Macbeth essay plan - violence Flashcards
Opening sentence for introduction
In ‘Macbeth’ violence is one of the most important themes, as it ultimately structures the whole play, and is a catalyst for the thoughts and actions of the characters especially Macbeth himself.
Who is violence presented by?
Throughout the play, violence is presented by Macbeth, whose ‘vaulting ambition’ and the influence of the supernatural cause him to commit the ‘bloody business’ in order to achieve power.
Where is the play is violence presented?
see violence in battle in the opening and closing of the play
and in the murders of King Duncan, Banquo and the Macduff family, who all become victims of Macbeth’s violence
Why is there violence in the play?
some of the violence is positive, for example in Scotland’s defeat of Norway
negative violence also occurs and involves the supernatural, working mostly in the darkness
Beginning - Main idea 1 - Good violence
topic sentence
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analysis
link to other themes
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Topic sentence:
In Act One of the play violence is firstly portrayed as celebratory in the battle won against Norway.
Quote:
Macbeth’s violent actions, that led to this victory, are praised, as his physical fights ‘which smoked with bloody execution’ helped defeat the enemy.
Analysis/other themes:
Macbeth is described as ‘valiant’ and ‘brave’
positive adjectives suggest that before the supernatural influence of the ‘weird sisters’, the violence he displayed was for the good of his country.
Link to other themes/question:
further emphasised in the brutal phrase ‘unseamed him from the nave to the chaps’
commits violent acts as a warrior to courageously defend his king
Beginning - Main idea 2 - Duncan’s murder
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Topic sentence:
Soon after, Macbeth encounters the supernatural and the ‘midnight hags’ turn his violence negative, and becomes the catalyst for Duncan’s violent murder.
Quote:
This ‘deed’ is described as ‘bloody business’ and Macbeth visions the ‘gouts of blood’.
Analysis/link to other themes:
blood imagery helps to emphasize the the violent, brutal nature of his murder,
Macbeth’s physical violence is being harnessed by the ‘instruments of darkness’
Link back to question:
Macbeth has been turned from this ‘noble’ warrior to committing the ‘most sacrilegious murder’, which implies it has is ‘sinful’, disturbing The Great Chain of Being.
Beginning - Main idea 3 - Lady M
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Topic sentence/quote:
violence is equally displayed in Lady Macbeth’s verbal dominance, after she calls upon the supernatural, asking it to ‘fill [her] with direst cruelty’.
Analysis/link to other themes:
‘and dash’d the brains out’ suggests Lady Macbeth has been made so evil and disturbed that she would be willing to kill her own baby in order to be queen.
The violent verb ‘dash’d’ suggests a powerful, violent image of this.
Middle - Main idea 1 - deception
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Topic sentence:
During Act Two, the rising action of the play, violence has developed rapidly, as the temptation of power for Macbeth leads to him murdering more victims in order to seize the throne.
Quote:
Macbeth lies to the murderers he hires to kill Banquo, saying ‘know Banquo was your enemy’.
Analysis:
use of deception suggests that he is so eager to commit another violent deed but now, due to him being king, he can convince others to do it on his behalf.
Link to other themes:
Macbeth also deceives both Lady Macbeth and Banquo before the murder of Banquo, adding further cruelty and calculative qualities to his violent acts
–> To his wife, Macbeth insists: ‘be innocent of knowledge, dearest chuck’ suggesting Macbeth’s growing independence and desire to keep her out of the planning for Banquo’s murder.
–> he uses frequent, insistent questions such as ‘ride you this afternoon? and ‘Does Fleance go with you?’ in order to find out exactly where Banquo and Fleance will be.
Middle - Main idea 2 - Banquo’s murder
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Topic sentence:
In addition, the actual murder of Banquo is truly cruel and would cause the audience to be shocked due to the further emphasised theme of violence.
Quote/analysis:
darkness imagery of ‘night’s black agents’ used to imply the time of day, emphasises the connotations of evil, with all negative violence taking place at night.
Link to other themes/question:
stage directions also give the audience a clear image of Banquo and his son being suddenly surrounded
The stage directions [stabs Banquo] and [dies. Fleance escapes] suggests the violent actions are conveyed in a vivid way, shocking the audience show the brutal nature and consequences of Macbeth’s ‘fears in Banquo’, causing him to act irrationally
Middle - Main idea 3 - Macduff family
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Topic sentence:
Macbeth also decides to murder the whole of Macduff’s family
Quote:
suggests ‘blood will have blood’ and he has already committed many murders, therefore he has the ability to commit violent actions with no remorse.
Analysis:
‘He has killed me mother’ truly horrific as Macbeth is willing to kill innocent children in order to fulfil his hubris.
End - Main idea 1 - Young Siward murder
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Topic sentence:
In the denouement….Macbeth’s thanes begin to ‘desert’ him and he has to face a violent battle against the English army.
Quote:
Macbeth and inexperienced young Siward [fight and young Siward is slain]
Analysis:
suggests that as Macbeth is physically dominant, young Siward has no chance against his violent actions
Link back to other themes:
audience may view this death as unnecessary and feel sympathy for young Siward
Shakespeare uses this death to enhance the tragic nature of the play
End - Main idea 2 - Battle
topic sentence
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Topic sentence:
In addition, in the battle of England versus Scotland, the violent fighting is described as…
Quote:
‘clamorous harbingers of blood and death’
Analysis:
adjective ‘clamorous’ highlights the horrific noise of killing all around Macbeth
“Harbingers of blood and death”: emphasizes the trumpets’ role as a sign or omen of the violence and carnage that awaits Macbeth and his forces
Link back to other themes:
creates a sense of impending doom and foreshadows the brutal nature of the battle at the end of the play
End - Main idea 3 - Macbeth’s death
topic sentence
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Topic sentence:
In the final moments of the play, Macbeth displays his former ‘brave’ behaviour when he asks..
Quote: ‘Why should I play the Roman fool and die on my own sword’
Analysis: rather die fighting than escape the terror by ending his own life
End - Main idea 4 - Macduff’s violence
topic sentence
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Topic sentence:
Eventually, during his final duel with Macduff, we can see violence in Macduff’s burning desire to murder this ‘tyrant’ and restore the Great Chain of Being.
Quote:
the imperative ‘Turn, hell-hound, turn’
Analysis:
emphasises violence with the commanding imperative, paired with the insulting comparison of Macbeth as a ‘hell-hound’
suggests he is ‘damned’ and a violent character
Link to other themes/to question:
orders Macduff to ‘lay on’
he is courageous but overly confident
leads to his hamartia
Conclusion
‘Macbeth’ upholds a cyclical structure in terms of violence
begins and ends with positive, physical battle violence as the English destroy the ‘dead butcher and his fiend-like queen’
positive violence always lacks the presence of the supernatural suggesting the ‘weird sisters’ are the only ones who twist the violence to lead to negativity
filed with damaging violent acts which all occur at night
‘my black and deep desires’ suggesting how evil they truly are
“Stars hide your fires; let not…
…light see my black and deep desires”
Act 1
“Will all great Neptune’s oceans…
wash this blood clean from my hand?”
Act 2
“I am in blood / Stepped…
…in so far that should I wade no more”
Act 3
“I have no spur / To prick the sides…
…of my intent, but only / Vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself”
Act 1
“Life’s but a walking…
…shadow, a poor player”
Act 5
