macbeth key scene Flashcards
1
Q
p1 before brave and r4elationship with LM
point- Before act 1, scene 7, Macbeth is shown to be a ‘noble’ soldier who will do anything for his King however his relationship with his wife has a very different dynamic.
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- “Brave Macbeth! Well he deserves that name.”
( The word choice of “brave” has connotations of honour, this highlights his success in battle as a warrior and the respect his community and those around him have for him. Here we have evidence of his masculinity Lady Macbeth later insults, with praise of his bravery.) - “Unseamed him from the nave to the chaps.”
(This use of word choice emphasizes macbeths strength as a soldier as he did not just kill his opponent but sliced him apart in a particularly brutal manner. This demonstrates the kind of ruthless and violent warrior he was, suggests a glimmer of the violent merciless nature he had inside him that comes forth later on in the play. ) - “Yet I do fear thy nature; It is too full o’ th’ milk of human kindness”.
(The word choice of “milk of human kindness” highlights Lady Macbeth’s disapproval of Macbeth’s compassion and good will, she recognizes it could get in the way of their ambitions; for Macbeth to murder the king and become king himself. Lady Macbeth worries that despite her husband’s ambition he does not have the right nature necessary to complete the murders required to become king)
2
Q
p2
point - As we arrive at the key scene, there is clearly conflict between the couple as Macbeth refuses to murder Duncan.
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- “I have bought Golden opinions from all sorts of people”. ( Macbeth wants to enjoy the praises he has earned in becoming Thane of Cawdor. The word choice of “golden” highlights the valuable praise he has recently received from those around him. “Golden” has connotations of royalty and wealth, this highlights Macbeth’s desire to stay in this top tier social rank, emphasizing his ambition towards rising in social class. He is reluctant to risk throwing away this newfound nobility to murder Duncan..)
- “When you durst do it, then you were a man”.
(Here lady Macbeth insults Macbeth’s masculinity insinuating he is not a man and will only be if he follows through with the murder. Attacking his masculinity would hurt his pride, this emphasises Lady Macbeth is trying to get power over him and manipulate him into doing what she wants. ) - “I would, while it was smiling in my face,/Have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums/And dashed the brains out, had I so sworn as you/Have done to this.”
(This imagery of Lady Macbeth tearing away her child during breastfeeding, something so natural, to kill her baby emphasises just how far she would be willing to go to ensure this murder is completed. The word choice and imagery of “dashed the brains out” is particularly brutal and emphasizes her dark almost evil nature, the very thing she fears her husband lacks. The word choice of “smiling” emphasises just how cruel is willing to be when this baby, the pinnacle of innocence, is smiling and showing joy she would still be willing to kill it.)
3
Q
p3
point - After the murder, Macbeth struggles with the aftermath of committing the deed. (immediate guilt but then changes as he becomes more confident)
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- “Wherefore could I not pronounce ‘Amen’?/
I had most need of blessing, and/ ‘Amen’ stuck in my throat.” (This highlights Macbeth’s guilt following Duncan’s murder. The word choice of “I had most need of a blessing” highlights the guilt he is dealing with and how desperately he wants to be forgiven, his uneasiness with the murder shows this is usually against his nature and he has some good and morals inside of him. The metaphor of “Amen stuck in my throat” where his prayer is lodged in his throat like an object highlights he cannot be forgiven for this deed and he has crossed a moral line and he cannot easily go back to good. .) - Lady Macbeth dismisses her husband’s guilt claiming, “A little water clears us of this deed.”
(This use of word choice highlights Lady Macbeth is trying to reason with her husband. Blood in the play is representative of guilt from the murders, with Lady Macbeth later descending into madness trying to scrub her hands clean of blood, so here she is claiming their wrongdoing and guilty conscience can be erased by just a splash of water. This highlights a difference in Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, she believes this to be a small thing, no huge deal, whereas he sees the enormity of the murder and how wrong it was.) - Their relationship undergoes a clear change following this key scene, and now when Lady Macbeth questions him about his intentions to kill another character, he says: “Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck/ Till thou applaud the deed.”
( The word choice of, “Be innocent of knowledge” highlights Macbeth doesn’t want Lady Macbeth to know about his plan to murder Banquo, to protect her and ease her mind, he believes ignorance is bliss. The word choice of “dearest chuck” is a term of endearment, this highlights his love for his wife. This demonstrates a shift in power with Macbeth now taking control and initiating the plots of murder, a change from the previous dynamic of Lady Macbeth largely encouraging Macbeth to murder, manipulating him and being the one in charge. )
4
Q
p4
point - The play ends on a solemn note and, in the aftermath of his wife’s death, Macbeth contemplates his life and the choices he has made.
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- “Life’s but a walking shadow”. (The word choice of shadow highlights the absence of light, and therefore the dark depressing nature of life. This metaphor highlights life is in the shadows, connotations of being backstage, unimportant, demonstrates life is mundane and unimportant. )
- “That struts and frets his hour upon the stage/And then is heard no more”. ( The word choice of “struts and frets” highlights the unimportance of each person’s brief moment in the spotlight, and all these manic, panicked attempts to do something meaningful and to be remembered are pointless because they are only paid attention to for a very short time. The word choice of “hour upon the stage” emphasises just how miniscule and short each person’s life is in the grand scheme of the universe and existence. The word choice of “And then is heard no more” emphasises everyone will be forgotten, and despite all their “struts and frets” they will very quickly fade away into history and be lost and forgotten, with no one paying attention to them again. This suggests he is regretting all his and his wife’s grasps at power and the lengths they went to to achieve it; murder, as it amounted to pretty much nothing and he ended up racked with guilt and she ended up dead. )
- “Signifying nothing.” (This use of word choice emphasises Macbeth’s point that life amounts to nothing and is pointless and nothing anybody does has any real significance. This suggests all his ambition and the murder he committed to fulfil it ultimately had no real significance, he and his wife were not even able to enjoy the power they acquired)
