macbeth Flashcards
how can Macbeth be presented as a tragic hero
goes from good to bad
someone who’s highly renowned
misfortune is brought by error or frailty (hamartia)
how at the beginning of the play is Macbeth presented as highly renowned
king Duncan - ‘noble’[Macbeth]
Banquo - ‘noble partner[Macbeth]’
sergeant - ‘brave Macbeth’
these 3 quotes give the audience no doubt that Macbeth starts the play highly renowned by others
‘the nave to th’ chops’
gory image shows violence was seen as a way for men to prove themselves at this time
how is Banquo presented as a foil to Macbeth (quotes)
when confronted with witches, Banquo is weary and sceptical ‘neither beg nor fear your favours nor your hate’
whereas Macbeth has a very different reaction, Banquo says ‘why do you start’, why are you so startled - perhaps the witches brought out Macbeths inner ambition of becoming king
Shakespeare uses Banquo as a foil (a contrasting character to highlight the qualities and actions of the other character [Macbeth])
only Macbeth takes action into his own hands whereas Banquo doesn’t as he doesn’t have the same Hamartia as Macbeth
how can Macbeth and Banquo be presented as similar (quote)
Duncan says ‘our captains Macbeth and Banquo’
both are described as ‘noble’
how does Shakespeare represent Macbeths hamartia through his path of destruction
Macbeth descends into a path of destruction which will ultimately bring his downfall
he admits his own hamartia, describes ‘vaulting ambition’ is what spurred him on to killing Duncan when speaking to himself
how is the presentation of evil shown through Macbeth
Malcolm - ‘dead butcher’
Lennox - ‘a hand accused’
2nd witch - ‘something wicked comes this way’
this shows the brave noble character has fallen to evil
also shows lack of interest over Lady Macbeths death - ‘she should have died hereafter’ which contrasts to at the star of the play - ‘my dearest love’
shows his loss of emotion after murderous path
how and why does Shakespeare build up a feeling of sympathy for Macbeth for the audience
murder of Duncan is done of stage and the murders of Banquo and lady Macduff weren’t done by Macbeth himself. This makes the audience still see a shred of humanity in Macbeth which prevents the build up of hatred.
Shakespeare does this so that the audience learns that Macbeth was a character with good reputation who’s fatal flaw leads to his downfall
how and why is Macbeth presented as heroic and brave towards the end of the play
the battle at the end of the play presents Macbeth as heroic and brave, similarly to the beginning of the play, for example he has some success, killing young Siward. Even when Macduff says he was born through c-section Macbeth does not give up, ‘ I will not yield’
how and why is the ending of the play significant for Macbeths character
the ending can be presented as Macbeths bravest moment, audience learns to pity the man who in the final moments of bravery reminds the audience of Macbeths good standings at the beginning. This makes the audience further learn the dangers of being over ambitious.
during the Jacobean era what was the role of women
no education
women belonged to their fathers and later their husbands
wives expected to be obedient and sub servant
weren’t allowed on stage
no vote
couldn’t purchase their own property
how do other characters show how women are presented in Macbeth as a whole
Macduff doesn’t want to tell lady Macbeth about murder, telling her ‘the repetition in a woman’s ear would murder as it fell’ - to tell this to a woman it would kill her
Macduff - ‘I could play the woman with mine eyes’ - I could weep like a woman
how can Shakespeare be presented as a postfeminist
female characters in his plays can be viewed as powerful, trying to send some sort of message about women to his audience.
Going against Jacobean stereotypes
how can Shakespeare be presented as the opposite of a postfeminist
can be seen that Lady Macbeth is powerless - conforming the stereotypes of the Jacobean era
in what ways can lady Macbeth be presented as dominant and powerful
calls on evil spirits
manipulates Macbeth
banquet scene - takes control, juxtaposition to frail Macbeth, e.g. ‘go at once’
how can Lady Macbeth be presented as powerful through evil spirits
in act 1 scene 5 uses a semantic field of evil spirits
‘take my milk for gall’
‘thick my blood’
‘murd’ring ministers’
during Jacobean era witchcraft was punishable by death, for example King James estimated to be responsible for 4000 deaths of witchcraft in Scotland alone
this would make audience shocked and fear her actions
how can lady Macbeth be presented as powerful through manipulation
challenges his manhood when he rejects the idea of killing Duncan
‘when you durst do it, then you were a man’
‘coward’
lady Macbeth knows Macbeths weak point, his entire reputation is based around his bravery and manhood
how can lady Macbeth be presented as powerless
rejects her femininity - ‘unsex me here’, ‘take my milk for gall’
needs to use sinister messages to get her point across - ‘murd’ring ministers’
her role can simply be described as helping her husband to carry out the murder that he wants but can’t bring himself to do - needs persuading, e.g. gets servant drunk, prepares the dagger etc.
her breakdown towards the end of the play shows she’s weak
how and why does Shakespeare use structure to present the witches for effect
opens play in act 1 scene 1 with the Witches
this suggests to the audience that the witches have a significant role
shows the audience being invited into a mysterious world
play starts after the witches have had a meeting which prompts curiosity and engages the audience to what has previously happened
how do themes and context relate to the witches
the theme of supernatural can be presented through the witches
this would be seen as shocking to the audience
would have engaged the audience during the Jacobean era.
A crime punishable by death, which King James was responsible for 4000 deaths of Witches in Scotland alone. This means the play also would grab the interest of the King
how is form used to represent the witches
Nobles speak in Iambic pentameter - an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable
Witches speak in trochaic pentameter - a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable, e.g. ‘ fair is foul and foul is fair’
this is used to set the witches apart fir the other characters, making them stand out
in what different ways can the witches lack of power be presented
use of dramatic irony
story about one of the witches and a woman’s husband, a sailor
Hecate the witch
lack of presence in the play
why is the use of the witches lack of power used
the limits of the witches power shows that when Macbeth interpret’s and takes actions on the witches prophesies it tells the audience more about Macbeth than the witches
how is the use of dramatic irony used to show the lack of power from the witches
To Macbeth the witches seem all powerful, however a use of dramatic irony can be used to disprove this.
For example in Act 1 scene 3 Macbeth is told he will become Thane of Cawdor, and shortly after he’s told of the promotion however the audience knows that Duncan had already previously planned this in act 1 scene 2
this makes the witches seem as though they interpose a human chain decision, rather than direct actions themselves
how can the story about one of the witches and a woman’s husband, a sailor be used to show the witches lack of power (quote)
one of the witches has the power to control the Woman’s husband, a sailors boat trip by controlling the wind.
However the witch doesn’t have the power to take the sailor’s life
‘though his bark cannot be lost, yet it should be tempted tossed’
