violence/guilt

Question 1

overall idea of violence within Macbeth as a play

Answer 1

-presents M as being engulfed by it - cyclical nature of it – criticises volatile and violent nature of Jacobean society => protect King James from regicide

Question 2

A1S2 in captain speech (violence is justified and honourable)

Answer 2

• “brave macbeth’
• -> great warrior makes extent of his abhorrent downfall more apparent
• “unseamed from naves to chaps - fixed his head”
• ->graphic nature - M already possessed inherent violent capacity
• -> takes fault away from witches
• -> irony in head links to cautionary tale

Question 3

A2S2 Duncans death (offstage) why
and quote
LINKS TO A4

Answer 3

-audience experience horror of murder through macbeth
“will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hands?”
–> macbeth cannot cleanse himself - unending spiral
A4- climax irrecably manipulates audiences perception of Macbeth
–> M portrays callous myrder of Macduff’s family
–> portrayal of an unbridled descent into violence protect King James’ from regicide

Question 4

A3S4 on blood imagery (guilt and violence)

Answer 4

“I am in blood steeped so far… returning were as tedious as goer”

• -> violence is a never-ending descent into moral declines as it’s easier to carry on (drown out guilt) then to carry on
• ->links to “blood will be blood” Macbeth blood imagery is a constant

Question 5

“o full of scorpions is my mind dear wife’ (guilt)

Answer 5

-spondee ‘O full’ conveys distress breaks iambic pentameter
-“dear” - conveys fondness towards LM
ALT means expensive and is placing the expensive guilt upon LM – moves from his mind
ATTEMPTS TO ABDICATE RESPONSIBILITY
-suggests he is being attacked by scorpions
-passes blame to LM and unnamed forces
-should use serpent as it links to be the serpent under it instead chooses scorpion as it immediately does not link to being evil
-Context = Jacobean audience expects punishment and this occurs at first in his mind and conscience