GCSE English Literature

Guilt in Macbeth11 key quotes with full analysis.

Complete collection of quotes about guilt in Macbeth for GCSE English Literature, exploring how guilt manifests and destroys both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.

Understanding Guilt in Macbeth

Guilt is one of the most powerful forces in Macbeth, manifesting through hallucinations, sleepwalking, and paranoia. Shakespeare shows that guilt cannot be escaped or washed away - it is an indelible stain on the soul that leads to psychological destruction.

The motif of blood runs throughout the play, symbolising guilt. Macbeth sees blood on his hands after killing Duncan and asks if “all great Neptune's ocean” can wash it away. Lady Macbeth's sleepwalking scene shows her compulsively washing invisible blood, crying “Out, damned spot!” - proving guilt has consumed her completely.

Blood ImageryHallucinationsSleepwalkingConscienceMadness

All Guilt Quotes

“A little water clears us of this deed”
Lady MacbethAct 2, Scene 2
GuiltNaivetyAppearance vs Reality

Context: Lady Macbeth dismisses Macbeth's guilt immediately after Duncan's murder.

Analysis

Lady Macbeth's confident dismissal of guilt is devastatingly ironic given her later mental breakdown over the same "spot." The understatement of "little water" shows her initial inability to understand guilt's power. This quote perfectly sets up her tragic reversal.

Language Techniques:

Dramatic ironyUnderstatementForeshadowing

Exam Tip

Essential for tracking Lady Macbeth's arc. Compare directly to "All the perfumes of Arabia" - complete reversal.

“Out, damned spot! Out, I say!”
Lady MacbethAct 5, Scene 1
GuiltMadnessConsequences of Evil

Context: Lady Macbeth sleepwalks, obsessively trying to wash imaginary blood from her hands.

Analysis

The repetition and exclamatory sentences reveal Lady Macbeth's psychological deterioration. The "spot" symbolizes her guilt that cannot be cleansed. This dramatically contrasts her earlier dismissal: "A little water clears us of this deed." Her confident persona has completely collapsed.

Language Techniques:

RepetitionExclamatory sentencesSymbolismDramatic irony

Exam Tip

Compare to her earlier confidence. Discuss the reversal of gender roles as Macbeth becomes hardened while she breaks down.

“All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand”
Lady MacbethAct 5, Scene 1
GuiltMadnessConsequences of Evil

Context: Lady Macbeth continues sleepwalking, believing her hands still smell of blood.

Analysis

The hyperbole emphasizes the permanence of her guilt. "Little hand" diminishes her once-powerful self, showing complete loss of the dominance she displayed earlier. The sensory imagery of smell suggests guilt pervades every sense. Arabia, known for perfumes, represents the exotic and extreme - even this cannot help her.

Language Techniques:

HyperboleSensory imageryDiminutive language

Exam Tip

Link to "Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?" - guilt affects both Macbeths but manifests differently.

“Is this a dagger which I see before me, the handle toward my hand?”
MacbethAct 2, Scene 1
SupernaturalGuiltAmbitionMadness

Context: Macbeth hallucinates a dagger before murdering Duncan.

Analysis

The rhetorical question reveals Macbeth's uncertainty - he cannot distinguish reality from imagination. The dagger pointing towards his hand suggests fate or the supernatural guiding him, yet also implies his own responsibility. This soliloquy marks his psychological descent into guilt and paranoia.

Language Techniques:

Rhetorical questionSymbolismSoliloquyVisual imagery

Exam Tip

Debate whether the dagger is supernatural or psychological. Link to the witches and question of free will vs fate.

“Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?”
MacbethAct 2, Scene 2
GuiltConsequences of EvilNature

Context: Immediately after murdering Duncan, Macbeth is consumed by guilt.

Analysis

The classical allusion to Neptune elevates Macbeth's guilt to cosmic proportions. The rhetorical question implies the answer is "no" - his guilt is permanent. The blood symbolizes both literal murder and spiritual stain. The hyperbole of an entire ocean emphasizes the magnitude of his crime.

Language Techniques:

Classical allusionRhetorical questionHyperboleSymbolism

Exam Tip

Compare to Lady Macbeth's "A little water clears us of this deed" - shows different initial responses to guilt.

“I am in blood stepped in so far that, should I wade no more, returning were as tedious as go o'er”
MacbethAct 3, Scene 4
GuiltConsequences of EvilTyranny

Context: After Banquo's murder, Macbeth reflects on his violent path.

Analysis

The metaphor of wading through blood creates a visceral image of Macbeth's moral decline. "Tedious" is chillingly casual - murder has become routine. The point of no return suggests his humanity is lost. Shakespeare shows how evil becomes self-perpetuating once begun.

Language Techniques:

Extended metaphorImageryEuphemism

Exam Tip

Shows escalation of violence - link to the tragic hero's downfall. Contrast with his earlier hesitation.

“O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife!”
MacbethAct 3, Scene 2
GuiltMadnessParanoia

Context: Macbeth expresses his mental torment to Lady Macbeth before Banquo's murder.

Analysis

The scorpion imagery conveys both the pain and poison of guilt. Multiple stinging creatures suggest relentless, tormenting thoughts. "Full" emphasizes there is no escape from his mental anguish. "Dear wife" shows their relationship still has intimacy, though it will soon deteriorate.

Language Techniques:

MetaphorImageryExclamation

Exam Tip

Shows psychological consequences of murder. Link to the gradual breakdown of the Macbeths' relationship.

“I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition”
MacbethAct 1, Scene 7
AmbitionConscienceSelf-awareness

Context: Macbeth debates whether to kill Duncan.

Analysis

Macbeth acknowledges he has no legitimate reason for murder except ambition. The horse-riding metaphor of "spur" and "vaulting" suggests ambition that overreaches. His self-awareness makes his choice more tragic - he knows his only motive is ambition but proceeds anyway.

Language Techniques:

Extended metaphorSelf-awarenessEquestrian imagery

Exam Tip

Shows Macbeth understands his own fatal flaw. His tragedy is choosing evil with full awareness.

“Methought I heard a voice cry, "Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep"”
MacbethAct 2, Scene 2
GuiltConscienceSleepMadness

Context: Macbeth returns from murdering Duncan, hearing voices.

Analysis

Sleep symbolises innocence and peace of mind - both destroyed by murder. The personification of sleep being "murdered" shows Macbeth has killed his own ability to rest. The voice may be supernatural or psychological. Either way, guilt will deny him peace forever.

Language Techniques:

PersonificationAuditory hallucinationSymbolism

Exam Tip

Sleep motif runs through the play. Compare to Lady Macbeth's sleepwalking - both lose peaceful sleep.

“Wake Duncan with thy knocking! I would thou couldst!”
MacbethAct 2, Scene 2
GuiltRegretIrreversibility

Context: Macbeth hears knocking at the gate immediately after the murder.

Analysis

The exclamatory wish reveals immediate regret - Macbeth already wants to undo the murder. The knocking represents reality and judgement intruding on his crime. His desperate, futile wish emphasises that murder cannot be reversed. Guilt begins instantly.

Language Techniques:

ExclamationImpossible wishDramatic irony

Exam Tip

Shows Macbeth's immediate regret. The knocking motif represents conscience and judgement.

“Merciful powers, restrain in me the cursed thoughts that nature gives way to in repose”
BanquoAct 2, Scene 1
TemptationConscienceSupernatural

Context: Banquo prays for protection from dark thoughts before Duncan's murder.

Analysis

Banquo admits he is tempted by the prophecy ("cursed thoughts") but prays for strength to resist. Unlike Macbeth, he appeals to good powers against evil impulses. "Repose" (sleep) suggests these thoughts come unbidden. Banquo represents human resistance to temptation.

Language Techniques:

PrayerSelf-awarenessContrast

Exam Tip

Shows Banquo is also tempted but chooses to resist. Key difference from Macbeth's response to prophecy.

Explore More Macbeth Themes

View quotes organised by other key themes including ambition, supernatural, and power.

All Macbeth QuotesAmbition Theme