Macbeth Act 2-3 quotes

"Who can be wise, amazed, temperate, and furious... in a moment? No man. The expedition of my violent love outrun the pauser; reason" (II.iii.127-130)

speaker: Macbeth listener: Macduff Context: he is saying that his anger got the best of him and he had to kill the guards Significance: duplicity

"O, yet I do repent me of my fury, That I did kill them" (II.iii.124-125)

speaker: Macbeth listener: Macduff, Malcolm, Donalbain, Lennox, Ross Context: Macbeth regrets his anger and killing the guards Significance: duplicity

"To Ireland I. Our separated fortune shall keep us both the safer. Where we are, there's daggers in men's smiles. The near in blood, the nearer bloody." (II.iii.163-166)

speaker : Donalbain listener: Malcolm context: he agrees that it is not safe, and will go to Ireland since being related to Duncan brings danger Significnace: recognizing duplicity

"Who could refrain that had a hear to love, and in that heart courage to make's love known?" (II.iii.135-137)

speaker : Macbeth listener: Macduff Context: he is saying that the combination of love and courage made him kill the guards significance: duplicity

"Or art thou but a dagger of the mind, a false creation proceeding from the heat-oppresséd brain?" (II.i.49-51)

speaker: Macbeth listener: aside Context: Macbeth is questioning if the dagger is real, he is feeling excited/nervous about killing Duncan Significance: foreshadows Duncan's murder

"And when we have our naked frailties hid, that suffer in exposure, let us meet and question this most bloody piece of work..." (II.iii.148-151)

speaker: Banquo listener: Malcolm, Macduff, Donalbain, Macbeth context: he is saying that they all could calm down and meet up later to investigate the murder significance: Banquo is not convinced that it was simply the guards who killed Duncan

"'Tis the eye of childhood that fears a painted devil" (II.ii.70-71)

speaker: Lady Macbeth listener: Macbeth Context: Lady Macbeth is making fun of Macbeth's cowardly refusal to return the weapons Significance: gender role reversal

"Why did you bring these daggers from the place? They must lie there. Go, carry them and smear The sleepy grooms with blood" (II.ii. 62-64)

speaker: Lady Macbeth listener: Macbeth Context: Macbeth forgot to leave the murder weapons in Duncan's room Significance: gender role reversal; Lady Macbeth is taking charge

"These deeds must not be thought after these ways; so, it will make us mad" (II.ii.45-46)

speaker: Lady Macbeth listener: Macbeth Context: Macbeth is overthinking the murder, and Lady Macbeth is telling him not to think about it Significance: gender role reversal; Lady Macbeth is taking charge and calming Macbeth down

"My hands are of you color, but I shame to wear a heart so white" (II.82-83)

speaker: Lady Macbeth listener: Macbeth Context: she is calling Macbeth pale and weak because he could not return the weapons Significance: gender role reversal

"A little water clears us of this dead. How easy is it, then!" (II.ii.86-87)

speaker: Lady Macbeth listener: Macbeth Context: she says that washing the blood off their hands will eliminate their chance of being discovered Significance: gender role reversal and irony, since Macbeth just talked about how the blood will never wash off

"Help me hence, ho" (II.iii.138)

speaker: Lady Macbeth listener: Macduff, Banquo, Donalbain, Context: she pretends to faint to save Macbeth from having to explain killing the guards significnace: duplicity

"Had he not resembled my father as he slept, I had done't" (II.ii.16-17)

speaker: Lady Macbeth listener: aside Context: Macbeth has just made a noise, and Lady Macbeth fears that he has awoken someone. She wishes she had killed Duncan herself. Significance: reversal of gender roles; shows that Lady Macbeth is not quite as cruel as she acts

"I think not of them" (II. i. 27-28)

speaker: Macbeth listener: Banquo Context: saying that he has forgotten about the witches Significance: Duplicity - he really has thought about them

"If you shall cleave to my consent, when 'tis, It shall make honor for you" (II.i.34-35)

speaker: Macbeth listener: Banquo Context: saying that if Banquo should join him, he would benefit greatly (after Banquo brings up the witches) Significance: foreshadows future event of Macbeth killing Duncan and taking power

"Methought I heard a voice cry 'Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep'" (II.ii.47)

speaker: Macbeth listener: Lady Macbeth Context: Macbeth is saying that he heard something when he was killing Duncan Significance: gender role reversal; Macbeth is the one acting paranoid. shows his incredible guilt

"I'll go no more. I am afraid to think what I have done. Look on't again I dare not" (II.ii.65-67)

speaker: Macbeth listener: Lady Macbeth Context: Macbeth refuses to return the weapons because he is scared to face what he has done Significance: gender role reversal; Macbeth is more of a coward that Lady Macbeth

"To know my deed 'twere best not know myself. Wake Duncan with thy knocking. I would thou couldst." (II.ii.93-95)

speaker: Macbeth listener: Lady Macbeth Context: he would rather e unconscious or dead than think about the crime. He hears knocking and wishes that Duncan could awake again Significance: gender role reversal and irony

"There's nothing serious in mortality. All is but toys. Renan and grace is dead" (II.iii.109-11)

speaker: Macbeth listener: Lennox, Ross, and Lady Macbeth Context: Macbeth claims there is nothing more to live for now that the king is dead Significance: duplicity

"Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather the multitudinous seas incarnadine, making the green one red" (II.ii.78-81)

speaker: Macbeth listener: aside Context: Macbeth is so guilty about the murder that he feels the blood can never be washed from his hands Significane: gender role reversal and irony, since Macbeth has killed many people before

"Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee" (II.i.44-46)

speaker: Macbeth listener: aside Context: Macbeth is thinking about the fact that he is going to kill Duncan, and is clearly feeling nervous and guilty because he is imagining a dagger Significance: foreshadows future event of Macbeth killing Duncan and taking power

"There's no such thing. It is the bloody business which informs thus to mine eyes" (II.i.59-61)

speaker: Macbeth listener: aside Context: Macbeth realizes the dagger is not real, and that the murder is making him think it is there Significance: foreshadows Duncan's murder and shows that Macbeth is going a little paranoid

"Thou marshal'st me the way that I was going, and such an instrument I was to use" (II.i.54-55)

speaker: Macbeth listener: aside Context: the dagger is leading Macbeth to the place where he is going to murder Duncan Significance: foreshadows Duncan's murder and shows that Macbeth is eager to commit to the murder

"O gentle lady, 'Tis not for you to hear what I can speak. The repetition in a woman's ear Would murder as it fell" (II.iii.96-99)

speaker: Macduff listener: Lady Macbeth Context: saying that he will not tell Lady Macbeth the terrible thing since she is a gentle woman Significance: gender role reversal

"Wherefore did you so?" (II.iii.126)

speaker: Macduff listener: Macbeth Context: he is asking Macbeth why he would kill the guards who supposedly killed Duncan, since this is destroying evidence Significance: foreshadowing-already questioning Macbeth

"O horror, horror, horror! Tongue nor heart cannot conceive nor name thee!" (II.iii.73-74)

speaker: Macduff listener: Macbeth and Lennox Context: he has just found Duncan dead Significance: Duncan has just died: Scotland has no king

"No, cousin, I'll to Fife." (II. iv. 50)

speaker: Macduff listener: Ross context: he is going to Macduff's castle to investigate the murder and have Macduff crowned king

"They were suborned. Malcolm and Donalbain, the King's two sons, are stolen away and fled, which puts upon them suspicion of the deed" (II.iv.35-38)

speaker: Macduff listener: Ross context: telling how the kings son fled, which means they are suspected for Duncan's murder significance: irony

"What will you do? Let's not consort with them. To show an unfelt sorrow is an office which the false mean does easy. I'll to England" (II.iii.160-162)

speaker: Malcolm listener: Donalbain context: he is saying that someone is lying , and that they need to get to safety. He is going to England significance: he is recognizing that someone is duplicitous

"(describing Duncan's horses going wild)" (II.iv.17-26)

speaker: Ross listener: old man context: they are discussing the weird things that have been going on nature recently significance: nature matches human events - terrible things happened after Duncan's murder

"Lechery sir, it provokes and unprovokes" (II.iii.30)

speaker: porter listener: Macduff and Lennon Context: he is saying that alcohol provokes sexual urge but makes it harder to do Significance: "fair and foul" theme, comedic relief, funny that they are talking about the effects of alcohol

"Who's there, in the name of Beelzebub?" (II.iii.3-4)

speaker: porter listener: aside Context: he is pretending that he is opening the gates of hell when he is operating Duncan's gate Significance: provides comedic relief after an intense scene and foreshadows Duncan being found dead