All 3 Uses of
purge
in
Macbeth
- Blood hath been shed ere now, i' the olden time,
Ere humane statute purged the gentle weal.p. 105.3 *purged = cleansededitor's notes: This could be paraphrased as: "Blood has been spilled before in old times before kind laws cleansed the general welfare."
- Meet we the medicine of the sickly weal,
And with him pour we, in our country's purge,
Each drop of us.p. 167.9purge = cleansingeditor's notes: This could be paraphrased as: "Let us meet the cure for our troubled nation, and with him, we’ll pour out every bit of ourselves to cleanse our country."
- If thou couldst, doctor, cast
The water of my land, find her disease,
And purge it to a sound and pristine health,p. 173.3purge = cleanseeditor's notes: This could be paraphrased as: "If you could, doctor, examine the state of my country, find its illness, and cleanse it back to its original, perfect health,"
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