Macbeth Flashcards
Where does the play begin?
In a baron land with the three witches casting spells and chanting. “Through the fog and filthy air, hail Macbeth, Thane of Cawdor.”
“All hail Macbeth! King of Scotland!”
What events lead to Macbeth being portrayed as a hero at the beginning of the play?
He murders many soldiers in battle and is heralded as a hero by many including King Duncan who then rewards him with gold and land.
Why does Macbeth become Thane of Cawdor?
The current Thane of Cawdor was exposed as a traitor and Macbeth being Thane of Glamis is made Cawdor’s Thane. Duncan’s decision to do this may have been influenced by Macbeth’s performance in battle and his services to Scotland.
Why is the play of Macbeth often not named and called different names when it’s being performed?
The play is believed to be haunted and is often called “The Cursed Play” as it was a myth that people have died while acting in Macbeth and it gained a reputation as being haunted.
At the start of the play, what predictions do the witches make about Macbeth and Banquo?
They say that Macbeth will become King of Scotland and Banquo’s sons will go on to become princes and royalty.
How are the witches described by Macbeth in the play?
“Not of woman form and bearded”
Describe Macbeth’s intentions and attitudes towards killing King Duncan.
Triggered by his promotion to becoming Thane of Cawdor, he becomes power-hungry and wishes to become King of Scotland to gain more land, money and influence in the land.
He is initially quite keen but he later hesitates and Lady Macbeth has to persuade him by telling him “he’s not a man” if he doesn’t kill the king. It can also be interpreted as her bullying Macbeth into killing Duncan.
What is possibly Lady Macbeth’s ulterior motive to persuading Macbeth to kill Duncan?
She will gain lots of money and power as queen and she will potentially exploit this power as she has been shown to be quite sly and cunning in the play as she exploits Macbeth for her own gain.
Her other reasons may be much more positive however. Women were hardly valued by society at the time the play was written and LM may have wanted power to try to help women in Scotland and allow them to make more decisions about their lives. Despite LM not wielding much power as she is a woman.
How does Macbeth describe his guilt about killing King Duncan?
He says that “not even Neptune’s ocean” could wash the blood from his hands after the deed he has done.
How does Lady Macbeth react to her part in the killing of Duncan?
She simply says that she could easily wash the metaphorical blood from her hands. She literally washes her hands and says that she doesn’t care.
However she might have felt guilty as she may have committed suicide later in the play after feeling bad for manipulating Macbeth into killing Duncan. Or she might have been trying to avoid capture in the final battle.
How does Macbeth react to the death of Lady Macbeth?
He simply says, “it was inevitable anyway.” This shows that she may have simply been a trophy wife for Macbeth and he didn’t actually care for her life, this clearly displays his lack of empathy and care for others.
On the other hand, he may have been trying to show resilience and toughness when surrounded by others and he may actually have been very upset.
How does Macbeth get rid of the guards before he kills Duncan?
He puts sedatives in their food and then sneaks past them into Duncan’s bed chamber while the guards are out cold. This was probably Lady Macbeth’s plan as it is too sly and cunning for Macbeth who would probably have wondered in and slaughtered them anyway.
Why does Macbeth hallucinate during the banquet?
He feels really guilty about ordering the killing of Banquo who he feels may be a detriment and a hinderence to his gaining in power and influence.
Banquo’s ghost haunts Macbeth and Fleance later appears and warns Macbeth.
How does Lady Macbeth excuse Macbeth’s hallucinations?
She says he “has always had them since he was a child” and that people who know him would expect this of him. Despite him not being seen by a doctor all his life and he’s a royal.
Maybe Lady Macbeth has never seen these hallucinations before and she makes up an excuse right there on the spot.
How is the theme of ambition explored in Macbeth?
Macbeth and Lady Macbeth display signs of high ambition of upgrading their positions as royalty to becoming King and Queen of Scotland. Despite that, they still acknowledge that they are disrupting the natural order and are committing regicide to achieve their goals.
However they don’t let those thoughts stop them as they continue towards their goals regardless of the cost of lives and any consequences that may happen to them.
These ambitious themes are the main cause of the plays events as if they had not been so ambitious to obtain power then it is likely that Duncan would have remained King and then by natural order someone would’ve taken his place. However this is disrupted as Macbeth wants power now and he will stop and nothing to get it.
