Macbeth Flashcards
Witches famous line
Witches meet, plan to meet Macbeth - Act 1 Scene 1
“fair is foul and foul is fair”
- deception
-Witches and Lady Macbeth - LNK
Contrast of adjectives shows false appearances and that goodness can be superficial
connective “and” shows two sides to a story - dont believe what you see
CONT: equivocation
Animals describing Macbeth and Banquo
The Captain telling the King of Macbeth and Banquos Bravery
- Bravery
- Violence
- Loyalty/False Appearences
“as sparrows, eagles or the hare ,the lion”
list shows how captain was not able to easily describe Macbeth and Banquo actions in just one animal showing the significance/powerfulness of their actions
Apex Predators show Macbeth and Banquo power
Eagles and Lions are very loyal creatures - false appearances
Brave Macbeth
Sergeant Telling King about Macbeth bravery in battle
“For brave Macbeth - well he deserves that name - Disdaining Fortune, with his brandishd steel which smoked with bloody execution”
CONT: violent acts were rewarded in jacobean era
smokd - connotations of fireshowing speed and violence of attack showing macbeth power
Other people describe macbeths actions which allows us to imagine it which will make us exaggerate some of his positive qualities
Macbeth easy
Captain describing Macbeth violent actions
“till he unseamd him from the nave to the chops”
unseamd - shows the ease behind brutal attack showing macbeth skill but also his unneccesary brutality
CONT: Violent acts rewarded in Jacobean Time
Macbeth linking to Witches
When Macbeth and Banquo first meet the witches
“So foul and fair a day i have not seen”
LNK to “fair is foul and foul is fair”
CONT: how witches were viewed at that time
- False Appearances
paradoxical nature conveys the deceit and deceptiveness of Macbeth
First line Macbeth says in the entire play links him to the witches immediately - both have evil nature
women beards banquo
Macbeth and Banquo meet the witches: prophecy. Banquo speaking
“You should be women/yet your beards forbid me to interpret you are so”
CONT: women were seen as very delicate in jacobean era so a beard would have shocked the audience
contrast of “women” and “beards” show ambiguity of human gender showing witches supernatural nature/ lack of human qualities such as kindness
commanding verb - forbid shows the extent to which they are not human
Banquo compared to Macbeth
Macbeth and Banquo and Witches meet for the prophecy
“lesser than Macbeth, and greater…Not so happy yet much happier”
Paradoxical statement shown by the comparative adjectives of “lesser” and “greater” show jealousy and contempy that Macbeth will have of Banquo in future as according to witches banquo will be more successful and this shows macbeth has been infuenced by the witches from the start.
CONT: Witches were considered evil in jacobean times/Equivocation
LNK “fair is foul and foul is fair”
False appearences/Supernatural
Witches Devil
Banquo after Macbeth is appointed Thane of Cawdor
“What, can the devil speak true?”
evil noun “devil” shows that Banquo perceives witches as evil
CONT:view would have been shared by a jacobean audience
question word “what” shows banquo is untrusting of witches from start
Witches
Supernatural
Darkness
Banquo reaction to Macbeth asking whether he wants his sons to be kings
” the instruments of darkness tell us truths, win us with honest trifles, to betray in deepest consequences”
definite article “the” dehumanises the witches - outcast from humans
superlative “deepest” shows Banquo hesitance and concern in witches prophecy
Banquo recognises the witches evil shown by the light motif of “darkness”
CONT: witches
Witches
Evil
Supernatural
Macbeth aside link to witches
Macbeth in an aside after talking bout phrophecies witches have given them
“cannot be ill, cannot be good, if ill”
Contradictory statement shown by contrasting adjectives “ill” and “good” and this link to “fair is foul and foul is fair” showing how Macbeth is already thinking like the witches
CONT: equivocation
aside - shows Macbeth ambition and deceit as he is concealing thoughts from Banquo
Duncan art
King Duncan talking about the previous Thane of Cawdor and his reaction to being betrayed by him
“There’s no art to find the minds construction in the face. He was a gentleman who i built an absolute trust”
“art” shows it is a hard skill showing how easily it can fool you showing duncan isnt to blame - sympathy
False appearences - Duncan admits to be susceptible to them showing human side of kingship
after “absolute trust” Macbeth enters showing the comparison between him and the previous than of cawdor
-false appearances
stars fires
Macbeth is in an aside plotting Duncan murder
“Stars hide your fires let not light see my black and deep desires”
contrast of light imagery shown by “stars” and “black” emphasises Macbeth conflicted personality and tumultuous mental nature
Imperative verb “hide” to command nature like “stars” could be seen as blasphemous by jacobean audience and seen against nature
In an aside showing his true feelings/ deceitful and flase appearences as not sharing true feelings with anyone else
ryhming mimcs witches showing macbeth is becoming more like them
- false appearences
- LNK to “dunnest smoke of hell” quote
Partner Macbeth
Lady Macbeth reading Macbeth letter
“my dearest partner of greatness”
superlative adjective “dearest” shows M and LM close bond
“Partner” - shows M views them as equals which will shock a Jacobean audience
Milk Kindness
Lady Macbeth after reading Macbeth’s letter
“It is too full o’th milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way”
milk is produced in women so is presenting Macbeth too feminine and not ruthless enough which is a contrast to the battlefield
Jacobean stereotypes for women were kind and weak
raven
Lady Macbeth in an aside after hearing the king comes tonight
“the raven himself is hoarse that croaks the fatal entrance of duncan under my battlements”
Possessive determiner “my” presents the power that LM commands - takes ownership
“Raven” is a bid of ill omens and has connotations of witches
“hoarse” and “croak”- strength of raven is impaired to hush of the terrors to come
CONT: women owning property wouldve shocked Jacobean audience
spirits
Lady Macbeth in a soliquoy after hearing duncan is coming
“Come you spirits unsex me here and fill me from the crown to the toe topfull of direst cruelty”
LM uses imperative verbs “come” and “unsex” showing the power she has or at least the power she thinks she has.This is also an example of hubris as it is very arrogant for a human to think they can control evil forces
The verb “unsex” also shows her desire to remove all feminine qualities and become more masculine suggesting only men have power. This would have been distrubing to a jacobean audience and see as almost unnatural similar to a witch - further shown by “spirits” unnatural/supernatural
-gender/violence/supernatural
milk and gall
Lady Macbeth in a soliquoy after she has read Macbeth letter about phrophecies
“Take my milk for gall, you murdering ministers”
Imperative verb “take” shows power LM thinks she has and another example of hubris where human arrogance makes her believe she can control the supernatural
“milk” represents her feminine qualities and this is what stops her violent nature and this contrats with “gall” showing how unnatural what she wants to do is linking her to a witch and audience wouldve been shocked by the unnanturalness of it especially from a noblewoman like LM
smoke hell
Lady Macbeth soliquoy after reading Macbeth letter
“Come thick night and pall thee in the dunnest smokes of hell….nor heaven peep through blanket of dark “
Imperative verb “Come” shows LM power however it also shows a bit of her arrogance as she is commanding nature like the “night” showing her arrogance and the Jacobean audience could also see it as blasphemous as she is breaking the cycle of nature
reilgiouis nouns “hell” and “heaven” shows LM is aware of consequences of regicide but does it anyway shocking jacobean audience
“peep” - weak noun to describe heaven showing LM arrogance as she is disregarding heaven
serpent and flower
Lady Macbeth advising Macbeth
“Look like the innocent flower but be the serpent under it”
imperative verb “Look” shows she is in control of Macbeth
noun “serpent” has religious connotatios of the snake in the the bible trying to tempt eve in the garden of eden LM is the serpent trying to tempt Macbeth into evil showing her own eveil nature
shakespeakere might be trying to say blashphemous acts always lead to ruin
Contrast of serpent and flower show the extent of false appearence in macbeth and the deceit and deceptiveness that LM and M portray in Macbeth
Angles
Macbeth soliquoy thinking about whether to kill duncan
“His virtues will plead like angels trumpet tongued against the deep damnation of his taking off”
Biblical imagery of deep damnationa nd angels converys macbeth mortal sin of killing macbeth
harsh alliteration of deep damanation shows the severe consequences of regicide
eumphemistic language “taking off” for duncans death as macbeth is overwhelmed with guilt showing his vulnerability
Horse in M soliquoy
Macbeth in a soliquoy thinking about whether to kill duncan
“I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent but only vaulting ambition which overleaps itself and fall on the other”
“Vaulting ambition” is a metaphor which shows Macbeth intense desire for power and also the danger of his desire for power as shown when he uses the verbs “overleaps” and “fall” showing the harsh consequences if he fails
CONT: these horse metaphors wouldve been well understood by jacobean audience as very popular sport back then
Macbeth masculinity
Macbeth justyfying not killing Duncan to LM
“I dare do all that may become a man”
The modal verb “may” expresses possibility showing his wavering ocntingency on doing the right thing showing his lack of claroity on what to which allows LM to easily manipulate him
nipple smiling
Lady Macbeth trying to convince Macbeth to kill Duncan
“I would, while it was smiling have pulcked my nipple from his boneless gums and dashed the brains out”
Violent verb “dashed” shows LM desturctive nature showing her determination
Imagery is shocking at there is a contrast in the innocence of the baby shown by the gentle verb “smiling” with the imagery of “dashed the brains out” once again showing LM destructive nature and also false appearences
CONT: audience wouldve been disturbed that a women would do this
LM manlihood attack
Lady macbeth attacking Macbeth Manlihood to manipulate him to kill duncan
“When you durst do it you were a man”
adverb “when” forces Macbeth into action as she attacks his manlihood and would hurt his pride
Role reversal a woman manipulating and dominating a man which wouldve been unusual for the jacobean audience at that time
Man Children
Macbeth and Lady Macbeth aguing whether to kill duncan
“we will proceed no further in this business … bring forth men children only”
modal verb “will” coverys Macbeth finality on his decision and the euphemisim “this business” is used to describe the murder of duncan conveying his knowledge of sinful nature of regicide and perhaps he believes deep down that duncan doesnt deserve it
CONT:shakespeare trying to please King James 1 so makes it look like regicide is very bad
Dagger
“Is this a dagger is see before me,the handle toward my hand?”
Rhetorical question conveys Macbeths loss of control as hallucination acts as a manifestation of Macbeths guilt.
In different some versions of the play the dagger is real and in some it is a hallucination
