Deceit Flashcards
‘Fair is foul, and foul is fair’ (Witches)
L = paradox. That which is good can be evil and vice-versa. The prediction that MB will
become king seems to be good but leads him to commit evil.
‘Stars hide your fires. Let not light see my black and deep desires.’ (Macbeth)
L= rhyming couplet. Light symbolizes heaven. Adiectives ‘black’ represents evil; ‘deep’ how deep his ambition is BUT knows killing King is morally wrong.
C= DRK. Killing a king = act against God.
‘Look like the innocent flower but be the serpent under it.’ (Lady
Macbeth)I
L = metaphors. Serpent represents sin and evil. D = LMB like Eve in Genesis tempting MB
to commit sin.
C = James I had a medal struck bearing a flower and snake to commemorate discovery of
Gunpowder plot. R = Jacobean audience would recognise this. Shows murderers like MB
will be discovered & punished.
‘There’s daggers in men’s smiles’.
(Donalbain)
L = metaphor. Malcolm and Donalbain realise another Thane murdered their father. They
cannot trust anyone and must flee to safety.
‘I have a strange infirmity’ (Macbeth)
LMB and MB lie and claim MB seeing a ghost is because he suffers from fits and has done since childhood. They are trying to conceal the murder of Banquo.
R = audience despise MB for lying and for murdering an innocent friend
‘Juggling fiends’ (Macbeth)
L = adj - knows the witches. have tricked him and he can be defeated; noun - shows he
knows they are evil and have led him to commit evil.
C = warns of dangers of witchcraft; James I wrote ‘Daemonologie’ on the subject.
