Macbeth Flashcards
1.1
“Fair is foul, and foul is fair” - Witches
Literally meaning ‘good is bad, and bad is good’. Repeated by Macbeth in Act 1.3. Reflects the confusion, chaos and disorder from the start of the play
1.4
“Stars, hide your fires, let light not see my black and deep desires” - Macbeth
-Links to the theme of deception, echoed in 1.5
-‘Stars’ ‘Fires ‘Light’ juxtaposes ‘black’ ‘deep’ showing he is conflicted.
-‘Stars’-God. He doesn’t want God knowing his thoughts
1.5
“… my dearest partner of greatness” - Lady Macbeth
-Shows the equality in Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s relationship at the start of the play
-This will deteriorate as they commit their crimes
1.5
“yet do I fear thy nature, it is too full o’th milk of human kindness” - Lady Macbeth
-Lady Macbeth is surprisingly critical of Macbeth, with milk having connotations of innocence and childhood
-She fears he cannot achieve his potential
-Lady Macbeth is Manipulative
1.5
“Come you spirits… unsex me here… take my milk for gall” - Lady Macbeth
-Asking to replace her milk with poison a disregard for feminity, including basic maternal instinct
-Highly shocking to the audience and sets a tone to her character throughout the play
-‘Come’ shows he commandative nature
-She wants to be less femenine and more masculine, as she believe to have power you must be a man
-Alliteration-‘Fill’ and ‘Full’ ‘Crown’ and ‘Cruelty’ gives ritual vibes.
-Isn’t cuel by nature, she asks to be cruel.
1.5
“Look like th’innocent flower, but be the serpent under it” - Lady Macbeth
-The snake links to the devil and the theme of deception
-Metaphore, saying be nice and look nice, but be evil and deceptive.
2.1
“Is this a dagger which I see before me…? - Macbeth
-This opening line of Macbeth’s soliloquy introduces his internal debate about whether or not he should kill Duncan
-His hallucination of the dagger demonstrates the toll the murder is alreay having on him
2.2
“But wherefore could not I pronounce ‘Amen’? - Macbeth
-Macbeth’s inability to pray demonstrates how he has condemned himself in God’s eyes by committing regicide and killing God’s representative on earth.
-Therefore upsetting the Great Chain of Being
-He broke the Divine Right of Kings.
2.2
“Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?” - Macbeth
-Macbeth’s obsession with the blood demonstrates his instant guilt and late descent into madness
-Also shown by Lady Macbeth’s sleepwalking in Act 5.1
3.4
“Are you a man?” - Lady Macbeth
Lady Macbeth uses her earlier tactics to question Macbeth’s masculinity; however, they do not have the same effect.
4.1
“None of woman born shall harm Macbeth” - The Witches
-The Witches’ prophecies are designed to trick Macbeth, tellin him that no one can kill him
-Links to the theme of deception
-This prophecy refers to Macduff
5.1
“Out, damned spot! Out, I say! … will these hands ne’er be clean?” - Lady Macbeth
-Lady Macbeth’s obsession with cleaning links back to Act 2.2
- also contrasts how she wasn’t too affected by the blood in Act 2
-Also mirrors Macbeth in Act 2.2 ‘neptune’s ocean’
5.1
“Yet who would have thought the old man… to have had so much blood in him?” - Lady Macbeth
-Lady Macbeth’s obsession with the blood links back to Act 2.2
-Her lack of sleep reflects her guilt
-‘Old man’ represents Duncan, how she thought his
death wouldn’t mean anything, however now she feels deep guilt for what she has done
5.1
“All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand.” - Lady Macbeth
-Mirrors Macbeth’s comment on Neptune’s oceans in Act 2.2
-She knows deep down that she can’t change what has happened, so could foreshadow how she wants to control her life
5.8
“I will not yield… To kiss the ground before young Malcolm’s feet” - Macbeth
Despite his imminent death, Macbeth refuses to be mocked or bow down to Malcolm, showing that he remains proud
