Grade 9 Vocab

Question 1

Allegory

Answer 1

When characters and plot represent ideas that relate to morality, politics or religion

Question 2

Allusion

Answer 2

A way of making reference to something without explicitly stating what It is you’re referring to

Question 3

Anagnorsis

Answer 3

The point in a text when a key character realises the true nature of their circumstances

Question 4

Androgynous

Answer 4

The point in a text when a key character realises the true nature of their circumstances or another character’s true identity.

Question 5

Archetype

Answer 5

Effectively a stereotype of a character or a thing.
E.g Macduff fits the archetype of the avenging hero, motivated by revenge and good intentions.

Question 6

Biblical illusions

Answer 6

Relating to the bible.
E.g The three witches mirror the holy trinity; the father, the son and Holy Spirit. Their prophecies echo the messages of the prophets in the bible.

Question 7

Caricature

Answer 7

A deception of a person in which key characteristics are exaggerated for comic effect or to imply a grotesque quality.
E.g The witches are depicted as caricatures of a typical witch image. Their warty noses and bears are exaggerated to emphasise their monstrous qualities.

Question 8

Hyperbole

Answer 8

Figurative speech used for exaggeration. E.g Shakespeare uses an hyperbole in Act2.2 following Duncan’s murder, Macbeth laments that all the oceans in the world cannot wash the blood from his hands, emphasising the way the murder is weighing down on his conscience.

Question 9

Catharsis

Answer 9

Releasing strong or repressed emotion. E.g Macbeth’s pious delusions proves to be cathartic to the audience who are intimately involved with the tension he was created.

Question 10

Hubris

Answer 10

Exaggerated self confidence which often leads to a characters downfall. E.g Macbeth is the human embodiment of hubris; his exaggerated self-confidence drives him to pursue his desires lead by his ambitions, eventually leading to his tragic downfall.

Question 11

Malevolent

Answer 11

Evil. E.g Macbeth is malevolent as he becomes an archetypal villain.

Question 12

Epitome

Answer 12

A person or item which is a perfect representation of a quality or concept. E.g Lady Macbeth is the epitome of evil, making use of manipulation, cunning and ruthlessness to achieve her goal of becoming the queen.

Question 13

Emasculation

Answer 13

Making a man feel less masculine by taking away his power. E.g Lady Macbeth emasculates Macbeth, belittling and depriving him until he gives in to the idea of killing Duncan.

Question 14

Conscience

Answer 14

Moral sense of right and wrong. E.g The prominent and immediate guilt Macbeth feels following Duncan’s murder is informed by his conscience; he is aware that his actions are morally wrong, but his ambitions forced him to ignore his conscience

Question 15

Dichotomy

Answer 15

A division into two opposite groups. E.g Macbeth and Macduff’s attitude to loyalty represents a dichotomy of morals. While Macduff prioritises those he is loyal to, Macbeth is consistently disloyal, going so far to kill his close companion Banquo.

Question 16

Hamartia

Answer 16

A character’s fatal flaw. E.g Macbeth’s hamartia is his ambition and hubris; a combination of the two results in his downfall.

Question 17

Facade

Answer 17

A deceptive outward appearance used to conceal a persons true personality or feelings. E.g Lady Macbeth encourages Macbeth to put up a facade when she tells him “look like the innocent flower but be the serpent under it”

Question 18

Femme Fatale

Answer 18

A woman who tries to achieve her hidden purpose by employing her felinity and skills of charm and seduction. E.g Lady Macbeth fits the archetype of a femme fatale because she uses her emotional intelligence to manipulate Macbeth into killing the king.

Question 19

Foil

Answer 19

A character with contrasting qualities. E.g Banquo’s noble nature makes him a foil to Macbeth as they face the same temptation, but Banquo’s morals prevent him from taking action, while Macbeth’s do not.

Question 20

Ideology

Answer 20

Beleifs that dictate how a person thinks and acts. E.g Macbeth is representative of an ideology of absolutism, which refers to the holding of power as Macbeth does since he gains the throne.

Question 21

Motif

Answer 21

A repeating idea used to dictate a tone and emphasise themes. E.g Hallucinations are a key motif throughout the play, tormenting Macbeth and Lady Macbeth and serving as clear supernatural representations of their guilt.

Question 22

Nihilism

Answer 22

Rejection of religion and the belief that life Is meaningless. E.g Macbeth’s “Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow” soliloquy emphasises his nihilism; upon hearing of his wife’s death he looks to his reality rather than lamenting his loss.

Question 23

Vicissitude

Answer 23

Change of circumstance that is unfortunate. E.g Macbeth experienced the vicissitudes of fate as his initial rise to power is followed by a series of tragic events that ultimately lead to his demise.