M - Themes Flashcards
(30 cards)
Ambition as a tragic flaw
Macbeth’s unchecked ambition leads him to commit regicide and descend into tyranny.
Vaulting ambition
Macbeth acknowledges that ambition alone spurs him to murder Duncan.
Lady Macbeth’s ambition
She calls on spirits to ‘unsex’ her so she can pursue power ruthlessly.
Ambition vs morality
Macbeth wrestles with his conscience before killing Duncan.
Power corrupts
Macbeth’s rule becomes increasingly tyrannical as he seeks to retain power.
Abuse of power
He murders Banquo and Macduff’s family to protect his throne.
Ambition destroys relationships
Macbeth and Lady Macbeth grow distant as guilt takes its toll.
Power and paranoia
Macbeth becomes obsessed with threats to his rule.
Power through illegitimacy
Macbeth’s rise to power is not earned but stolen.
Macbeth as a tyrant
Malcolm calls Macbeth a ‘tyrant’ due to his cruel reign.
Ambition isolates
Macbeth becomes isolated
The lure of prophecy
The witches spark Macbeth’s ambition by telling him he will be king.
Gender and power
Lady Macbeth challenges gender norms to pursue power.
Moral consequence of ambition
Guilt and madness follow Macbeth’s crimes.
Theme of kingship
Contrasts between Duncan’s just rule and Macbeth’s tyranny.
Role of the witches
They introduce the idea of fate and prophecy.
Fair is foul
and foul is fair
Supernatural as temptation
The witches tempt Macbeth with visions of power.
Visions and hallucinations
Macbeth sees a dagger and Banquo’s ghost—signs of his unraveling.
Lady Macbeth’s sleepwalking
Her guilt manifests in a supernatural way.
Nature disrupted
Strange events follow Duncan’s murder
Apparitions
The witches show Macbeth three apparitions with cryptic messages.
Equivocation of the witches
Their prophecies are misleading and drive Macbeth’s downfall.
Supernatural vs free will
Raises the question: are Macbeth’s actions fated or chosen?
