Macbeth - Context and Themes Flashcards
Ambition
What is the main theme in Macbeth?
Ambition is the main theme in Macbeth
Ambition
What does Ambition motivate Macbeth to do?
+Ambition motivates Macbeth to commit terrible deeds.
+It changes him from a “valiant soldier” to a “dead butcher”.
Ambition
How does the play show that Ambition is dangerous?
+The play shows ambition is dangerous because it can quickly spiral out of control.
+Macbeth considers the morality of killing Duncan for a long time but doesn’t hesitate about killing Banquo.
Ambition
What happens once Macbeth starts killing?
+Once Macbeth starts killing, he has to kill more people to get what he wants and to try and make his position secure.
+It shows that ambition can make people ruthless and selfish.
Ambition
What are both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth destroyed by?
+Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are eventually destroyed by their ambition, so the play can be read as a warning against ambition that isn’t balanced by reason or morals.
Ambition
What is Macbeth’s biggest weakness?
Ambition is Macbeth’s biggest weakness
Ambition
What is Macbeth’s ‘fatal flaw’?
+Ambition is Macbeth’s ‘fatal flaw’ - He’s a brave hero at the start - Duncan calls him “noble” and Lady Macbeth says he “wouldst not play false” to get what he wants.
+Context - Tragedy: In Shakespeare’s tragedies, the hero is usually a noble person with one main character flaw which leads to their downfall - this is their ‘fatal flaw’.
Ambition
What does Macbeth’s reluctance to kill Duncan show?
+Macbeth’s reluctance to kill Duncan shows that he’s moral, but his actions emphasise how strong his ambition is - his ambition makes him act against his morals.
+It also makes him act against his better judgement - He knows that ambition often “o’erleaps itself/And falls” - it can lead a person to aim too high so that they fail and lose everything.
+This foreshadows Macbeth’s own tragic downfall - By the end of the play, Macbeth’s lost everything and he dies an “abhorrèd tyrant”.
Ambition
What can ambition be?
+Good or bad
Ambition
What are not all characters corrupted by?
+Not all characters are corrupted by their ambition, as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are - ambition can be a positive thing if it’s motivated by a desire to help others rather than yourself.
Ambition
State the characters that are not corrupted by ambition.
+Malcolm and Macduff are ambitious for their country - They want to take Macbeth’s power away from him, not for their own selfish desires, but for the good of Scotland.
+Banquo is ambitious for his sons once he’s heard the Witches’ prophecy - He wants them to be kings, but he doesn’t act on the predictions in the violent way that Macbeth does.
Ambition
How does Macbeth know he’s very ambitious?
+“I have no spur…but only/Vaulting ambition”
+Macbeth knows that he’s very ambitious, and it’s this that fuels his decision to kill Duncan.
+Lady Macbeth thinks he’s not quite ambitious enough though, so she gives him a gentle push in the right direction.
Ambition
What does Lady Macbeth see that there’s a difference between?
+Lady Macbeth sees that there’s a difference between being ambitious and acting on ambition.
+She says that Macbeth is “not without ambition, but without/The illness should attend it” - She thinks that Macbeth isn’t ruthless enough to take action to get what he wants.
Ambition
How do characters show loyalty?
Characters show loyalty through their actions
What is the difference between characters who are loyal and characters who are not loyal?
+There’s a difference between characters who say that they are loyal [like Macbeth, who talks about the “loyalty” he owes to Duncan even when he’s plotting to kill him] and characters whose actions show their loyalty [like Macduff].
What do the characters in Macbeth show loyalty to?
+The characters in Macbeth show loyalty to different things:
- Country
- King
- Beliefs
How does Macduff show loyalty to Scotland?
+Macduff is loyal to Scotland - He chooses to go to England to ask Malcolm to defend his country instead of protecting his family.
+He’d rather leave Scotland than see it be rules by a bad king.
How do the thanes show loyalty to the king?
+The thanes are loyal to Duncan because he’s been a “great” king.
+Macbeth gives Duncan “service and loyalty” by fighting for him in Act 1.
How does Banquo show loyalty to his beliefs?
+Banquo is loyal to his own sense of honour - he says that he will keep his “allegiance clear”.
+He won’t let ambition or the Witches’ prophecies affect him.
What happens when characters betray their loyalty?
+When characters betray their loyalty, it’s usually to pursue their own selfish desires.
What is rewarded and what is punished?
+Loyalty is rewarded, betrayal is punished
What does Duncan have the old Thane of Cawdor?
+Duncan has the old Thane of Cawdor executed for betraying him and rewards Macbeth’s loyalty by giving him the title.
+The play has a circular structure - it ends with Macbeth being killed for betraying Scotland and Malcolm rewarding the thanes’ loyalty.
What does Macbeth betray his own sense of?
+Macbeth betrays his own sense of right and wrong - This eventually leads to his loss of self-worth and his death.
+Betrayal is often linked to power - Power [in the form of titles] can be given or taken away depending on a person’s loyalty.
+Loyalty and betrayal often go hand in hand, eg. Macduff’s loyalty to Scotland leads him to betray his family.
What do the Macbeths pretend to be?
+The Macbeths pretend to be loyal
Who is Macbeth initially loyal to?
+Macbeth is initially loyal to Duncan as “his kinsman and his subject” - this makes it even more shocking when he puts his own desires ahead of his loyalty to the King.
What does Lady Macbeth fake?
+Lady Macbeth fakes an appearance of loyalty - She tells Duncan that she and Macbeth are “Your servants ever”, even though they’re plotting his murder - it shows how easily she can pretend to be loyal.
+Theme - Reality and Appearances: Lady Macbeth’s two faced nature helps her to betray Duncan - he trusts her as a “Fair and noble hostess” and doesn’t see her lust for power.
+Shakespeare juxtaposes Lady Macbeth’s plotting to kill Duncan with her welcoming him into her castle - this develops her character and makes her murderous intentions more dramatic.
Explain how Macbeth shows his loyalty?
+At the start of the play, Macbeth is celebrated for his bravery and loyalty - and he’s rewarded for it.
+His loyalty at the beginning makes his betrayal seem even worse - it means he has further to fall.
What didn’t a king have to be?
+A king didn’t have to be the old king’s son.
+Historical context: In Scotland at the time, the successor didn’t have to be the King’s eldest son, even though it often was.
In the play, what does Macbeth suddenly become?
+In the play, Macbeth suddenly becomes King, even though he’s not the heir to the throne.
+Duncan chooses his eldest son as his heir, but he makes Macbeth next in line after Malcolm and Donalbain.
+Macbeth wins the throne by killing the King and framing Malcolm and Donalbain - Gradually, other characters realise Macbeth is not a true king.
What does Malcolm describe?
+Malcolm describes good rulers and bad rulers
What is Duncan an example of?
+Duncan is an example of an ideal king - he’s described as “gracious” and inspires loyalty in his subjects, who see him as a “most sainted king” and therefore the rightful ruler of Scotland.
How is Macbeth described in terms of his Kingship?
+Macbeth is described as a “tyrant” because he rules selfishly, using violence.
+He’s rarely referred to as “king” which shows that the other characters don’t accept him as the true King.
When is Scotland peaceful and when is it not?
+Under Duncan’s rightful reign, the country is ordered and peaceful.
+Macbeth’s unlawful reign is reflected in the overturned natural order, eg. day turns to night and horses eat each other.
What does Malcolm describe in Act 4 Scene 3?
+In Act 4 Scene 3 Malcolm describes good and bad kings.
How does Malcolm describe a bad king?
+A bad king is… bloody, Luxurious, avaricious, false, deceitful, Sudden, malicious, smacking of every sin That has a name.
+Malcolm’s describing Macbeth’s reign here - he’s “avaricious” because he’s motivated by selfish greed; His lies make him “false” and “deceitful”, and he’s “bloody” because he uses violence to keep control over his people.
How does Malcolm describe a good king?
+A good king has… king-becoming graces,As justice, verity, temperance, stableness, Bounty, perseverance, mercy, lowliness, Devotion, patience, courage, fortitude.
+Malcolm could be describing Duncan in this speech - Duncan shows “temperence” in his calm, peaceful manner, “lowliness” [being humble] in his gratefulness for loyalty, “justice” when dealing with those who betray him and “Bounty” in his generosity.
What should a good king be?
+A good king should be holy
What does Malcolm also say that a good ruler should be?
+Malcolm also says that a good ruler is holy - at the time, people believed the King was appointed by God.
