Notes: Act 3 Scene 4 Flashcards
explain the quote
Then comes my fit again, I had else been perfect
Macbeth
This is the beginning of Macbeth’s attempt to control fate
Explain the quote:
But now I am cabined, cribbed, confined
Macbeth
Macbeth is imprisoned by fear
Explain the quote:
There the grown serpent lies; the worm that’s fled hath nature that in time will venom breed, no teeth for th’ present.
Macbeth
This is animal imagery.
Fleance’s escape will be a problem later on, not an imminent danger to Macbeth.
Explain the quote:
Pray you keep seat; the fit is momentary; upon a thought he will again be well
Lady Macbeth
Lady Macbeth is resourceful again. She offers an expalnation with impressive self control
What has Macbeth done to Scotland?
He has established his own kind of order in Scotland
What was the banquet supposed to be?
It should be a triumphant celebration of his rule
What are banquets in Shakespeare’s plays usually a symbol of?
They are usually symbols of friendship and unity, of bodily health and the health of the kingdom.
What is the banquet in Macbeth a symbol of?
It is a microcosm of the state of the kingdom. There is chaos abounding.
The breakdown in social order and authority symbolises the chaos which now reins in the kingdom.
How is the bloody face of the first murderer symbolic?
Macbeth cannot suppress his deeds or cover them with false shows of order.
How does Macbeth react to the news that Fleance escaped?
He becomes distressed
Explain the entry of Banquo’s ghost and what it symbolises.
The ruinous/catastrophic entry of Banquo’s ghost as he sits on Macbeth’s royal seat symbolises the witches prophecy for Banquo; this is the position Banquo’s descendants will one day inherit
Why does the Banquet scene mark a turning pont in the play?
It involves Macbeth’s social ruin, his total loss of face
Describe the scene once the guests leave
Lady Macbeth and Macbeth are left alone on stage amid the ruins of their banquet
Describe Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s relationship in this scene
We discover a distinctly new relationship between them.
LM’s efforts to save M from the complete exposure of his guilt have exhausted her and broken her spirit.
M has become the provactive partner that his wife once was
How does their relationship change?
M can no longer expect her help, but he no longer needs it.
What will Macbeth do next? What is significant about this
He intends to find out more information from the witches.
It is significant that he can think of himself wading through a river of blood
Give an example of M’s growing ruthlessness
His newfound ability to plan and carry out murders without a second thought.
He has closed the gap between thinking and doing
Quote the sealing of Macduff’s family’s fate
Strange things I have heard that will to hand, which must be acted ere they may be scanned.
