Act 1 Flashcards
(6 cards)
“worthy Cawdor” and says that his face is “a book where men may read strange matters” [1.5 Lady Macbeth]
gender,deception
-LM mocks the candidness of his expression through the metaphor
-manipulates Macbeth by creating a persona of vulnerability and weakness, qualities that fail to align with the warrior culture of Medieval Scotland
-in addition, Lady Macbeth dichotomises Macbeth from other men-perhaps in an attempt to prey on his insecure masculinity
-Through this metaphor, Shakespeare highlights the calculated nature of Lady Macbeth
-simultaneously ,she also utilises flattery with her emasculation
-this further emphasises her deceptive nature as she dismantles Macbeth in order to catalyse their regicide,mobilising the plot
-LM echoes the praises of the Witches which could alludes to her later connection with the supernatural
-M has almost harvested two relationships with malevolent entities who seem to govern Macbeth
“disdaining fortune…smok’d with blood execution” [1.2 Captain]
violence,fate
-this vivid imagery paints Macbeth as a ruthless warrior who does not require luck or fate to achieve Victory and instead relies on his skill
-alternatively the verb “disdaining” could allude to Macbeth’s disregard for natural order such as the Great Chain of Beings
-the metaphor “smok’d with blood execution” provides an evocative description of Macbeth’s relentless military prowess, to the extent of his sword emitting smoke
-this metaphor illustrates Macbeth’s violence but it could also allude to his eternal damnation following his sin of regicide
-verb “smoked” could connote to heat and hell, perhaps foreshadowing the inevitability of Macbeth’s downfall
-although Shakespeare introduces Macbeth as a formidable warrior of the king, it could also foreshadow the darker aspects of Macbeth’s violence as he falls victim to his hubris as the play progresses
“Coward”[Lady Macbeth 1.7]
gender
-Lady Macbeth uses the epiphet ‘coward’ which threatens not only his masculinity but also his livelihood as a soldier
-Lady Macbeth implies that Macbeth is a lesser man due to his hesitation to commit regicide, suggesting that masculinity is proven through violence
“unsex me here…take my milk for gall”[1.5 Lady Macbeth]
gender,ambition
-the imperative “unsex” illustrates how she commands for detachment from her femininity in order to allow for her ruthless ambition
-‘milk’ is significant to maternal nurturing however Lady Macbeth repeatedly rejects any notion of femininity and strives to replace her nurturing nature with cruelty in order to embody masculine power as it is implicit that her womanhood acts as a barrier from her pursuit of the crown(her ambition).
-Lady Macbeth’s aversions of her duties as a mother is historically associated with femme Fatales(a seductive and manipulative women) which is a common trope in literature
-Lady Macbeth’s attempt to subvert the Great Chain of Beings and her role as the temptress establishes her as an antagonist in “Macbeth”
look like th’ innocent flower but be the serpent under’t’”
appearance vs reality
-a powerful metaphor the contrast between appearance and reality
-“innocent flower” symbolising purity and harmlessness juxtaposes the “serpent” represents evil and treachery
The serpent is also strong symbol of the devil and temptation, drawing a parallel between Lady Macbeth and the biblical serpent who tempted Eve
Lady Macbeth emphasizes the importance of deception and instructs Macbeth to create a facade of innocence which further establishes LM as an irredeemable character brimming with ill intent and blasphemy
-The quote also reflects the power dynamic between Lady Macbeth and Macbeth The imperative verb “look” highlights Lady Macbeth’s unnatural control over Macbeth
“vaulting ambition which o’erleaps itself and falls on th’other ” 1.7 Macbeth
ambition
-personification of ambition suggesting it has a life of it’s own
-this elevates ambition from a passing desire to something more substantial and omnipotent
-this personification reveals the internal struggle within Macbeth as it illustrates his awareness of ambition as a corrupting influence that he knows will transform his formerly innocent mindset into one driven by moral decal due to his pursuit of power
-his acknowledgment of its eventual ‘fall’ indicates Macbeth’s awareness that his burning ambition is his hamartia which is destined to lead to his mental decline
-Macbeth’s “vaulting ambition” ultimately leads him down a path of violence, guilt, and destruction, as he is unable to control its powerful influence
