Themes Flashcards
Power
Shakespeare exposes the corrupting effect of power. He reveals the lengths people will go to in order to obtain power and hold on to it.
Ambition
Shakespeare crafts a cautionary tale about the consequences of unchecked ambition. He implies that it can never be fulfilled and therefore quickly grows into a monster that will destroy any-one who gives into it.
Guilt
Shakespeare conveys the inescapability of guilt Despite the attempts of some characters to suppress their guilt, Shakespeare shows how it will inevitably take hold and individuals must suffer the consequences of their actions.
Appearances
Shakespeare suggests that often people and events are not truly as they seem. Appearances can be deceptive and the reality behind them is often dark and unpleasant.
Regicide
Shakespeare teaches his audience a moral lesson: kill the king and pay the price. Macbeth’s punishment reflects this and sends a message to any potential traitors.
Fate vs Free Will
Shakespeare asks his audience to consider the extent to which we control our own destinies. Is it Macbeth’s fate to be a traitor or is he alone responsible for his actions, and did he freely choose his path?
Gender
- Shakespeare challenges traditional gender norms surrounding masculinity and femininity. Denied power in a patriarchal society, Lady Macbeth rebels against the submissive role society has assigned her.
- Shakespeare uses Lady Macbeth to show how restricting women’s freedom leads to bitterness and a desire to gain power by whatever means necessary.
- Alternatively, Shakespeare could use Lady Macbeth to demonstrate women’s inability to cope with power.
The supernatural world
Shakespeare uses these “instruments of darkness” to cast a shadow of malevolence over the play. It is ambiguous whether Macbeth acts of his own free will or whether he is the victim of the supernatural.
