Macbeth Soliloquy Glossary: If it were done when 'tis done... (1.7.1-29)

that...plague the inventor (8)

i.e., so that he who kills a king to gain the throne teaches his bloody method to others -- a method that will return to hurt the one who first decided to commit regicide. Macbeth knows that if he murders the king to gain the crown, another, hungry for power, will surely do the same to him when he becomes king.

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How to cite this article:

Mabillard, Amanda. Macbeth Soliloquy Glossary. Shakespeare Online. 20 Aug. 2000. (date when you accessed the information) < http://shakespeare-online.com/plays/macbeth/soliloquies/teach.html >.

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