Top 50 Famous Quotes from Macbeth

Get Inspired: 50 Powerful Lines from Shakespeare’s Macbeth to Reflect On!

Macbeth, a tragedy by William Shakespeare, is one of the most quoted plays in literature. It examines themes like ambition, fate, guilt, and the supernatural. This post shares 50 well-known quotes from Macbeth along with explanations to help readers understand their meanings.

Understanding Key Themes in Macbeth

Shakespeare’s Macbeth revolves around important ideas that give depth to the story and its characters. Here’s a look at a few central themes:

Ambition: Macbeth’s desire for power drives him to make extreme choices, leading to his downfall.
Fate vs. Free Will: The prophecies from the witches raise questions about whether Macbeth’s actions are his own or controlled by destiny.
Guilt and Conscience: Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth struggle with guilt, showing how heavy the cost of their ambition becomes.
Supernatural Elements: Ghosts, witches, and mysterious visions contribute to the eerie mood, pushing the story into darker territory.

“Fair is foul, and foul is fair.” — Three Witches (Act 1, Scene 1)
“If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me.” — Macbeth (Act 1, Scene 3)
“Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under it.” — Lady Macbeth (Act 1, Scene 5)
“Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here.” — Lady Macbeth (Act 1, Scene 5)
“I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition.” — Macbeth (Act 1, Scene 7)
“Is this a dagger which I see before me, the handle toward my hand?” — Macbeth (Act 2, Scene 1)
“I go, and it is done; the bell invites me.” — Macbeth (Act 2, Scene 1)
“Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?” — Macbeth (Act 2, Scene 2)
“Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep.” — Macbeth (Act 2, Scene 2)
“My hands are of your color, but I shame to wear a heart so white.” — Lady Macbeth (Act 2, Scene 2)
“To know my deed, ’twere best not know myself.” — Macbeth (Act 2, Scene 2)
“There’s daggers in men’s smiles.” — Donalbain (Act 2, Scene 3)
“Thou hast it now: king, Cawdor, Glamis, all, as the weird women promised.” — Banquo (Act 3, Scene 1)
“I am in blood stepped in so far that, should I wade no more, returning were as tedious as go o’er.” — Macbeth (Act 3, Scene 4)
“Blood will have blood.” — Macbeth (Act 3, Scene 4)
“It will have blood; they say, blood will have blood.” — Macbeth (Act 3, Scene 4)
“What’s done cannot be undone.” — Lady Macbeth (Act 5, Scene 1)
“Out, damned spot! Out, I say!” — Lady Macbeth (Act 5, Scene 1)
“All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand.” — Lady Macbeth (Act 5, Scene 1)
“I have lived long enough.” — Macbeth (Act 5, Scene 3)
“Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, creeps in this petty pace from day to day.” — Macbeth (Act 5, Scene 5)
“Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage.” — Macbeth (Act 5, Scene 5)
“Out, out, brief candle!” — Macbeth (Act 5, Scene 5)
“I bear a charmed life, which must not yield to one of woman born.” — Macbeth (Act 5, Scene 8)
“False face must hide what the false heart doth know.” — Macbeth (Act 1, Scene 7)
“Nothing in his life became him like the leaving it.” — Malcolm (Act 1, Scene 4)
“So foul and fair a day I have not seen.” — Macbeth (Act 1, Scene 3)
“The raven himself is hoarse that croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan.” — Lady Macbeth (Act 1, Scene 5)
“This supernatural soliciting cannot be ill, cannot be good.” — Macbeth (Act 1, Scene 3)
“If it were done when ’tis done, then ’twere well it were done quickly.” — Macbeth (Act 1, Scene 7)
“But screw your courage to the sticking-place, and we’ll not fail.” — Lady Macbeth (Act 1, Scene 7)
“I am afraid to think what I have done.” — Macbeth (Act 2, Scene 2)
“The night has been unruly.” — Lennox (Act 2, Scene 3)
“O horror, horror, horror!” — Macduff (Act 2, Scene 3)
“Thou canst not say I did it; never shake thy gory locks at me.” — Macbeth (Act 3, Scene 4)
“Security is mortals’ chiefest enemy.” — Hecate (Act 3, Scene 5)
“Let the earth hide thee!” — Macbeth (Act 4, Scene 1)
“Be bloody, bold, and resolute.” — Second Apparition (Act 4, Scene 1)
“By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes.” — Second Witch (Act 4, Scene 1)
“Double, double toil and trouble; fire burn, and cauldron bubble.” — Three Witches (Act 4, Scene 1)
“I will try the last. Before my body I throw my warlike shield.” — Macbeth (Act 5, Scene 8)
“Despair thy charm.” — Macduff (Act 5, Scene 8)
“If you can look into the seeds of time, and say which grain will grow and which will not, speak then to me.” — Banquo (Act 1, Scene 3)
“Stars, hide your fires; let not light see my black and deep desires.” — Macbeth (Act 1, Scene 4)
“Present fears are less than horrible imaginings.” — Macbeth (Act 1, Scene 3)
“What he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won.” — Duncan (Act 1, Scene 2)
“Angels are bright still, though the brightest fell.” — Malcolm (Act 4, Scene 3)
“All causes shall give way: I am in blood.” — Macbeth (Act 3, Scene 4)
“When shall we three meet again in thunder, lightning, or in rain?” — First Witch (Act 1, Scene 1)
“We have scorched the snake, not killed it.” — Macbeth (Act 3, Scene 2)

Tips for Understanding Shakespearean Language

Reading Shakespeare can be challenging. Here are some tips to make Macbeth easier to understand:

Read Slowly: Taking your time with each line helps make sense of complex sentences.
Break Down Metaphors: Shakespeare uses many comparisons to explain feelings and ideas. Identify these to understand the emotions behind the words.
Find Recurring Ideas: Themes like ambition and guilt appear throughout the play. Recognizing these can help make sense of the story.

Why Macbeth’s Quotes Remain Popular Today

Macbeth’s themes and quotes have stayed relevant because they reflect real human emotions and struggles. Ambition, guilt, and fate are topics that people still relate to. These lines show the consequences of chasing power without considering others. The language may be old, but the ideas behind the quotes are still meaningful.