Stop wasting time scouring through the play looking for the best Macbeth quotes. These were found centuries ago!
These 21 killer Macbeth quotes will prepare you for any character or theme question in a Macbeth GCSE exam. Fully analysed for language, structure and form, they’re even linked to effect with a sprinkling of context – just like the GCSE examiners love!
Macbeth GCSE Quotes with Analysis
On this page you will find character-by-character Macbeth quotes with analysis, grouped by theme and written for GCSE and IGCSE students. Free to use – smash your revision and feel confident going into that exam.
Thanks, Oxbridge GCSE Tutor, so how does this work then?
This page is for pupils in a hurry that want to know which quotes they need for each character.
Below, you’ll find the only 21 Macbeth quotes you need, organised in little tables of 3 with a point for each quote AND a handy translation to help you.
If you want more details about each Macbeth quote, then I’ve included a little button under each table to zap you over to the specific page for that character.
WARNING!
Don’t risk your exam grades by only revising main characters and gambling on what questions may or may not come up. Also don’t revise the whole play!
So, how can you make sure you’re ready for almost any question that comes up?
Here’s a super clever system that minimises the amount of Macbeth quotes that you need to learn for your exam. So, below, you’ll find three Macbeth quotes for every single character in the play.
This means that you don’t need to learn different Macbeth quotes for the themes. How?
Let’s find out more…
Read this first!
3 quotes for each character is the most efficient way.
We only need 3 Macbeth quotes for each character because you can reuse the them for any theme question that comes up.
This is because when answering a question about a character, to get the highest marks, you need to explain how that character develops as the play progresses.
There are three Macbeth quotes for each character because they give evidence about how the character is at the beginning, in the middle and at the end of the play. Whether or not the character changes, tells us something about the purpose of that character and how it links to the overall message.
Don’t worry, everything will make sense below.
How to answer theme questions in the exam
A theme is anything that comes up repeatedly in a text. Don’t be fooled by other study guides leading you into a false sense of security by listing only three or four themes!
The examiners can (and often do) ask you about anything that comes up a few times in a text. This often makes pupils panic in the exam if they’ve only revised a few themes.
If you decide to answer a question on themes, you can simply pick and choose from the character quotes to help give evidence about how that theme is presented in the text.
However, you will need to think a little bit about the point you’re going to make and adapt the analysis to link to the theme.
This means you don’t need to memorise separate quotes for the themes! Bonus!
So, here are the only Macbeth quotes you need to get a grade 9 in your GCSE Literature exam.
Why is there a button under each table?
There is a button underneath each Macbeth quote table that will take you to all the analysis you’ll ever need on a special page for that specific character.
3 best Macbeth quotes
| POINT | QUOTE |
|---|---|
| [Beginning] Shakespeare creates a first impression of Macbeth as a brave warrior. | “brave Macbeth…Disdaining fortune … unseamed him” – Act 1 Scene 2 Translation Brave Macbeth… challenged Fate… slit him (violently) open from the belly to the chin. |
| [Middle] Noble Macbeth is depicted as suffering a tragic fall. | “I have no spur To prick the sides of my intent, but only Vaulting ambition.” – Act 1 Scene 7 Translation There’s nothing motivating me other than my greed to get to the top. |
| [End] Life is a meaningless and brief acting part in God’s grand plan. | “Life’s … a poor player… his hour upon the stage … Signifying nothing.” – Act 5 Scene 5 Translation Life is a meaningless and brief acting part in God’s grand plan. |
Add these quotes to your notes and then click each button below to see the individual analysis for each character!
HELP ME!
If you’re struggling to work out what these quotes mean then click the button below and visit the main page for that character where everything is explained fully.
There isn’t enough space on this page to fit i it all in!
3 best Lady Macbeth quotes
| POINT | QUOTE |
|---|---|
| [Beginning] Lady Macbeth is dedicated to her husband’s success. | “Come, you spirits… unsex me here, And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full Of direst cruelty!” Act 1 Scene 5 Translation Evil forces, remove my female limitations and make me cruel! |
| [Middle] Lady Macbeth depicted as suffering for her crimes. | “Out, damned spot! out … ” Act 5 Scene 1 Translation Go away guilt! |
| [End] Life is a meaningless and brief acting part in God’s grand plan. | “Life’s … a poor player… his hour upon the stage … Signifying nothing.” – Act 5 Scene 5 Translation Life is a meaningless and brief acting part in God’s grand plan. |
Macbeth quotes: “The instruments of darkness… win us with honest trifles – to betray” – Banquo, Act 1 Scene 3
3 best Banquo Quotes
| POINT | QUOTE |
|---|---|
| [Beginning] The first impression is of a loyal man and good Christian that rejects the supernatural. | “The instruments of darkness… win us with honest trifles – to betray” Act 1 Scene 3 Translation Macbeth and Banquo meet the witches for the first time and learn of the prophecies. |
| [Middle] Banquo also struggles with his conscience but unlike Macbeth remains loyal to God and king. | “Merciful powers, Restrain in me the cursèd thoughts that nature Gives.” Act 2 Scene 1 Translation God please help me to control the evil thoughts. |
| [End] Banquo is an example of how Macbeth should have behaved. | “He hath a wisdom that doth guide his valor.” Act 3 Scene 1 Translation Banquo is protected by wisdom that guides him to be honourable. |
3 Best Malcolm Quotes
| POINT | QUOTE |
|---|---|
| [Beginning] Where Macbeth is driven by passion and action, Malcolm is calm, cautious and wise to stay quiet, feel and regroup. | “[aside to DONALBAIN] Nor our strong sorrowUpon the foot of motion.” – Act 2 Scene 3 Translation [Whispers to DONALBAIN] Nor is it time for us to turn our grief into action. |
| [Middle] Malcolm follows God’s guidance where Macbeth commits sinful murder and regicide to challenge God’s plan. | “What’s more to do,Which would be planted newly…” Act 5 Scene 8 Translation My modest wisdom stops me making bad decisions. God above… I will be guided by you… |
| [End] Malcolm echoes his father’s reign and submits himself to Fate and the will of God unlike Macbeth. | “He hath a wisdom that doth guide his valor.” Act 3 Scene 1 Translation There are many new things to begin nurturing and growing. |
Macbeth Quotes: “I’ll drain him dry as hay. Sleep shall neither night nor day.” – The witches, Act 1 Scene 3
3 Best Witches Quotes
| POINT | QUOTE |
|---|---|
| [Beginning] The witches remind society that good and bad co-exist as a Christian test for society. | “Fair is foul and foul is fair.” – Act 1 Scene 1 Translation There is good and bad in everything and everyone. |
| [Middle] Shakespeare hints at an unrevealed backstory through the witches’ vindictiveness. | “I’ll drain him dry as hay. Sleep shall neither night nor day.” – Act 1 Scene 3 Translation I shall weaken him. He won’t be able to sleep. He won’t know what to do with himself. He will be fated to die. |
| [End] The witches’ intention is to hurt or punish Macbeth and not help him. | “Show his eyes and grieve his heart.” Act 4 Scene 1 Translation Show Macbeth that he will have no heirs so that his heart grieves. |
3 Best Witches Quotes
| POINT | QUOTE |
|---|---|
| [Beginning] Loyal MacDuff loved his king and understands the horror of violating the Chain of Being. | “Most sacrilegious murder hath broke ope The Lord’s anointed temple” – Act 2 Scene 3 Translation This murder is a crime against God and has broken open the holy temple of Duncan’s body. |
| [Middle] Macduff is incorruptible because his faith in God is even greater than his love for his wife and children. | “if he ’scape, Heaven forgive him too” – Act 4 Scene 3 Translation If he escapes, may heaven forgive him as well! |
| [End] Macduff was chosen by God to restore peace in Scotland. | “let the angel whom thou still hast served Tell thee, Macduff was from his mother’s womb Untimely ripped” – Act 5 Scene 8 Translation Let the evil you serve tell you that I was not born. I was cut out of my mother’s womb before I could be born. |
Macbeth Quotes: “his virtues Will plead like angels … against The deep damnation of his taking-off” – Macbeth, Act 1 Scene 7
3 Best King Duncan Quotes
| POINT | QUOTE |
|---|---|
| [Beginning] King Duncan is a kind and grateful king that will help Macbeth. | “I have begun to plant thee, and will labor To make thee full of growing” Act 1 Scene 4 Translation After the battle but before going to Dunsinane, Macbeth visits King Duncan who tells him how grateful he is and how he will make him the second most powerful man in the land. |
| [Middle] King Duncan was only guilty of placing too much trust in Macbeth. | “He’s here in double trust… I am his kinsman… subject… host.” – Act 1 Scene 7 Translation Duncan is here because he trusts me doubly… I am his relative… subject… host that should protect him. |
| [End] Duncan’s reputation as a beloved king forces Macbeth to accept his own plan is evil. | “his virtues Will plead like angels … against The deep damnation of his taking-off” – Act 1 Scene 7 Translation His good qualities mean that there is no reason to kill him. |
Check Out My An Inspector Calls Quotes
7 Effective Ways To Learn These Macbeth Quotes!
SUMMARY
Okay, so those are the 21 Macbeth quotes you need get a Grade 9 in GCSE English.
To learn more about each character, see our individual guides by clicking on the buttons under each table. They contain everything you need to know to get a Grade 9.
So, no more scratching around on the Internet to find quotes (that don’t even fit the GCSE requirements anyway)!
There’s a lot of information here – probably too much to remember in one go. So, bookmark this page and come back to it whenever you need a reminder when you next have to analyse something.
For more tips on analysing LANGUAGE, check out our incredible GCSE English Language Analysis | EASY Beginner’s Grade 9 Guide.
If you want to learn more about analysing STRUCTURE, visit our incredible GCSE English Structure Analysis | EASY Grade 9 Guide
Need to learn about analysing Form? Visit our incredible GCSE English Form Analysis | EASY Beginner’s Grade 9 Guide.
Keep practising, stay curious, and you’ll be well on your way to mastering Macbeth in no time. Happy studying!
Peace.
The Oxbridge GCSE Tutor.
