Macbeth Quote

“We have scorched the snake, not killed it.

She’ll close and be herself whilst our poor malice

Remains in danger of her former tooth.

But let the frame of things disjoint, both the worlds suffer,

Ere we will eat our meal in fear, and sleep

In the affliction of these terrible dreams

That shake us nightly. Better be with the dead

Whom we, to gain our peace, have sent to peace,

Than on the torture of his mind to lie

In restless ecstasy. Duncan is in his grave.

After life’s fitful fever he sleeps well.

Treason has done his worst; nor steel nor poison,

Malice domestic, foreign levy, nothing

Can touch him further. (Act 3 Scene 2 pg.93)”

                In this quote we can see Macbeth’s jealousy of the dead and his dread for how his life will be. When he says, “We have scorched the snake, not killed it” he means that even though they have gotten rid of Duncan, they will only have to kill more people to stay where he is without everything falling apart. Even though they have killed Duncan, the ‘snake’s tooth’ is still threatening and everything can still be ruined by Banquo. Macbeth wishes he was with Duncan and dead because he has to live in fear and guilt. He fears what will happen to him if people start to find out what he’s done. His guilt comes from killing Duncan.

                The fear and guilt he has from killing Duncan, is deteriorating his mental state. He says that he would rather be dead with Duncan, who they ‘have sent to peace’. In doing this act of treason ‘to gain our peace’, they unintentionally made their own lives torturous. They live with ‘life’s fitful fever’, plagued by nightmares, and in perpetual fear of being avenged for their actions. This quote tells us the state which Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are living in, what got them there, and what they have to do to keep their heads above water.

Reading Log

Portfolio 30 mins

Maximum Ride 1 hour

Macbeth studying and scene preparation 30 mins