NAme:
Figurative vs. Literal Language in Macbeth
What’s the Difference?
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Literal Language: Words mean exactly what they say.
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Figurative Language: Words mean something beyond their literal meaning, often
creating sarcasm, irony, or exaggeration.
Irony & Sarcasm in Macbeth
1. “A Little Water Clears Us of This Deed” (Act 2, Scene 2) – Verbal Irony
Literal: Lady Macbeth says washing their hands will solve their problems.
Figurative: She’s downplaying the murder as if it’s no big deal.
� “A little water clears us of this deed: / How easy is it then!”
� Why It’s Ironic:
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bloodstains.
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She acts confident but later goes mad, obsessively trying to wash out imaginary
Reality: Guilt is not so easy to wash away.
2. “Had I but died an hour before this chance” (Act 2, Scene 3) – Dramatic Irony
Literal: Macbeth says he wishes he had died before Duncan was murdered.
Figurative: He’s pretending to be sad, but he’s actually the killer!
� “Had I but died an hour before this chance, / I had lived a blessed time; for from this instant /
There’s nothing serious in mortality.”
� Why It’s Ironic:
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The audience knows Macbeth killed Duncan, but the other characters don’t.
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He’s acting like a grieving subject when he’s really the murderer.
3. “Thou canst not say I did it” (Act 3, Scene 4) – Situational Irony
Literal: Macbeth tells Banquo’s ghost he didn’t kill him.
Figurative: Macbeth hired murderers to do it, so technically he didn’t do it himself.
Mr.Pritchard1
NAme:
� “Thou canst not say I did it: never shake / Thy gory locks at me.”
� Why It’s Ironic:
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Macbeth tries to deny guilt, but Banquo’s ghost knows the truth.
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The irony? Macbeth is the only one who sees the ghost, making him look guilty!
4. “And be these juggling fiends no more believed” (Act 5, Scene 8) – Situational Irony
Literal: Macbeth is mad that the witches tricked him.
Figurative: He believed their riddles but now realizes they never actually lied—he just
misunderstood them.
� “And be these juggling fiends no more believed, / That palter with us in a double sense.”
� Why It’s Ironic:
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Macbeth trusted the witches, but they never gave him false promises—he just
heard what he wanted to hear.
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Example: “No man of woman born” sounds reassuring… until Macduff reveals he
was born via C-section!
Wrap-Up: Why Does Shakespeare Use Irony
✔ Makes Macbeth look foolish – Believing half-truths from witches.
✔ Shows Lady Macbeth’s manipulation – Mocking her husband.
✔ Creates dramatic tension – Audience knows more than the characters.
✔ Exposes Macbeth’s downfall – He realizes the truth too late.
Handing in these notes with add 5 marks to your over grade for your first major assignment
/5
Mr.Pritchard2