Macbeth Flashcards
What era was Macbeth written in?
Jacobean - under the rule of James I of England (a patron of Shakespeare’s acting company - Macbeth reflects their close relationship)
Explain the context behind the real Macbeth
Macbeth = a figure from Scottish history. James was first James VI of Scotland - Macbeth pays homage to his Scottish lineage.
Prophecy that Banquo would found a line of kings nods to James’ family’s claim to have descended from the historical Banquo
How did the theme of Kingship vs Tyranny reflect real life at the time?
Would have resonated at the royal court, where James was developing an English version of the theory of divine right to prove he deserved the throne.
How did James I become king of England and how was he received?
He was a distant cousin of Elizabeth I (“Good Queen Bess”) and succeeded her after her death.
Was not respected due to his fear of black magic (made him seem uneducated even though he was a well-educated man and author of many books)
When did James’ fear of witches start and what did he do about it?
Before his reign he visited Denmark, where witches were actively hunted. His journey back was rough and witches were blamed.
10 years later he wrote “Daemonologie” - an 80 page book about witchcraft to add to the intellectual debate in Europe.
Describe the persecution of witches under James VI (of Scotland)
Evidence suggests he began the persecution - before him, witchcraft was illegal but action against them was limited
Particularly shown in the trial of an allegedly pregnant woman arrested for consulting a witch. He ordered that if the court found she wasn’t pregnant, she would be burned.
When he became king of England he denied this.
Describe the public’s opinion on witches under James in both Scotland and England
Scotland - under him Scotland fully accepted the Christian witch theory , so when one was found, others were hunted
England - the issue of demonic behaviour (Christian witch theory) was never accepted - James quickly dropped his self-imposed expert tag on witchcraft.
Describe the Divine Right of Kings
Kings were appointed by God. Questioning the king was questioning God, amounting to blasphemy. Regardless of what the king did, nobody could criticise him, only God in his own time
Describe the context around treason in Macbeth
In 1590, 300 witches were accused of gathering to plot James’s murder. He had a morbid fear of violent death, so he was specially interested in the trial, heightening his interest in witchcraft
In 1605, Gunpowder Plot was discovered - the plan to blow up the houses of Parliament to kill James and replace him with a Catholic monarch
Describe the theme of corruption of ambition in Macbeth
Shown in Macbeth + LM. LM desperately wants to be queen + convinces Macbeth to commit regicide.
Her ambition leads to complete insanity + death. Macbeth’s leads to arrogance (hubris) and his eventual beheading.
Ambition corrupts their minds, leading to death.
You can argue Macbeth’s is caused by manipulations (LM + witches) but LM’s is self-inflicted
What plot points show the theme of corruption of ambition?
-First + second set of prophecies
-Macbeth’s letter to LM
-LM’s soliloquy explaining her intentions
-Dagger hallucination
-Duncan’s murder
-Banquo’s murder
-Banquo’s ghost
-LM’s guilt and death
-Macbeth’s arrogance and beheading
Describe the theme of the supernatural in Macbeth
Shown through witches, Macbeth, Banquo (+LM?).
Witches manipulate Macbeth by giving him 2 sets of 3 prophecies. Banquo is strong enough to resist but Macbeth is not
A popular theory says that LM is one of the witches
Also presented through the hallucinations
What plot points show the theme of the supernatural in Macbeth?
-First + second set of prophecies
-Dagger hallucination
-Banquo’s ghost
-The witches
Describe the theme of cruelty vs masculinity in Macbeth
LM believes you have to be cruel to be masculine. In Jacobean era masculinity = power so by extension you must be cruel to be royalty - a fairly common belief in 1600s
However Duncan, Malcolm, Banquo + Macduff can be masculine without treachery.
After Macduff’s family is killed he says he must “feel it like a man” = men show compassion too
What plot points show the theme of cruelty vs masculinity in Macbeth?
-Macbeth described as a valiant warrior
-LM questions Macbeth’s masculinity
-LM manipulates Macbeth
-Macbeth murders Duncan
-Macbeth orders Fleance + Banquo’s deaths
-Macbeth sends murderers to kill Macduff’s family
Describe the theme of kingship vs tyranny in Macbeth
Shown by Macbeth + Duncan (the positive + negative aspects of being a ruler)
Macbeth is the tyrant - acts purely for himself, often at detriment of his own subjects
Duncan was a good, fair king, respected by all (including Macbeth)
What plot points show the theme of kingship vs tyranny in Macbeth?
-Duncan rewards Macbeth for his bravery
-Everyone’s reactions to Duncan’s murder
-Everyone’s reactions to Macbeth’s death
-Malcolm’s coronation as the rightful king + everyone’s reactions
What does darkness symbolise in Macbeth?
Evil. Witches described as “instruments of darkness”. Macbeth describes his evil intentions as “black”.
Macbeth wants to hide his evil thoughts in darkness (“stars hide your fires…”).
Duncan’s murder happens on a dark, starless night.
Light associated with goodness - Duncan compares his loyal lords to “stars” that “shall shine”
What does nature symbolise in Macbeth?
Represents correct order of the world. Duncan’s murder disrupts natural order (horses “turned wild in nature”).
Plant imagery - Duncan says Macbeth + Banquo are like plants he can harvest, but then Macbeth is compared to “weeds” and Malcolm is the “sovereign flower”.
At end of play, natural order is restored when Duncan’s son is crowned. Malcolm says his kingly acts will be “planted newly” - resembles Duncan’s imagery
What does disease symbolise in Macbeth?
Represents the state of Scotland. Macbeth asks the doctor to cure Scotland (ironic because he is the disease).
Macduff sees Macbeth’s reign as causing injury to Scotland (“each day a new gash is added to her wounds”)
Malcolm is described as the “medicine” that will cure Scotland, reinforcing the belief that he is the rightful king
Describe the witches in Macbeth
Have beards = unnatural + evil. Ambiguous and strange. Act out of malice
Pathetic fallacy - usually accompanied by “thunder and lightning”
Take advantage of Macbeth’s ambition by confusing him with paradoxes.
Hecate gives him a false sense of security that leads to his death. However you can argue it’s Macbeth’s insecurity that causes his downfall (needing to kill Duncan = Banquo). Hecate punishes him with apparitions
Describe the Macduff family in Macbeth
Macduff - honest, sincere, brave. Loyal to Scotland. Doesn’t attend Macbeth’s coronation. Puts his country before his family = lack of wisdom. Contrasts with other men when he says he must “feel” his grief “like a man”
Lady Macduff contrasts with LM. When she speaks with her son, they speak in prose not blank verse - makes the scene feel homely
Describe Banquo in Macbeth
Brave, noble, wise (doesn’t trust witches, questions if they are real, cautious but intrigued to hear what they say)
Ambitious - wants prophecies to be true but doesn’t act on them (not corrupted)
Suspects Macbeth of Duncan’s murder but doesn’t act on it - surprised at Macbeth’s betrayal
Describe Duncan in Macbeth
Kind + generous. His flaw = too trusting.
A model king that everyone loves (“most sainted king” -Macduff)
Unselfish, gentle, not aggressive or a soldier + not afraid to show emotion. Not qualities associated with masculinity so audience questions if a good leader has to be a violent warrior
Describe Malcolm and Donalbain in Macbeth
Fair and honest but (unlike their father) know they’re in danger and have the common sense to flee
Malcolm tests Macduff’s loyalty by pretending to be a tyrant before trusting him
Not impulsive (don’t react to Duncan’s death immediately -wait until the right time = sensible)
Malcolm earns trust of the Scottish thanes. Disguises soldiers with branches = clever.
He rewards people who fought for him. Same qualities as Duncan but less naive = a better king
Describe the character of Macbeth
Brave, ambitious, guilty (often doubts himself).
Most comfortable on battlefield (doesn’t have to worry about morality)
Cyclical - starts and ends as a warrior. A cold + calculating killer.
Easily influenced (but that declines after Duncan’s murder) by LM and supernatural.
At end of play, he is cynical + world-weary - doesn’t feel guilt because he thinks a person’s actions don’t matter + life means “nothing”
Describe the character of Lady Macbeth
Ambitious (ruthless - links masculinity to strength e.g “unsex me” but proves women can be cruel too, exploits Macbeth’s weak spots (cowardly))
Clever + quick-witted (planned Duncan’s murder, faints after Duncan’s death to draw attention from Macbeth - exploits stereotypes of women)
Thinks maternal instincts make women weak. Can only achieve her ambition through Macbeth (a man)/.
Her + witches are androgynous = power.
Dominant + confident at start, goes mad with guilt + isolation so kills herself. Has a softer side - can’t kill Duncan
Give some quotes that the witches say
“Fair is foul and foul is fair”
“security is mortal’s chiefest enemy” - Hecate
“something wicked this way comes”- about Macbeth
“lesser than Macbeth, and greater” - about Banquo
Give some quotes that Banquo says about the witches
“look not like th’inhabitants of the earth”
“you should be women but your beards forbid me to interpret that you are so”
“What, can the devil speak true?”
“the instruments of darkness”
Give some quotes about Duncan
“he was a gentleman on whom I built an absolute trust” - Duncan about the previous Thane of Cawdor
“his virtues will plead like angels” - Macbeth when planning his murder
“the owl that shrieked”, “I heard the owl scream and the crickets cry” - after the murder
“his silver skin laced with his golden blood”
“his gashed stabs looked like a breach in nature”
Give some quotes from Macbeth relating to Duncan’s murder
“whose murder is yet but fantastical”
“starts hide your fires. Let not light see my black and deep desires”
“false face must hide what the false heart doth know”
“Is this a dagger which I see before me, the handle toward my hand?”
“I could not say ‘Amen’ when they did say ‘God bless us’”
“Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?”
Give some quotes about Macbeth at the start of the play
“Brave Macbeth”
“Valour’s minion”
“Bellona’s bridegroom”
Give some quotes about Macbeth at the middle/end of the play
“upon my head they placed a fruitless crown and put a barren sceptre in my gripe”
“O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife!” - to Lady Macbeth
“I’ll fight till from my bones my flesh be hacked”
“bear-like, I must fight the course”
“I will not yield”
Give some quotes the other characters say about Macbeth
“this tyrant whose sole name blisters our tongues”, “black Macbeth” - Malcolm
“not in the legions of horrid hell can come a devil more damned in evils to top Macbeth” - Macduff
“giant’s robes on a dwarfish thief” - Rosse
Give some quotes that Lady Macbeth says about Macbeth
“I fear thy nature, it is too full o’th’milk of human kindness”
“I may pour my spirits in thine ear and chastise with the valour of my tongue”
“look like th’innocent flower but be the serpent under’t”
Give some quotes that show how cruel Lady Macbeth is
“Come you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here and fill me from the crown to the toe topfull of direst cruelty”
“come to my woman’s breasts and take my milk for gall you murd’ring ministers”
“I have given suck and know how tender t’is to love the babe that milks me” …
“I would … have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums and dashed the brains out”
Give some quotes that show Lady Macbeth is not so cruel / guilty
“Had he not resembled my father as he slept, I had done’t” - about Duncan
“Out, damned spot! Out I say!”
“all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand”
What does Malcolm call Lady Macbeth?
“fiend-like queen”
Give a quote about Macduff’s family
“Your wife and babes, savagely slaughtered”
