodStepped 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 may be scanned. MacbethSaying his safety is the most important thing right now and he is in such a deep river of blood it would hard to go back to being good. He has schemes in his head that he must act on before he can think about it
Have I not reason, beldams as you are?Saucy and overbold, how did you dareTo trade and traffic with MacbethIn riddles and affairs of death,And I, the mistress of your charms,The close contriver of all harms,Was never called to bear my part,Or show the glory of our art? HecateAngry with the Witches because they have planned all of this without addressing Hecate when she is the source of all their powers
And, which is worse, all you have doneHath been but for a wayward son,Spiteful and wrathful, who, as others do,Loves for his own ends, not for you. HecateSaying the Witches did all of this to man that acts like a spoiled brat and does not care for any others
‘ll catch it ere it come to ground.And that distilled by magic sleightsShall raise such artificial spritesAs by the strength of their illusionShall draw him on to his confusion. Hecate Plans to trick Macbeth with illusions
He shall spurn fate, scorn death, and bearHis hopes ‘bove wisdom, grace, and fear.And you all know, securityIs mortals’ chiefest enemy. HecateThe illusions will make Macbeth think that he is above wisdom, grace, and fear and give him a false security
Who cannot want the thought how monstrousIt was for Malcolm and for DonalbainTo kill their gracious father? Damnèd fact!How it did grieve Macbeth! Did he not straightIn pious rage the two delinquents tearThat were the slaves of drink and thralls of sleep?Was not that nobly done? Ay, and wisely too,For ‘twould have angered any heart aliveTo hear the men deny ‘t. LennoxSpeaking to Lord, speaking sarcastically about all that has happened and how Macbeth has been acting suspicious- killed the 2 servants right away, grieved angrily, and it is strange to think of Malcom and Donalbain murdering their own father
. And I do thinkThat had he Duncan’s sons under his key—As, an’t please heaven, he shall not—they should findWhat ’twere to kill a father. So should Fleance. LennoxSpeaking to Lord, speaking of Macbeth having Duncan’s sons in prison that they will find what it is to kill their own father,along with Fleance
with Him aboveTo ratify the work—we may againGive to our tables meat, sleep to our nights,Free from our feasts and banquets bloody knives,Do faithful homage and receive free honors.All which we pine for now. LordSpeaking to Lennox about Macduff’s plans to give peace back to the country and give the citizens back the ability to pine for their king