Macbeth Quote Analysis

Macbeth enters immediately after murdering King Duncan in his sleep. He announces the completion of the act to Lady Macbeth, who has been waiting anxiously outside the king's chamber.

The euphemism "the deed" refuses to name the murder directly, as if speaking the word itself would make the crime more real. This verbal avoidance marks the beginning of Macbeth's psychological unraveling—he cannot bear to confront what he has just done even in language. His immediate follow-up question about noise reveals paranoia already taking hold; guilt makes him hyper-alert to detection.

Support a thesis that Shakespeare uses language evasion to show how quickly regret follows ambition—Macbeth can commit murder but cannot speak its name, revealing the psychological cost the instant the act is complete.