Macbeth the supernatural Flashcards
thesis
shake spears purpose was to flatter king James he is his patron he’s going to flatter king James and his interests in witch craft exploring an interesting idea on how our lives are controlled by fate and how muctch is free will can we change our futures our destinies or is that already mapped out we can see how this works in Macbeth life would he become any way if he had not acted on the witches prophecies patrachel context at the Time because shaskespeear is exploring with these women who have beards resort to evil and witch craft because the is no other a way a such unattractive women could get any other power in society
in thunder lightning or in rain
first lines of the play
there to flatter the king gives us the possibility that they can control the weather sets them up to be a true supernatureal force they are there to meet Macbeth a
alternative interpretation
just have the gift of foresight this was quite common in greek tragedy the Macbeth play is a tragedy all tradegdieces defended from greek tradegdies so if they only have the gift of foresight then Macbeth doesn’t need to do anything it will just happen to him also means they don’t actually control him they don’t tell hi9m what to do the just kleave it to his own evil to his own hermasia to make him commit theses sins to get what he wants which is t be king
cawdorking her after
enforces th interpretation that they are just seeing into the future and are not manipulating him by getting him to do any thing this os important because all the responsibility is his own he can’t say the witches made me the witches Madde me do it I was under the influence of satan or the supernatural because they never make him do anything
shakespeasr worldview
we are all accountable for our actions because he is telling the nobles in the you are accountable for your actions do not think about killing the king because this will happen
king James world view
people become evil because satan is working on them through the evil of other people
why do I yield that suggestion whose horrid image doth unfix my hair
asking why what about me Macbeth is causing me to think about murduring Duncan if I don’t have to witches haven’t explicitly said this
this troubles him because he realises there is something morally wrong with him
brav Macbeth
unsealed from his nave to his caps
all the egressing to define the king and being the saviour of Scotland all the heroism hides aa darker problem a character flaw (harmartia ) in greek tragedy and there for in Macbeth
if chance may have me king why chance may crown me without my stir
profound message shakespear emphasis again that every deision Macbeth make is his own
he takes a step back and he says and he says to himself my fate is to become king I don’t havee to stir I don’t have to do anything
fate
he calles fate chance
meaning random and lucky and so by using the word chance and repeating it he is emphasising to himself that the longer he wait the more of a chance it won’t happen as chance gives the connotation of uncertainty uses words to persuade himself to be not certain his mind pushing him towards regicide
banquo
ancestor of king James so shake spear give banjo moral certainty to say to king James your ancestor was wondiful this is why you are wonderful say to the audience look king Jane is wonderful forgaet about the 1605 catholic bombing attempted lest keep him as our glorious king by the way if you don’t you are going to end up like Macbeth
often times to win us to our harms the instrument of darkness tell us truths
sya to Macbeth this is too good to be true to meaning _you won’t become king or you might be king just patient deeper phycology here as Macbeth is influenced banquet is not he is Macbeth opposite (antithesis) banquet is morally good and Macbeth as morally evil go by banquos example and take a step back the view of Shakespeare jackobiean audience not the view of the king James audience
instrument of darkness
completely evil and dark there for they express that evil
however they are the ones that are being controled chain of control from satan to the witches to Macbeth
you should be women yet your beards forbid me to interpret that you are so
shut of sophisticated humour suggest macbr=eth high think they don’t hold physical power but immense sphological power not in the same league as the devil
motive got beards patriachle society and their power will only be accepted through marriage
actors place by men humour
men ar the problem hear as I chose o cast fully grown men groove the fact the society Denise women power
motive on why they want to maniplulate men
a dagger of the mind
Shakespeare give Macbeth this self knowledge it is destoyring his own sanity his desires are so powerful he is going to do it any way
he knows it is not a real dagger know the power of his desires
sees gout of blood emphasises his blood lust
enjoys killing and how much he wants to kill the king absolute power and king ship