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

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

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

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 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.

1 answer

In the lines from "Macbeth," Shakespeare's use of the dagger can be interpreted in several ways, but the two correct interpretations regarding its significance are:

  1. Macbeth’s guilt for thinking about killing the king has triggered its appearance.
    This interpretation aligns with the idea that the dagger symbolizes Macbeth's inner turmoil and guilt as he contemplates the murder of King Duncan. The hallucination of the dagger reflects his psychological state and the moral conflict he experiences.

  2. Macbeth’s sight of the dagger, which is not actually there, indicates his insanity.
    This interpretation suggests that the hallucination of the dagger indicates Macbeth's descent into madness, driven by his ambition and the violent thoughts he harbors. The fact that he can see a dagger that is not real points to his unstable mental state as he grapples with his dark intentions.

These interpretations highlight the complexities of Macbeth's character and the psychological themes prevalent in Shakespeare's work.