Macbeth : supernatural

Question 1

Witches famous line

Answer 1

Witches meet, plan to meet Macbeth - Act 1 Scene 1

“fair is foul and foul is fair”

• deception
  -Witches and Lady Macbeth - LNK

Contrast of adjectives shows false appearances and that goodness can be superficial

connective “and” shows two sides to a story - dont believe what you see

CONT: equivocation

Question 2

Macbeth linking to Witches

Answer 2

When Macbeth and Banquo first meet the witches

“So foul and fair a day i have not seen”

LNK to “fair is foul and foul is fair”

CONT: how witches were viewed at that time

• False Appearances

paradoxical nature conveys the deceit and deceptiveness of Macbeth

First line Macbeth says in the entire play links him to the witches immediately - both have evil nature

Question 3

women beards banquo

Answer 3

Macbeth and Banquo meet the witches: prophecy. Banquo speaking

“You should be women/yet your beards forbid me to interpret you are so”

CONT: women were seen as very delicate in jacobean era so a beard would have shocked the audience

contrast of “women” and “beards” show ambiguity of human gender showing witches supernatural nature/ lack of human qualities such as kindness

commanding verb - forbid shows the extent to which they are not human

Question 5

Banquo compared to Macbeth

Answer 5

Macbeth and Banquo and Witches meet for the prophecy

“lesser than Macbeth, and greater…Not so happy yet much happier”

Paradoxical statement shown by the comparative adjectives of “lesser” and “greater” show jealousy and contempy that Macbeth will have of Banquo in future as according to witches banquo will be more successful and this shows macbeth has been infuenced by the witches from the start.

CONT: Witches were considered evil in jacobean times/Equivocation

LNK “fair is foul and foul is fair”

False appearences/Supernatural

Question 6

Witches Devil

Answer 6

Banquo after Macbeth is appointed Thane of Cawdor

“What, can the devil speak true?”

evil noun “devil” shows that Banquo perceives witches as evil

CONT:view would have been shared by a jacobean audience

question word “what” shows banquo is untrusting of witches from start

Witches
Supernatural

Question 7

Darkness

Answer 7

Banquo reaction to Macbeth asking whether he wants his sons to be kings

” the instruments of darkness tell us truths, win us with honest trifles, to betray in deepest consequences”

definite article “the” dehumanises the witches - outcast from humans

superlative “deepest” shows Banquo hesitance and concern in witches prophecy

Banquo recognises the witches evil shown by the light motif of “darkness”

CONT: witches

Witches
Evil
Supernatural

Question 8

Macbeth aside link to witches

Answer 8

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

Question 9

stars fires

Answer 9

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

Question 10

spirits

Answer 10

Lady Macbeth in a soliquoy after hearing duncan is coming

“Come you spirits unsex me here and fill me from the crown to the toe topfull of direst cruelty”

LM uses imperative verbs “come” and “unsex” showing the power she has or at least the power she thinks she has.This is also an example of hubris as it is very arrogant for a human to think they can control evil forces

The verb “unsex” also shows her desire to remove all feminine qualities and become more masculine suggesting only men have power. This would have been distrubing to a jacobean audience and see as almost unnatural similar to a witch - further shown by “spirits” unnatural/supernatural

-gender/violence/supernatural

Question 11

milk and gall

Answer 11

Lady Macbeth in a soliquoy after she has read Macbeth letter about phrophecies

“Take my milk for gall, you murdering ministers”

Imperative verb “take” shows power LM thinks she has and another example of hubris where human arrogance makes her believe she can control the supernatural

“milk” represents her feminine qualities and this is what stops her violent nature and this contrats with “gall” showing how unnatural what she wants to do is linking her to a witch and audience wouldve been shocked by the unnanturalness of it especially from a noblewoman like LM

Question 12

smoke hell

Answer 12

Lady Macbeth soliquoy after reading Macbeth letter

“Come thick night and pall thee in the dunnest smokes of hell….nor heaven peep through blanket of dark “

Imperative verb “Come” shows LM power however it also shows a bit of her arrogance as she is commanding nature like the “night” showing her arrogance and the Jacobean audience could also see it as blasphemous as she is breaking the cycle of nature

reilgiouis nouns “hell” and “heaven” shows LM is aware of consequences of regicide but does it anyway shocking jacobean audience

“peep” - weak noun to describe heaven showing LM arrogance as she is disregarding heaven

Question 13

Angles

Answer 13

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

Question 14

Macbeth copying LM

Answer 14

LM has convinced M to kill duncan and end the scene saying

“False face must hide what the false heart doth know”

imperative verb “must” shows Macbeth knows consequences of regicide placing lots of importance not to get caught

“hide” continues theme of false appearences and links with look lik innocnet flower showing Macbeth has been manipulated by LM

CONT: role reveral - man being manipulated by woman

Question 15

Macbeth before killing duncan

Answer 15

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”

Question 16

Macbeth sleep

Answer 16

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

Question 17

Water Imagery

Answer 17

Macbeth panicking after he kills duncan and says

“Wil all great Neptunes ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?”

adverb “all” shows the huge amount of water needed compared to his small hand shwoing the extent of the blood and therefore the extent of his guilt

“great neptunes ocean” - hyperbolic imagery and the fact that a deity cant wash his guilt shows the extent of his guilt

blood acts as a symbol of all of his evil actions or alternatively can be viewed as a symbol of guilt

questions shows macbeth unsureness and panick at situation

CONT: Macbeth refers to a roman god after commiting murder shocking audience

LNK “perfume of arabia” and “a little water clears us of the deed”

Question 18

gory locks

Answer 18

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

Question 19

Macbeth wicked

Answer 19

Second witches talking about macbeth

“Something wicked this comes”

describing macbeth as “something” dehumanises him as not someone something - guilt has consumed him to no longer be human - too evil

Further emphasised as witches themselves are wicked so calling macbeth emphasise3s his evilness

Question 20

B tech fair is foul

Answer 20

all wiches doing a spell

“double double toil and trouble”

rhyme lnks to fair is foul

Question 21

Macbeth vs banquo black

Answer 21

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

Question 22

Malcolm wary of Macduff - heavenly imagery

Answer 22

Malcolm and macduff testing each other loyalties

“this tyrant whose sole name blisters our tongues,was once thought honest; you have loved him.. you may discern of him through me to offer up a weak, poor innocent lamb to appease an angry god” - Malcolm

describing macbeth as an angry god - shows malcolm awareness of macbeth power - juxtaposition of angry and god shows how evil of a king he is

“weak poor innocent lamb” - emphasises strength of macbeth as well as innocnece of malcolm can contrast macbeth

Question 23

Malcolm vs Duncan

Answer 23

“my thoughts cannot transpose, angels are bright still though the brightest fell though all things foul would wear the bows of grace yet grace must still look so”

Contrast of “foul” and “grace” show false appearences and malcolm is aware of them unlike his father hsowing his lack of naivety - untrusting

“brightest” refers to lucifer - macbeth compared to lucifer emphasisng malcolm awareness of evil contrasting with duncan -

Question 24

Scotland

Answer 24

“it weeps,it bleeds and each new day a gash is added to her wounds”

personification of scotland through verbs “weeps” and “bleeds” emphasises the damage its going through - macbeth the cause of it Lnk “wade no more”

Question 25

Black macbeth

Answer 25

“All the particulars of vice so grafted than when they shall be opened black macbeth will seem as pure as snow”

“grafted” - connotates gardernes planting trees and “opened” - buds gardening image LNK duncan “i have plant thee and labor to keep it growing “

simile shows difference bwteen duncan who wasnt willing to do anything and malcolm taking actiuon and is so far to become moire evil than macbeth to save his country

Question 26

Macduff children

Answer 26

“He has no children… o hell kite… all my pretty chickens .. one fell swoop”

describing macbeth as “hell kite” - devilish bird of prey shows his hatred for macbeth fuelling his motivation toi kill him

describing his children as “pretty chickens” shows his deep care for them as well as their vulnerability and innocence

“one fell swoop” this proverbial phrase shows the simple savage attack

Question 27

Macduff vs LM

Answer 27

When Macduff learns of the murder of his children
“gentle heavens cut short all intermission”
Less imperative yet still commanding shows in vulnerability human hubris comes out thinking they can command nature
LNK LM come you siprits

Question 28

LM after she has been found sleepwalking and is hallucinating with blood on her hands

Answer 28

“Out,Damned spot! Out I say!”
Repetition of Out shows her increasing desperation

Varied punctuation also shows her disjointed mind

imperative verb out used here to show her desperation whereas earlier used to cmmand nature - shows her loss of power

Question 29

Arabia

Answer 29

LM hallucination of blood

“all the perfumes of arabia will not sweeten this little hand”

significant contrast “all” and “little” shows vast difference i the small amount of blood yet nothing can sweeten it - always lingers - cant get it off - representation of guilt - once LM accept her place in duncans death she gets overwhelmed with guilt

Question 30

Macbeth hears the news of his wife passing

Answer 30

“out, out brief candle lifes but a walking shadow”

Macbeth echoes language “out out” - unlike normally doesnt show macbeth manipulation and instead shows their close bond and also creates a sense of pathos for audience for macbeth

“Shadow” shows his sadness - light imagery used good for onces - shows how macbeth is flattened whereas Macduff was fuelled as both deaths can be viewed as Macduff and Macbeth fault - revenge vs sadness