Upon my head they plac’d a fruitless crown, / And put a barren sceptre in my gripe, / Thence to be wrench’d with an unlineal hand, / No son of mine succeeding.
Act III, Scene 1 · Macbeth
Context
Macbeth bitterly reflects that the witches gave him a crown but prophesied that Banquo's descendants, not his own, would inherit the throne, making his kingship effectively sterile.
Analysis
The adjectives 'fruitless' and 'barren' literalize the witches' prophecy as a failure of biological reproduction, casting Macbeth's political power as impotent. The crown and scepter—symbols of authority—are described as incapable of generating heirs, which collapses the distinction between Macbeth's body and his kingship. The verb 'wrench'd' then imagines a violent future dispossession, making the crown feel like it is already being torn from his grip even as he wears it.
Essay Tip
Support a thesis that Macbeth's obsession with dynasty reveals his deeper terror of meaninglessness—this quote shows he can only imagine power as worthwhile if it extends beyond his own life, making his childlessness unbearable.