macduff Flashcards
2.3 “Most sacrilegious murder hath broke ope the Lord’s anointed temple”
-MD doesn’t put on a false facade + is entirely dedicated to D - devout
-hyperbolic language + reaction reinforces this + how he abides strictly to the religious moral code
-move over, there is a religious semantic field as “sacrilegious” + “anointed” create an image of sacredness + holiness
-this reinforces MD’s extreme distress that the king, divinely ordained by God as believed by the divine right of kings, has been callously murdered
4.3 “Bleed, bleed, poor country!”
-MD’s lamenting of Scotland shows that fuels his ambition to restore order (patriotic) + suggests Scotland is dying under MB’s reign
-this captivates MB’s misanthropic nature, a quality which juxtaposes the role of a king
4.3 “Let’s make us medicines of our great revenge, To cure this deadly grief” (said by ML)
-“medicines” + “revenge” are alike in their outcome (solving / curing)
-MD uses this idea as the only way to help solve / partially cure his insurmountable grief is to make MB accountable for his sins - resolute
-thus, his violence is justified + he still remains the archetype of the avenging hero - motivated by revenge
4.3 “But I must also feel it as a man”
-MD offers alternative view of masculinity when grieving
-MD balances action with emotion, refusing to suppress his feelings
-shakespeare redefines masculinity contrasting it with MB’s toxic ambition
-shows damaging effects of adhering to narrow, destructive view of gender roles
5.8 “Turn, hell-hound, turn”
-repetition of “turn” emphasises the extent to which MB has turned order on its head
-epithet “hell-hound” is used to highlight the true nature of the tyrant king
-unlike to MB, MD isn’t ambitious to make himself more powerful but to restore justice + order in scotland - loyal + devoted
5.8 “Here may you see the tyrant”
-MD is the first character to explicitly brand MB as a tyrant - due to his motivated + ignited ambition to extinguish MB - vindictive
-last thing MB hears before dying
-poignancy of MD’s words shine through - signifies an end to MB’s destruction + beginning of restoration of order
