Violence/Murder Flashcards
What theme is violence associated with throughout the play?
Masculinity
How was Macbeth’s violence received in Act 1 Scene 2?
Since he was defending Scotland, they were rewarded in the context of war and he was a hero.
How does Macbeth’s violence change?
Instead of killing out of self-defence, he starts murdering, first Duncan, then Banquo, then Macduff’s family.
Why is Macbeth’s downfall depicted by Shakespeare?
It was written as a cautionary tale to warn the nobles against killing the king as it went against the Great Chain of Being.
It is also a warning to King James not to be too oppressive towards the people involved in the gunpowder plot.
Why is Lady Macbeth violent?
She wants to seem masculine as she feels she has no place in society compared with males.
‘unseamed him from the nave to th’chaps’
Macbeth’s violence is epitomised here as he cuts someone in half in self-defence, foreshadowing his arc as a tragic hero.
‘Brave Macbeth’
Despite being violent, he is defending Scotland and is seen as righteous at the beginning.
‘I am in blood, stepped in so far’
Macbeth’s violence is shown as he has gone past the point of no return and feels like he has given in so much it would be impossible to change. This could be Shakespeare trying to show where temptation leads someone who gives into it.
‘dashed the brains out’
The extremely violent imagery of how Lady Macbeth reacts to Macbeth indicates that she feels she needs to emasculate him not comfort him, foreshadowing his fall.
