Macbeth: Madness Flashcards
Macbeth aside link to witches
Macbeth in an aside after talking bout phrophecies witches have given them
“cannot be ill, cannot be good, if ill”
Contradictory statement shown by contrasting adjectives “ill” and “good” and this link to “fair is foul and foul is fair” showing how Macbeth is already thinking like the witches
CONT: equivocation
aside - shows Macbeth ambition and deceit as he is concealing thoughts from Banquo
stars fires
Macbeth is in an aside plotting Duncan murder
“Stars hide your fires let not light see my black and deep desires”
contrast of light imagery shown by “stars” and “black” emphasises Macbeth conflicted personality and tumultuous mental nature
Imperative verb “hide” to command nature like “stars” could be seen as blasphemous by jacobean audience and seen against nature
In an aside showing his true feelings/ deceitful and flase appearences as not sharing true feelings with anyone else
ryhming mimcs witches showing macbeth is becoming more like them
- false appearences
- LNK to “dunnest smoke of hell” quote
Angles
Macbeth soliquoy thinking about whether to kill duncan
“His virtues will plead like angels trumpet tongued against the deep damnation of his taking off”
Biblical imagery of deep damnationa nd angels converys macbeth mortal sin of killing macbeth
harsh alliteration of deep damanation shows the severe consequences of regicide
eumphemistic language “taking off” for duncans death as macbeth is overwhelmed with guilt showing his vulnerability
Horse in M soliquoy
Macbeth in a soliquoy thinking about whether to kill duncan
“I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent but only vaulting ambition which overleaps itself and fall on the other”
“Vaulting ambition” is a metaphor which shows Macbeth intense desire for power and also the danger of his desire for power as shown when he uses the verbs “overleaps” and “fall” showing the harsh consequences if he fails
CONT: these horse metaphors wouldve been well understood by jacobean audience as very popular sport back then
Dagger
“Is this a dagger is see before me,the handle toward my hand?”
Rhetorical question conveys Macbeths loss of control as hallucination acts as a manifestation of Macbeths guilt.
In different some versions of the play the dagger is real and in some it is a hallucination
Macbeth before killing duncan
Macbeth last lines before killing Duncan
“hear it not duncan for it is a knell that summons thee to heaven or hell”
Mirrored “heaven” to “hell” as macbeth in his guilt ridden state cant tell the difference and is confused
Rhyme echoes the witches manner of speaking
Ends the scene with “hell”
Macbeth sleep
Macbeth hears a voice after he kills Duncan
“Sleep no more… Macbeth does murder sleep,innocent sleep”
“sleep” symbolizes tranquillity and peace so by murdering his sleep he has destroyed his inner peace. Also when he murders duncan he brings the people of scotland into turmoil destoying their peace too
“sleep” can alternatively be seen as innocence so this destoys his innocence as he murders duncan and is left impure and this si his shift from hero to villain
Different plays either say the voice is a hallucination or it is real which has different effects
Snake burnt
Macbeth after finding out Fleance is still alive and says
“We have the scorched the snake not killed it…both the worlds suffer”
“scorched” - shows the powerfulness and the dominance of the murder on banquo showing Macbeths stronger than Banquo
LNK lesser than macbeth yet greater
“snake” represents Macbeths rivals emphasising their evil nature - calling a innocent child a snake shows Macbeth damaged mind. Snake is only wounded danger not over yet
“both worlds” suffering could represent living and dead - death is preferable, good and bad - doesnt know the difference, Internal turmoil and external reality. Macbeth murderous action to get king have left him in murderous turmoil
Scorpions Macbeth
Macbeth when talking about his mental state
“O full of scropions is my mind, dear wife”
“scorpions” represents Macbeth dark desire to kill Fleance alternatively could represent his uneasiness/anxiety as rivals still alive
“dear” shows LM delicacy which contrasts to how she has been treated earlier in the play
gory locks
Macbeth utters these words soon after he has seen Banquo’s ghost appear at the banquet table.
“Thou Canst say i did it; never shake thy gory locks at me!”
adjective “gory” shows the brutality of banquos death as gory connotates blood and could be seen as to show macbeth cowardice the brutality of attack was done by other people not him - LNK earlier in the play when he was seen as brave
“gory” is quite descriptive language so other people wouldve been quite confused at macbeth not only talking to someone invisible but also to describe him in such detail emphasising macbeth madness
painting fear
LM after M sees ghost
“this is the very painting of your fear”
“painting” shows connotates happiness contrasting with fear showing how insignificant LM thinks Ms fear is which is very hypocratical as LNK
“I would have done had he not resembled my father”
manipulation from LM - gender roles
blood x 3
M and LM talking after banquet
“It will have blood they say:blood will have blood”
Repetition of “blood” shows he feel trapped in inevitabiltiy of his violence as that is all he can think about
Macbeth recalls an old saying that “blood” shed through violence seeks more blood in revenge, creating a cycle of bloodshed; he feels trapped in the inevitability of this violence.
Blood wade
Macbeth talking with LM after banquet
“I am in blood stepped in so far that should i wade no more returning were as tedious as go over”
“blood” represents all the voilent acts he has comitted and can almost be seen as a metaphor for his violent state of mind
“tedious” such a trivial adjective to describe killing vs not killing shows macbeths corrupted mind and how killing has corrupted him
“as” shows macbeth killing vs non killing side is equal yet macbeth still chooses to keep on killing showing a deep sense of violence inside of him that always been tehre - his true self without any manipulation
Macbeth vs banquo black
Macbeth talks to witches
“How nowst you secret,black and midnight hags what ist you do”
Macbeth refers to witches as “hags” showing lack of repect and his rudeness/arrogance contrasting with how he first met them - shows progression of macbeth - witches have corrupted him
“black” - shows macbeth recognition that witches are evil
