Is this a dagger that I see before me, the handle toward my hand?

To remember this quote use the following mnemonic.

Is this a dagger that I see before me? Because I'm not sure.

"Is this a dagger that I see before me, the handle toward my hand?" Act 2, scene 1, line 33. 

Meaning

• By asking this question, it becomes evident that Macbeth is uncertain about the reality of the dagger. However the vision of the dagger reveals that his violent ambition is strongly urging him to murder Duncan. This internal struggle deeply torments him. 

Exam Advice

• Theme of Guilt and Conscience - The vision suggests that Macbeth is already haunted by what he plans to do, even before he acts.

• Theme of Ambition - His desire for power is so strong that it causes hallucinations, showing how ambition can destroy rational thought.

• Theme of Supernatural - The dagger could be a supernatural sign pushing him to murder or a symbol of his own dark desire. 

• Fate vs Free Will - The image seems to pull him towards his destiny, raising the question of whether he is choosing to kill Duncan or being driven by fate.