Act 3 Flashcards
(8 cards)
3;1
Analysis
“To be thus is nothing;/ But to be safely is thus”
Demonstrates Macbeth’s inner conflict and insecurity towards his newfound position of power and how it is meaningless without safety and stability. It is ironic how despite being king, Macbeth cannot truly feel safe or content due to his own actions.
3;1
Use of junxtaposition
“To be thus is nothing;/ But to be safely is thus”
•Macbeth contrasts existence with security, revealing that the mere position of the throne us insufficient without guaranteed safety.
•This juxtaposition reflects his growing obsession with safeguarding his illegitimate power- an ambition that morphs into destructive force and eventually engulfs his sanity.
3;1
Use of Caesura (pause)
“To be thus is nothing;/ But to be safely is thus”
•The caesura breaks the fluidity of the line, much alike to how Macbeth has broken the natural order through his usurpation.
•Could also show how his usurpation of the throne has trapped him with perpetual fear, portraying his unchecked ambition as self destructive.
What happens in Act 3 Scene 1?
A monologue of Macbeth revealing his fear of Banquo and his lineage, expressing his feelings of emptiness and insecurity whilst also trying to blame others for Duncan’s murder.
3;1
Analysis
“Upon my head they put a fruitless crown;/ And put a barren sceptre in my grip”
Emphasises the hollowness of his power, linking to frustration and futility. He resents Banquo and the witches.
3;2
“O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife!”
•Metaphor of ‘scorpions’ shows that his mind has been poisoned by his paranoid and ambitious thoughts
-Indicated his intense fear as he falls deeper into anxiety and desperation
3;2
“What’s done is done”
•Suggests that they cannot change their fate and must live with the consequences.
3;4
“For mine own good”
•Macbeth tries to defend his actions
