Tracing A Word In Macbeth
Tracing a Word in Macbeth (hand) 1. Sergeant: Which ne?er shook hands, nor bade farewell to him,(1.2.22) - Which never shook hands, or said good bye.
- No comparison yet. ?Shook hands? is in reference to the peaceful gesture or greeting.
2. Duncan: Give me your hand, (1.6,29) - Give me your hand - Both of these are gestures of good will and friendliness.
Generally act one has displayed good will and kindness in the use of the word ?hand?.
3. Macbeth: The handle toward my hand? Come let me clutch thee. (2.1,34) - Is the handle facing my hand? Let me grab hold of it.
- This third use of hand is slightly different than the first two. In this passage, Macbeth speaks of a vision of a dagger he sees, he uses his hand to clarify where the dagger …show more content…
This is referring specifically to Macbeth?s physical hand.
6. Macbeth: What hands are here? Ha! They pluck out mine eyes! Will all great Neptune?s ocean wash this blood Clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather The multitude seas incarnadine.
- I cannot believe what my hands look like, what will it take to wash this blood clean from my hand? Nothing, there is so much blood that it would die the ocean red. - In this passage, Macbeth refers to his hand three times. Each time he is speaking of the blood on his hands. However he is not merely speaking of his actual hands, but of his guilt and dirty conscience. At this point Macbeth feels so guilty of his crime that he will not be able to clear/wash his mind of it. He says that not even the ocean can clean the blood from his …show more content…
Lady Macbeth: My hands are of your color (2.2,63) - My hands are bloody also.
- In this passage Lady Macbeth acknowledges that her hands are also bloody, however she does not share as much guilt as Macbeth. She uses the word ?hands? in the physical, literal sense.
8. Banquo: In the great hand of God I stand, (2.3,118) - With the power of God I stand - This use of the word ?hand? like some previous uses is a metaphor. Banquo compares God?s ?great hand? to his God given will power and resolve that he uses as a source of strength.
In general, act two has seen much more appearances of the word ?hand? than act one. Also ?hand? is now used more often in a metaphorical sense than in a literal sense.
9. Macbeth: Thence to be wrenched with and unlineal hand, (3.1,163) - Then to be taken by some one with no lineage.
- Macbeth speaks of his contempt for the sons of Banquo. He is angry that he has killed Duncan, and now Banquo?s children will reap the benefits. This is a metaphorical use of the word ?hand?.
10. Macbeth: How you were borne in hand, (3.1,83) - How you were
- No comparison yet. ?Shook hands? is in reference to the peaceful gesture or greeting.
2. Duncan: Give me your hand, (1.6,29) - Give me your hand - Both of these are gestures of good will and friendliness.
Generally act one has displayed good will and kindness in the use of the word ?hand?.
3. Macbeth: The handle toward my hand? Come let me clutch thee. (2.1,34) - Is the handle facing my hand? Let me grab hold of it.
- This third use of hand is slightly different than the first two. In this passage, Macbeth speaks of a vision of a dagger he sees, he uses his hand to clarify where the dagger …show more content…
This is referring specifically to Macbeth?s physical hand.
6. Macbeth: What hands are here? Ha! They pluck out mine eyes! Will all great Neptune?s ocean wash this blood Clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather The multitude seas incarnadine.
- I cannot believe what my hands look like, what will it take to wash this blood clean from my hand? Nothing, there is so much blood that it would die the ocean red. - In this passage, Macbeth refers to his hand three times. Each time he is speaking of the blood on his hands. However he is not merely speaking of his actual hands, but of his guilt and dirty conscience. At this point Macbeth feels so guilty of his crime that he will not be able to clear/wash his mind of it. He says that not even the ocean can clean the blood from his …show more content…
Lady Macbeth: My hands are of your color (2.2,63) - My hands are bloody also.
- In this passage Lady Macbeth acknowledges that her hands are also bloody, however she does not share as much guilt as Macbeth. She uses the word ?hands? in the physical, literal sense.
8. Banquo: In the great hand of God I stand, (2.3,118) - With the power of God I stand - This use of the word ?hand? like some previous uses is a metaphor. Banquo compares God?s ?great hand? to his God given will power and resolve that he uses as a source of strength.
In general, act two has seen much more appearances of the word ?hand? than act one. Also ?hand? is now used more often in a metaphorical sense than in a literal sense.
9. Macbeth: Thence to be wrenched with and unlineal hand, (3.1,163) - Then to be taken by some one with no lineage.
- Macbeth speaks of his contempt for the sons of Banquo. He is angry that he has killed Duncan, and now Banquo?s children will reap the benefits. This is a metaphorical use of the word ?hand?.
10. Macbeth: How you were borne in hand, (3.1,83) - How you were