Line by Line analysis.
The raven himself is hoarse
That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan
Under my battlements. 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. Make thick my blood,
Stop up th’access and passage to remorse,
That no compunctious visitings of nature
Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between
Th’ effect and it. Come to my woman’s breasts,
And take my milk for gall, you murd’ring ministers,
Wherever in your sightless substances
You wait on nature’s mischief. Come, thick night,
And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell,
That my keen knife see not the wound it makes,
Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark,
To cry ‘Hold, hold!’
That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan
Under my battlements. 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. Make thick my blood,
Stop up th’access and passage to remorse,
That no compunctious visitings of nature
Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between
Th’ effect and it. Come to my woman’s breasts,
And take my milk for gall, you murd’ring ministers,
Wherever in your sightless substances
You wait on nature’s mischief. Come, thick night,
And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell,
That my keen knife see not the wound it makes,
Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark,
To cry ‘Hold, hold!’
'The raven himself is hoarse that croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan, under my battlements.'
The raven represents death and evil power, as it is dark and ominous. He croaks hoarsely as Duncan's imminent death comes closer. It uses foreshadow to create an eerie expectation that Duncan, the king, will soon be facing danger and trouble. Duncan's fatal entrance will come when he enters her estate. This lines reference to a raven is quite significant as it foreshadows the violence to come. The raven is mentioned to be hoarse, which shows that its strength is impaired, and is being silenced to hush the terrors that are coming.
The raven is also a messenger bird, therefore may perhaps regard to the messenger who delivered the letter Macbeth wrote to his wife, with also the news of the king arriving to their estate very soon.
'Come you spirits that tend on my mortal thoughts, unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe top- full of direst cruelty.'
She is calling on the spirits that tend on her evil thoughts, to come forward and fill her body with manly cruelty. Remove her of the lady-like features she owns, such as the motherly instincts and the supposedly very feminine setbacks she insists she has, and fill her with the courage and manly strength that will allow her to commit the cruel and unspeakable act that she plans to commit.
'Make thick my blood, stop up th'access and passage to remorse that no compunctious visitings of nature shake my fell purpose, nor keep the peace between th'effect and it.'
She still calls on the spirits that can thicken her blood and strength, and stop the reasoning, worry and fear of her natural self stop her from doing her horrible plan.
'Come to my woman’s breasts and take my milk for gall, you murdering ministers, Wherever in your sightless substances you wait on nature’s mischief.'
She is making a prayer of some sorts to help her commit murder with her husband. In doing this, she feels she needs to remove all womanly softness and care. To do this, she feels the need to remove any motherly characteristics such as her womanly breasts that hold milk, and asks for the evil spirits to fill it with gall (also known as bile). 'Wherever in your sightless substances you wait on nature's mischief' simply refers to where the evil spirits perhaps wait.
'Come, thick night and pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell that my keen knife see not the wound it makes nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark, To cry ‘Hold, hold!'
In this phrase, Lady Macbeth asks upon the night to hide her deed from both heaven and gods eyes, and from herself and other people. She asks that the night shade covers the estate, and nobody can see her do the evil deed, as she would be punished severely. She feels as though if nobody sees her crime, it will simply go away and she will feel no guilt, as though it never happened.
The raven represents death and evil power, as it is dark and ominous. He croaks hoarsely as Duncan's imminent death comes closer. It uses foreshadow to create an eerie expectation that Duncan, the king, will soon be facing danger and trouble. Duncan's fatal entrance will come when he enters her estate. This lines reference to a raven is quite significant as it foreshadows the violence to come. The raven is mentioned to be hoarse, which shows that its strength is impaired, and is being silenced to hush the terrors that are coming.
The raven is also a messenger bird, therefore may perhaps regard to the messenger who delivered the letter Macbeth wrote to his wife, with also the news of the king arriving to their estate very soon.
'Come you spirits that tend on my mortal thoughts, unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe top- full of direst cruelty.'
She is calling on the spirits that tend on her evil thoughts, to come forward and fill her body with manly cruelty. Remove her of the lady-like features she owns, such as the motherly instincts and the supposedly very feminine setbacks she insists she has, and fill her with the courage and manly strength that will allow her to commit the cruel and unspeakable act that she plans to commit.
'Make thick my blood, stop up th'access and passage to remorse that no compunctious visitings of nature shake my fell purpose, nor keep the peace between th'effect and it.'
She still calls on the spirits that can thicken her blood and strength, and stop the reasoning, worry and fear of her natural self stop her from doing her horrible plan.
'Come to my woman’s breasts and take my milk for gall, you murdering ministers, Wherever in your sightless substances you wait on nature’s mischief.'
She is making a prayer of some sorts to help her commit murder with her husband. In doing this, she feels she needs to remove all womanly softness and care. To do this, she feels the need to remove any motherly characteristics such as her womanly breasts that hold milk, and asks for the evil spirits to fill it with gall (also known as bile). 'Wherever in your sightless substances you wait on nature's mischief' simply refers to where the evil spirits perhaps wait.
'Come, thick night and pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell that my keen knife see not the wound it makes nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark, To cry ‘Hold, hold!'
In this phrase, Lady Macbeth asks upon the night to hide her deed from both heaven and gods eyes, and from herself and other people. She asks that the night shade covers the estate, and nobody can see her do the evil deed, as she would be punished severely. She feels as though if nobody sees her crime, it will simply go away and she will feel no guilt, as though it never happened.