macbeth Flashcards
(20 cards)
how did macbeth portray himself as an ambitious character
Macbeth had portayed himself as an ambitios character because of how he had not thought twice about killing the king and his best friend
give a quote on why macbeth killed duncan
‘I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only Vaulting ambition which o’erlaps itself
How is ambition potrayed in macbeth
Shakespeare set Macbeth in the distant past and in a part of Britain that few of his audience would have been familiar with. Scotland is shown as a wild and savage place ruled over by a weak king (Duncan) who relies on his warrior thanes to keep control.
Whats the fatal flaw?
In a tragic play, the fatal flaw refers to the basic mistake in the central character’s personality which drives their actions.
What drives macbeth to carry out all the actions of killing everyone?
He is driven by a need for power which eventually sets him on a path to his own destruction. His wife shares this fatal flaw with him.
How is leadership potrayed in the whole play?
In Macbeth, Shakespeare shows us three very different leaders. Duncan is not a good king as although he is kind and generous, he is weak. Macbeth is strong but becomes a bullying dictator. Malcolm seems to strike a healthy balance and combines the good qualities of both men.
Give some quotes that show leadership
The king-becoming graces -
As justice, verity, temp’rance, stableness,
Bounty, perseverance, mercy, lowliness,
Devotion, patience, courage, fortitude -
I have no relish of them, but abound
How is greed shown in the play as a whole?
As part of Macbeth’s ambition he becomes greedy and selfish. He cannot accept that Banquo’s descendants will become kings after him and sets out to alter the prediction by having Banquo and Fleance murdered
Give some quotes that show greed in macbeth
For Banquo’s issue have I filed my mind;
For them, the gracious Duncan have I murdered,
Put rancours in the vessel of my peace,
Only for them, and mine eternal jewel
Given to the common enemy of man,
To make them kings, the seed of Banquo kings.
Which of the themes of the play does Shakespeare highlight in this extract?
Banquo thinks about how Macbeth’s ambition has helped him to become king very quickly and gain ultimate power. He also thinks about his own family coming to power after Macbeth.
What does Banquo mean when he says “I fear thou played’st most foully for’t”?
Banquo was present when the witches made their predictions to Macbeth. He thinks this may have finally persuaded Macbeth to act on his ambitious nature and murder Duncan.
What ambition does Banquo reveal in this speech?
In line with the Witches’ prediction, Banquo hopes that one day his descendants will be kings. James I, the actual king when Macbeth was first performed, was thought to be descended from Banquo.
Which of the themes of the play does Shakespeare most highlight in this extract?
Starting with the vision of the blood-soaked dagger, Macbeth begins to imagine all sorts of evil at work. This is as a direct result of him thinking about killing King Duncan and realising how supernatural forces are beginning to take him over.
Who is the goddess of the Witches who later appears in the play?
Hetcate
What is meant by “Nature seems dead, and wicked dreams abuse / The curtained sleep”?
Just as will happen to Macbeth and his wife, people who commit evil acts find it difficult to sleep. What little sleep they do get is troubled by nightmares as their conscience works on them.
What is one of the main reasons that Shakespeare concentrates so much on the theme of evil and the supernatural in Macbeth?
James I was fascinated by the subjects of witches, witchcraft and demons. He published a book on the subject called Demonology. So Shakespeare was writing on a topic that would have been particularly interesting to the king.
Which of the themes of the play does Shakespeare highlight in this extract?
Lady Macbeth is advising her husband not to give the game away by the way he looks and reacts. She tells him that there must be a difference between the reality of the situation and the way he appears to react. To be doubly sure she suggests that she should deal with the situation herself.
Lady Macbeth uses a simile to make her point. What is the simile she uses?
Rather than use the words ‘murder’ and ‘death’ directly, Lady Macbeth uses words like ‘provided for’, ‘great business’ and ‘dispatch’. She is covering up the truth of what they are planning by using words that are not quite so unpleasant. What is the technical term for a word like this?
Euphemism is the use of an ordinary word or phrase to avoid mentioning what is seen as an unpleasant reality. Lady Macbeth does not want to discourage her husband at this point by mentioning something that would upset him. Hyperbole is deliberate exaggeration.
Lady Macbeth uses a simile to make her point. What is the simile she uses?
“Bear welcome in your eye” is a metaphor. Lady Macbeth’s simile is about flowers and snakes. Basically she is saying that he should look as innocent as a flower does, which might actually hide a poisonous animal from view. Interestingly, after the discovery of the Gunpowder Plot, James I had a medal created picturing a serpent hiding amongst flowers.
