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"shag-eared"
Language
Act 4,
Scene 2
Lines 83-84

An explanation of the term "shag-eared" in Act 4, Scene 2 of myShakespeare's Macbeth

First Murderer

He's a traitor.

Son

Thou liest, thou shag-eared villain.

In medieval England, criminals sometimes had their noses and ears slit or completely cut off. Their mutilated ears would indicate that they’ve been convicted of serious crimes. It’s also possible that Shakespeare meant shaggy-haired, which was a slang term for a villain. Or indeed he may have intended for the audience to think of both these terms.