Ambition Flashcards
‘Why do I yield to that suggestion whose horrid image does unfix my hair’
L: MB’s first thought is one of murder. The adjective ‘horrid’ suggests that he knows murdering D to achieve his ambition is morally wrong. The verb ‘unfix’ suggests that the strength of his ambition scares him.
‘too full o’th milk of human kindness’
L: metaphor. LMB feminises MB; she knows he is ambitious but too kind to act upon achieving his ambitions off the battlefield. She realises that she will need to manipulate him into murdering D
‘Stars hide your fires, let not light see my black and deep desires’
L: adjectives ‘deep’ and ‘black’ suggests MB knows his murderous ambition is morally wrong but equally as strong. The stars symbolise the light of heaven - he dies not want God to see what he is planning to do but he will commit the murder anyways
‘It is said… that myself should be the root and father of many kings’ - B
L: metaphor. B hopes that his descendants will be kings of Scotland. The metaphor creates an image of a family tree with B at its root
C: Shakespeare was deliberately flattering James the first for whom the play was written for, as he was a Scottish descendant of Banquo
‘I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition’
L: metaphor. MB battles with his conscience he knows he has no motive for killing a morally good king.
C: DRK. MB knows killing a kings is an act against God. Gun powder plot - Shakespeare sending a warning
‘A poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more’
L: extended metaphor of people as actors and a life of stage. MB realises that he is just a ‘poor player’ with limited time on Earth and when he dies he will be forgotten. All his ambition has been for nothing he has damned his soul to hell.
