1. Patrick, Amanda, Felicia, Tyler
Macbeth Project
Light and Dark Quotes
Patrick, Amanda, Felicia, Tyler

2. Act I
Banquo: "And oftentimes, to win us to our harm, the instruments of darkness tell us truths," (I, III, ) Explanation : Sometimes evil people tell others something that is true in order to make them do evil things. Macbeth: "Stars, hide your fires; let not light see my black and deep desires.." (I, IV, 57-58) Explanation: Macbeth does not want the light, or his goodness, to see that he wants to murder King Duncan in order to receive the crown. Lady Macbeth: "Come, thick night, and pall the in the dunnest smoke of hell, that my keen knife see not the wound it makes, nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark" (I, V, 57-60) Explanation : Lady Macbeth does not want anyone to see what she will do, and she also does not want to see it herself. The darkness, or evil, will cover her deed, and the light, goodness, will not see.

3. Act II
Fleance: "The moon is down." (II, I, 2) Banquo: "There is husbandry in heaven; / Their candles are all out." (II, I, 6-7) Explanation : The moon is down, the night is starless, and there are no streetlights in Macbeth's castle - it is past midnight. This is exactly the kind of night that Macbeth wanted because he thought it might conceal his own guilt from himself and make him brave to kill Duncan. This dark night signals the expiration of Duncan.

4. Act III
Second Murderer : “A light, a light!” Explanation : At this point of the story, the two murderers are waiting in the darkness of light for Banquo and Fleance. Banquo approaches where the two murderers are with a torch, a flickering light, the life of Banquo
Macbeth : “Light thickens, and the crow makes wing to th’rooky wood. Good things of day begin to droop and drowse whiles night’s black agents to their preys do rouse.”
Explanation : This example of darkness imagery is saying that the day is turning into night, all the good things are going to sleep, and the evil creatures are coming out.
Third Murderer : “Who did strike out the light?” 
Explanation : He is probably unhappy because the lack of light aided Fleance's escape.
First Murderer : “The west yet glimmers with some streaks of day.” 3.3.5
Explanation : There are still some streaks of day in the west.

5. Act IV
Malcolm "Angels are bright still, though the brightest star fell."
Malcolm "That when they shall be opened, black Macbeth will seem as pure as snow..."
Malcolm "Esteem him as a lamb, being compared with my confineless harms."
Malcolm "Child of integrity, hath from my soul wiped the black scruples, reconciled my thoughts to thy good truth and honor."
Ross "But who knows nothing is once seen to smile; where sighs and groans, and shrieks that rent the air, are made, not marked; where violent sorrow seems a modern ecstasy. The dead mans knell"

6. Act V
Gentlewoman: "Why, it stood by her. She has light by / her continually. 'Tis her command. " (V, I, 24-25) Explanation : Lady Macbeth is afraid of the dark. She does not want to be bothered by the dead that can appear as ghosts to haunt her in the dark.
Macbeth: "And all out yeaterdays have lighted fools / The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!" (V, V, 25-26) Explanation : Macbeth is sort of losing his mind at this point but what he says is very fundamental to the story. Macbeth says that to live is for fools because life has no meaning. Macbeth wants to die because he has done such evil that that life doesn't suit him anymore. Basically Macbeth wants to die but he can't die because of his charm, Macbeth can't be killed by one born of woman. Macbeth: "I gin to be aweary of the sun" (V, V, 55) Explanation : Macbeth is scared of the sun, Malcolm, but he doesn't want to be frightened of Malcolm so he tells his troops to not be frightened by Malcolm and his army in order to make himself feel more confident when he goes into battle.