Macbeth Essay Plans Flashcards
1
Q
Violence
A
Actions that are physically harmful towards others, done with malicious intent
2
Q
Macbeth violence thesis
A
- cyclical force
- Macbeth allegory for over ambition - violence shows how attempting to viciously disrupt cycle of divine right of kings is futile, will lead to downfall
- Macbeth’s violence done initially patriocally, as ambition intensifies, violent intent becomes selfish + ambitious + unpatriotic, inevitably realises what he has done is futile as violence cyclical
3
Q
Macbeth violence paragraphs
A
- initially patriotic - ‘unseamed’
- violence intensifies, malicious - ‘stars hide’
- realisation violence is coming to him - ‘brief candle’
4
Q
Lady Macbeth violence thesis
A
- cyclical force
- violent subversion of gender roles symbolises rejection of patriachy
- allegory for women who would oppose patriachal society - warn against doing so by showing that whilst she is initially dominant in her violence, cyclical force inevitably brings her downfall
5
Q
Lady Macbeth violence paragraphs
A
- immediately rejects patriachy - ‘unsex’
- doesn’t understand consequences of violence - ‘little water’
- cyclical force leads to downfall - ‘damned spot’
6
Q
Ambition
A
Insatiable desire for for something, leading us to perform potentially harmful acts
7
Q
Macbeth ambition thesis
A
- corrosive force that destroys personal integrity, has negative adverse effects so will lead to downfall
- Macbeth allegory for over ambition
- increasingly sinful acts for power = deterioration, shown through contrast of attitudes - ambition to ironic nihilism
8
Q
Macbeth ambition paragraphs
A
- initially positive ambition - ‘unseamed’
- transforms to negative ambition - ‘stars hide’
- inevitable downfall, shouldn’t have been overambitious - ‘brief candle’
9
Q
Lady Macbeth ambition thesis
A
- corrosive force that destroys personal integrity especially in women, they shouldn’t be ambitious
- Lady Macbeth allegory for overambitious female
- immediately disrupts nature by allying with evil supernatural (shows how wrong it is), suggests this was naive as woman can’t understand consequences, inevitable downfall - suffers at hands of God
10
Q
Lady Macbeth ambition paragraphs
A
- immediate disruption of nature, bad for women to have ambition - ‘unsex’
- doesn’t understand consequences - ‘little water’
- inevitable downfall as women shouldn’t have ambition - ‘damned spot’
11
Q
Guilt
A
Emotional response to wrongdoing, triggering mental pain
12
Q
Macbeth guilt thesis
A
- guilt corrodes personal/psychological integrity as negative effect of regicide
- Macbeth allegory for unchecked ambition
- as he does more horrific acts in the attempts of enhancing power, his personal/psychological integrity deteriorates
- shown through increasing guilt, realises he is doing wrong, subtly guilty, eventually guilt leads to downfall of nihilism, emphasised between contrasting initial ambition to nihilism
13
Q
Macbeth guilt paragraphs
A
- initially noble before corruption and guilt - ‘unseamed’
- understands what he is doing is wrong, subtly guilty - ‘stars’
- excessive guilt turns him to nihilism - ‘brief candle’
14
Q
Lady Macbeth guilt thesis
A
- guilt corrodes personal/psychological integrity as negative effect of regicide
- Lady Macbeth allegory for unchecked ambition
- as she does more horrific acts in the attempts of trying to enhance power, her personal/psychological integrity deteriorates
- shown through increasing guilt, symbolised by motif of blood and contrasting ambition with serious mental problems
15
Q
Lady Macbeth guilt paragraphs
A
- initially powerful/dominant - ‘unsex’
- not guilty straight away, foreshadows later guilt (build up) - ‘little water’
- deterioration - ‘damned spot’
16
Q
Supernatural
A
Something that can’t be explained through scientific reasoning
17
Q
Macbeth supernatural thesis
A
- corrupting catalyst for his Macbeth’s over ambition and consequential downfall
- Macbeth allegory for negative effects of engagement with supernatural
- has deteriorating effects on him - initially strong/noble, but left nihilistic after engaging with supernatural
18
Q
Macbeth supernatural paragraphs
A
- initially strong/noble - ‘unseamed’
- engaging with supernatural - ‘dagger of the mind’
- consequential deterioration - ‘brief candle’
19
Q
Lady Macbeth supernatural thesis
A
- corrupting catalyst for his Lady Macbeth’s over ambition and consequential downfall
- Lady Macbeth allegory for negative effects of engagement with supernatural
- has deteriorating effects on her - initially dominant but after engaging with supernatural for long enough, she goes mad
20
Q
Lady Macbeth supernatural parapgraph
A
- initially strong/dominant when engaging with supernatural - ‘unsex’
- becomes cruel - ‘little water’
- deterioration - ‘damned spot’
21
Q
Deceit
A
Cruel method of manipulation where appearance and reality become distorted
22
Q
Deceit thesis
A
- antithetical force
- has adverse effects of what was intended - play warns against doing so
- M + LM attempt to use deceit to gain power due to over ambition - ironically leads to both their downfalls
23
Q
Deceit paragraphs
A
- deceiving nature, understands wrong, foreshadows fate - ‘stars’
- LM joins deceit - ‘flower’
- LM downfall - ‘damned spot’
- M downfall - ‘brief candle’
24
Q
Witches thesis
A
- regicide catalysts
- deeper - allegories for going against God
- Macbeth engaging with witches = any Christian going against God, similar negative effects
- shown by juxtaposing negativity of witches with uncontaminated nobility of Macbeth, shows negative affects of engaging with witches, deterioration through nihilism
25
Witches paragraphs
- immediately negative - **'fair/foul'**
- juxtaposed nobility - **'unseamed'**
- negatively affected through engagement - **'stars'**
- deterioration through nihilism - **'brief candle'**
26
Banquo thesis
- foil to Macbeth's ambition
- deeper - symbol of quiet complicity to supernatural + actions against God (regicide)
- encourages patriotism + loyalty to James I
- shown through Banquo taking interest in witches, being unpatriotically reserved in his confrontations of Macbeth leads to downfall/death
27
Banquo essay plan
- interest in witches - **'seeds of time'**
- lack of actions - **'foul/play'**
- death - **'revenge'**
28
Macduff thesis
- presented simply as moral warrior
- deeper - conflict between socially accepted + patriotic violence and personal revenge
- allegory for instability of Scotland
- initially has minor role (inner reserve), unjust murdering of family catalyses his strive to cleanse Scotland personally + patriotically
29
Macduff paragraphs
- initially patriotic - **'horror'**
- personal involvement - **'pretty chickens'**
- climax of conflictions - **'hell-hound'**
