Macbeth- the book Flashcards
Macbeth- a tragedy?
Macbeth is classed as a tragedy as it is a play which has a story that features tragic events. it is also referred to as a tragedy because of the downfall of the central figure, in this case Macbeth, due to a fatal flaw of their character which results in a very unhappy ending (death). tragedy is depicted throughout the whole play for example the most obvious event is the murder of the king. Shakespeare heightens the idea of tragedy by drawing on the idea of the Divine Right of Kings, so as well as a national tragedy the murder of the king is a universal tragedy with God angered and the natural order of the world in turmoil. at the start of the play Shakespeare deliberately portrays Macbeth as a good man- a dutiful subject of the king, a brave soldier, a loyal friend and a loving husband. as the play progresses these different qualities vanish and the audience watch his personal and moral downfall. this loss of his goodness is actually more important than his final downfall when he is killed by macduff, as that loss is the true tragedy of the play.
soliloquies and asides
a soliloquy is when a character speaks there thoughts aloud on stage, heard only by the audience. soliloquies are especially interesting with villains such as Macbeth and lady Macbeth because they allow the audience to see a side to the character that is usually kept hidden. important soliloquies in the play include Lady Macbeths in Act 1 Scene 5, Macbeths speech about conscience in act 1 scene 7, Macbeths speech on his way to killing King Duncan in act 2 scene 1 and his sharing fears about Banquo in act 3 scene 1. quick ‘asides’ when characters speak briefly to themselves are also used. this is particularly notable in act 1 scene 3 when Macbeths aside shows him considering the witches’ prophecies and news of his promotion to thane of Glamis; they reveal that he is changing from a good, honest man to someone secretive and duplicitous
