Macbeth

Question 1

Give an example regarding the theme of “Ambition” in Macbeth.

Answer 1

• The witches’ prophecies spur both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to try and fulfil their ambitions. They both drop their morals to achieve their goal.
• Result of Macbeth’s ambition – begins to overwhelm him and becomes a murdering, paranoid maniac.
• Result of Lady Macbeth’s ambition – she goes crazy, after being crushed by guilt. (Washing the blood off her hands)

Question 2

Give an example regarding the theme of “Fate” in Macbeth.

Answer 2

• This compares Macbeth to Banquo. Macbeth tries everything, even if it means killing the king, to achieve his fate – as he believed it was real and that it was his goal. Banquo however didn’t let the fate overcome him, he let life take him on his course – which seemed to the audience as the sensible reaction.
• Macbeth becomes obsessed with his fate, which leads to him becoming delusional. He becomes unable to see the half-truths behind the witches’ prophecies (he was very gullible and really believed he would die when the Birnam would ‘came towards him’).

Question 3

Give an example regarding the theme of “Violence” in Macbeth.

Answer 3

• Macbeth makes points about nature of violence, every violent act, whatever it is, inevitably leads on to the next. “blood will have blood”

Question 4

Give an example regarding the theme of “Upturned Nature” in Macbeth.

Answer 4

• The weird sisters – weren’t what feminity was thought to be in Shakespearian times. They spoke in trochaic tetrameter – different to everybody else.
• “unsex me here” said by Lady Macbeth. She wants her feminine nature to be taken away – “fill me from crown to the toe topfull of direst cruelty” – this is unnatural as women were thought to be caring and maternal – further on she talks about killing her baby and “dash’ed the brains out” if she said she would.
• Gender roles: Lady Macbeth takes power over Macbeth and controls him. This is different to the “gender roles” that were a thing in Shakespearian times, where a man would normally be seen as the controlling individual, doing the fighting and all the work, and women would stay caring for the house and the kids. “Leave all the rest to me.” Said by Lady Macbeth was probably shocking to the audience as that was not normally expected in those medieval times.

Question 5

Give an example regarding the theme of “God” in Macbeth.

Answer 5

Lady Macbeth and Macbeth repeatedly talk about god – and how they do not want God to see their horrible crimes i.e. “Stars hide your fires”

Biblical quotes are used throughout – “look like th’innocent flower, But be the serpent under’t” – reference to the bible where the evil serpent persuaded Adam to eat the forbidden fruit. Lady Macbeth is asking Macbeth to look kind, but be evil inside, as she feels he can be read too easily.

Question 6

Give an example regarding the theme of “Manhood” in Macbeth.

Answer 6

Most characters at one point debate about Manhood i.e. Lady Macbeth asking “Are you a man?” – persuading Macbeth to kill Duncan, and Lady Macduff questions Macduff’s choice to go to England.

Macbeth questions manhood itself. Does a true man take what he wants no matter what it is, as Lady Macbeth believes? Or does a real man have the strength to restrain his desires, like Banquo believes?

Question 7

Name a structural feature that made the Witches stand out from other characters in the story.

Answer 7

They speak in trochaic tetrameter - like a chant, which is unnatural.
Every other character speaks in iambic pentameter.