Denotation:
"Is this a dagger which I see before me,
The handle toward my hand?" (Act II, Scene I)
In this famous soliloquy, Macbeth is contemplating whether he should commit the murder of King Duncan. The phrase "dagger" is used in its denotative sense, referring to a specific type of knife with a sharp blade and a handle. The rest of the sentence further describes the dagger's position relative to Macbeth's hand.