Macbeth Act 4 Quotations Flashcards
Analyse the quotation - “Though you _____ the winds and let them fight, against the _________”
untie, churches
This quotation is Macbeth asking the witches for their apparitions, even though he acknowledges their demonic and evil nature with the present participle verb utilised. Untying the winds is a power only held by God or his antithesis and someone with such power is very dangerous. This is further emphasising how he is willing to use anyone to further his goals due to his ambition. This nature of self-importance and furthering one’s goals over another opposes God’s Kingdom, as humility and respect for others are natures which God commands humanity to follow. Given that Jacobean England was very Christian, it is expected that Shakespeare would present a character with these characteristics to undergo such a tragic downfall by trusting demonic creatures. This is meant to invoke a sense of fear for the reader of such demons and of trusting them.
Analyse the quotation - “Sleep in spite of thunder”
Macbeth repeats the motif of sleep from acts 1-3 by demonstrating how he feels he can ignore all of his problems due to the false sense of security he feels from the witches’ prophecies. The juxtaposition of the peace of sleep and the pathetic fallacy of rage and supernatural in thunder presents how Macbeth has been deceived by the witches into believing he can escape God’s will and judgement despite what he has done, and that he feels he is safe from all others due to the prophecies. Macbeth’s fate at the end of the play is an attempt by Shakespeare to portray the danger of going against God’s commandments and the Natural Order.
Analyse the quotation - “I ____ be satisfied”
Will
The imperative utilised by Macbeth shows how he feels like he can control demons and their power, the naïvety of Macbeth in this situation is demonstrated at the end of the play where he uses their prophecies as a source of confidence but his belief in these prophecies causes him to be overconfident and lead to his downfall. Shakespeare may be presenting this to show the audience that pride is can be the downfall of a person, as it is one of the seven major sins in Christianity and Jacobean England was predominantly Christian.
Analyse the quotation - “The very _________ of my heart will be the firstlings of my ____”
Firstlings, hand
The emphasis Macbeth places on him using his heart to dictate his actions here epitomises his rationale of using his emotions to act and not his brain, which is said to be a dangerous course of action and symbolises a point of no return for Macbeth, where he is so far gone into his ambition and the slaughter and rage he brings with it that he does not even want to consider the possibility of being hesitant. This could be shown to present Macbeth’s devilish nature towards the latter parts of the play.
Analyse the quotation - “Thou hast _______ my ____ alright”
Harped, fear
This is said after he is told to beware Macduff, a warning he heeds to until he is told none of woman born shall harm him. He uses these prophecies to make himself feel safe and secure similarly to how humans were viewed to use sin in a similar way.
Analyse the quotation - “Shall Banquo’s _____ ever _____ in this Kingdom?”
Issue, reign
This rhetorical question demonstrates Macbeth’s obsession with prophecy and his strong desire for power, since even after having revealed so much to him he demands more answers from the witches. When he does not receive more he gets into a fit of rage. Wrath and greed are both grave sins from the contemporary christian standpoint.
Analyse the quotation - “Thy _____ does ____ mine eyeballs”
Crown, sear
This metaphor indicates how much power has consumed it through his anger at seeing someone else ruling Scotland, let alone Banquo’s kin. The idea of letting go of his power is so alien to Macbeth that it makes him feel sick.
