Macbeth character Flashcards
what is Macbeth as a character in the play
Macbeth is an eponymous character that is a tragic hero, he starts of in a position of glory but falls from grace due to his own fatal flaws/hamartia
when we are introduced to Macbeth how is he portrayed
he is presented as a stereotypical hero, he fulfils the expectation of masculinity and manhood, Shakespeare uses his brave status to emphasise his fall from hero to cowardliness, this allows for the exploration of gender, religion and morality.
“Vaulting ambition which over leaps itself and falls on the other”-Macbeth Act 1 scene 7
this is Macbeth’s argument for committing regicide, he knows that blindly obeying to ambition will lead to disaster and destruction, the phrase “over leaps itself and falls on the others”, implies that not controlling your ambition leads to thinking illogically, so they overestimate there actual abilities and get ahead of themselves. portraying ambition as self destructive. the metaphor of horse racing continues throughout the whole line of thought, mimicking the way life is treated as a race, the motif evokes the sense of finish as everyone chases down power and success. in the metaphor Macbeth is portrayed as the animal and the jockey implying that he his animalistic, reflecting the way Jacobean see reason and logic, if a man lost his reason he would be a beast implying Macbeth as a beast.
“brave”, “disdaining fortune”, “smoked with bloody execution”- about Macbeth Act 1 scene 2
this recount of the battle against Norway and the rebels portrays the Macbeth as the hero Scotland needs. he is “brave” and skilled with a sword both traits typically aligned with heroism. Shakespeare shows how violence and bloodshed is romanticised in the context of war and fighting for ones country, by using powerful descriptors such as “disdaining fortune” and “smoked with bloody execution”. because Macbeth is fighting for his country his actions are honourable and righteous in this context, but juxtaposing this here later on in the play when he acts the same way he is seen as tyrannical and horrific. therefore Shakespeare must be implying the horrors of aggressive masculinity are martian and should not be acted upon otherwise Macbeth’s actions will only be repeated.
“smoked by bloody execution” - Act 1 scene 4
this metaphor “smoked with bloody execution” implies violence as a destructive force like , fire, Shakespeare combines smoke and blood, two motifs that recur throughout the play to portray Macbeth,s guilt. this imagery could be an allusion to the flaming swords in the bible.
Jacobean times were very religious and most were Christians, Shakespeare could of been implying to the Jacobean audience that Macbeth is a soldier of God that he was on the side of God and his blessings, and shows how well respected he was by his peers. context ti the flaming swords was that Angels were given flaming swords to guard the Garden of Eden once Adam and Eve were banished from it.
“like valour’s minions” - Act 1 scene 4
