Act 5

Question 1

5;1
“What’s done cannot be undone”

Answer 1

•Repetition makes it appear that Lady Macbeth is trying to convince herself to let go and face reality
-Guilt and paranoia have increased

Question 2

5;1
“All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. Oh, oh, oh!”

Answer 2

•Complex sentence structures and hyperbolic language symbolise her mania and madness as she is finally consumed by guilt
•Repetition of guttural sounds demonstrates her inner pain
-Experiences a tragic fall, mirroring Macbeth

Question 3

5;1
“Out, damned spot!”

Answer 3

•Invisibility of of blood shows how guilt doesn’t have to be visible or known by others to be real
-Knows her own guilt and cannot ignore it

Question 4

5;5
“Out, out brief candle! Life’s but a walking shadow”

Answer 4

•Metaphor shows how Macbeth admits that life is nothing more than a candle that burns brightly, or a fleeting shadow that easily dies away
-Highlights nihilism and how he has become numbed to the reality of life
-Brutal actions in the pursuit oh power have numbed his senses

Question 5

5;8
“Hellhound”

Answer 5

•Macbeth has completed his tragic downfall
•Complete foil to who he was at the beginning of the play

Question 6

5;8
“Untimely ripped”

Answer 6

•Powerful metaphor that uses violence to convey Macduff’s destiny and his triumph over Macbeth
-The verb ‘ripped’ is aggressive and suggests violence
•Situational irony. The audience believes that Macbeth is invincible before it is revealed that Macduff is not subject to Macbeth’s prophecy.
•He uses the line to taunt Macbeth.

Question 7

5;8
“Of this dead butcher and his fiend-like queen”

Answer 7

•Malcolm criticises them, portraying them and their actions as evil and henious.
-‘Butcher’ suggests someone who kills yet shows no regret. Refers to Macbeth’s brutal killings in his quest for power.
-‘Fiend-like’ implies evil and demoic nature. Refers to Lady Macbeth’s lack fo mercy throughout the play, and connects her to the witches through the theme of supernatural.