Macbeth Flashcards
Shakespeare’s Intentions : Guilt
- Macbeth is a cautionary tale: disrupting the cosmic order will face brutal consequences
- The play suggests an ever watching eye / a divine force (possibly God) will punish those who disrupt the divine right of king
- The play is a veiled allegory as King James I was a patron
- The audience sees that disrupting the DROK leads to tragic downfall
“I heard a _____ ___ ‘sleep no more! Macbeth ____ ______ _____” - Macbeth
“I heard a voice cry ‘sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep”
“I heard a voice cry ‘sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep” - Macbeth
Analysis
Motif of sleep -
- Sleep is linked with innocence
- Macbeth is troubled by guilt and experiences disturbed sleep pattern
- Symbolises his departure from innocence as a result of violating kingship
- Direct consequence of regicide
Exclamative Sentence : ‘sleep no more!’ -
- Emphasises the irreversible nature of Macbeth’s loss of innocence
- His disruption of the natural order has forever condemned his mind to eternal torment of guilt
“I am in _____ / stepp’d so far that ___ ______ ____ no more” - Macbeth
“I am in blood / stepp’d so far that you should wade no more” - Macbeth
“I am in blood / stepp’d so far that you should wade no more” - Macbeth
Analysis
Motif of blood -
- Blood used to be on Macbeth’s hands but now it is all over his body and clothes
- Macbeth’s response to guilt has transitioned from being slight to all consuming
Biblical Allusions -
- Similar to Cain in Book of Genesis (commits first murder in the bible)
- Regicide results in severe punishment from God
- Macbeth wading exemplifies how he acknowledges his conscience is stained with guilt
Ambition -
- Macbeth’s conscience tormented by guilt is a direct consequence of his insatiable ambition
“A little _____ clears us __ ____ ____” - Lady Macbeth
“A little water clears us of this deed” - Lady Macbeth
“A little water clears us of this deed” - Lady Macbeth
Analysis
Litotes (ironic understatement) -
- Her callousness becomes apparent
- Trivialises the act of regicide
- Emasculates Macbeth to keep encouraging him down his cruel path
Euphemism -
- She characterises regicide as a “deed”
- Paradocial aspect of her character
- Despite her ambition she struggles to articulate the gravity of the heinous evil act
[ enters with _____ ] (Lady Macbeth)
[ enters with taper ] (Lady Macbeth)
[ enters with taper ] (Lady Macbeth)
analysis
Symbolism of taper -
- Light is emblematic of how Lady Macbeth is seeking light and hope and solace in her eternal mental darkness
- In Christianity light represents her divine guidance
- She feels remorseful and repenting from her guilt
Character development-
- Juxtaposition
- Shes been so quickly consumed by guilt
- Turned to God for redemption
Gender -
- Guilt isn’t solely fueled by regicide but also transgression of her femininity
- Her ambition and ruthlessness breach rigid gender roles of her time
- Defying great chain of being adds another layer of torment to her conscience
Shakespeare’s Intentions : Gender
- Dismantles the idea of rigid gender roles
- Expected heroism of men like Macbeth and Macduff
- Lady Macbeths ambition and ruthlessness subverts the image of stereotypical passive women
- The witches exist outside the binary together further disrupting the established order
- Exposes fragility of social expectations and norms
Lady Macbeth goes from calling him a “worthy ______!” to a “______”
Lady Macbeth goes from calling him a “worthy Cawdor!” to a “Coward”
Lady Macbeth goes from calling him a “worthy Cawdor!” to a “Coward”
Analysis
Juxtaposition -
- Initial flattery turns into an insult which emasculates Macbeth
- Reduces him to a mere “coward” the single word pierces Macbeths core
- Brutal attack on Macbeths identity
Contextual Link -
- Rigid gender roles of Jacobean society
- Mans dominance over his wife
- Lady Macbeth recognised that Macbeth’s ambition, his hamartia was intertwined with his masculinity
- By stripping him of his mantle ‘dominant husband’ role
- Threatened the foundation of self-worth
- This emasculation is a catalyst in Macbeth’s downfall
- Ambition crumbles when his image of a powerful man is shattered
“With _______’_ ravishing ______, towards his ______” - Macbeth
“With tarquin’s ravishing strides, towards his design”
“With tarquin’s ravishing strides, towards his design” - Macbeth
Analysis
Contextual Link -
- Tarquin the Roman tyrant that raped his wife
- He wants to embody what it means to be a ruthless blood thirsty leader
- Lingering emasculation fuels his ambition to prove his masculinity
Connotations of “design” -
- Macbeth intentionally crafted his desired position as king
- Despite all this Macbeth can’t see right from wrong
- Blinded by the allure of king
- Clings to belief that seizing the crown will fulfil his need to prove his masculinity to his wife
“Make _____ my blood, stop up th’ _____ and passage to _______” - Lady Macbeth
“Make thick my blood, stop up th’ access and passage to remorse” - Lady Macbeth
“Make thick my blood, stop up th’ access and passage to remorse” - Lady Macbeth
Analysis
Imperative “make thick my blood” -
- Require a detachment from femininity
- Commands for emotional restraint
- Recognises her emotions hold her back from ruthlessness
- Seeks to rid herself of these emotions
Femme fatale -
- A woman who can lure men into danger or sin
- Not only manipulates her womanhood but also manipulates Macbeth into committing heinous and violent acts
“____’_ the ______ out” - Lady Macbeth
“Dash’d the brains out” - Lady Macbeth
“Dash’d the brains out” - Lady Macbeth
Analysis
Plosive on “dash’d” -
- Creates a brutal sound mirroring her brutal rejection of maternal instincts and femininity
- Her tendency for violence overpowers tendency for motherhood
- Stripping herself of femininity and stereotypical gender roles of Jacobean era; disrupting the great chain of being
Juxtaposition -
- Contrast between forceful verb “dash’d” and the delicate nature of “brains” serves as a symbol reflecting Lady Macbeth
- Despite her being a female and her fragile exterior she has a string desire to instigate violence and chaos
Shakespeare’s Intentions: Appearance vs Reality
- Deception has immediate advantages but deceitful tactics (catalysts) accelerates ones downfall
- Dramatic irony : Allows Jacobean audience to witness the dual personas of characters (allows them to see characters true intentions)
“Stars hide your _____, let not _____ see my _____ and ____ _______” - Macbeth
“Stars hide your fires, let not light see my black and deep desires” - Macbeth
“Stars hide your fires, let not light see my black and deep desires” - Macbeth
Analysis
- Aware his desires are morally wrong
“Let not light” - - Wants to hide his thoughts from God
- Macbeth is conflicted, he wants power but is afraid to challenge God by killing the divinely appointed king
Dark and light imagery -
- Alliteration
- Juxtaposition
- Has to make a choice between morality and ambition
Rhyming Couplets -
- Rhyme between “desires” and “fires” resembles the witches who also utilise rhyming couplets
“look like th’ ________ ______ but be the _______ _____’_” - Lady Macbeth
“all hail, _______, that shalt __ ____ hereafter” - Witches
“Look like th’ innocent flower but be the serpent under’t” - Lady Macbeth
“all hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter” - Witches
“Look like th’ innocent flower but be the serpent under’t” - Lady Macbeth
“all hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter” - Witches
Analysis
Both personify key theme of appearance vs reality -
- Lady Macbeth assumes the role of the fourth witch within the play employing cunning schemes to manipulate Macbeth
Biblical Allusions -
- Lady Macbeth incorporates a biblical allusion by using the term “serpent”
- Parallels book of Genesis
- Deliberate choice to highlight her belief in the effectiveness of deception
- Also underscores the effectiveness of deception when cloaked in an “innocent” mask
Short sentence -
- Similar to Lady Macbeth the witches exploit Macbeth to employ their deceptive influence
- Short sentence with commas either side of his name signifies their targeted approach
“fair __ ____ and ____ is fair” - Witches
“fair is foul and foul is fair” - Witches
“fair is foul and foul is fair” - Witches
Analysis
Meaning don’t trust appearance
- Foreshadows their prophecies ultimately captivate Macbeth and lead to his death
Inversion (same thing said backwards) -
- Catchy
- Stands out, lingers in audiences mind
- Talk in a songlike manner
Alliteration -
- Sinister, uneasy
“Fair” -
- Caring and pleasant
“Foul” -
- More dominant and intimidating
- Evil overpowers goodness
“I _____’d of three _____ _______ last night” - Banquo
“I dream’d of three weird sisters last night” - Banqo
“I dream’t of three weird sisters last night” - Banqo
Analysis
Abstract Noun -
- “dream’t” signifies Banquo’s affliction suggests he is not only haunted in his waking moments but his sleep
Motif of sleep -
- Link to innocence
- Links to Macbeth loosing his innocents and ability to dleep
- Banquo retains the ability to sleep but acknowledges his ability to dream
- Shows his preservation of innocence
“I am not ___________” - Macduff
“I am not treacherous” - Macduff
“I am not treacherous” - Macduff
Analysis
Simple sentence -
- Declaration strips away ambiguity
- The way he appears is how he is in reality
- Strengthens sincerity of his claim
- Leaving audience with no ambiguous thoughts about his true intentions
Diction -
- “treacherous”
- Clear distinction between him and the treacherous stain that now defines Macbeth
- Declaration of his moral principles
Shakespeare’s Intentions: Supernatural
- Connection to hell and the devil
- Cautions the audience about the consequences of succumbing to the allure of supernatural powers
- Emphasis to audience that the supernatural is closely linked and results in a catastrophe
“So ____ and ____ a day I have ___ ____” - Macbeth
“So foul and fair a day I have not seen” - Macbeth
“So foul and fair a day I have not seen” - Macbeth
Analysis
Emulation of the Witches paradoxical statement -
- Macbeths first line in the play he echos the paradoxical expression “fair is foul and foul is fair”
- Foreshadows that he will become a vessel for their twisted misconduct
Visual Image -
- “have not seen” evokes a vivid image of blindness possibly foreshadowing how Macbeth will be metaphorically blinded by the allure of supernatural prophecies
“____ me” “call __” - Macbeth
“Tell me” “Call em” - Macbeth
“Tell me” “Call em” - Macbeth
Analysis
Imperative Phrases -
- Macbeths hubris is explicit as he enters
- Fuelled by insatiable greed this marks Macbeth’s intentional engagement with the witches for the first time
Personal Pronoun -
- Implies he deserves respect and this respect should extend to the supernatural
- Illegitimate title of king has inflated his hubris which ultimately leads to his downfall
“come you spirits …. _____ me ____” - Lady Macbeth
“come you spirits …. unsex me here” - Lady Macbeth
“come you spirits …. unsex me here” - Lady Macbeth
Analysis
Imperatives -
- Demonstrate a commanding familiarity with the supernatural realm
- Doesn’t hesitate to call on dark external forces to seek liberation from societal constraints imposedby her femininity
- She would’ve been perceived as supernatural in Jacobean era as gender roles were rigid
Syntax -
- “spirits” preceding “unsex” underscores her belief that supernatural intervention comes before her desire to be “unsexed”
- Arrangement of terms shows dependence she places on societal norms
“___________ of darkness) - Banquo
“Instruments of darkness” - Banquo
“Instruments of darkness” - Banquo
Analysis
Auditory Imagery -
- Characterising the witches as “instruments” implies malevolent musicality
- Shows how their words possess / hypnotise Macbeth
- Choice of “instruments” suggests a deliberate orchestration of their manipulative melodic composition that enchants Macbeth
“Fire ____ and ________ bubble” and “hell-_____” - Witches
“Fire burn and cauldron bubble” and “hell-broth” - Witches
“Fire burn and cauldron bubble” and “hell-broth” - Witches
Analysis
Semantic field of hell -
- Selection of words “fire-burn”, “hell-broth” and “bubble”
- Strengthens the idea that the witches are intrinsically linked to evil and are agents of the devil
Links to context -
- Taps into the pre-existing ideologies of witches and witchcraft in that area
Shakespeare’s intentions: Violence
- Does not explicitly condemn violence but critiques it for spiralling out of control when driven by personal ambition
- Uses Lady Macbeth and Macbeth to personify violence through their actions
- Profound message: Violence leads to psychological tourment
“__________ fortune … smok’d with ______ _________” - Macbeth
“Disdaining fortune … smok’d with bloody execution” - Macbeth
“Disdaining fortune … smok’d with bloody execution” - Macbeth
Analysis
Connotations-
- “smok’d” connotes heat and hell foreshadowing his cruel and evil nature
- “disdaining fortune” disregard for his fate and an attempt to manipulate the natural order : later becomes evident in his disruption of the DROK
Syntax -
- Macbeth receives commendation for his bravery as a soldier the syntax implies a symbiotic relationship with his downfall and his proclivity for violence
- Position for “fortune” preceding “execution” foreshadows Macbeth’s acquisition of king through violence leads to his eventual “execution”
“I have no _____; my voice is my _____” - Macduff
“I have no words; my voice is my sword” - Macduff
“I have no words; my voice is my sword” - Macduff
Analysis
Violent metaphor -
- Macduff contends that the restoration of Scotland’s natural order necessitates physical violence
- His ambition is to rightfully restore Scotland from Macbeth’s violation of kingship
- Macbeth’s tyrannical rule mandates an equal force to restore the DROK
- Avenging hero
- Despite personal motivations the nobility of his intentions shine through as he wants to eradicate the immoral kingship brought upon by Macbeth
Short Sentence -
- Reflects the short amount of time Scotland will continue to suffer
- By removing Macbeth from the throne Scotland can be rightly ruled with divine authority
Shakespeare’s Intentions : Ambition
- Utilises ambition to reveal it as morally corrosive and blinding influence on individuals
- Through allegoric plays aims to teach that with divine authority ambition is so omnipotent it wins
- Warns audience about the allure of sinful temptations
“Only ________ ________, which o’erleaps itself and _____ __ __’ other” - Macbeth
“Only vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself and falls on th’ other” - Macbeth
“Only vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself and falls on th’ other” - Macbeth
Analysis
Personification-
- Gives his ambition comparable traits to a human force that can influence him
- Acknowledges his eventual “fall” which indicates his awareness that ambition is his hamartia
Metaphor -
- “vaulting ambition” draws a parallel between him and a jocker who manages an untameable animalisticforce
- Believes he is able to transcend the societal and divine limitations placed upon him
“Turn, ____ hound, ____” - Macduff
“Turn, hell hound, turn” - Macduff
“Turn, hell hound, turn” - Macduff
Analysis
Repetition of “turn” -
- Symbolises Macbeths upheaval of order through his tyrannical rule
- Highlights the almost reachable nature of Macduff’s ambition and aspirations to reinstate order in Scotland
- Once Macbeth “turns” to face Macduff, Macduff knows he is able to defeat him
Epithet -
- The hellish nickname “hell hound” accentuates Macduff’s condemnation of Macbeth’s diabolical and ensuing turmoil
