Quote:
Macbeth
What man dare, I dare.
Approach thou like the rugged Russian bear,
The armed rhinoceros, or th' Hyrcan tiger;
Take any shape but that, and my firm nerves
Shall never tremble. . . .
Why so being gone,
I am a man again.--Pray you sit still.
(Act 3, scene 4, lines 121-131)
Context and paraphrase: Macbeth is at the dinner, and the ghost of Banquo appears. Macbeth explains that he is now always many besides when the ghost is present.
Interpretation and Explanation: In this quote, Macbeth is telling the point that he has now done plenty to become a man, and the only thing that is stopping him is Banquo's ghost.
Quote:
Lady Macbeth
Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be
What thou art promised. Yet do I fear thy nature;
It is too full o' th' milk of human kindness
To catch the nearest way. . . .
(Act 1, scene 5, lines 15-18)
Context and paraphrase: Lady Macbeth is speaking about Macbeth killing Duncan. However, she doesn't think that he has what it takes to kill him.
Interpretation and explanation: In this quote, Lady Macbeth implies that to for Macbeth to be a man, he must kill Duncan. However, she doesn't think that he will be manly enough, so she has to talk him into doing it.
Quote:
Lady Macbeth
Come, you spirits
That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here,
And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full
Of direst cruelty . . .
(Act 1, Scene 5, lines 47-50)
Context and paraphrase: Lady Macbeth is trying to do everything she can to get Duncan killed, and she doesn't think that Macbeth can do it by himself. She is trying to say that she wants to become more masculine so she will easily be able to do the task or at least help Macbeth, which would be the manly thing to do.
Interpretation and explanation: She thinks that by becoming more like a man, she will be able to kill Duncan or at least she could. She is disappointed with Macbeth and has the ambition to do the task, she just wishes that Macbeth would be the manly one and do the deed.
Quote:
Lady Macbeth
When you durst do it, then you were a man;
And to be more than what you were, you would
Be so much more the man.
(Act 1, scene 7, lines 56-58)
Context and paraphrase: When Macbeth is having doubts about killing Duncan, Lady Macbeth tries to convince him to follow through with it. She is basically saying that he was a man when he said he would kill Duncan, and he would be an even bigger man if he actually did.
Interpretation and explanation: This quote shows that by saying that you are going to do something doesn't necessarily make you a man. You must follow through with what you said you will do if you really want to be a man.
Quote:
Lady Macbeth
. . . Are you a man?
Macbeth
Ay, and a bold one, that dare look on that
Which might appall the devil.
Lady Macbeth
O, proper stuff!
This is the very painting of your fear.
(Act 3, scene 4, lines 70-74)
Context and paraphrase: Lady Macbeth and Macbeth are at the dinner, and Macbeth is yelling at the ghost of Banquo that he is seeing. Lady Macbeth is questioning his manliness, and Macbeth replies by saying that he is doing what the devil may not. Lady Macbeth replies by telling him that it is nonsense, and that he is hallucinating due to his fear.
Interpretation and explanation: After killing Banquo, Macbeth is very afraid of what he has done, so he begins to have hallucinations about Banquo. Lady Macbeth insists that these hallucinations are cowardly, and make her question his manliness, because he can't handle the murders that he is causing.
