Macbeth Quotes Flashcards
What alliteration do the Witches use in Act 1?
“Fair is foul and, foul is fair”
How does Banquo allude to the Devil in Act 1?
“What! Can the devil speak true?”
How does Macbeth characterise his progression as “o’erleaping”
He uses this twice both in Act 1. The first is in Scene 4:
“The prince of Cumberland! That is a step On which I must fall down, or else o’erleap, For in my way it lies. Let not light see my black and deep desires.”
The second is in Scene 7:
“vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself and falls…”
What language features are shown through the word choice “o’erleap”?
Symbolism and Motif as it symbolises Macbeth working his way up the Great Chain of Being. It also alludes to the idea of Macbeth jumping the queue as he is not the rightful king. It is also repetition. The word “o’er” meaning over also implies that Macbeth has overshot his mark, again foreshadowing his eventual downfall, as indicated by the “and fall” part of the 2nd time the word is used.
How does Macbeth character Blood and Violence in Act 3?
“Blood with have Blood”
How does Macbeth use allusion to reference his filthy hands?
“Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?”
How does Shakespeare characterise Macbeth’s acknowledgement that the end is nigh, and that he made some mistakes?
“To the last syllable of recorded time. Life’s but a walking shadow… It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury”
What quote is used to show how disloyalty is treated in Act 1?
“No more that Thane of Cawdor shall decieve”
How does Shakespeare describe Lady Macbeth’s cry to the gods in Act 1?
“Come you spirits that tend of mortal thoughts… Unsex me here… Make my blood thick… take my milk for gall.”
What does Lady Macbeth think will clear her and her husband of their Act 2 treachery?
“A little water clears us of this deed”
When Lady Macbeth goes insane in Act 5, what is she saying to herself?
“Out, damned Spot; Out! I say”
When did Shakespare write Macbeth?
1606
How does the Gunpowder plot align with Macbeth?
The 1605 Gunpowder Plot is underlined in the story as it establishes the role of Great Chain of Being that an act of regicide results in chaos and disorder. It also links that those who perform these acts suffer and/or die.
How does the historical Banquo, influence the contempory Banquo?
King James I of England, is believed to be a descendant of the historical figure Banquo. By establishing the prophecy that Banquo’s descendants become Kings, Shakespeare directly proves that James is a true King of England
How do the prophecies add a philosphoical aspect of fate vs free will?
As all the witches prophecies come true by the end of the play, this could be viewed as Fate. However with the exception of the first (Macbeth - Thane of Cawdor), Macbeth is directly responsible for making the prophecies come true with his murder of Macduff’s family. This shows that Macbeth’s belief in the supernatural and Hecate influences his critical thinking and makes him believe he must act in line with the witches. This results in his death, at the hands of Macduff.
