What does it take to be king? According to Macbeth, a prophecy, some shady decisions, a whole lot of paranoia—and maybe a ghost or two. Shakespeare didn’t just explore kingship; he ripped it apart, stuffed it with ambition, and lit it on fire with dramatic flair.
In this post, we’ll take a darkly humorous dive into 80+ kingship quotes from Macbeth, giving each one a funny, witty, or sarcastic twist that brings new life to these royal reflections. Whether it’s Duncan’s calm dignity or Macbeth’s chaotic reign, there’s something here for everyone—especially if you like your Shakespeare with a side of sass.
Duncan’s Take on What a Real King Looks Like
- “There’s no art to find the mind’s construction in the face.”
- “He was a gentleman on whom I built an absolute trust.”
- “What he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won.”
- “Our eldest, Malcolm, whom we name hereafter The Prince of Cumberland.”
- “Welcome hither: I have begun to plant thee, and will labour to make thee full of growing.”
- “Signs of nobleness, like stars, shall shine on all deservers.”
- “He’s full so valiant, and in his commendations I am fed.”
- “His great love, sharp as his spur, hath holp him to his home before us.”
- “More is thy due than more than all can pay.”
- “There’s no more to be done.”
Macbeth’s Ambition-Fueled Thoughts on Kingship
- “If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me, without my stir.”
- “Stars, hide your fires; Let not light see my black and deep desires.”
- “Let not my sword see the wound it makes.”
- “To be thus is nothing, but to be safely thus.”
- “Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown.”
- “A barren sceptre in my gripe.”
- “Mine eternal jewel given to the common enemy of man.”
- “Thou hast it now: King, Cawdor, Glamis, all, as the weird women promised, and I fear thou played’st most foully for’t.”
- “I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition.”
- “Come what come may, time and the hour runs through the roughest day.”
Quotes About Macbeth’s Not-So-Stable Reign
- “O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife!”
- “Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep!”
- “I am in blood stepped in so far that should I wade no more, returning were as tedious as go o’er.”
- “Things bad begun make strong themselves by ill.”
- “Let the earth hide thee!”
- “I will tomorrow—and betimes I will—to the weird sisters.”
- “Seize upon Fife; give to the edge o’ the sword his wife, his babes.”
- “I am sick at heart.”
- “My way of life is fall’n into the sere, the yellow leaf.”
- “Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage.”
Malcolm on What Kingship Should Really Be
- “This tyrant, whose sole name blisters our tongues.”
- “Angels are bright still, though the brightest fell.”
- “Macbeth is ripe for shaking.”
- “Let grief convert to anger; blunt not the heart, enrage it.”
- “Dispute it like a man.”
- “The king-becoming graces, as justice, verity, temperance, stableness.”
- “Devotion, patience, courage, fortitude.”
- “I am yet unknown to woman, never was forsworn.”
- “What I am truly, is thine and my poor country’s to command.”
- “Receive what cheer you may: the night is long that never finds the day.”
Banquo’s Commentary on Kingship and Prophecy
- “Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none.”
- “What, can the devil speak true?”
- “Oftentimes, to win us to our harm, the instruments of darkness tell us truths.”
- “New honors come upon him, like our strange garments.”
- “But hush! No more.”
- “So I lose none in seeking to augment it, but still keep my bosom franchised and allegiance clear.”
- “There’s husbandry in heaven.”
- “Give me my sword.”
- “Thou played’st most foully for’t.”
- “If there come truth from them as upon thee, Macbeth, their speeches shine.”
Macduff and the Resistance to Macbeth’s Rule
- “O horror, horror, horror! Tongue nor heart cannot conceive nor name thee!”
- “Not in the legions of horrid hell can come a devil more damned in evils to top Macbeth.”
- “Each new morn, new widows howl, new orphans cry.”
- “Bleed, bleed, poor country!”
- “Fit to govern? No, not to live.”
- “Bring thou this fiend of Scotland and myself; within my sword’s length set him.”
- “Let me find him, fortune!”
- “O Scotland, Scotland!”
- “Your castle is surprised; your wife and babes savagely slaughtered.”
- “I must also feel it as a man.”
Sarcastic Spins on Macbeth’s Royal Disaster
- “Step 1 to kingship: hear a prophecy. Step 2: murder everyone.”
- “Macbeth wanted to be king so bad, he skipped the HR process and went straight to bloodshed.”
- “When you want power but forgot to plan for stability.”
- “If paranoia were a leadership skill, Macbeth would still be ruling.”
- “He got the crown and lost literally everything else. Great trade.”
- “From hero to ‘wait, is that ghost real?’ in under three acts.”
- “Nothing says strong leadership like hallucinating daggers.”
- “Macbeth’s king strategy: betray everyone and hope it works out.”
- “Turns out killing your boss isn’t a great résumé booster.”
- “Duncan ruled with grace. Macbeth ruled with guilt.”
Irony, Insight, and the Crown That Costs Too Much
- “Macbeth got the title. Then the anxiety. Then the body count.”
- “Witches gave him a forecast; he brought the storm.”
- “If ambition had a mascot, it’d be Macbeth holding a bloody sword.”
- “Crown on the head, chaos in the soul.”
- “He feared Banquo’s heirs more than karma itself.”
- “From prophecy to panic: Macbeth’s glow-down.”
- “Real kings inspire. Macbeth intimidates.”
- “Leadership by fear is just tyranny with a different font.”
- “Even Lady Macbeth got tired of cleaning up the mess.”
- “The crown was real. The peace? Not so much.”
Conclusion
Kingship in Macbeth is anything but noble. It’s messy, bloody, and twisted with ambition, guilt, and ghostly side effects. But when we look at it through a witty, sarcastic lens, we see the absurdity and brilliance of Shakespeare’s commentary on power. These 80+ kingship quotes in Macbeth give us drama, irony, and more than a few reasons not to trust talking witches.
Which quote had you nodding—or laughing? Drop your favorite in the comments, or share your own royal rewrite.
Share this with your fellow lit nerds, theater buffs, or anyone who’s ever wanted a crown (but not the psychological breakdown that comes with it). And remember: not all that glitters is gold—sometimes it’s just a cursed prophecy.