Themes in Macbeth Flashcards
“with his brandished steel, which smoked with bloody execution, like valour’s minion carved out his passage”
Act 1 Scene 2 ( The Captain)
verb “brandished” means to wave or shake violently which establishes his violent nature before he’s even touched the traitor
dynamic verb “smoked” amplifies the intensity of the action,
personification of the sword- idea that the sword is moving so fast and so much blood is spraying off so that it looks like it is physically smoking with blood from the people he’s stabbed
Has connotations to fire, which could imply Macbeth’s inner rage against Macdonald and the Norwegians which is reflected through the state of his weapon, the sword
violent verb “carved” has connotations of a butcher, the idea of Macbeth being described in the same terms as a butcher, portrays him as a very violent man
“unseamed him from the nave to th’ chops, and fixed his head upon our battlements”
Act 1 Scene 2 ( The Captain )
verb “unseamed” suggests the skill with which Macbeth is able to kill and the enjoyment that he takes in enacting this violent killing upon the traitor
noun “chops” again has connotations of a butcher as a butcher is a professional meat cutter and chops can either mean to cut up something ( as a verb) or it can refer to a slab of meat
Shakespeare could be alluding to the idea that Macbeth is a professional in murder the way a butcher
is a professional meat cutter
phrase “fixed his head” is very gory but the way it is described is very matter of fact which in a sense implies that violence was normalised in jacobean society against those who were deemed to deserve it ie traitors
“They meant to bathe in reeking wounds, or memorise another Golgotha”
Act 1 Scene 2 ( The Captain)
The metaphor “bathe in reeking wounds” highlights the amount of fresh blood that has been spilled on the battlefield
Golgotha was the place where Christ was crucified, an event of extreme violence and blood shed and tragedy.The captain is saying that Mac and Banquo seemed to be looking to mirror this event, in the way they were so brutally fighting the Norwegians. Suggests that they were spilling so much blood that it would look like a crucifixion had taken place. Gives the battle violence on a biblical scale
“I have given suck, and know
how tender tis to love the babe that milks me
I would, while it was smiling in my face
Have plucked my nipple from its boneless gums
and dashed the brains out, had I so sworn as you
Have done to this”
Act 1 Scene 7 ( Lady Macbeth)
A very tender, nurturing image of womanhood, Lady Macbeth breastfeeding a new born, evokes the religious idea of the Madonna and Child
Emotive language “tender” and “love the babe” drastically juxtaposes with the violent imagery she goes on to use “plucked my nipple from its boneless gums and dashed his brains out”
Verb plucked means to pull something with a sudden almost violent movement. Hints at the violence the newborn is about to be met with ie “having its brains dashed out” which is a gory, barbaric death that will create a lot of bloodshed. The idea of violence being used against the “innocents” which happens a lot in the play.
Shock factor is accentuated considering this is a baby with “boneless gums” ie it hasn’t even reached a few months as baby’s usually start to grow their teeth at about 3-4 months
“had I so sworn as” sibilance creates a hissing sound
which makes her sound threatening. Could also imply Lady Macbeth’s likeliness to the snake in Adam and eve’s story which draws them towards evil. Here she is drawing Mac towards the evil of committing regicide.
” What hands are here ? Ha ! They pluck out mine eyes”
“Will all Great Neptune’s ocean wash the blood clean from my hand ? “
Act 2 Scene 2 (Macbeth)
Macbeth is so wracked with guilt that he has begun to hallucinate. He imagines hands plucking out his eyes as revenge for murdering Duncan. Religious reference to idea of retribution “an eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth”
plucking out one’s eyes is also a biblical reference to Mark 9:47 “ if your eye causes you to sin pluck it out”
In the second quote, the reference to “Great Neptune” suggests that even the power of a God cannot cleanse Macbeth of such a ghastly deed
Shakespeare uses symbolism to emphasise Macbeth’s guilt. When Macbeth says no amount of water can wash the blood from his hands, this symbolises the fact he will never be able to cleanse away his guilt
” as if they had seen me with these hangman’s hands “
Act 2 Scene 2 (Macbeth)
Macbeth refers to himself has having “Hangman’s hands” ie hands stained with blood as hangmen sometimes had to quarter and disembowel their victims
which was a bloody job.
The stark contrast of the soft alliterative “h” sound with the obscene nature of the murder he’s just committed further accentuates the brutality of his actions
“But wherefore could I not pronounce ‘amen’ ? I had most need of a blessing, and ‘amen’ stuck in my throat “
Macbeth wishes to absolve himself but he is unable too, the magnitude and severity of the crime he has committed prevents him from setting himself free from the consequence of his guilt
verb “stuck” has violent connotations which links to the violent nature of the murder he has carried out. The word “amen” connotes to religion and God.
the verb “stuck” could be personifying the “amen” as almost stabbing him in his throat, in the sense that God/religion is punishing him for the horrible act of regicide he is responsible for.
“for the poor wren, the most diminuitive of birds, will fight,her young ones in the nest against the owl”
In this quote, Shakespeare is using a combination of symbolism and foreshadowing. The poor wren is symbolic of a mother in this case Lady Macduff. The adjective “diminuitive” means small and innocent which highlights the idea of women and mothers being viewed as weak and harmless in Jacobean society. The idea that she is diminishing herself to fit with gender roles, underscores how fixed the stereotypes were in society. The owl, a bird of prey represents the threat that is posed to her “young ones” , her children. She is suggesting that even though it would go against her womanliness, she would commit acts of violence to protect her children from harm.
The reference to the owl could be foreshadowing the
impending violence that will be enacted on the Macduff family. Owls can be symbolic as an omen of death or darkness. in Macbeth owls are bought up when death is near ie after the murder of Duncan when LM says that “It was the owl that shrieked the fatal bellman”
Links Macbeth to the owl that killed Duncan and is now puppeteering the murder of the Macduffs. In both quotes he is portrayed as preying upon the weak and innocent.
“Every one that does so is a traitor and must be hanged”
Lady Macduff saying that “every one” who makes a promise and lies is a traitor
This is a use of exaggeration as sometimes promises have to broken for a good reason or lies have to be told as a form of protecting your loved ones.
Use of exaggeration most likely bought on by the hurt and betrayal she feels that Macduff has “run off” and left them alone
Modal verb “must” suggests her inarguable belief that traitors deserve what they get ie being hanged and cannot go unpunished for their actions
The fact that she is having a conversation about violence and execution with her little boy gives rise to the idea that violence isn’t something that children can escape, as it lives everywhere. Message Shakespeare is trying to convey. This again could foreshadow the imminent murder of Lady Macduff’s son.
“What you egg! (stabbing him) Young fry of treachery”
Calling Lady Macduff’s son “egg” and “fry” highlights how young he is. Makes decision to have Macduff’s family killed even more shocking
Very important structurally that son’s murder takes place on stage in contrast to Duncan who is killed offstage. The idea of a child being murdered and an innocent child at that, is enough to pull anyone’s heart strings. Shakespeare deliberately portrays this on stage to evoke the audience’s intangible shock and sympathy for this highly cruel deed and to mark a turning point in Macbeth’s reign to show that he has descended into utter madness, killing neither for political gain nor to silence an enemy, but simply out of a furious desire to do harm and greed of power
In Act 4 Scene 2,
We see the increasing degradation and brutality of Macbeth’s reign: Banquo was assassinated for a purpose; Lady Macduff and her son, who are entirely innocent, are brutally murdered for pure spite.
Why was Macbeth’s ambition to be King problematic in the context of Elizabethan society ?
- Elizabethan’s saw themselves as part of a very hierarchical world called the Great Chain of being where everything is linked
- Another metaphor they used was life ordered as a number of steps where everything and everyone has a position ( from minerals in soil at the bottom to God at top)
- Monarch’s above all other humans, seen as God’s representatives on earth
Macbeth’s ambition to become King is a transgressive act, violates accepted social boundaries
” to be King
Stands not within the prospect of belief
no more than to be Cawdor “
“stands not within the prospect of”
suggests that Macbeth thinks it is impossible to become King as kings are appointed by God
He sees his ambition to become King as impossible
the idea of “to be king” and “to be Cawdor” are linked in his mind. he doesn’t believe that he can become King any more than he believes that he will become Thane of Cawdor
30 lines later he is announced Thane of Cawdor by Ross, very important because becoming Thane of Cawdor is linked to becoming King is Macbeth’s mind
Leads to idea that if one is possible, then so is the other
Makes him feel like his ambition to be King is possible
“That is a step on which I must fall down , or else o’erleap for in my way it lies”
This quote is said by Macbeth in Act 1, Scene 4, after Duncan announces that Malcolm will be the next King
“That” refers to crowning of Malcolm
Imagery of steps links to metaphor of life being ordered as a number of steps ( great chain of being) Acknowledges that he might fall as he tries to “step up” to become King
“Stars hide your fires, Let not light see my black and deep desires”
Use of alliteration “let light” and “ deep desires” to accentuate the profundity of Macbeth’s passion in committing a most heinous act- regicide
His deep desire aka his ambition is to kill King Duncan and usurp the Scottish Throne
phrase “let light not see” metaphorising light as an ever present and constant witness that can see all. also light is a symbol of goodness and understanding
His wish is that light should be so blind that it cannot perceive the evil he is contemplating
use of the word “black” is a metaphor for the profound evil that has overwhelmed Macbeth. Shows that his desires are no good
“deep” emphasizes the fact that Macbeth’s lust for power has vested itself into his soul and consciousness. He is completely committed to achieving his malicious objective.
juxtaposition of light and dark in the line also exposes the turbulence that Macbeth has been experiencing. The contrast highlights the fact that Macbeth knows that his thoughts are evil and therefore wrong, but he has become so overwhelmed by his ambition that he has allowed malice to overrule reason and virtue.
I have no spur To prick the sides of my intent, but only Vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself And falls on the other.”
Macbeth is admitting to himself that he has no justification for committing the murder of King Duncan.
his only reason for committing the treasonous deed is his own “vaulting ambition.”
Quote is a metaphor that suggests an inexperienced rider who tries to vault onto a horse and vaults so vigorously that he goes right over the saddle and falls in a heap on the ground.
foreseeing that it will be a serious mistake to murder Duncan because he has no excuse for doing so and because his misdeed will lead to his own ruin.
For mine own good All causes shall give way. I am in blood Stepped in so far that, should I wade no more, Returning were as tedious as go o’er.
Shakespeare is saying here that Macbeth has involved himself in so many murders that it is as easy for him to carry on than to turn back.
Macbeth compares his course of action with wading across a river of blood, creating a vivid image of his bloody reign.
The word ‘tedious’ reveals the hardening of Macbeth’s heart.
“Hie thee hither that I may pour my spirits in thine ear and chastise with the valour of my tongue all that impedes thee from the golden round”
These words are an expression of Lady Macbeth’s thoughts during her soliloquy in act 1 scene 5
The metaphor, ‘pour my spirits in thine ear’ suggests that she wishes to share her innermost thoughts and desires with her husband. “spirits” links her to the witches, portraying her just as evil and manipulative
The valour of my tongue’ implies that she wishes to ply him with encouraging words which stem from her own courage to speak her mind to spur him on into performing a malicious, immoral act
“golden round” is a metaphoric description for the crown
