macbeth Flashcards
big macca swag
define hubris
excessive pride or self confidence
who is malcolm?
king duncan’s son, real heir to the throne
define anagnorisis
a point in a play in which a principle character recognizes or discovers another characters true identity or intentions
define hamartia
a fatal flaw leading to the tragic downfall of a hero or herione
where is the play set?
scotland
define peripeteia
a sudden reversal of fortune or change in circumstances especially in reference to the fictional narrative
who was the monarch at the time the play was written?
king james
define catharsis
the process of releasing strong or repressed emotions
define pathos
a quality that provokes pity or sadness
what technique is used in the stage directions in scenes featuring the witches?
pathetic fallacy- its always stormy
what happens in act 1, scene 1?
we see the three witches talking aboutj Macbeth’s prophecy
what act do we meet lady macbeth?
act 1, scene 5
what is the divine right of kings?
the belief that kings or queens have the authority from god to rule over a country or nation
how does witchcraft and king james link to act 1?
the witches plant a seed in macbeth’s head and he cant stop thinking about them. the superstition links to king james’ obsession with witchcraft in the jacobean era.
what is the traditional role of jacobean women?
women were considered lower class citizens and the submissive partner in a relationship however shakespeare subverts this and presents lady macbeth as a dominant female with lots of power over her husband.
what religiously linked quote supports the theme of appearance vs reality?
“look like th’innocent flower, but be the serpent under’t”
why does shakespeare give the witches an unnatural speaking pattern?
to emphasise their strangeness as well as linking to the break in natural order as they speak
who first mentions macbeth in the play?
the witches
what quote introduces the theme of appearance vs reality?
“fair is foul, and foul is fair,”
what does ‘captain’ say macbeth did (praising his bravery)?
“unseam’d him from the nave to th’chaps”
what was macbeth’s title at the beginning of the play?
thane of glamis
finish the quote:
“sleep shall neither night nor…”
“day”
what noise is heard when mcabeth is first seen on stage?
a drum
what is macbeth’s first line?
“so foul and fair a day i have not seen.”
finish the quote:
“let us speak Our free hearts…”
“to each other”
who did duncan say will be next in line to succeed him?
Malcolm
who does lady macbeth call upon when she finds our macbeth could be king?
the spirits to “unsex” her
finish the quote:
“O never Shall sun…”
“that morrow see,”
what does “look like th’innocent flower, But be the serpent under’t,” link to?
it links to the theme of appearance vs reality and how macbeth shall have to commit this crime but appear not guilty so they will not be caught. it also links to the bible with the serpent representing temptation and the temptation of macbeth getting something he doesn’t have.
what is ironic about duncan’s arrival to macbeth’s castle?
he says the air is sweet and it has a pleasant appearance which is ironic as it is where he will die.
what could one say macbeth’s hamartia is?
his ambition.
why does lady macbeth say she cannot commit duncan’s murder?
because he resembles her father as he sleeps.
when macbeth bumps into banquo during the night who does he say when banquo asks “who is there”?
“A friend.”
what does macbeth ‘hallucinate’ before the murder of duncan?
a bloody dagger.
what motif does macbeth talk about after murdering duncan?
sleep and how he will be unable to sleep b=due to his guilt.
what sound effects are used to build tension in the scene just after macbeth killed duncan?
a ‘knock within’.
what is the use for the porter scene in act 2?
to relieve the tension with comedy from the last scene.
what does macbeth confess to doing after duncan’s body is found?
killing the guards in anger.
what do donaldbain and malcolm do after the death of their father?
donaldbain goes to ireland and malcolm goes to england.
what does the old man say happened with the king’s horses?
“turn’d wild in nature, broke their stalls, flung out,” and ‘ate’ each other.
