Relationship between MB+LMB Flashcards
Topic sentence 1
At the beginning of the play, Macbeth and his wife appear to have a loving relationship.
‘dearest partner of greatness’
L = superlative adjective indicates how much he loves her. C = sees her as his equal ‘partner’; unusual in Jacobean era as it was a patriarchal society where women had less power than men.
‘great’ ‘worthy’ ‘noble’ ‘dearest love’
L = adj & superlative. LMB love and admire MB and vice versa
C = Jacobean times was patriarchal society so unusual for male and female to be equal. Live vicariously
D = LMB more interested in status as she gets her power vicariously?
MB directly refers to love, showing more depth?
Topic sentence 2
Lady Macbeth realises she must become the dominant partner to manipulate Macbeth into achieving his ambition to become king.
‘like the poor cat i’th’adage’
L = simile. LMB compares him to the cat in the proverb. wants crown, but doesn’t want to get his hands bloody.
She takes control, planning the murder,
Her dominance is shown in how she dominates the dialogue, but MB has to do it in the end as D looks like her father.
‘my hands are of your colour but I shame to wear a heart so white’
L = white symbolises cowardice and she thinks he is a coward to be so afraid after Duncan’s murder. R = Ironic – she washes the blood off her hands whilst sleepwalking before she kills herself. C = DRK = MB knows he has damned himself by killing God’s representative on Earth. His guilt causes tension. C = mocks masc., implying he is a coward, which would be the ultimate insult to a famous warrior.
‘so much more the man’ ‘when you durst do it, then you were a man’
LMB attacking MB masc. to manipulate him. Ultimate insult
I = 1. he’ll prove masc by killing king
2. He’ll be king (more than a man)
‘Go carry’ ‘give me’
L = imperative verbs. LMB takes control as MB mentally unstable so forces to be dominant in order to succeed
Topic sentence 3
Following the murder, tension builds in their relationship due to Macbeth’s guilty conscience and they begin to grow apart.
‘be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck, till thou applaud the deed’
MB desire to conceal things from LMB can be interpreted in different ways
I = 1) endearment ‘dearest chuck’ loves her and wants to protect her from B’s murder until knows success.
2) It is a symptom of the fact that they are becoming emotionally distant from each other.
‘Apply to Banquo; present him eminence’
I = 1. trying to protect
2. more emotionally distance as he is concealing truth
‘why do you keep alone of sorriest fancies’
LMB accusing MB of worrying
R = ironic as she was worrying just before MB walked in
Topic sentence 4
At the end of the play, they both die, paying the ultimate price for their evil acts.
‘she should have died hereafter’
I = 1) As he is facing attack from the English, he has no proper time to grieve for her
2) She should not have died too soon – she has died too young.
‘a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more’
L = extended metaphor: ppl actors, life stage. MB realises he is just a ‘poor player’ with a limited time on Earth and once dead, he will be forgotten. Ambition for nothing, damned soul R = nihilism shocking to christian audience
