Macbeth full text essay Flashcards
Act 1 key quotes M
‘Cannot be I’ll, cannot be good’ - antonym adjectives ‘ill’ and ‘good’ show Macbeth is conflicted about staying loyal to Duncan or acting upon his ambition
‘Make my seated heart knock at my ribs’ - metaphor shows he is anxious and fearful about killing Duncan
‘If chance would have me king, why chance may crown me’ - repetition of the abstract noun ‘chance’ shows Macbeth is leaving it up to fate
Act 2 quotes M
‘This is a sorry sight’ - the adjective ‘sorry’ shows the regret he feels
‘Could not say Amen’ - Macbeth has gone against the divine right of kings so God has forsaken him
‘Will all great Neptune’s oceans wash this blood clean from my hands’ - metaphor shows the the stain of his actions is too great to ever be removed
Act 3 quotes M
‘Our fears in Banquo stick deep’ - the abstract noun ‘fears’ shows Macbeth is irrationally paranoid of Banquo
‘Upon my head, they place a fruitless crown’ - adjective ‘fruitless’ implies that Macbeth feel insecure in his position as king
Act 4 quotes M
‘None born of women shall harm Macbeth’ equivocating language (hiding something) leads to Macbeth feeling hubristic (over confident)
‘The firstlings of my heart shall be the firstlings of my hands’ - Macbeth has become impulsive and bloodthirsty, acting upon his desires
‘Take to the edge of the sword, his wife, his babes’ - imperative suggests the power and confidence he now has and the needlessness of his actions, innocent murdered
Act 5 quotes M
‘Till Burnam wood move on Dunsanain, I cannot taint with fear’ - Macbeth believes the prophecies and apparitions
‘Life is but a walking shadow’ - Macbeths use of the metaphor suggest he no longer cares for life after his wife has died, the response is not emotional showing his power has gone
‘Untimely ripped’ Macduff states this showing Macbeth has been tricked
‘I will not yield to kiss the ground beneath young Malcom’s feet’ - shows Macbeth is strengthen again and has returned to the brave soldier from the beginning of the play
