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Rhetorical Analysis Of Macbeth

Decent Essays

[1] In this passage, Macbeth deliberates not only the authenticity of the dagger by inquiring upon his sanity, but also his own ability to commit such a heinous act: murdering the king. [2] Having been heavily influenced by both the Witches’ prophecy and Lady Macbeth, in his soliloquy, Macbeth displays his apprehensive thoughts, exhibited by the use of several question marks. [3] Therefore, experiencing an internal struggle in which he weighs his own decision to kill Duncan in order to become King.
[4] These questions, not clearly directed at any one person, are rather rhetorical, highlighting his insecurity about Duncan’s death and thus the imaginary dagger. [5] Asking “is this a dagger which I see before me, the handle toward my hand?” (II.i.46), …show more content…

[6] Macbeth’s comments go beyond the obvious, and common theme of appearance versus reality: the illusion of the dagger, to expand on the conflicting thoughts he experiences: the necessity of Duncan’s death. [7] An example of effective and witty wordplay, “or art thou but a dagger of the mind” (II.i.52-53), the dagger, the root of his paranoid and anxious nature, signifies Macbeth’s internal struggle by exemplifying the impact such a simple object can have on one’s mental

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