Preview

Macbeth Soliloquy Analysis

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1202 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Macbeth Soliloquy Analysis
Even in the coolest breeze your body will turn to a ferocious sweat, your face starts burning an inferno red yet looks a ghastly white, your heart may skip a few hundred beats and you begin to feel it in your throat, the pounding intensifies with every step you take and your feet feel cemented to the ground, unable to blink, turn back and erase what you have done, everything from this point on is a downward spiral and it is too late to undo your actions, the word regret haunts you eternally. In the soliloquy, found in Act I, scene vii of Shakespeare's Macbeth servants can be found scurrying inside the castle to prepare the table for the evening's feast with the King while Macbeth, Shakespeare's title character, hesitantly paces debating the …show more content…
Macbeth uses spiritual reasoning against the murder. He claims that heaven will cry out "trumpet-tongued" against the deep damnation of his "taking off." This indicates that Macbeth believes that such a horrifying deed would result in him "jumping the life to come," that he would face punishment for eternity in hell. Macbeth also talks about a chalice. Churches would have used a chalice during the Holy Communion service, which emphasizes images of light, love and good. However, Macbeth talks about a "poisoned chalice," which leads to the opposite connotations: death as opposed to life, darkness as compared to light, evil instead of good. Macbeth shows that he still has a conscience through the way he delivers this soliloquy. His use of euphemisms shows his anguish at the thought of murder. The derogatory diction Macbeth distinctively uses like "bloody instructions", "deep damnation" and "poisoned chalice" throughout the soliloquy is dark; suggesting Macbeth is aware that his murder would open doors to a dark and sinful world. Macbeth's fear that "[w]e still have judgment here, that we but teach bloody instructions which, being taught, return to plague th'inventor," foreshadows the way that his deeds will eventually come back to haunt him because by committing violent crimes we only teach others to commit violence as

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Before Macbeth gives his famous “Is this a dagger which I see before me” soliloquy, he has decided that he was not going to kill the king. Lady Macbeth wants to become queen, so she has an argument with Macbeth. During the argument Lady Macbeth says, “When you durst do it, then you were a man”, saying that Macbeth is not a man unless he kills king Duncan. Lady Macbeth’s words make Macbeth perplexed and he goes into his soliloquy where he debates whether or not to assassinate the king.…

    • 480 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    New Deal Dbq

    • 875 Words
    • 4 Pages

    1. Which of the following was not a significant motivation behind the New Deal? => reviving America's commitment to family values at a time when they seemed to be in decline…

    • 875 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    "Macbeth a play based on treason loyalty and knowledge consists of many different characters one unlike the other.…

    • 249 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Situate the passage into the greater text: mention the act and scene numbers, as well as what happens at this point in the play/ Significance (1-2 sentences)…

    • 303 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Lady Macbeth is more evil than Macbeth, as illustrated through her speech and mischievous temperament. The first appearance of her attitude was after Macbeth’s soliloquy about his intentions of killing Duncan or not. Lady Macbeth states to Macbeth that if he does not kill Duncan, then he will “live a coward [in his own self-esteem]” (1.7.47). The connotation of the word “coward” said by Lady Macbeth emphasizes the cruel tone of Lady Macbeth. Her criticizing is unnecessary as Macbeth is deciding between a life changing inhuman action of assassinating his own king. The cruel tone indirectly characterizes Lady Macbeth to have a mischievous temperament and overall to be more evil than Macbeth, because Macbeth is emotional suffering about killing Duncan or not, while Lady Macbeth does not portray any grief over an action so relentless. Later during the same conversation after Macbeth’s soliloquy, Macbeth says “if we should fail,” and Lady Macbeth’s response to his question is “screw your courage to the sticking place/ And we’ll not fail” (1.7.68, 70-71). The dialect by Lady Macbeth in “screw your courage to the sticking place” means for Macbeth to not be hesitant in the kill. This indirectly characterizes Macbeth to be kinder than he appears, because Lady Macbeth is doubting that he will not kill Duncan, making her emphasize the murder by stating it directly to Macbeth.…

    • 406 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Macbeth Reocide Essay

    • 164 Words
    • 1 Page

    Malcolm and Donalbain talk about leaving Scotland and seem to be suspecting that someone else is guilty of the king's murder.…

    • 164 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    This shows the sickly and horrible feelings of remorse have immediately entered his mind and despite Macbeth being a strong, noble and brave soldier in battle, he cannot withstand the distress and misery that this treason has brought on his poisoned conscience. This quote shows Macbeth talking about Duncan’s blood on his hands, Duncan’s blood is the symbol of guilt; it foreshadows the later events in the play. Shakespeare uses this metaphor to show the enormous scale of Macbeths treachery as it says that even with Neptune’s ocean, his hands wouldn’t be clean, and will stay with him forever. The feeling of inner regret and guilt that Macbeth experiences reveals that he isn’t entirely the antagonist but despite this, he has still murdered such a precious and fair man and therefore the audience will be despising him and would await for Macbeths downfall and punishment later in the play, engaging them fully.…

    • 444 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    I should have been the one to confront Macbeth. I should have been able to figure out what Lady Macbeth and Macbeth did. I spent hours upon hours analyzing and scrutinizing the Lady’s strange speech from her sleep. If only I had realized it sooner, if only I had just put the pieces of the puzzle together quickly I could have been king. But no, Malcolm took over, and Malcolm got the power. But, I cannot think this way, just look at what happened to Macbeth and his wife. “Stars, hide your fires; Let not light see my black and deep desires.” But it was so obvious! The washing of her hands, her cries over the blood and her stained hands, her eagerness to hide or cover up what she had done. If only I had put the parts together I could have realized…

    • 250 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Macbeth is one of William Shakespeare’s tragedies from the early 1600’s. Macbeth, once a nobleman who was the epitome of loyalty takes a turn and is overcome by ambition which can be attributed to the witches and Lady Macbeth. Macbeth rises to power but covered in blood. A major theme throughout the play of Macbeth is if a person commits an evil crime such as murder, he or she is incapable of fully escaping the sins and guilt that come with such actions. Throughout Macbeth, blood is a prominent image that enhances this theme throughout the play, ultimately demonstrating how a person can be stained from their sin and eventually their guilt.…

    • 1391 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Macbeth Banquo Analysis

    • 396 Words
    • 2 Pages

    In the beginning Banquo is thinking well if the first thing the witches came true and made Macbeth king why can't his kids become king later. Then macbeth enters in the kings attire. Macbeth discusses his fear of the kids that left. Macbeth invites Banquo to the feast that night, and Banquo accepts his invitation. Banquo says he will make it, but he is going on a horse ride for the afternoon. Macbeth now is contemplating killing his best friend Banquo. The reason he worries is he doesn't want him or his family taking his power. He decides to hire the best assassins he knows to go kill Banquo will he is far away from the castle. They take off to get Banquo. They end up killing Banquo, then come back to the castle in the beginning of the dinner party. It is odd because Macbeth wants no one to know he was apart of the killing, but they pull him aside in the dinner party to talk about the killing. When he comes back to the dinner party he says where am I supposed to sit. They tell him right there there is a empty seat, and Macbeth sees Banquo’s ghost. They start thinking he is crazy. He then says it is weird Banquo is not here I invited him. Lady macbeth interrupts saying he has seen things he was a little kid, and not to ask questions that…

    • 396 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Macbeth Play Analysis

    • 965 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Review: Macbeth a visually striking period piece for the modern viewer We all wrote an essay about it in high school; Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” is so widely read that it’s surprising Justin Kurzel’s newest film is the first notable cinematic adaptation since Roman Polanski’s in 1971. Kurzel’s take on the Scottish play is a spectacle of haunting violence; he takes advantage of the cinematic medium and crafts a stunning aesthetic. As an adaptation, the film offers an imaginative reading of the familiar narrative of the eponymous Scottish general (Michael Fassbender, sure to draw a crowd at the box office) and his infamously manipulative wife (Marion Cotillard, art-house ace). However, in its attempts to be visually striking, much will seem to have…

    • 965 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    This essay will attempt to explore what the play ‘Macbeth’ suggests about the states of minds of both the titular character Macbeth, and his scheming wife Lady Macbeth, using extracts from Act 1, Scene 7. I will also examine how the language used emphasises the key themes and ideas within the play. The characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are revealed and developed through their dialogues with use of soliloquies and asides, helping to reveal their personalities, states of mind, emotions and motivation. Much figurative language and imagery is used by Shakespeare to emphasise the themes within the play, creating atmosphere and mood in order to achieve dramatic outcome (109). Initially eager to have the deed done, he would have it done sooner rather than later and hope for the murder to be the finish of it all:…

    • 1495 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Macbeth Soliloquy

    • 805 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Macbeth has made his decision to kill the King and take the crown as his own. Inspired in part by his own ambition, the decision to murder Duncan is aided by the prophecies of the Witches as well as the insistent urging of his wife. He is wracked with guilt over what he is about to do, as his mind races with thoughts and emotions of such an evil action. He begins to hallucinate and sees a bloody dagger in the air, which will be his instrument of murder. He goes on to comment on the wickedness of the world, thoughts which are interrupted by the ringing of the bell, a signal from Lady Macbeth that Duncan's guards are drugged and sleeping and he states. Shakespeare's Macbeth is notable for hallucinations, terrifying dreams, witches, prophecies and all of the combining forces of nature which lead to chaos and murder in the gloomy countryside of Scotland.…

    • 805 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Lady Macbeth Analysis

    • 481 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Shakespeare creates a facade when he coats Lady Macbeth with feelings of love and compassion for her husband Macbeth. However, when Lady Macbeth finds out the witches prophesied Macbeth was to become king she immediately thought of ways she could achieve her ambition, committing the sinful act of killing King Duncan was the first to come to mind. Lady Macbeth challenges Macbeths manly hood by stating “It is too full o' th' milk of human kindness” The noun “milk”, a word of purity and motherly love is used to describe how she thinks Macbeth is too soft hearted and cowardly to kill King Duncan, she bullies Macbeth into going along with the plan. Lady Macbeth knew that Macbeth was a warrior and has killed before so she tries to unleash that inner…

    • 481 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Macbeth's soliloquy at the start of Act 1, Scene 7, introduces us to a side of Macbeth that has not yet been portrayed earlier in the play. Here, instead of being the courageous and valiant soldier, Macbeth reveals himself to be a man who is being slowly tempted by ambition and power, though not determined enough to take the risks in order to achieve his goal, thus resulting in the repetition of "ifs" throughout the beginning of Macbeth's soliloquy. Macbeth is also very much aware of the lack of reason for the murder of Duncan. The soliloquy effectively adds to our understanding of the internal conflict that plagues Macbeth as he struggles to determine whether or not he should kill Duncan, who is a virtuous man as well as his kinsman and king. He believes that it is against the nature of man to kill someone who is of such a status and relation to him and that it is immoral to do so, "he's here in double trust: first, as I am his kinsman and his subject, strong both against the deed" and that it would be a breech of Duncan's trust in him if he decides to go through with the murder. We see Macbeth's reluctance to murder Duncan himself as he is a guest in his own home. "…as his host, who should against his murderer shut the door, not bear the knife myself." Macbeth knows that his weakness is the desire he has to seize the crown. He knows that although he does not wish to murder Duncan but for the fulfillment of his own ambition, "I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition…" it is something that must happen in order for Macbeth to achieve what he wants. The audience sees the conflict within Macbeth and the horrible imaginings he has for his own downfall and his fate. He knows that he is drinking from a "poisoned chalice" which symbolizes Macbeth's yearning for moral desecration. Another aspect of Macbeth that the audience witness is the reluctance to mention the murder of Duncan. Instead, he uses euphemisms such as " it, assassination,…

    • 600 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays

Related Topics