What is the symbolic significance of the dagger in the following excerpt from MacBeth--" Is that a dagger which I see before me, the handle toward my hand? Come, let me cluth thee. I have thee not, and yet I see these still. Are thou not, fatal vision, sensible to feeling as to sight? Or art thou but A dagger of the mind, a false creation proceeding but from the heat-oppressed brain?" My thought is the symbolic significance is that Macbeth feels torn between guilt and temptation about the murder of Duncan. I do not think that Macbeth has had a psychotic break or is eager to carry out his plot against Duncan or wonders if the dagger is real.
I have not read Macbeth. Please use http://nfs.sparknotes.com/macbeth/ to read the section you need in modern-day English.
In this excerpt from Shakespeare's Macbeth, the symbolic significance of the dagger is indeed related to Macbeth's inner conflict between guilt and temptation. The dagger represents Macbeth's relentless ambition and his internal struggle with the decision to carry out the murder of King Duncan.
To understand the symbolic significance of the dagger, we need to analyze Macbeth's thoughts and emotions as he sees it. At first, Macbeth questions whether the dagger he sees is real or a mere hallucination. He wonders if the dagger is a "fatal vision" created by his troubled mind. This uncertainty reflects Macbeth's wavering conscience, as he is torn between the desire to overthrow Duncan and the guilt associated with committing such a heinous act.
The fact that Macbeth cannot physically grasp the dagger further emphasizes its symbolic nature. It represents an intangible temptation that he cannot fully grasp or control. The dagger is "a dagger of the mind, a false creation" suggestive of the seductive allure of power and the deceptiveness of his own ambitions. Macbeth acknowledges that the dagger might be a product of his "heat-oppressed brain," indicating the influence of his intense desire for power.
Moreover, the dagger's handle points towards Macbeth, indicating that it is beckoning him to act upon his ambitions. This imagery underscores the inner turmoil faced by Macbeth - the desire to seize power through regicide while also being burdened by his conscience.
In summary, the symbolic significance of the dagger in this excerpt from Macbeth represents the conflict between Macbeth's guilt and his temptation to commit regicide. While he questions its existence and grapples with his conscience, the dagger symbolizes the inescapable lure of ambition and the moral dilemma faced by the tragic protagonist.