Macbeth Flashcards
“Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand”
Act 2 Scene 2
-After committing regicide M is in a state of overwhelming guilt. This guilt causes him to panic asking Lady M “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand”. - In killing the king M has disobeyed gods decsion as he breaks the Great Chains of beings in order to gain power. This has lead him to be distant from god making him rely on a different god “Neptune” seeking help from him to hide away the evidence
-Additionally the fact that he questions if a god can fix what he has done connotes that his guilt is so much till the point where he underestimates a gods power.
-This blood serves as a symbol of guilt
“Is this a dagger which I see before me”
Act 2 scene 1
-Macbeth hallucinates seeing the dagger he used to kill Duncan showing growing/developing guilt
-Regret the murder
-Guilt causes mental psychological disorder
“Brave Macbeth well he deserve that name” said by captin
“noble Macbeth” said by King Duncan
Act 1 scene 2
-Praise/respected at the start to by high ranking people like the king emphasising how great macbeth was in battle.
- The captin states he deservese it showing macbeth worked hard for it.
-True warrior a hero
-Fights for the king
-However this could be done to forshadow Macbeth’s ability to betray the king to be brave and bold to even attempt it the jacobean audience would think it was daring.
-Plus it could show the royals especially the king’s horrible decision making giving power to people who are seen as brave and good in battle but not for their actual values and loyalty.
“Vaulting ambition”
(Act 1 scene 7 soliloquy)
-Overwhelming ambition
-unable to control his ambition
-fatal flaw
‘I am in blood
Stepp’d in so far that, should I wade no more,
Returning were as tedious as go o’er
-Macbeth has murder to much that he is unable to feel this guilt diminishing it feeling no remorse for what he has done
- he calls it tedious to go back suggesting he has given up hope to be moral and instead still choses the path of blood shed. This key moment is illustated by Shakespeare is used to really highlight the consquences of ambition showing that later on ambition will makeyou feel really deep regret
If it were done when ’tis done, then ’twere well
It were done quickly
(Act 1 scene 7 soliloquy)
-euphemism “it” shows that Macbeth is unsure if he should kill Duncan contemplating if he should do the deed understanding the consequences feeling guilty if he were actually to kill his king
which o’erleaps itself
And falls on th’ other
(Act 1 scene 7 soliloquy)
-Macbeth is aware of the consequences , and that his actions will lead to destruction and will kill others in the process
First, as I am his kinsman and his subject,
Strong both against the deed; then, as his host
- Tries to convince himself why he shouldn’t commit regicide as he is all these things towards king Duncan so he tries to halt this ambition of him
- He already feels this guilt if he were to kill the king understanding his role towards the king
Disdaining Fortune, with his brandished steel
Which smoked with bloody execution,
- Shakespeare displays Macbeth’s ruthless merciless violent (savage vicious, brutal) nature to show his capability of regicide
-Macbeth has great power shown to be a fierce warrior amazing in battle fighting for the king using his violence
“Let not light see my black and deep desires”
Act 1 scene 4
-Light is a metaphor for god
- The adjective “black” connotes he is thinking and imagening evil things seeing himself king the king
-Additonally these “desires are deep”. This adjective “deep” implies that these thoughts are stuck within him suggesting that he had already have these thoughts
“Out, out, brief candle!
Life’s but a walking shadow”
Act 5 scene 2
-During Macbeth final moments he has realised that this “shadow” which is a metaphor for kingship, power all the things that he wish for is slowly fading and his fate is inevitable. This candle is a metaphor for his life suggesting that his end is near.
