Question

What does the word 'perfect' mean when Macbeth says, 'I had else been perfect; whole as the marble'?

1) Macbeth is now cold and solid because he has plotted against his king and country.
2) Macbeth feels like a well-rounded king until he hears the murderer speak.
3) Macbeth reacts to the murderer's bad news by freezing up like a statue.
4) Macbeth is calm and confident until he learns that the attack on Fleance failed.

Answer 1

Macbeth uses the word 'perfect' to mean calm and composed.

Step-by-step explanation:

In this context, the word 'perfect' means calm and composed. Macbeth uses the word to describe a state of being whole and solid like marble. He is expressing that he would have been calm and composed if things had happened differently. The line suggests that Macbeth's actions have caused him to become agitated and disturbed.