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Quizzes > Literature & Language > Books & Literature

Identify and Analyze Iconic Macbeth Quotes

Ready for a macbeth quotation analysis challenge? Start your quote identification now

Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
Paper art illustration for Macbeth quote quiz on a golden yellow background

This Macbeth quotes quiz helps you identify the speaker, explain the meaning, and spot simple devices from the play. Work through quick questions to build speed and find study gaps, then use the Macbeth practice quiz or start the quotes round now.

Who utters the line "Out, damned spot! Out, I say!" in Shakespeare's Macbeth?
Macbeth
Banquo
Macduff
Lady Macbeth
This line appears in Act 5, Scene 1 during Lady Macbeth's sleepwalking scene as she tries to wash imagined bloodstains. It reveals her overwhelming guilt and descent into madness after the murders she's abetted. This moment is crucial for understanding her character arc and thematic exploration of guilt in the play.
Identify the speaker of "Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand?".
Macbeth
Lady Macbeth
Banquo
Duncan
In Act 2, Scene 1, Macbeth delivers this famous soliloquy imagining a floating dagger guiding him to Duncan's chamber. It captures his moral hesitation and hallucination, symbolizing his inner turmoil before committing regicide. This scene highlights Shakespeare's use of vivid imagery to dramatize psychological conflict.
Who chants "Fair is foul, and foul is fair" at the beginning of Macbeth?
Banquo
Ross
The Three Witches
Macbeth
This line opens the play in Act 1, Scene 1, spoken by the three witches as they set the tone of moral confusion. It establishes the theme of equivocation, where appearances deceive reality, which recurs throughout the play. The witches' chant foreshadows the deceptive nature of Macbeth's rise to power.
Which character delivers the line "Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, Creeps in this petty pace from day to day"?
Lady Macbeth
Macbeth
Malcolm
Macduff
In Act 5, Scene 5, Macbeth utters this soliloquy upon learning of Lady Macbeth's death, expressing existential despair. The famous lines reflect on the meaningless rhythm of life and the inevitability of death. Shakespeare uses repetition to emphasize Macbeth's hopelessness and the futility of ambition.
Who exclaims "Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and cauldron bubble"?
The Three Witches
Hecate
Banquo
Lady Macbeth
This chant is from Act 4, Scene 1, performed by the three witches around their cauldron while brewing their potion. The rhythmic, rhyming lines heighten the supernatural atmosphere and underscore their control over fate. It also marks a turning point where their prophecies drive Macbeth's actions further into bloodshed.
In which Act and Scene does Macbeth say "Out, out, brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow..."?
Act 5, Scene 5
Act 4, Scene 3
Act 5, Scene 1
Act 3, Scene 2
Macbeth's soliloquy appears in Act 5, Scene 5 right after he learns of Lady Macbeth's death, reflecting on life's brevity. The imagery of a "brief candle" and "walking shadow" conveys his nihilism and despair. This moment underscores the collapse of his ambition and the play's bleak worldview.
What is the primary meaning of "Look like th' innocent flower, But be the serpent under't"?
Appear harmless while hiding malicious intent
Encourage openness and honesty
Advocate for violent uprising
Warn against trusting women
Lady Macbeth advises Macbeth in Act 1, Scene 5 to conceal his lethal ambition beneath a façade of innocence. The metaphor contrasts the beauty of a flower with the danger of a serpent, illustrating deceit as a tool for securing power. This line highlights the theme of appearance versus reality central to the play.
Who observes "Yet do I fear thy nature; It is too full o' the milk of human kindness"?
Lady Macbeth
Macbeth
Duncan
Banquo
In Act 1, Scene 5, Lady Macbeth reads Macbeth's letter and worries he is too kind to seize the crown by murder. The metaphor of human kindness as milk suggests nurturing qualities that might prevent Macbeth from pursuing ruthless ambition. This showcases her manipulative nature and sets up her role in pushing him to commit regicide.
In which Act and Scene does Macbeth first plot Banquo's murder by saying he must eliminate threats to his throne?
Act 4, Scene 2
Act 3, Scene 4
Act 2, Scene 2
Act 3, Scene 1
In Act 3, Scene 1, Macbeth soliloquizes about Banquo's threat and instructs two murderers to kill him and Fleance. This marks Macbeth's shift from reaction to proactive violence to secure his throne. It also introduces the theme of fate versus free will regarding the witches' prophecy.
What does Macbeth mean in "We have scotch'd the snake, not kill'd it"?
They successfully killed all adversaries
They need to heal a wounded animal
They have lost all hope
They have wounded their enemy but not eliminated the threat
Macbeth speaks this line in Act 3, Scene 2, referring to King Duncan's murder as only partially securing his safety. The metaphor of a scotched (bruised) snake underscores Macbeth's realization that threats to his power remain active, particularly Banquo and his heirs. The quote reflects the precariousness of his authority and growing paranoia.
In "This supernatural soliciting cannot be ill, cannot be good," what literary device is Macbeth employing?
Alliteration
Personification
Paradox
Simile
In Act 1, Scene 3 Macbeth uses paradox to express his conflicted feelings about the witches' prophecy, acknowledging its moral ambiguity. This device highlights the tension between fate and ambition, as Macbeth grapples with the implications of becoming king. Shakespeare often uses paradox to deepen thematic complexity and character conflict.
Who is Macbeth addressing when he says, "If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me"?
Himself in soliloquy
Lady Macbeth
The witches
Banquo
Delivered in Act 1, Scene 3, this line is part of Macbeth's soliloquy as he considers the witches' prophecy. Addressing himself, he weighs the possibility that destiny might elevate him without his intervention. This moment marks the beginning of his internal struggle and foreshadows his eventual decision to act on ambition.
What is Lady Macbeth expressing in "What's done cannot be undone"?
Regret and acceptance of irreversible actions
Hope for redemption
Desire to commit more murders
Happiness over power
In Act 5, Scene 1, during her sleepwalking scene, Lady Macbeth utters this line, expressing remorse and the haunting permanence of her crimes. The quote underscores the theme of guilt and consequences, highlighting that past deeds can't be erased. It reveals her psychological unraveling as she confronts the weight of her actions.
In "Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown," what does "fruitless" imply?
It is barren on top
It is too heavy
It cannot produce heirs
It looks ugly
This line is from Act 3, Scene 1, where Macbeth laments that although he is king, he will have no descendants. The word "fruitless" signals frustration that Banquo's lineage, not his own, will inherit the throne. Shakespeare uses this to underscore Macbeth's insecurity and the theme of lineage and succession.
What dramatic irony is present in Macbeth's claim "I bear a charmed life, which must not yield to one of woman born"?
Audience knows Macduff was born by cesarean section, not naturally
Audience knows he is already dead
Audience knows he is immortal
Audience knows witches will protect him indefinitely
In Act 5, Scene 8 Macbeth boasts that no man of woman born can harm him, believing the witches' prophecy ensures his safety. However, the audience is aware that Macduff was delivered by a Caesarean section and thus defies this condition. This irony heightens tension as the prophecies twist against Macbeth.
What meter do the witches predominantly speak in with lines like "Double, double toil and trouble"?
Dactylic hexameter
Iambic pentameter
Anapestic trimeter
Trochaic tetrameter
The witches' chants in Macbeth often use trochaic tetrameter, characterized by stressed syllables followed by unstressed ones across four feet. This meter contrasts with the play's predominant iambic pentameter, creating an unsettling effect. Shakespeare employs this variation to signal supernatural elements and disrupt natural order.
In the context of Jacobean politics, what does the movement of Birnam Wood to Dunsinane Hill symbolize?
The advance of English forces and the downfall of tyrants
A literal forest moving
The rise of supernatural powers
Macbeth's personal growth
The prophecy that Birnam Wood will come to Dunsinane reflects the advancing English army under Malcolm, camouflaged with branches from Birnam Wood in Act 5, Scene 4. This allegory would resonate with Jacobean audiences familiar with the Gunpowder Plot and fears of rebellion. It underscores themes of appearance versus reality and the inevitability of justice.
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Study Outcomes

  1. Identify Macbeth Quotes -

    Recognize and match key Shakespeare Macbeth quotes to their speakers, sharpening your quote identification skills.

  2. Analyze Character Motivations -

    Examine how specific quotations reveal the motives and transformations of characters such as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.

  3. Interpret Literary Devices -

    Detect and explain the use of metaphor, imagery, and other Macbeth literary devices in selected excerpts.

  4. Evaluate Thematic Elements -

    Assess how quotations highlight central themes such as ambition, fate, and guilt through Macbeth quotes analysis.

  5. Apply Contextual Insights -

    Position quotes within their dramatic scenes to infer tone, purpose, and significance in the play's narrative.

Cheat Sheet

  1. Contextual Framework -

    Use the "SPEAK" mnemonic from the Folger Shakespeare Library (Speaker, Purpose, Emotion, Action, Keywords) to anchor each line in its scene and motivation. Mapping these elements makes quote identification swift and accurate by clarifying who speaks, why they speak, and what happens next.

  2. Character Voice & Diction -

    Referencing research in Shakespeare Quarterly, note how Lady Macbeth's use of imperatives ("Come, you spirits") and dark imagery contrasts with Macbeth's introspective soliloquies. Recognizing these stylistic signatures enhances your macbeth quotation analysis and deepens comprehension of character intent.

  3. Macbeth Literary Devices -

    Spot key devices - metaphor in "vaulting ambition," alliteration in "fair is foul," and dramatic irony in Banquo's ghost scenes - to layer meaning. Drawing on Cambridge University Press's Shakespeare Survey, practice identifying each device to boost retention of Shakespeare Macbeth quotes.

  4. Themes & Motifs -

    Track recurring motifs like blood, sleep and fate to link quotations across acts; for example, "sleep no more!" encapsulates guilt and insomnia. This thematic thread not only strengthens quote identification but also enriches your macbeth quotes analysis by showing how Shakespeare weaves ideas.

  5. Structured Analysis Framework -

    Apply the TEEL method (Topic sentence, Evidence, Explanation, Link) from the University of Toronto Writing Centre to every quotation you study. This organized approach ensures each Macbeth quote analysis is evidence-based, clearly explained, and tied back to the central topic or thesis.

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