English Flashcards
Ambition quote 1:
‘I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent but only vaulting ambition which overleaps itself’ - MacBeth- Metaphor: Compares his ambition to a rider jumping up onto the saddle of a horse. This is used to reference his attempt to kill king the king and take his position (jumping onto the saddle) and then ultimately failing when he and Lady MacBeth gets killed (Falling off the saddle of the horse.)
Ambition quote 2:
“If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me without my stir.” - MacBeth- Juxtaposition: It is contrasting his thoughts before and after. He believes that he will not have to do anything to become king but as his ambition grows, he becomes more desperate to become king.
Gender Quote 1:
“Like the Poor cat in the adage?” - Lady MacBeth to MacBeth- Simile: Lady MacBeth says this to MacBeth to compare him to a cowardly cat. She is challenging the Jacobean normalities by clearly showing more dominant traits then what were usual at that time.
Gender quote 2:
“You should be women,
And yet your beards forbid me to interpret
That you are so” - Banquo to the three witches - Imagery: Banquo says this to the witches to relate back to the feminine qualities that were present at that time. HE is referring to the idea that because the witches have “beards” it means that they cannot be woman.
Fate quote 1:
“All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis!
All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!
All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!” - Witches to MacBeth - Repetition: As the witches chant these words we are lead to believe that the witches are challenging or changing fate in some way. During the Jacobean era people believed in the “Great chain of being” this being a social hierarchy. It was believed that to become king you must be born into the the bloodline, but the witches are saying that MacBeth will somehow inherit the throne.
Fate quote 2:
“I dare do all that may become a man” - MacBeth to Lady Macbeth - Symbolic language: Macbeth is stating that he will do anything that he is required to be a man. He does this in order to retain his manly qualities but the use of the word “may” implies that he does not believe that he is doing the right thing. This plays into the theme of gender, and also fate. His fate is being controlled by the manly attributes that were present at that time.
Guilt quote 1:
“I am in blood stepped in so far that, should I wade no more, returning were as tedious as go over”- MacBeth - Metaphor: MacBeth is stating that he has come too far to turn back now. He has great guilt of what he has done, but he knows that even if he stopped now, it would not make it better. He understands that he must continue in order to make the death of the king worthwhile.
Quilt quote 2:
“All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand”- Lady MacBeth- Imagery: She is referring to the delusion of smelling the blood on her hand after killing king Duncan. She is being consumed by her guilty conscience. This is evident after she takes or own life later in the play.
