It's Lady Macbeth. Macbeth is weakening in his resolve to kill Duncan, but she'll have none of it. Macbeth asks her what happens if they fail. She answers, "We fail! But screw your courage to the sticking-place, And we'll not fail."
Not a change to this information, but an interesting side note. This phrase enjoyed a brief resurgence in use during the run of the longest running off-Broadway show, The Fantastiks wherein it was a key element in Henry's soliloquy.
wait a minute gaston also says it here
light your torch mount your horse
screw your courage to the sticking place were counting on gaston to lead the wayyy through a mist through a wood where within a haunted castle lies somethin you dont see everyday
Have you ever used screws to attach something to a wall? You turn the screwdriver and you turn it and eventually you get to the point where it won't turn any more. That's the sticking place--the screw is stuck there. If you don't do that, you have a screw loose, and it will work looser and eventually come out altogether.
Lady Macbeth is using this as a metaphor for courage. Macbeth is waffling about the murder, and she tells him to push his courage as far as it can go, and then it won't work loose and make him lose his nerve. When she says "But screw your courage to the sticking-place and we'll not fail", she is saying that if they don't lose their nerve, they will succeed. But in a much cooler way.
It's not about sport, it's a metaphor... :-)
act 1
Lady Macbeth, in Act 1, scene 7.
He is confident that he will not loose the kingdom to malcolm because the witches have said that he won't be defeated until the wood's move towards him and he can't be killed by anyone except a man not born of woman. (Macduff).
In Act 1 Scene 7 Lines 35-45 and 47-59, Lady Macbeth goads her reluctant husband to kill their king. At the beginning of her speech, she compares his unreliability as an assassin to inconstancy in love. Thus, at lines 35-39, she chides, 'Was the hope drunk/wherein you dressed yourself? Hath it slept since?/And wakes it now to look so green and pale/At what it did so freely? From ths time/Such I account thy love.' In reality, Lady Macbeth's first husband had carried out King Duncan I's orders to have Macbeth's father killed, in 1020. With Gille Coemgairn's death in 1032, his wife married Macbeth and thereby became Lady Macbeth. In 1040, King Duncan I invaded Macbeth's lands. During the ensuing battle, he was killed on August 14, 1040 by his own men under Macbeth's leadership.
Henry James wrote The Turn Of The Screw.
She doesn't, although this scene is a brilliant example of psychological manipulation. When Macbeth tells her he has decided not to go ahead with the murder after all ("We will proceed no further in this business") she abuses not flatters him. She calls into question his manhood ("When thou durst do it then thou wert a man") and says that she, a weak woman, would have killed her baby in a gruesome way if she had sworn to do it. This grisly image brings him over; he says "If we should fail . . . ?"Well, she's right on top of that. Worrying about failing means that you are going to try. She knows she's got him now and immediately changes her tune. Now she is all encouragement "But screw your courage to the sticking-place and we'll not fail" and "What cannot you and I perform upon the unguarded Duncan". She's not flattering him. She is encouraging him by saying what they can do together (note it's "we'll not fail") and by minimizing the risks "Who dares receive it other."
Lady Macbeth, in Act 1, scene 7.
He doesn't. The closest he comes is the vague "If we should fail . . ." but he never gets to explore what would happen because his wife cuts him off by saying "But screw your courage to the sticking-place and we'll not fail."
Well it was used by Gaston during "The Mob Song" in Beauty and the Beast!
Lady Macbeth says that Macbeth's actions are "but screw your courage to the sticking-place and we'll not fail." This implies that she believes Macbeth needs to be more decisive and brave in order to achieve their goals.
He is confident that he will not loose the kingdom to malcolm because the witches have said that he won't be defeated until the wood's move towards him and he can't be killed by anyone except a man not born of woman. (Macduff).
Lady Macbeth convinces Macbeth to commit the murder by questioning his masculinity and courage, telling him that he is not a true man if he does not follow through with the plan. She also assures him that they will not fail and promises to take care of all the details of the murder. Additionally, she plays on his ambition and desire for power, suggesting that by committing the murder, they will be able to fulfill their ambitions and secure their future.
In Macbeth, when Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth to "screw your courage to the sticking point and we'll not fail," she is essentially urging him to gather his courage and determination to a fixed point like a screw. This means to steel himself mentally and be resolute in carrying out their plan.
Lady Macbeth questions Macbeth's masculinity by saying he is not a real man unless he follows through with the plan to kill Duncan. She also assures him that they will not fail and that they can cover their tracks.
In Act 1 Scene 7 Lines 35-45 and 47-59, Lady Macbeth goads her reluctant husband to kill their king. At the beginning of her speech, she compares his unreliability as an assassin to inconstancy in love. Thus, at lines 35-39, she chides, 'Was the hope drunk/wherein you dressed yourself? Hath it slept since?/And wakes it now to look so green and pale/At what it did so freely? From ths time/Such I account thy love.' In reality, Lady Macbeth's first husband had carried out King Duncan I's orders to have Macbeth's father killed, in 1020. With Gille Coemgairn's death in 1032, his wife married Macbeth and thereby became Lady Macbeth. In 1040, King Duncan I invaded Macbeth's lands. During the ensuing battle, he was killed on August 14, 1040 by his own men under Macbeth's leadership.
"But screw your courage to the sticking-place, / And we’ll not fail." - Lady Macbeth (Act 1, Scene 7) This quote shows Lady Macbeth's persuasion and manipulation of Macbeth, implying that she is the driving force behind the murder plan. "I am settled, and bend up / Each corporal agent to this terrible feat." - Macbeth (Act 1, Scene 7) Macbeth's line suggests a resolve and determination to go through with the murder, but also hints at being influenced or controlled by external forces, such as Lady Macbeth. "I could not say 'Amen', / When they did say 'God bless us!' " - Macbeth (Act 2, Scene 2) This quote reveals Macbeth's inner turmoil and guilt after committing the murder, indicating that he may not have acted out of his own free will.
Next to the coolant reservoir... black hose sticking forward with a plastic screw in it...
The witches told Macbeth the predictions to manipulate him into taking actions that would lead to his downfall. They planted seeds of ambition and greed in his mind, sparking his thirst for power that ultimately led to his tragic fate.