All 3 Uses of
purge
in
Macbeth
- Blood hath been shed ere now, i' the olden time,
Ere humane statute purged the gentle weal;
Ay, and since too, murders have been performed
Too terrible for the ear: the time has been,
That, when the brains were out, the man would die,
And there an end; but now they rise again,
With twenty mortal murders on their crowns,
And push us from our stools: this is more strange
Than such a murder is.†p. 105.3purged = eliminated (got rid of)
- Well, march we on,
To give obedience where 'tis truly owed:
Meet we the medicine of the sickly weal;
And with him pour we, in our country's purge,
Each drop of us.†p. 167.9 *purge = get rid of
- —If thou couldst, doctor, cast
The water of my land, find her disease,
And purge it to a sound and pristine health,
I would applaud thee to the very echo,
That should applaud again.†p. 173.3
Definition:
get rid of things thought undesirable
The exact meaning of purge can depend upon its context. For example:
- "purge the government of our enemies" -- get rid of people for political reasons
- "purge my closet of everything I haven't worn in a year" -- get rid of undesired things
- "To purge yourself of crippling sorrow, you'll need to express it." -- get rid of unwanted feelings
- "I'm doing a 24-hour purge and then starting a new diet." -- emptying the intestinal tract