Student Question
Which Shakespeare play contains the quote: "I have almost forgotten the taste of fears."?
Quick answer:
The quote "I have almost forgotten the taste of fears" is from Shakespeare's play Macbeth, specifically in Act V, Scene 5. It is spoken by Macbeth as he reflects on how he has become desensitized to fear due to his violent actions, just before learning of his wife's suicide. This moment marks a turning point where Macbeth begins to truly understand fear.
I can't give you a page number because I don't know what anthology of version of the play you're reading. I can tell you that this line is in Macbeth, Act V, scene 5, and is spoken by Macbeth:
I have almost forgot the taste of fears:
The time has been, my senses would have cool'd
To hear a night-shriek; and my fell of hair
Would at a dismal treatise rouse and stir
As life were in't: I have supp'd full with horrors;
Direness, familiar to my slaught'rous thoughts,
Cannot once start me.
This speech occurs just before Macbeth learns that his wife has committed suicide. Before saying these lines, he hears women screaming. He says he has forgotten what fear is; until now, everything has seemed to go his way. From this point forward, Macbeth will learn what fear really is.
Get Ahead with eNotes
Start your 48-hour free trial to access everything you need to rise to the top of the class. Enjoy expert answers and study guides ad-free and take your learning to the next level.
Already a member? Log in here.