Naught’s had, all’s spent, / Where our desire is got without content: / ’Tis safer to be that which we destroy, / Than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy.
Act III, Scene 2 · Lady Macbeth
Context
Lady Macbeth speaks alone after learning Banquo will return to court that evening. She has just sent a servant to fetch Macbeth and now reflects on their situation as king and queen.
Analysis
The antithesis in 'safer to be that which we destroy / Than by destruction dwell' forces the listener to hold two opposing states in mind at once—victim versus killer—and the chiasmus makes the victims seem more at peace than the victors. Shakespeare isolates Lady Macbeth's realization that power hasn't brought fulfillment by placing it in a private moment before Macbeth enters, positioning the audience to see her disillusionment before her husband does.
Essay Tip
Support a thesis that Lady Macbeth's ambition collapses earlier than Macbeth's—this quote shows her alone, already regretting the murder, while he is still obsessing over threats and planning more violence.