"Infected be the air whereon they ride; / And damn'd all those that trust them!" (4.1.153).

When Macbeth returns to the witches to learn his Iate, he knows he`s dealing with the Devil`s
agents. AIter the witches have vanished, Macbeth curses them, saying, '. And damn`d all those
that trust them!(4.1.138-139). This is quite ironic because Macbeth trusts them but he is lying in
order to keep the trust and kinsmen ship oI his people.
ouble, double, toil and trouble (4.1.10)
The Witches are actually trying to pile up toil and trouble until they double. This quote implies
that by having your troubles multiply you are turning on timer Ior it to explode. It also directly
associates with the theme oI appearance vs. reality. Characters who manipulate others by hiding
their true evil natures behind a Iaade will come to a point where their masks will crumble-
exposing their true nature.
I think our country sinks beneath the yoke; / it weeps, it bleeds, an each new day a gash, /
is added to her wounds (4.3.45-47)
Macbeth is spiralling out oI control. He has become unstable, impulsive and obsessed with
power that he is jumping to conclusions and acting without giving the situation a thought. Power
and ambition has Iully corrupted him and is leading him to his own demise. It is evident Irom
this quote that Macbeth`s obsession is not only destroying him but also the people around him.
AIter coming under the reigning hands oI Macbeth, Scotland is not the same Ilourishing,
victorious country anymore.
here are they? Gone? Let this pernicious hour / Stand aye accursed in the calendar!
(4.1.144-145)
At this point, Macbeth seeks guidance Irom the Witches to Ioretell what angers the Iuture holds
Ior him. He is too unsure oI himselI and his actions that his dependency on the Witches
increases. Because he desires the security provided by the words oI the witches, he neglects to
question their prophecies but takes them granted. Due to this, Macbeth`s conIidence in the
Witches matures, the conIidence he has in himselI disintegrates and thereby making the need Ior
the Witches grow. In this quote he cries in aguish aIter the Witches abruptly vanish beIore he is
Iinished with them.
ay, had I pow`r, I should / Pour the sweet milk of concord into hell, / Uproar the
universal peace, confound / all unity on earth.(4.3.109-112)
Malcolm pretends that he is not worthy to be King in order to test MacduII`s loyalty. To conIirm
iI he could trust MacduII he claims that he does not have the characteristics to make a good king.
AIter his pretence, Malcolm realizes MacduII as a supporter who is willing to help win Scotland
back Irom the hands oI the treacherous Macbeth.
ere`s the smell of blood still: all the / perfumes in Arabia will not sweeten this little hand.
/ Oh, oh, oh!(5.1.46-48) ALLUSIO & PERBOLE
ady Macbeth is aIraid that the smell oI the blood on her hands is so potent that it cannot be
washed away and even believes that all oI the sweet perIumes oI Arabia would not be strong
enough to over throw it. This exaggeration unmistakably shows that ady Macbeth is deeply
guilty and horriIied by her role in Duncan`s murder and the murders oI other innocents. The
guilty conscience makes her go mad and leads her to end her own liIe. It is obvious that all ady
Macbeth`s talk about courage in the beginning oI the play was just a bunch oI nonsense.
%hose he commands move only in command, / othing in love: now does he feel his title /
ang lose about him, like a giant`s robe / Upon a dwarfish thief.(5.2.22-25) ME%APOR
By saying this, Angus reveals the truth about how no one trusts Macbeth anymore. Although
Macbeth is technically in control oI the armies, no one trusts him and only obeys him because
they have no other choice. Now that his true nature has come to light, Macbeth is viewed as an
evil man and a mockery oI a king. The part about the 'borrowed robes in this quote compares
Macbeth`s title to a giant robe that Iails to Iit him. The robe does not Iit because it was stolen and
wrongly acquired Irom King Duncan, whom Macbeth murdered Ior the title.
Go, prick thy face, and over-red thy fear, / %hou lily-liver`d. hat soldiers, patch? /
eath of thy soul! %hose linen cheeks of thine / Are counsellors to fear. hat soldiers, whey
face?(5.3.16-19) IMAGER
Macbeth`s public arrogance is emphasized in this quote. In this scene a Irightened servant rushes
to inIorm Macbeth that an army oI 10,000 soldiers are taking up their positions outside oI his
castle. This quote evidently tells us that the blood Irom the servant`s Iace has drained his sudden
Iear and that he is aIraid. Macbeth now realizes the trouble he is in and tries to conceal his own
Iear by lashing out at the servant in rudeness. This lets us know how vulnerable and aIraid
Macbeth is oI the coming events.
Out, out, brief candle! / Life`s but a walking shadow, a poor player / %hat struts and frets
his hour upon the stage / An then is heard no more: it is a tale / %old by an idiot, full of
sound and fury, / Signifying nothing.(5.5.25-30)
In this scene, Macbeth is busy planning the Iight when he hears the news oI his wiIe`s death, so
he doesn`t pay much attention. This shows us how cold and heartless he has become, however,
he does realize the pointlessness oI his ambition. He then compares liIe to a candle liIe is brieI
and a candle can be snuIIed out beIore it has Iinished burning. He also mentions how liIe is
nothing but a walking shadow because it`s unsubstantial. According to Macbeth, liIe is an actor
who perIorms temporarily, beIore his career is over. All in all, liIe has no signiIicance because
there is an end. With his Iinal soliloquy Macbeth lets us know that there is no more Iight leIt in
him and how he is aIraid that he is about to be 'snuIIed out.
Since his majesty went into the field, I have / seen her rise from the bed, throw her
nightgown upon / her, unlock her closet, take forth paper. yet all this while in a most fast
sleep. (5.1.3-7) SMBOLISM
ady Macbeth`s lady-in-waiting is worried about her mistress` behaviour. She has seen ady
Macbeth sleeping walking with a candle, and repeatedly washing her hands. In this case, her
obsession with washing her hands oI the blood symbolizes guilt. ady Macbeth is driven to
madness by visions oI the blood on her hands aIter the murder oI Duncan. The blood is seen as
her guilt and she cannot get rid oI it until the crime is punished by her death.