Macbeth Context Flashcards
1
Q
what book is macbeth based on, and how does it differ from the play?
A
- 1577 Holinshead’s chronicles
- banquo originally sided with macbeth
- James I claimed his ancestor was Banquo
2
Q
how is macbeth linked to the Gunpowder PLot?
A
- many of the themes resonate with the attempted revolt: it’s a play about treason, the overthrow of a King, and the downfall of his murderers
- The insistent reference to equivocation {porter} could allude Henry Garnet (catholic priest), who was hung, drawn and quartered for his role in the Gunpowder Plot and was deeply criticised for equivocating
- After the foiled attempt on his life, King James had a commemorative medal mad which featured the image of some flowers with a serpent hiding amongst them. It is said to symbolise the deceit and treachery of the Jesuits
3
Q
how did religion influence ‘Macbeth’?
A
- James I & Elizabeth I were Protestant
- Regicide - killing a royal - worst crime - against DROK
- Great Chain of Beings
4
Q
what was life like for women, at the time Shakespeare was writing?
A
- women did not go to school/have advanced jobs
- could only inherit not buy property
- not entitled to father’s title
- marriage - money/politics - used by men - obedient and silent
- men were defined by their status - behave with duty and honour
5
Q
how is gender linked to ‘macbeth’?
A
gender & witchcraft linked, gender roles swictheroo, witches are androgynous, macbeth’s masculinity
6
Q
how is witchcraft linked to ‘macbeth’?
A
banquo’s suspicion is seen as good, the witches influence Macbeth, LM linked to witchcraft (corrupt women)
7
Q
what were some beliefs about witchcraft at the time shakespeare was writing?
A
- cause of disaster/harm
- burned at stake
- cats, birthmarks, curdled milk, moldy bread, float in water, charms
- pact with the devil - heretical
- black death, famine, animal death
- James I believed that he & his wife had been personally targeted by witches who conjured dangerous storms to try to kill them during their voyages across the North Sea.
8
Q
what was the Daemonologie?
A
- philosophical dissertation on contemporary necromancy
- endorsed witch hunting
- Shakespeare attributed many quotes and rituals found within the book directly to the Weird Sisters
9
Q
how is leadership addressed in ‘macbeth’?
A
- perhaps a warning against committing regicide, as King James was patron of the playing company Shakespeare wrote for and people questioned James’ legitimacy to rule: he was Scottish, his mother was a catholic and he was only a distant relative of his predecessor Elizabeth (eg Gunpowder plot 1605)
- perhaps Shakespeare was subtly showing James the consequences of being too much of a trusting leader
10
Q
how is ambition addressed in ‘macbeth’?
A
- LM has an interesting view of power: where only those who are able to set aside morality can rise to greatness
- ambition is what drives people to commit ever more terrible atrocities - it leads to evil
- once someone decides to use violence to further their quest for power, it is difficult to stop - there will always be threats so it will always be tempting to use violence to stop them
- Macbeth has natural ambition but this is reinforced by his meeting with the Witches and by his wife - he has a deep internal desire for power and advancement
- shows that naked ambition, freed from any sort of moral or social conscience, ultimately takes over every other characteristic of a person. It can never be fulfilled, and therefore quickly grows into a monster that will destroy anyone who gives into it.
11
Q
what is hamartia?
A
a fatal flaw - basic mistake in the central character’s personality which drives their actions
12
Q
how is the theme of appearance vs reality and the supernatural explored in ‘macbeth’?
A
- warning against engaging with the supernatural and witchcraft - perhaps suggesting that no matter how good the promises from the supernatural seem, engaging with supernatural will end in death and tragedy
- M is 1st introduced as valiant and brave - but he is neither of these things. Not only is he, in the eyes of LM, weak - but he is also proved to be disloyal.
13
Q
how is gender explored through LM?
A
- ‘Unsex me here’ shows LM calling her femininity and, by extension, weakness to be stripped away. it is not masculinity that she craves – but androgyny. Whilst LM associates femininity with weakness, so, also, does she associate masculinity. In her eyes, M is also hesitant and feeble, despite being a man. She no longer wants to be human; she wants an inhumane conscience so that she shall feel no remorse. (‘Come to my woman’s breasts, And take my milk for gall’ - no gentleness, no nurturing nature)
- the aggression of the female characters is striking because it goes against prevailing expectations of how women ought to behave
- Lady Macbeth’s behaviour shows that women can be as ambitious and cruel as men
- because of the constraints of her society, Lady Macbeth relies on deception and manipulation rather than violence
- In Act 1 Scene 5 LM’s speech establishes her as the dominant partner in the relationship, which inverts typical 17th-century gender & social roles. Since husbands were supposed to “rule” their wives in the same way that kings ruled countries, LM’s plan is just another version of treason: taking power that doesn’t belong to her.
14
Q
how is gender explored through the witches in macbeth?
A
3 witches - perhaps symbolising an ‘anti-holy trinity’? Their ambiguous femininity would contrast with the masculinity of the holy trinity.
15
Q
how is masculinity and manhood explored in macbeth?
A
- LM taunts M when he won’t kill D. This associates masculinity with violence. M also says that he ‘does all that may become a man’ - this associates masculinity with honour
- ‘And wakes it now to look so green and pale At what it did so freely?’ - here LM tells M that he looks ‘green and pale’. At the time, this was a sign of anemia - a disease, in that time, associated with young, virgin, women.
