Ask a New Question
Menu

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

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.

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

1 answer

In analyzing Shakespeare's use of the dagger in these lines from "Macbeth," the two interpretations that can be used to explain its use are:

  1. Macbeth’s sight of the dagger, which is not actually there, indicates his insanity. – This interpretation highlights how the dagger symbolizes Macbeth's deteriorating mental state, as it is a manifestation of his guilt and psychological turmoil.

  2. Macbeth’s guilt for thinking about killing the king has triggered its appearance. – This interpretation suggests that the dagger represents Macbeth’s inner conflict and guilt surrounding his ambition to murder King Duncan, signifying the moral and psychological consequences of his thoughts and actions.

These interpretations align with the themes of guilt, ambition, and madness prevalent throughout the play.