2.1 Macbeth

In act 2 scene 1 of Macbeth by William Shakespeare, the dagger has more of a meaning than just a hallucination that Macbeth sees. For example,  in Macbeth's soliloquy he says, "Or art thou but A dagger of the mind, a false creation, Proceeding from the heat-oppressèd brain?" (2.1.49-51). In this line Macbeth is starting the realize that the dagger isn't actually there, and that its just in his imagination. When he says, "Proceeding from the heat-oppressèd brain" he is hinting at the fact that his mind isn't in a good state, and that his brain is fevered from the plan of murdering Duncan. In addition, in Macbeth's soliloquy he also stated, "There’s no such thing. It is the bloody business which informs Thus to mine eyes. Now o'er the one half-world Nature seems dead, and wicked dreams abuse The curtained sleep" (2.1.48-52). Now Macbeth knows for sure that the dagger isn't actually there. In this line he is stating that he now knows that the murder he is about to commit is making him see the dagger. Then he goes on to talk about how half of the world is asleep while the other half is being fooled by evilness. In act 2 scene 1 of Macbeth, the dagger symbolizes the murder of King Duncan, and Macbeth sees it because he feels guilty for what he might do.