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Question

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 three 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.

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

Macbeths sight of the dagger which is not actually there indicates his insanity

Macbeths guilt for thinking about killing the king has triggered its appearance

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

The dagger is reminder to Macbeth about his violent past

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

Answer 1

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

1. Macbeth's sight of the dagger which is not actually there indicates his insanity.
   This interpretation highlights Macbeth's psychological descent. The vision of the dagger represents his unstable mind and the effects of his ambition and guilt. It suggests that he is losing touch with reality, as he perceives something that is not there, which signifies his mental unraveling.

2. Macbeth's guilt for thinking about killing the king has triggered its appearance.
   This interpretation points to the connection between Macbeth's guilt and the manifestation of the dagger. The dagger symbolizes his inner turmoil and the conflict between his ambition and moral hesitation. It reveals how his contemplation of murder weighs heavily on his conscience, leading to a hallucinatory experience.

These interpretations effectively underscore the themes of ambition, guilt, and madness in Macbeth's character arc.