What does the quote below reveal about Macbeth's state of mind in this scene (Act 2, Scene 1)?

Question

" Or art thou but

A dagger of the mind, a false creation,

Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain? "

Answer 1

Macbeth talking about his 'visions' saying that he is being led into by the thoughts of murder.

Answer 2

First of all, examine the beginning of this famous speech:

"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."

Macbeth "sees" a dagger before him, but the rest of the quote makes it quite clear that the dagger exists in his imagination. Macbeth says that the dagger might be a product of his "heat-oppressed brain."

One thing that ought to be obvious from the words themselves is that Macbeth is in a severe state of confusion. The events leading up to this (the prophecies of the witches, his wife's ambitions, and Macbeth's previously good relationship with Duncan) tell us that Macbeth's confusion is a moral one. Should he kill Duncan, or do the right thing, which would mean going against his wife's and his own desires?

Best wishes ( or witches)!

Answer 3

In this scene, MacBeth is walking toward Duncan's chamber and planning to murder him, when suddenly, he believes that he sees a floating dagger in the air, guiding him on his path. However, Macbeth does not known if the dagger is ultimately imaginary. Thus, Macbeth's state of mind in this scene is one of ambivalence and confusion. On one hand he doesn't want to kill Duncan because he has nothing against the king, on the other hand, the prophecy of the witches and the urging of his wife is pushing him toward taking this action. He is not certain whether the knife is real (signifying his uncertainty regarding actually killing Duncan) and also doesn't even know if he is in his right mind (signifying the external influences which pushed him to murder).