Act 5 Flashcards
What happens in Act 5 scene 1?
- Woman and Doctor speak about Lady Macbeth .
- The woman refuses to speak about what she heard Lady Macbeth say as she has no one to back her up.
- Lady Macbeth appears
- They both watch LM’s futile attempts to wash her blood clean from her hands.
- The doctor says she needs spiritual help
Why does Lady Macbeth keep jumping from one topic to another when she sleep walks?
- Frantic
- Lost all sense of reality
Give one quote that shows Lady Macbeth’s guilt as she is attempting to wash the blood from her hands.
“Will these hands never be clean.”
PREVIOUSLY: “a little water clears us of this deed.”
- Macbeth: “will all great Neptune’s ocean… “
Ultimately, neither are going to wash away their guilt…
KEY FORM: PROSE AND BLANK VERSE
How does Lady Macbeth’s form in the way she speaks change?
- Most of play is in Blank Verse.
- She used fiery blank verse to reflect her strong grasp of reality.
- Now, prose…. abrupt
- Lady Macbeth’s langauge is breaking down, just like her.
- With death, language disappears all together
What happens in Act 5, Scene 2?
- Introduced to the rebel Scottish army.
- Keen to overthrow Macbeth with the english.
KEY CONTEXT: THE CROWN
Why does Shakespeare ensure that the Scottish army is going to recover the crown as well as The English one?
- Shakespeare’s being politically correct with contemporary events - James was ruler of Scotland and England.
- Shakespeare trying to please the patron of his Shakespeare company.
IMAGERY OF CLOTHING
How does the motif of clothing, In Act 5 Scene 2, show the Scottish’s disrespect towards Macbeth?
- “like a giant’s robe upon a dwarfish thief.”
- Thief and comical simile: disrespect.
What happens in Act 5, Scene 3?
- Macbeth thinks he is unstoppable because of the prophecies.
- Macbeth tells Doctor to cure his wife. (imperatives)
- He continues to think the prophecies are going to keep him undefeated.
What is disturbing about the fact Macbeth says to hang anyone with fear?
- Shows how callous and evil he has become.
- This is second- nature for him now.
What happens in Act 5, Scene 4?
- Malcom orders his troops to cut branches off Birnam Wood trees to conceal their numbers from Macbeth.
- Influence of the witches and supernatural is felt in this scene
What does Macbeth call his land in Act 5, Scene 3?
- Calls it diseased
- He is aware of this, makes him a tragic hero
How is Act 5 structured to increase tension?
- Scenes are very short - increasing tension.
Who is Seyton in Macbeth?
- Macbeth’s chief servant.
What happens in Act 5, Scene 5?
- Macbeth thinks that he is unstoppable due to the witche’s prophecies.
- A cry of women is heard, Seyton goes to check.
- He tells Macbeth that Lady Macbeth is dead.
- ## A messenger says that Birnam Wood is moving to Dunsinane Hill.
Give a quote that shows how Macbeth reacts to Lady Macbeth dying.
“Out, out brief candle! Life’s but a walking shadow.”
