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Macbeth > Characters > Flashcards

Characters Flashcards

1
Q

Macbeth - Brave and Ambitious

A
  • “I have no spur / To prick the sides of my intent, but only / Vaulting ambition”
  • Brave - “brave Macbeth - well he deserves that name”
  • “valiant” warrior
  • “will not yield”
  • “try the last”
  • fights “bear-like”
  • “noble Macbeth”
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2
Q

Macbeth - a brutal murderer

A
  • Macduff calls him a “hell-hound”
  • Young Siward calls him “abhorred tyrant”
  • Let’s Lady Macbeth persuade him to kill Duncan - his ambition is stronger than his morality
  • His violent ambition has ruined all his noble characteristics
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3
Q

Macbeth - struggles with guilty conscience

A
  • Worries about consequences of actions because theres “judgement” on earth and “deep damnation” after death. Makes his actions even more shocking.
    Guilty - “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood / Clean from my hand?”
  • Reluctant to kill Duncan, who has “honoured” him, and says, “We will proceed no further in this business “. He sounds confident, as if he’s made up his mind - he recognises Duncan trusts him as “his kinsman”.
  • Guilty conscience makes him imagine things:
    • Duncan’s murder - hears a voice saying “Macbeth does murder sleep”
    • Sees Banquo’s ghost at feast and almost gives himself away, Lady Macbeth thinks he’s hallucinating.
  • By the end, he seems world-weary and cynical - no longer seems to feel guilty - believes a person’s actions don’t matter and life means “nothing”.
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4
Q

Macbeth - easily influenced

A
  • Lady Macbeth questions his masculinity, which leads Macbeth to kill Duncan partly because he doesn’t want to be seen as unmanly or a “coward”.
  • Her influence on him declines after first murder - murders afterwards seem to come easily so he acts alone.
  • Influenced by supernatural
    • Trusts witches straight away after first meeting them, saying “Two truths are told”. Banquo is more suspicious.
    • Sees a dagger which leads him to Duncan’s room.
    • As the witches’ prophecies start to come true, - his belief in them increases, and he begins to rely more heavily on what they tell him, panics when prophecies are fulfilled unexpectedly.
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5
Q

Macbeth - Language

A

The way Macbeth speaks reflects his state of mind. He asks lots of questions when he’s feeling uncertain or guilty: “Whence is that knocking? / How is’t with me, when every noise appals me?”. At the start and end, his language is more certain and confident: “Stars, hide your fires”, “I will not yield”.

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6
Q

Macbeth - Fate and Free Will (theme)

A

When Macbeth says, “I am settled and bend up / Each corporal agent to this terrible feat”, it sounds like he’s making a deliberate decision to kill Duncan. Later, he says he didn’t have control over his actions because he’s just a “poor player” who’s controlled by fate (or he could be trying to make himself feel less guilty about his crimes).

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7
Q

Macbeth - Kingship (theme)

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Macbeth knows what Duncan is a good king - “clear in his great office”, and that killing him would damage Scotland. Macbeth places his own desires above his love of Scotland - this hints that he’ll be a bad king.

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8
Q

Macbeth - Symbolism (Shakespeare’s techniques)

A

Lady Macbeth persuades Macbeth to kill Duncan by suggesting that he’ll be “more the man”. Throughout the play, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth link masculinity with courage and strength.

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9
Q

Lady Macbeth - Cruel and ruthless

A
  • Influences Macbeth
  • Ambitious and doesn’t mind committing terrible crimes to get what she wants.
  • At start of party, she’s dominant and confident and persuades Macbeth killing Duncan is the best thing to do.
  • ” And fill me from the crown to the toe topfull / Of direst cruelty”
  • Cunning - “look like th’innocent flower, / But be the serpent under ‘t”
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10
Q

Lady Macbeth - Very ambitious

A
  • When she receives his letter, she immediately assumes they need to kill Duncan - more ruthless than her husband.
  • She thinks no other woman would plan this murder - which is why she appeals to the spirit world to “unsex” her and fill her with “direst cruelty”.
  • Knows Macbeth’s weak spots - uses them to manipulate him.
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11
Q

Lady Macbeth - Good and Evil (theme)

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Lady Macbeth says that Macbeth is “too full o’th’milk of human kindness” - she thinks his goodness makes him a “coward” and stops him from achieving his ambitions.

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12
Q

Lady Macbeth - Symbolism (Shakespeare’s techniques)

A

Lady Macbeth links masculinity to strength and violence, but Shakespeare does that women can be just as ruthless and cold-hearted as men.

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13
Q

Lady Macbeth - clever and quick-witted

A
  • She comes up with the cunning plot to drug Duncan’s servants and “smear” them “with blood” to frame them for murder.
  • Faints when Duncan’s murder is discovered - most likely a pretence, drawing away attention from Macbeth’s unconvincing speech.
  • Covers up Macbeth’s strange behaviour when he sees Banquo’s ghost - she tells the lords ghat Macbeth’s “fit is momentary” and a condition since his youth - she’s in control of situation.
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14
Q

Lady Macbeth - Reality and Appearances (theme)

A

If Lady Macbeth only pretends to faint, she’s taking advantage of the way women were viewed at the time. She’s using the stereotype of a weak woman overcome by shock to hide the reality of her cruel, cold-hearted nature.

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15
Q

Lady Macbeth - Shakespeare uses her to explore gender and power

A
  • Women traditionally seen as kinder and weaker than men.
  • Shakespeare uses LM to show that this isn’t always true.
  • She says she would kill her own baby if she’d sworn to do it. Shakespeare contrasts her with Lady Macduff who’s a caring mother.
  • Thinks women are made weak by their maternal instincts - she tells the spirits to “Come to my woman’s breasts / And take my milk for gall” - wants to lose her femininity.
  • She does have a softer side. She says she couldn’t kill Duncan herself because he reminded her of her father. This shows that she’s not as cold-hearted as she appears.
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16
Q

Lady Macbeth - Ambition (theme)

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  • The play is set in a male-dominated society, so Lady Macbeth can only achieve her ambitions through Macbeth.
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17
Q

Grade 8-9 - Lady Macbeth and the witches have androgynous (neither feminine nor masculine) features

A
  • The witches have “beards” and Lady Macbeth asks the spirits to”unsex” her. As they all manipulate Macbeth, Shakespeare uses a rejection of gender norms as a symbol of power.
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18
Q

Lady Macbeth - goes mad with guilt and kills herself

A
  • At first, Macbeth struggles with guilt. By the end, Lady Macbeth is driven mad by guilt.
  • Starts sleepwalking. Doctor calls this a “great perturbation in nature” because her mind is so disturbed that it’s affected her ability to sleep soundly.
  • In her sleep, she keeps waking hands in hope she can wash away her feelings of guilt just as easily as the blood after Duncan’s murder: “Out, damned spot!”
  • Guilt and isolation affect Lady Macbeth so much that she kills herself - she can’t live with what she’s done.
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19
Q

Lady Macbeth - Language

A

The way Lady Macbeth speaks reflects her state of mind - at the beginning, she speaks confidently in verse. By the end, her speech is made up of mad ramblings and repetitions - “Come, come, come, come, give me your hand.” It shows she’s lost all self control.

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20
Q

Lady Macbeth - Symbolism (Shakespeare’s techniques)

A

Sleepwalking was thought to be unnatural in Shakespeare’s time - sleep is the “Balm of hurt minds”, so the fact that Lady Macbeth can’t sleep peacefully emphasises her madness.

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21
Q

Macbeth’s Marriage is Intense

A
  • Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s relationship changes.
  • At beginning, it seems loving and passionate - Macbeth calls Lady Macbeth “my dearest partner of greatness”.
  • As play develops, it becomes clear Last Macbeth dominates Macbeth - she manipulates him into killing Duncan and covers up strange behaviour when he sees Banquo’s ghost.
  • As Macbeth reveals less about his plans to his wife, Lady Macbeth becomes increasingly anxious and alone. Even though she’s domineering at the beginning, she can’t cope without her husband.
22
Q

Duncan - Kind but too trusting

A

Kind - “let me enfold thee / And hold thee to my heart”
Trusting - “There’s no art / To find the mind’s construction in the face”
- King at start of play. He is a kind and generous man who rewards loyalty - he hands out honours to Macbeth and Malcolm.
- Nobody has a bad word to say about him - even Macbeth says that “his virtues / Will plead like angels”.
- Flaw - can be too trusting. Trusts Macbeth and doesn’t suspect he’s plotting to kill him and he describes the treacherous Thane of Cawdor as “a gentleman on whom I built / An absolute trust”. However, he can be firm when needed - he executes the Thane of Cawdor when he betrays him.

23
Q

Duncan - presented as a model king - he’s kind, honest and fair

A
  • “So clear in his great office”
  • Macbeth says one of the reasons he shouldn’t kill Duncan is because he’s a good leader with many “virtues”. Macduff also calls him “a most sainted king”, reminding the audience that kings were thought to be chosen by God.
  • Duncan is kind generous and trusting, and puts Scotland’s needs ahead of his own. This contrasts with Macbeth, who is a bad king - he’s a tyrant who’s feared and hated. Macbeth puts his own selfish desires ahead of his country.
24
Q

Duncan - Kingship (theme)

A

In Act 4 Scene 3, Malcolm talks about what a good king should be like. He says a ruler should have “stableness”, “mercy” and “justice” - qualities that Duncan has.

25
Q

Duncan - Symbolism (Shakespeare’s techniques)

A
  1. Duncan uses a lot of plant imagery - he says he will “plant” Macbeth and make sure he is “full of growing”. This shows how he nurtures his subjects.
  2. Duncan doesn’t have the qualities that other characters associate with manliness, but Shakespeare shows that he’s kind, fair and generous. This leads the audience to question whether a good leader really needs to be a violent warrior.
26
Q

Duncan - Gentle

A
  • Not a soldier like Macbeth or Macduff - He’s gentle and less aggressive. He doesn’t fight himself, but he sensibly sends his best soldiers to fight for him.
  • Not afraid to be emotional - he shows “drops of sorrow” because he’s so happy and talks about his “gentle senses” - this might have been seen as unmanly.
27
Q

Malcolm + Donalbain Learn from their father’s mistakes

A
  • Malcolm is fair and honest, like his father. However, unlike Duncan, Malcolm and Donalbain are aware that they’re in danger from those closest to them: “There’s daggers in men’s smiles, the near’r in blood, / The nearer bloody”. They have common sense to flee Scotland after their father is murdered.
  • Malcolm learns he should only trust people who’ve proved their loyalty - when Macduff visits him, Malcolm tests his loyalty by pretending to be a tyrant. He knows that even people who seem good can be evil - “all things foul would wear the brows of grace”.
  • In the end, Malcolm and Macduff make a good partnership because Macduff’s experience gives Malcolm the confidence to take action.
28
Q

Malcolm - Wise and honest

A

Wise - “wisdom plucks me / From over-credulous haste”

Honest - “delight / No less in truth than life “

29
Q

Malcolm + Donalbain - not impulsive

A
  • They don’t react to their father’s murder immediately. Malcolm says that their sorrow is too “strong” to act on it straight away. It shows that he’s sensible and unwilling to act without waiting for the right time.
  • Annoyed that Macbeth is making grand speeches which should be made by Duncan’s sons - Malcolm asks Donalbain, “Why do we hold our tongues”.
30
Q

Malcolm - Reality + Appearance (theme)

A

Malcolm is more suspicious of false appearances than Duncan was - he says, “To show an unfelt sorrow is an office / Which the false man does easy”. He’s wary of people who seem fake, like Macbeth.

31
Q

Malcolm - develops into a good leader

A
  • Malcolm becomes a confident leader. He earns the trust of the Scottish thanes, who say they will “give obedience where ‘tis truly owed”. They will follow Malcolm because he’s the rightful king.
  • He eventually returns to Scotland with an army. He proves that he’s clever by disguising the soldiers with branches, and leads his army to victory, which shows that he is a strong leader.
  • He rewards everyone who fought with him - like Duncan, he’s generous to those who are loyal to him.
32
Q

Malcolm - Kingship (theme)

A

Malcolm has many of the qualities that made Duncan a good king, but he’s less naive than his father. This suggests that he’ll eventually make a better king.

33
Q

Banquo - more honourable than Macbeth

A

Brave - “that dauntless temper of his mind”
Noble - “Noble Banquo, / That hast no less deserved”
Wise - “The instruments of darkness tell us truths, / Win us with honest trifles - to betray’s”
- Praised for his courage in battle - just like Macbeth. However, while Macbeth is guided by his own selfish desires, Banquo has “a wisdom that doth guide his valour”. This suggests that Banquo thinks before he acts and does what is right.
- He is ambitious too and hopes prophecies will come true but he doesn’t act on them, so he represents the path Macbeth could have chosen. Banquo isn’t corrupted by his ambition like Macbeth is, so he remains honourable.
- Macbeth promises to “honour” Banquo for his loyalty, but Banquo chooses to keep his “allegiance clear” - his conscience is more important to him than power and glory.

34
Q

Banquo - doesn’t trust witches

A
  • He behaves rationally when he meets witches - he questions whether they are real, doesn’t trust them. In contrast, Macbeth wants them to tell him more, and is “rapt withal”.
  • Banquo tells witches that he”neither been nor fear / Your favours”, but he’s still intrigued to hear what they have to say. He admits to having “dreamt last night of the three weird sisters”, which suggests he’s still thinking about the predictions.
35
Q

Banquo - Reality and Appearance (theme)

A

Banquo’s aware that the witches could be “fantastical” and is perceptive enough to realise that they are “instruments of darkness” that could “win us to our harm”. He’s more cautious about believing what he sees than Macbeth is.

36
Q

Banquo - doesn’t act to protect himself

A
  • He suspects Macbeth murdered Duncan - “I fear, / Thou play’dst most foully”. However, he doesn’t act on his suspicions and instead reminds himself that he will be the “father / Of many kings” - this shows that ambitious thoughts can distract even the most honourable characters.
  • Macbeth sees Banquo as a threat - he says that there’s no one except Banquo “Whose being I do fear”. When Macbeth’s hired killers surround him, Banquo’s exclamation of “O, treachery!” shows that he didn’t suspect that Macbeth would betray him.
37
Q

Banquo - Supernatural (theme)

A

Macbeth is haunted by Banquo’s ghost, which shows how guilty Macbeth feels about killing his honourable friend.

38
Q

Macduff - Honest and sincere

A

Noble - “this noble passion, / Child of integrity”
A soldier - “I have no words: / My voice is in my sword”
Emotional - “I must also feel it as a man”
- Macduff is a nobleman. He’s honest and has integrity, so he acts as a contrast to Macbeth. He discovers Duncan’s murder and is horrified by it.
- Doesn’t go to Mandy’s coronation - suggests he is suspicious of Macbeth.
- Has a strong sense of loyalty and love for his country. He doesn’t like the way Macbeth rules, so he goes to England to persuade Malcolm to help - he exclaims “O Scotland, Scotland!” which reflects his emotional turmoil about the state of his country.
- He is brave - he fights and kills Macbeth, freeing Scotland from “the tyrant”.

39
Q

Macduff - Shakespeare’s techniques

A

Macduff is angry that, under Macbeth’s rule, “New widows howl, new orphans cry”. This is ironic, as his wife and children have just been murdered.

40
Q

Macduff - puts his country before his family

A
  • Makes a mistake by going to England, leaving his wife and children unprotected. His decision shows his strong sense of justice, but also his lack of “wisdom”.
  • When he finds out Macbeth has had them murdered, he is overcome with grief. His reaction shows his disbelief: “All my pretty ones? / Did you say all?”
    • In contrast with the other men who see emotions as a sign of weakness, Macduff days that he will “feel” his grief “as a man”. This shows that he sees the ability to show emotion as an important part of his masculinity.
  • Macduff kills Macbeth both to put the rightful heir on the throne and to avenge his family. He thinks that his wife and children will “haunt” him until he kills Macbeth.
41
Q

Lady Macduff

A
  • When Macduff goes to England, Lady Macduff says that he lacks “the natural touch” - she thinks his behaviour shows a lack of fatherly love.
  • Lady Macduff shows courage as she comforts her son, calling him “Poor bird”. Her love and affection for him are clear. They speak in prose, which makes the scene feel natural and homely - this makes the murders seem even more shocking and horrible.
42
Q

Lady Macduff - Good and Evil (theme)

A

Lady Macduff’s goodness and caring behaviour towards her son contrast with Lady Macbeth’s unnatural, evil desires - she says she’d kill her baby to get what she wants.

43
Q

Witches - Supernatural powers

A
  • Also known as the Weïrd Sisters - ‘weird’ comes from Old English word ‘Wyrd’ which means ‘fate’. Suggests the witches are instruments of fate.
  • By giving them beards, shakespeare intended for them to appear unnatural, which links them with evil.
  • Witches can see future - all their predictions come true eventually. Seem to act out of malice - they don’t gain anything from their actions, they just like causing trouble.
  • They speak in short lines that rhyme. This sets them apart from the other characters. Lines like “Eye of newt, and toe of frog, / Wool of bat, and tongue of dog” make them sound gruesome and evil.
  • Banquo isn’t sure whether witches are real or imaginary - “Are ye fantastical, or that indeed / Which outwardly ye show?” He’s suspicious that their appearance is misleading.
44
Q

Witches - Evil, Ambiguous and Strange

A
  • Evil - “instruments of darkness”
  • Ambiguous - “This supernatural soliciting / Cannot be ill, cannot be good.”
  • Strange - “So withered and so wild”
45
Q

Witches - Reality + Appearance

A

The witches’ line “Fair is foul, and foul is fair” shows that nothing is as it seems in the play.

46
Q

Witches - evil but don’t tell Macbeth to murder Duncan

A
  • Witches are usually accompanied by “Thunder and lightning”. This makes the atmosphere dark and frightening.
  • They make prophecies but they never explain how they’ll happen. In this way, they take advantage of Macbeth’s weakness (his “Vaulting ambition”) and use it to control him.
  • Witches don’t tell Macbeth to murder Duncan - but they do predict he’ll be king, which pushes him to kill Duncan.
  • Witches confuse Macbeth using paradoxes - for example, telling him that Banquo will be “Lesser than Macbeth, and greater”. By not being clear about what the future holds, they keep control of Macbeth.
47
Q

Hecate

A
  • The goddess of witchcraft. She’s angry at Macbeth’s behaviour, so she uses the apparitions to punish him. They trick him by making predictions that give him a false sense of security, such as “none of woman born / Shall harm Macbeth”. These predictions indirectly lead to his death.
  • (Grade 8-9) - Hecate says that “security / Is mortals’ chiefest enemy”, suggesting that Macbeth’s complacency is the cause of his demise. However, you could argue that it’s his insecurity that begins his downfall - he kills Duncan to ensure he becomes king, and doesn’t feel “safely” king while Banquo and Fleance are still alive.
48
Q

Witches - Fate + Free Will

A

Shakespeare doesn’t make it clear whether the Witches are messengers of fate (so their prophecies are inevitable) or whether Macbeth could change his future.

49
Q

Thanes (Lennox, Ross, Menteith, Angus, Caithness) - Purpose

A
  • None are significant characters, simply there go move story along and show how power shifts during the play
  • They comment on big events of play - e.g. in Act 3 Scene 6, Lennox sarcastically says that Macbeth “nobly” and “wisely” killed Duncan’s guards. This shows that the thanes suspect Macbeth killed Duncan, and suggests he’s starting to lose power.
  • Thanes say that they will “give obedience where ‘tis truly owed” - in other words, they’ll be loyal to whoever deserves it. They gradually start to question whether Macbeth is the rightful king, and start to resent his tyranny. By the end of play, they side with Malcolm and help him defeat Macbeth.
50
Q

Ross

A

Represents the noblemen who comment on the action but are reluctant to put themselves in danger. He warns Lady Macduff that “cruel are the times” but makes an excuse to leave before the murderers arrive. This leaves Lady Macduff, who he calls his “dearest coz”, unprotected.

51
Q

Siward - Loyalty and Betrayal (theme)

A
  • Siward is an English Lord, a great fighter and helps Malcolm defeat Macbeth. He has a young son who is killed in battle by Macbeth.
  • Siward shows how important honour and bravery are to him by saying he’s glad his son died an honourable death and showed loyalty to Malcolm.

Macbeth (2 decks)

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