Key Theme - Kingship Flashcards
What is kingship?
BEING THE KING
ALL the key themes link to kingship
what can you talk about for the theme of Kingship?
-Macbeth being king
-Macbeths ambitions to be king (key theme!)
-Lady Macbeths encouragement of Macbeth to become king through committing regicide (killing king)
-Macbeths guilt about regicide (key theme!)
-Lady Macbeths guilt after encouraging Macbeth to commit regicide
-The supernatural prophecies about Macbeth being king (key theme!)
-Banquo resisting the temptations of kingship (supernatural prophecies)
-Macbeth justifying violence to acquire the illegitimate title of king
-Malcolm being the rightful king, who is divinely ordained
-Macduff aiming to restore natural order and the divine right of kings by killing Macbeth
-Anything about the divine right of kings
How each theme LINKS to kingship
-Ambition: allure of kingship/ambition to violate kingship.
-Violence: violent pursuit of kingship.
-Guilt: consequences of violating kingship.
-Appearance vs Reality: how deceit is used to acquire power and kingship.
-Supernatural: supernatural allure of kingship/self-fulfilling prophecies about kingship.
-Gender: Macbeths emasculation propels him into violating the divine right of kings.
Macbeth & keywords that link to kingship (paragraphs)
-violates kingship
-transgression of kingship
-violates the divine right of kings
-subverts divine law
-tyrannical pursuit of kingship
-immoral kingship
-indulged into the allure of kingship
-betrays kingship
-kingship tainted by betrayal & sin
Lady Macbeth & keywords that link to kingship (paragraphs)
-encourages/propels Macbeths violation of kingship
-catalyses Macbeths transgression of kingship
-propels macbeth into violating the divine right of kings
-she encourages Macbeths usurpation (take w force) of kingship
The Witches & keywords that link to kingship (paragraphs)
-their self-fulfilling prophecies cause Macbeth to violate kingship
-their prophecies make Macbeth feel justified in his usurpation (take w force) of kingship
-allure of supernatural prophecies blind him to consequences of violating the divine right of kings
-catalyse Macbeths transgression of kingship and divine law
Banquo & keywords that link to kingship (paragraphs)
-abides by the divine right of kings
-possesses a moral compass against the allure of kingship
-loyalty to the crown and divine authority
-moral & religious stance against the distribution of kingship
-realisation of Macbeths usurpation (take w force) of kingship
Macduff & keywords that link to kingship (paragraphs)
-restore order caused by Macbeths violent violation of kingship
-restoration of true kingship
-restoration of the divine right of king
-determination to avenge the betrayal of kingship
Malcolm & keywords that link to kingship (paragraphs)
-embodiment of true kingship
-rightful return to kingship
-restoration of his rightful kingship
-has divine authority due to the divine right of kings
MACBETH Link to theme of kingship: “Vaulting ambition which o’erleaps itself and falls on th’ other” (Act 1)
-personification: macbeth personifies his ambition portraying it as possessing a potency comparable to a human force that can exert influence and pull him into the allure of acquiring the illegitimate title of king.
-metaphor: metaphorical portrayal of Macbeths ambition as an untameable, animalistic force.
-> this metaphor not only depicts Macbeths struggle to control his ambitious desire to violate kingship but also suggests self deception.
-when he acknowledges its eventual ‘’fall’’, it indicates Macbeth’s awareness that his all encompassing ambition is his hamartia destined to lead to his mental and physical decline as he will be violating the true essence of kingship - the divine right of kings.
-alternatively, this portrayal positions Macbeth as a victim ensnared by his own ambition, showcasing his introspective understanding of its fatal consequences and presenting him as vulnerable to its relentless influence.
MACDUFF Link to theme of kingship: ”I have no words; my voice is my sword” (Act 5)
-Violent Metaphor: in employing a violent metaphor, Macduff contends that the restoration of Scotland’s natural Order necessitates physical violence - his ambition is to rightfully restored Scotland from Macbeths violation of kingship.
-> thus the initial upheaval brought about by Macbeth’s violent tyrannical means, mandates a similar force to rectify the natural order of the divine right of kings that has been disrupted.
-> Macduff is the archetype (perfect example) of the avenging hero, motivated by revenge. Despite his personal motivations rooted in revenge, the nobility of his intentions shines through as he wants to eradicate the chaos brought about from Macbeths immoral kingship
-Short Sentence: the short sentence reflects the short amount of time that Scotland will have to continue to suffer.
-> by slewing Macbeth Scotland can be rightly governed and flourish under divine ordain.
SUPERNATURAL + BANQUO link to theme of kingship: ”instruments of darkness” (Banquo Act 1)
-Auditory image on “instruments”: The auditory imagery created by the lexis (word choice) “instruments” to characterise the witches implies a malevolent musicality. This showcases how their words possess an almost hypnotic trance for Macbeth in which catalyses his ursurpation (taking with force) of kingship.
-> the choice of “instruments” suggests a deliberate orchestration of their deceit, framing their speech as a manipulative melodic composition that enchants its victims.
-Plosive on “darkness”: the ‘d’ plosive sound in the word “darkness” creates a harsh sound foreshadowing the dark, ominous & grim destiny the witches are ready to inflict upon Macbeth due to his blind violation of the divine right of kings.
-> significantly, Banquos discernment (able to judge it well) of this “darkness”, indicates his immunity to the hypnotic and malevolent musicality that captivates Macbeth. Banquo d ability to perceive their looming malevolence distinguishes him as a character not easily swayed by the enchanting allure of kingship that Macbeth falls victim to.
LADY MACBETH + MACBETH link to theme of kingship: Lady Macbeth goes from calling him “worthy Cawdor!…all hail hereafter” to a “coward” (Act 1)
-Juxtaposition: Lady Macbeths initial flattery curdles into a poisonous insult in which emasculates Macbeth. Having hailed him as a soon-to-be king, she not reduces him to a mere “coward” to catalyse him into committing regicide to become king.
-> this single word pierces Macbeth core, a soldier defined by courage and strength. It’s not just a questioning of his masculinity; It’s a brutal attack on the very essence of his identity and his battlefield reputation.
-Contextual Link: within the rigid gender roles of Jacobean society, a man’s dominance over his wife was paramount. Lady Macbeth recognised that Macbeths ambition, his hamartia, was deeply intertwined with his perceived masculine and exploits this to propel him to violate kingship.
-> by stripping him of the mantle of a dominant husband, through the epithet (nickname) “coward” she threatened the very foundation of his self-worth. This emasculation becomes a key factor in Macbeths downfall as his ambition crumbles when his image of a powerful man is shattered - all he can do to reinstate his power lost is to become king
