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Macbeth

by William Shakespeare



MACBETH.

Is this a dagger which I see before me,

The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee.

I have thee not, and yet I see thee still.

Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible

To feeling as to sight? or art thou but A dagger of the mind,

a false creation,

Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain?

I see thee yet, in form as palpable

As this which now I draw.



From Macbeth by William Shakespeare

Question
Use the lines to answer the question.

Analyze Shakespeare’s use of the dagger in these lines. Which interpretation could be used to explain its use? Select the two correct answers.

(1 point)
Responses

Macbeth is receiving a warning to be wary about a possible threat to his life.
Macbeth is receiving a warning to be wary about a possible threat to his life.

Macbeth’s guilt for thinking about killing the king has triggered its appearance.
Macbeth’s guilt for thinking about killing the king has triggered its appearance.

The dagger is a reminder to Macbeth about his violent past.
The dagger is a reminder to Macbeth about his violent past.

The dagger is a message to Macbeth that he should act on his impulses.
The dagger is a message to Macbeth that he should act on his impulses.

Macbeth’s sight of the dagger, which is not actually there, indicates his insanity.
Macbeth’s sight of the dagger, which is not actually there, indicates his insanity.
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1 answer

In analyzing Shakespeare's use of the dagger in Macbeth's soliloquy, the two correct interpretations are:

  1. Macbeth’s guilt for thinking about killing the king has triggered its appearance. - This interpretation highlights how the hallucination of the dagger symbolizes Macbeth's inner conflict and guilt over his ambition and the thought of committing regicide.

  2. Macbeth’s sight of the dagger, which is not actually there, indicates his insanity. - This interpretation speaks to Macbeth's deteriorating mental state, suggesting that the vision of the dagger illustrates his descent into madness and moral chaos as he grapples with his dark desires.

These interpretations emphasize the psychological turmoil that Macbeth experiences as he contemplates the murder of King Duncan, illustrating themes of guilt and madness in the play.