Macbeth Flashcards
What does the quote “I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, only vaulting ambition” from Macbeth, Act 1, Scene 7 show
Macbeth openly acknowledges his tragic flaw of unbridled ambition as his sole motivation for planning to murder King Duncan.
What does the quote “When you durst do it, then you were a man” Lady Macbeth, Act 1, Scene 7
Lady Macbeth attacks Macbeth’s masculinity to manipulate him into committing murder, displaying her power through deception.
What does the quote “Life … is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing” Macbeth, Act 4, Scene 4 show
Macbeth’s pessimistic view reflects his realisation that all his ambitious actions were ultimately meaningless and will lead to his defeat.
What does the quote “Stars hide your fires; let not light see my dark and deep desires”
Macbeth, Act 1, Scene 4 show
Macbeth commands the natural world to hide his evil intentions from God, suggesting awareness of the blasphemous consequences.
For the theme of kingship What does the quote “The dead butcher and his fiend-like queen” Malcolm, Act 5, Scene 9 show
• Act 5 Scene 9
• how they appeared to others, not well liked
• even after death Macbeth still hated and disrespected
• shows how his death a good thing and people happy he isn’t king
• contrasts Duncan’s death
• butcher = violent bloody merciless reflects Macbeth rule and attitudes
What does the quote “Come you spirits … Unsex me here” Lady Macbeth, Act 1, Scene 5 show
Lady Macbeth commands evil spirits to strip her of feminine traits, subverting gender roles through unnatural means.
What does the quote “Look like the innocent flower but be the serpent underneath it” Lady Macbeth, Act 1, Scene 5 show
Lady Macbeth instructs Macbeth to practise deception, using the biblical metaphor of a serpent, a symbol of treachery.
What does the quote “Out, damned spot: out, I say!” Lady Macbeth, Act 5, Scene 1 show
Lady Macbeth’s desperate pleading and hallucinations symbolise her loss of power and mental instability due to her guilt.
What does the quote “Fair is foul and foul is fair” Three Witches, Act 1, Scene 1 show
The witches’ paradoxical language warns of deception and upheaval, foreshadowing the corruption of natural order.
What does the quote “Macbeth does murder sleep!” Macbeth, Act 2, Scene 2 show
Macbeth’s exclamation and the personification of sleep suggest both his guilt and his realisation that murdering the king has robbed him of peace and perhaps eternal rest.
For the theme of supernatural what does the quote ‘A falcon, towering in her pride of place, Was by a mousing owl hawk’d at and kill’d.’ Show
-Shakespeare uses pathetic fallacy and animal symbolism to explore how nature has been affected by the murder of Duncan.
-The symbolism of the owl killing the high-flying falcon mimics that of Macbeth’s soaring ambition breaking the natural law of order by killing King Duncan.
For the theme of supernatural what does the quote ‘Never shake thy gory locks at me’ show
-The imperative undermines Macbeth’s authority because he is shouting commands at a ghost only he can see.
-The adjective “gory” demonstrates how important this vision is as a manifestation of his guilt – he can only focus on how Banquo’s looks suggesting he feels great remorse for murdering his best friend.
-The noun ‘locks’ connotes how Macbeth feels locked and tangled by the witches’ prophecies
-Shakespeare’s purpose here is to reinforce Macbeth’s unsuitability for kingship by dramatizing how his irrational, unnatural behavior does not make a natural worthy king
For the theme of supernatural what does the quote ‘Art thou but a dagger of the mind, a false creation’ show
-Metaphorically, it is a manifestation of his guilt and self-doubt over what he is about to do.
-Symbolically, it represents the inherent danger and capacity for violence within Macbeth’s own imagination.
-Shakespeare uses the hallucinations to warn his audience of the ramifications for those who allow themselves to be indoctrinated by the supernatural.
For the theme of guilt what does the quote ‘Will all Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean
from my hands?’ Show
-Macbeth uses hyperbole to express the magnitude of his guilt
-The rhetorical question stresses his extreme paranoia because he fears nothing can remove the sacrilegious stain - it will stay with him until his death
-The quantity of blood suggests he is drowning in his own guilt.
-Neptune is a pagan God-reflecting how Macbeth has rejected Christianity.
For the theme of guilt what does the quote ‘O full of scorpions is my mind dear wife’ show
-The hyperbolic zoomorphic metaphor suggests Macbeth is suffering from constant mental and physical pain.
-Scorpion stings cause paralysis and numbness. Macbeth is paralysed by his fears and increasingly numb to emotion.
-Scorpions are nearly blind encapsulating how Macbeth has been blinded by his ambition.
-Scorpions are not native to Scotland implying he has brought corruption to the natural order in Scotland.
-He was compared to a lion and eagle at the start of the play which encapsulated his honour and bravery. The fact he is now compared to such a base animal emphasises his loss of dignity and humanity.
