key themes: kingship

Question 1

“Vaulting ambition which o’erleaps itself and falls on th’ other” (act1) - Macbeth

Answer 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.
• When he acknowledges its eventual “fall,” it indicates Macbeth’s awareness that his all-encompassing ambition is his hamartia (fatal flaw that leads to his downfall) 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 (trapped by his own ambition, showcasing his introspective understanding of its fatal consequences and presenting him as vulnerable to its relentless influence.
• The metaphorical portrayal of Macbeth’s “vaulting ambition” draws a parallel between him and a jockey who is to manage an untamable, almost animalistic force.
• This metaphor not only depicts Macbeth’s struggle to control ambitious desires to violate kingship but also suggests self-deception - Macbeth believes that he is able to harness some control over his ambition, enough that he is able to transcend the societal, political and divine limitations placed upon him.

Question 2

“I have no words; my voice is my sword” (act 5) - Macduff

Answer 2

• 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 restore Scotland from Macbeth’s 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 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 Macbeth’s immoral kingship. His ambitious pursuit of dismantling Macbeth single handedly to restore order is materialising into a reality.
• Short sentences: The short sentences reflects the short amount of time that Scotland will continue to suffer- by slewing Macbeth Scotland can be rightly governed and flourish under divine ordain.

Question 3

Lady Macbeth goes from calling Macbeth“worthy Cawdor!…all hail hereafter” to a “coward” (act 1)

Answer 3

• juxtaposition: Lady Macbeth’s initial flattery curdles into a poisonous insult in which emasculates Macbeth. Having hailed him as a soon-to-be king, she now reduces him to a mere “coward” to catalyse him into committing regicide to become king.
• This single word pierces Macbeth’s core, a soldier defined by courage and strength. It’s not just 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 Macbeth’s ambition, his hamartia, was deeply intertwined with his perceived masculinity and exploits this to propel him to violate kingship.
• By stripping him of the mantle of a dominant husband, through the epithet “coward” she threatened the very foundation of his self worth. This emasculation becomes a key factor in Macbeth’s downfall, as his ambition crumbles when his image of a powerful man is shattered- all he can do is reinstate his power is to become king.

Question 4

“I heard a voice cry ‘Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep’” (Act 2) - Macbeth

Answer 4

• Motif of sleep: Throughout the play, there is a recurring motif that makes sleep synonymous innocence. Macbeth, troubled by guilt, experiences a disturbed sleep pattern, symbolising his departure from a state of innocence as a result of his violation of kingship.
• This disintegration of innocence is a direct consequence of his deceitful actions in seizing the throne and committing regicide. Macbeth’s descent into maddens is evident, as he no longer issues imperative commands like “stars hide your fires”. Instead, he reflects on the mental anguish and haunting “cries” that torment his troubled mind due to his transgression of the divine right of kings.
• Exclamative sentences: The exclamative sentence “sleep no more!” emphasises the enduring and irreversible nature of Macbeths loss of sleep and innocence. His disruption of the natural order through his wickedness, masked by a facade of moral piety, has forever condemned his mind to the relentless torment of guilt.
• Sempiternally, he will battle with moral restlessness, finding no redemption or salvation for the sins he has committed as a murderous tyrant who defied the innate moral order and natural order of the divine right of kings.

Question 5

“Instruments of darkness” (said by Banquo to describe the witches: Act 1)

Answer 5

• Auditory imagery on “instruments”: The auditory imagery created by the lexis “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 usurpation 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 and grim destiny the witches are ready to inflict upon Macbeth due to his blind violations of the divine right of kings.
• Significantly, Banquo’s discernment of this “darkness”, indicates his immunity to the hypnotic and malevolent musicality captivates Macbeth. Banquo’s 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.