Clothing Imagery

Quotations (include citation): Significance:

“Why do you dress me in borrowed robes?” Macbeth has the title of Thane of Cawdor, but he
doesn’t realize it. He asks why he is addressed by
Macbeth, Act 1 Scene 1
someone else’s title, not realizing that it is his
own.

“Lest our old robes sit easier than our new.” Macduff is saying that Scotland was better off
with the old king (Duncan) than it will be with the
Macduff, Act 2 Scene 4
new king (Macbeth). This is foreshadowing
Macbeth’s tyranny.
“Thy crown does sear my eyeballs” Macbeth says this line when looking at a vision of
Banquo’s descendants. They wear a crown that
Macbeth Act 4 Scene 1
hurts Macbeth’s eyes, indicating that they are
true kings, and he is a false king, unworthy of the
crown.

“puts her nightgown upon her.” The gentle woman says this when describing Lady
Macbeth’s sleepwalking ritual. The nightgown is
Gentlewoman Act 5 Scene 1
“upon” her like it weighs her down. This could
represent how her guilt is weighing her down.
“His title hangs loose about him, like a giant’s Macbeth is not worthy of the “giant title of king.
robe upon a dwarfish thief.” He is described as a “thief” or phony.

Angus Act 5 Scene 2

Symbolism, final theme, and analysis:

Clothing represents duty. Not everyone is fit for every duty. When clothing is described as not fitting
or not comfortable, the speaker is indicating that someone is ill-suited for their duty. For example,
Angus describes Macbeth as a dwarf in a “giant’s robe,” implying that Macbeth is unfit for the duty of
king. The crown that Banquo’s descendants wear burns Macbeth’s eyes; again, showing that he is
unfit for the duty of king.

Darkness
Quotations (include citation): Significance:
“Stars, hide your fires; let not light see my black Macbeth is saying that his desires are so terrible
and deep desires.” that he doesn’t even want the stars to shine on
them. He won’t even look at the stars because he
Macbeth Act 1 Scene 4
is ashamed of himself.

“There’s husbandry in heaven; their candles are He is saying that a star isn’t to be seen in the sky.
all out.” This is important because in act 1 scene 4 King
Duncan says “signs of nobleness, like stars, shall
Banquo Act 2 Scene 1
shine” about his sons. Banquo is saying that he
can’t find his sons.
“Approach the chamber, and destroy your sight Medusa is a famous Gorgon and looking at her
with a new Gorgon; do not bid me speak; see, makes you turn into stone. Macduff is saying that
and speak yourselves.” looking at Duncan’s body would make someone
Macduff Act 2 Scene 3 blind.

“By th’ clock ‘tis day, and yet dark night strangles The “travelling lamp” is the sun. Ross is saying
the travelling lamp.” that either the day is stronger than the night, or
Ross Act 2 Scene 4 the night is stronger than the day. The sun
doesn’t want to shine on Duncan’s dead body
and the darkness is the night that he was
murdered.
“Fleance his son, that keeps him company, whose The dark hour is the day that Banquo died
absence is no less material to me than is his literally and metaphorically. They will kill Banquo
father’s, must embrace the fate of that dark in the dark. Metaphorically, Banquo will meet the
hour.” final darkness of death.
Macbeth Act 3 Scene 1

Symbolism, final theme, and analysis:

Darkness symbolizes crimes. Do all crimes in the dark for it brings darkness with it. When Macbeth
kills King Duncan, there is darkness not only in the land, but in the people as well. The same thing
happened when Macbeth kills Banquo.

Sleep
Quotations (include citation): Significance:

“There’s one did laugh in’s sleep, and one cried Macbeth thought that even in their sleep, the
‘Murder!’” med could see his bloody, murderous hands that
killed King Duncan.
Macbeth Act 2 Scene 2
“Methought I heard a voice cry “Sleep no more! A “ravell’d sleave” is something that is tangled
Macbeth does murder sleep,” the innocent sleep, like yarn or string. He uses this to compare it to
sleep that knits up the ravell’d sleave of care, the his frustration. His frustration is like tangled
death of each day’s life, sore labour’s bath, balm string and he’s just all bunched up and tight. He is
of hurt minds, great nature’s second course, chief tense. He compares sleep to a bath after a long
nourisher in life’s feast.” day or a big meal. Macbeth says that sleep is
Macbeth Act 2 Scene 2 important and makes life worth living. He feels as
though when he killed King Duncan, he killed
sleep itself.

“Shake off this downy sleep, death’s counterfeit, Macduff is saying that death and sleep are
and look on death itself!” complete opposites from each other. While sleep
is “downy,” or light and soft, death, on the other
Macduff Act 2 Scene 3
hand, is more heave and dark. Sleep is comforting
and death is horror.
“Rise form her bed, throw her night-gown upon Lady Macbeth is so frightened about the killing of
her, unlock her closet, take forth paper, fold it, Banquo and King Duncan that she is sleep
write upon’t, read it, afterwards seal it, and again walking. She has a lack of sleep which is making
return to bed; yet all this while in a most fast her go crazy. She sleep walks and can’t seem to
sleep.” get a good nights rest because she is so uneasy.
Gentlewoman Act 5 Scene 1 The killings have messed her up and made her
insane.

“A great perturbation in nature, to receive at The doctor tells the gentlewoman that she must
once the benefit of sleep, and do the effects of be so troubled and upset that she is acting like
watching!” she’s awake when she is sleeping. She can’t seem
Doctor Scene 5 Act 1 to sleep because she keeps reliving King Duncan’s
murder and when Banquo’s ghost visits her.
Symbolism, final theme, and analysis:

Sleep symbolizes peace of mind. Don’t do something you’re going to regret. When Macbeth kills
Duncan, he is very uneasy throughout the whole process. He hears voices when he is going to kill
Duncan and after that, he is very paranoid. Sleep is used to symbolize peace of mind because when he
sleeps, he feels better and not so uneasy. On the other hand, Lady Macbeth can’t seem to sleep at all.
She is very much tense and uneasy. She is unsure of what she did is right.

Blood
Quotations (include citation): Significance:
“I see thee still, and on thy blade and dudgeon Macbeth hasn’t killed King Duncan yet and he can
gouts of blood, which was not so before.” already see the blood on the knife he is going to
kill him with.
Macbeth Act 2 Scene 1

“Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood Macbeth is so shaken up by what he has done
clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather that he doesn’t know what to do. He stares at his
the multitudinous seas incarnadine, making the bloody hands and says that no amount of water
green one red.” in the world can clean his hands. He will simply
make the water turn red.
Macbeth Scene 2 Act 2

“The spring, the head, the fountain of your blood He compares blood to family. This is right after he
is stopp’d; the very source of it is stopp’d” kills Duncan and he is telling Malcolm and
Donalbain that his father has died. The blood has
Macbeth Act 2 Scene 3
stopped, their dad has died.
“Ha, good father, thou seest, the heavens, as Ross is saying that Earth is just a stage and we are
troubled with man’s act, threaten his bloody all in one giant play. The heavens are mad that
stage.” the King has died because it is dark outside the
Ross Act 2 Scene 4 day after he was killed. The stage, or Earth, is
bloody from Duncan’s blood.

“Out, damned spot! Out, I say!—One: two: why, Lady Macbeth walks into the room rubbing her
then, ‘tis time to do’t,--Hell is murky!—Fie, my hands together as if she is washing the blood off.
lord, fie! A soldier, and afeard? What need we She then abruptly stops when she remembers
fear who knows it, when none can call our power the time she rang a bell to summon Macbeth to
to account?—Yet who would have thought the murder the King. She then says, “who would have
old man to have had so much blood in him?” thought the old man to have had so much blood
Lady Macbeth Act 5 Scene 1 in him?” because she can still see the blood that
is still on her hands, reminding her of the guilt
she had.
Symbolism, final theme, and analysis:

Blood symbolizes guilt. Don’t kill someone because you will feel guilty about it. When Macbeth kills
Duncan, he feels guilt about doing it. Even though he wanted to be king, he realizes that was not the
correct way to go about being king. Towards the end of the play, Lady Macbeth can still see the blood
on her hands even though nothing is there. This means that she still feels guilty about what she made
Macbeth do.

Manhood
Quotations (include citation): Significance:
“Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, She wants the spirits to “unsex” her. By the
unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the spirits unsexing her, then she will have the
toe top-full of direst cruelty!” qualities of a man. She won’t have the kindness
Lady Macbeth Act 1 Scene 5 or remorse of a woman. She will be more manly
because she is a cruel killer.

“Let’s briefly put on manly readiness, and meet i’ Macbeth thinks that he is more manly in his
the hall together” daytime clothes.
Macbeth Act 2 Scene 3

“Ay, in the catalogue ye go for men; as hounds By calling the three murderers dogs, he is saying
and greyhounds, mongrels, spaniels, curs, that they are weak. Macbeth says they won’t be
shoughs, water-rugs ad demi-wolves, are clept all real men until they are ready to kill Banquo.
by the name of dogs”
Macbeth Act 3 Scene 1
“there is Siward’s son, and many unrough youths “Unrough youths” are people who are so young
that even now protest their first of manhood” they can’t grow a beard. “Protest” means the
Lennox Act 5 Scene 2 opposite. These youths are ready to prove that
they are men.

“Accursed be that tongue that tells me so, for it Earlier in the play, Macduff tells Macbeth that he
hath cow’d my better part of man!” was not “of woman born.” To this, Macbeth
replies with that quote. Macbeth things that
Macbeth Act 5 Scene 8
being the “better part of man” is being
courageous.
Final theme and analysis:

Be tough and suck it up. Do the hard things. Lady Macbeth says that by killing Duncan, she will be
manly because she is violent and not acting “lady like.” Macbeth is being manly by killing people. He is
acting tough and putting on his “daytime” clothes to make him look more masculine. Towards the end
of the play, Macbeth says that being the “better part of man” is to have courage and be brave.

Paradox and Equivocation

Paradox Definition:

A seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement or proposition that when investigated or

explained may prove to be well founded or true.

Equivocation Definition:

The use of ambiguous language to conceal the truth or to avoid committing oneself; prevarication.
Quotations (include citation): Significance:

“Why, one that swears and lied.” In this instance, “One that swears” is someone
who swears their loyalty to the king. Someone
Lady Macduff Act 4 Scene 2
who swears to tell the truth. Someone who
“swears and lies” is someone who promises to
tell the truth but doesn’t. They betray the other
person.
“armed Head” They are warning Macbeth to be aware of
Macduff. The armed head is Macduff in armor.
The witches Act 4 Scene 1 The armed head also refers to when Macduff cuts
off Macbeth’s head.

“bloody Child” This means that no man can harm Macbeth

The witches Act 4 Scene 1 because every man is born of a woman.
“Child crowned, with a tree in his head” Macbeth takes this as he will never be defeated
The witches Act 4 Scene 1 because a tree can never go up a hill. In reality, if
someone hold a stick and goes up a hill he will be
defeated.

“the equivocation of the fiend that lies like truth. Someone tells Macbeth that he saw the Birnam
‘Fear not, till Birnam wood do come to woods move. This makes Macbeth worried
Dunsinane,’ and now a wood comes toward because if a tree goes up the hill then he will be
Dunsinane” defeated.
Macbeth Act 5 Scene 5
Final theme and analysis:

Don’t trust everything someone says. They could say one thing but mean another thing. Macbeth
took everything that the witches said literally. He didn’t realize it had a different meaning to it. In the
three prophecies that the witches told Macbeth in Act 4 Scene 1, they all had a hidden meaning to
them. Macbeth was so ignorant to realize this. When the witches said, “Child crowned, with a tree in
his head,” Macbeth thought they were saying that if a tree walks up a hill then he will be defeated.
This is not the case. It could be a branch that someone carries or a leaf blowing in the wind.