Macbeth: Character Flashcards
Adjectives to describe Macbeth in Act 1
Brave (fearless, valiant, courageous), ambitious (determined, driven), powerful (mighty)
describe Macbeth in Act 2 immediately after Duncan’s death
Guilt-ridden, regretful, overwhelmed with anxiety, he experiences hallucinations, traumatized. He struggles to control his emotions
Adjectives to describe Macbeth in Act 2, once Duncan has been discovered to be dead
Once Duncan’s body is discovered, it is as though a switch has been flipped within Macbeth.
He springs into action with a clear eye toward his purpose, seizing control of the nobles and becoming King of Scotland.
Macbeth puts on a mask of false sorrow but his words indicate a hypocritical display of false emotion.
He gets genuinely and passionately carried away by the horror of what he has done
How is M ambitious?
Macbeth’s desire to become king and willingness to assassinate Duncan depict him as an ambitious man.
After he is pronounced Thane of Cawdor, he immediately starts to wonder whether this means that their third prophecy (that he will become king) will also be true.
“Two truths are told
As happy prologues to the swelling act
Of th’imperial theme”
“To be thus is nothing, but to be safely thus, our fears in Banquo stick deep” M
Macbeth is ambitious here and wishes to secure/preserve his throne for future generations. M is scared of Banquo’s prophecy, that he will father kings, so he will uproot this and kill it.
How is M seen as brave? Include Quotes
At the beginning of the play, Macbeth is portrayed as a courageous and noble warrior, who valiantly fought for his King, “For brave Macbeth—well he deserves that name”.
He is seen to be a fearless warrior who is willing to lay his life down on the battlefield. He is vicious when at battle. “Bellona’s bridegroom”
Macbeth is ambitious but also lacks many traits in his character to satisfy his raging ambitions:
List quotes that prove this
“Thou wouldst be great
Art not without ambition, but without
The illness should attend it” LM
“Yet do I fear thy nature; it is too full o’ the milk of human kindness” LM
“I have no spur
To prick the sides of my intent, but only
Vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself
And falls on th’other” M
What words does the captain use to describe Macbeth as brave?
The Captain uses a number of strong verbs and adjectives to show how brave Macbeth has been: ‘brandished’, ‘smoked’, ‘carved’, ‘unseamed’, ‘fixed’.
