Macbeth Exam Flashcards
Explanation and 3 examples for Ambition
Ambition is a destructive force in Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s lives as in drives them to do unspeakable things. (Murder examples)
Kingship
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Fate and free will
Fate and free will are at odds here as Macbeth blames fate for his actions saying this was bound to happen, raising questions about who is in control. witches, Macbeth talking to himself,
Loyalty
Loyalty to the right thing is shown to be a virtue as Macbeth who is not loyal is the bad guy and the other princes are the good guys. the killing of Macbeth, betrayal of Duncan, Killing of Banquo
Innocence
Innocence is shown to be a virtue, as Macbeth is happy when he is innocent and goes insane from guilt. Macbeth before, Macbeth after, boy
Guilt
Guilt is a destructive force in this narrative. (Macbeth talking to himself, Spot, Lady Macbeth suicide)
Order and chaos
There is order when there is right things, chaos when there is sin (Duncan, Macbeth, Malcolm)
Masculinity and femininity
In the Tragedy of Macbeth, the traditional roles of masculine vs feminine are reversed. Lady Macbeth appears to be the more masculine character, taking charge and ordering Macbeth what to do. She even expresses her frustration in not being a man. But these stereotypes reverse in the second Act when Macbeth ambition has gotten out of control. He orders Lady Macbeth to stand
Supernatural v.s. the Natural
Supernatural forces are shown to be more powerful than natural as well as bad. Witches, Malcolm, Macduff
Psychological effects of sin/evil
Macbeth goes crazy, ( knife, spot, Banquo Hallucination)
Macbeth
Thane of Glammis who later becomes Thane of Cawdor and King after murdering King Duncan. Driven to murder because of ambition and a prophecy by the witches.
Lady Macbeth
Lady Macbeth- Wife of Macbeth, she supports Macbeth and is the one who convince him to kill Duncan, she is driven by her ambition, she ends up going insane and killing herself at the end from her guilt
The witches
The Witches: They are supernatural beings that Macbeth encounters at the beginning of the play and then multiple times throughout. They make prophecies that Macbeth obsesses over and does very unethical and wrong things to make them come true. They make him paranoid and unstable the whole play.
Banquo
Banquo: Macbeth’s friend at the beginning of the play but enemy in the end. Macbeth was paranoid about the witch’s prophecy that Banquo’s sons would be king, so he ordered Banquo and his son Fleace to be killed.
Malcolm
Malcolm- King Duncan’s heir, he flees after his father is killed but comes back later after hearing what Macbeth has done and leads an army to retake the throne, which he succeeds in, he is driven by revenge, loyalty, and healthy ambition
Macduff
Macduff- Scottish Lord, he is the one who kills and most of his actions are driven by revenge for killing his wife and kids. He is not born of a woman and helps Malcolm’s army defeat.
Lady Macduff
Lady Macduff - Wife of Macduff (obviously); murdered along with her son after Macbeth hears from the witches that Macduff is a threat.
King Duncan
King Duncan - King of Scotland who is murdered by Macbeth. Father of Malcom. Makes Macbeth Thane of Cawdor but Malcolm his heir which causes Macbeth to murder him.
Who has agency?
Things to consider: The Witches, Hecate, God, is there a person?
The Witches are able to see what will happen but every person in the play has agency over their own action. What happens happens, but every person still chose to do what they did. It’s unsure who is in control of everything, and the distinctions between fate vs free will are unclear. Macbeth takes action to ensure his fate, but it is unclear whether his fate would have happened without him.
Richard v.s. Macbeth
Both die via stab stab, are unpopular, have mental issues, reflect during their downfall, get into power by killing someone then are deposed by a relative of that person
Richard though seems sorry while Macbeth keeps killing people to cover up his sins and wrong doings, Macbeth has a more detailed relationship with his wife
Become aware of their fatal flaw at the end of the play
To what extent is Ambition inherently evil, and when does it become destructive
Ambition isn’t inherently bad, but an excess of it is. You need some degree of ambition be successful in life, but when you have so much that you’re willing to do anything to get what you want, it has gone too far
At the beginning of the play Macbeth doesn’t have much ambition, and he’s seen in a good light though weak. Instead of gaining a good amount of ambition so that he could
