themes macbeth Flashcards
ambition (harmatia)
“i have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition with overleaps itself and falls on the other” macbeth
spur references lady macbeth
“what greatness promised thee” macbeth tries to entice his wife to spur him.
banquo
“i dreamt last night of the three weird sisters: to you they have showed some truth” shows he so ambition he dreams of witches before they met. shakespeare shows men can be destroyed by ambition.
“if you shall cleave to my consent, why tis, it shall make honour for you”
macbeth tries to bribe banquo
“my boson franchised and allegiance clear, i shall be counciled”
banquo seems interested- macbeth kills Duncan w/o including banquo now banquo sacrifices himself for his sons to become king- leads to his destruction (ambition is harmatia)
witches : “spiteful and wrathful who as others do, loves for his own ends not for you” witches want to be loved.. macbeth does keep turning to them for his own ends. shakespeare talks sbojt how marginalised women are in society.
masculinity and cruelty
shakespeare talks about how women are not given proper identity and power. Lady macbeth accosiately masculinity with becoming male. Shakespeare argues that to gain power they are forced to behave in unnatural ways. “unsex me here”
“i dare do all that may become a man- who dares do more is none”
shakespeare says that if society celebrates a cruel form of masculinity, its a small step to continuing savagery in the rest of life.
Shakespeares audience is the king and the nobles at court so he slips in messages about what kingship should be like.
Malcom is a poor king in waiting as he critises macduff for being upset sbout the slaughter of his family “dispute it like a man” (pull yourself together) macduff replies “i shall do so, but i must also feel it like a man”
at the end of the play siward has a lack of feeling at his sons death because he is happy his son died with a wound at his front.
malcom replies “hes worth more sorrow wnd that ill spend for him” malcome learns what masculinity is.
Shakespeare coded message, shakespeare doesnt want james to turn into a tyrant like macbeth wants him to be forgiving like malcom
divine right of kings
Shakespeare wants to promote the divine right of kings- mortals cant go against the word if god.
Presents duncan as virtuous- sending a message to James.
macbeth: “we but teach bloody instructions, which being taught return the plague to the inventor”
message is remember the gunpowder plot- wouldn’t lead to a better world leads to more rebellions.
describes banquo to have a “royalty if nature”, “wisdome that doth guide hus valour to acr safely”. Presents banquo as wise and good as his is believe to be james ancestor. Also wants to send a message to james that he should be nice to catholics.
tyranny
“each new morn, new widows houl, new orphans cry”
description of macbeths tyranny in scottland, invited the audience to think about what it would be in england.
makes people wonder if shakespeare was catholic as he tries to prevent king james becoming tyranicall and coming for catholics.
psychology of guilt
shakespeares artistic exploration on how he see the world
“i dream last night of the three weird sisters” banquo dreams about witches before they appear, shows how banquos ambition takes over his mind
“art thou not fatal vision” macbeth sees the dagger as an excuse, when he hesrs a voice say “sleep no more”
banquos ghost- audience sees it as a real supernature appartion. shakespeare sees it as the human context, the ghost is imagined by macbeth.
lady macbeths sleepwalking- society forces her to be evil to gain power and manipulate men. her mind is so fratured she takes on macbeths guilt
macduff is haunted by the fact he left his wife and children
“my wife and childrens ghosts will haunt me still” guilty he left them in scotland.
fate prophecy, free will
in classical literature, fates are potrayed by three women- virgin mature women and a crow
“if chance may have me king, why, chance my crown me, without my stir”
prophecy to beware macduff> obviously an enemy of macbeth by not showing up to banquet and fleeing to england
“no man born a woman” seem impossible > supernatural…all women wouldve died for cesarian at this stage but they are still woman. He lets macduff defeat him, action of his free will by teaching blood instruction by killing duncan. Shows shakespeare shows freewill changes life not fate. Shakespeare wants to show that he wasnt fated to do well it was due to his genious
violence breeds violence
shakespeare pleeds king james to not be violent
reality is ambiguous
shakespeare is a dramatist
shakespeare wants to show how illusions takes you to a greater truth.
“fair is foul and foul is fair” shows its all about perspective
“when the battle is lost and won”
“angels are bright still though the brightest fell” even god was able to fool himself that satan was a bright angel shakespeare suggests
like duncan we all think were wise to see the world as is.
at this time catholicism was illegal- lots of spies looking for catholic.
shakespeare is writing for political audience. “look like innocent flower but be the serpent under it” could be reference to the medal produce to celebrate the gunpowder plot survival. shakepeare is tryna flatter the king and prove loyalty.
