All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand

To remember this quote use the following mnemonic.

All the perfumes of Arabia...

will not sweeten this little hand. 

"All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand." Act 5, scene 1, line 44. Spoken by Lady Macbeth during her famous sleepwalking scene. It marks a turning point in her character from being cold and ruthless to overwhelmed by guilt. 

Meaning 

• "All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand." - Lady Macbeth is saying that no amount of perfume could ever cover up the smell of blood on her hands, a metaphor for the guilt she feels over Duncan's murder. 

• She's imagining that her hands still smell of blood, even though there's nothing there. This shows that her guilt is so deep it feels permanent and inescapable. 

Exam advice 

• Guilt and conscience - Earlier, Lady Macbeth said "A little water clears us of this deed," acting as if murder had no emotional cost. Here, her true feelings emerge, her conscience is tormenting her and she can't move past what she's done. 

• Mental decline - This scene shows how guilt has broken her mind. She's sleepwalking, hallucinating and reliving the murder. 

• Symbolism of blood and smell - The imaginary blood and the sense of smell suggests guilt has invaded her senses and no physical act (like washing or perfume) can erase it. It's a spiritual or moral stain. 

• Role reversal - Earlier, Lady Macbeth was the strong one, urging Macbeth to kill. Now, she's the one falling apart, while he becomes more cold and violent. Shakespeare uses this to show the emotional consequences of unchecked ambition.