Passage identification

Act III, Scene ii, line 13-25

This paragraph is from Macbeth written by William Shakespeare. Macbeth just hired killers to murder Banquo who might know about Macbeth having killed the king. In this passage, Macbeth is trying to say to his wife “We don’t have to worry”, although he is even more scared than she is. He still tries to find an excuse for his conscience because of his treason and his deed. Already in the first line, there is a metaphor “snake”. The “snake” symbolized treason. Treason is also a personification towards the end, where it says “Treason has done his worst”. By this, Macbeth tries to distance himself from his deed, his treason in order to not feel guilty. Treason plays a big role in the book, but also in this passage which is shown in the literary features and as well in the content of the passage: Macbeth admits that he betrayed the king by killing him.