Macbeth Flashcards
(10 cards)
What does Macbeth being the tragic hero mean?
The play is a tragedy.
The greek philosopher Aristotle defined the tragic hero as someone who is highly renowned, who had a reversal of fortune from ‘good to bad’ and whose mistortune is brought by some personal error or frailty (harmatia or tragic flaw)
Act 1 Scene 2 Macbeth.
Sergeant describes how the ‘brave macbeth’ killed macdonwald on the battlefield, cutting him open from ‘the nave to the chops’.
This imagery seems gory, it is the indicator of the violent world the play is set, and people prove themselves worth of honor by actions on the battlefield which is echoed through the play.
described as ‘a society with no principle of rule other than strength, where might not right rules’
At the end of the act, Duncan describes Macbeth as ‘noble’
Act 1 Scene 3 Macbeth.
Banquo echoes duncan, calling macbeth his ‘noble’ partner.
What changes when macbeth meets the witches?
His harmatia / ambition begins to be revealed.
Both him and Banquo recieve a prophecy, and both their actions are different. Banquo is a foil for Macbeth.
Banquo is sceptical and wary, as he states ‘neither beg nor fear your favour nor your hate’
When macbeth is phophesiced to be king, Banquo states ‘why do you start’ (why is he startled)
He begins his path of destruction which will lead to his demise.
Act 1 Scene 7 Macbeth
Admits his ‘vaulting ambition’ is spurring him on to kill king duncan. (soliloquy as he is speaking to himself) - shows he is aware of his harmatia.
References to macbeth in Act 3 to Act 5
‘A hand accursed!’ - Lennox - A3S6
‘Something wicked this way comes’ - Witch A4S1
‘tyrant, who’s sole name blisters our tongues’ - Malcolm A4S3
‘Devilish’ - Malcom A4S7
Tyrant - A5S7 - Young Siward A5S7
‘Hell hound’ - Macduff A5S8
‘dead butcher’ - Malcolm A5S9
Macbeth in A1S5 compared to A5S5 when Lady Macbeth dies.
Starts off referring to her as ‘My dearest love’
Then he states ‘she should have died hereafter’
Stopped feeling after the murderous path he travelled down.
How does shakespeare try to evoke sympathy for macbeth?
We don’t witness the murder of duncan to help the audience see some humanity in macbeth.
Murder if banquo, lady macduff and her children don’t take place at his hand himself, but as his order for the same reason.
What structural technique does Shakespeare use to ensure audience never grows to hate Macbeth?
in act 3 scene 5 , Hecate tells the witches that macbeth is ‘a wayward son, spiteful and wrathful, who, as others do, loves for his own ends, not for you’
shows he is not a true son of evil, after the two scenes of the murder of banquo and the appearance of his ghost.
Cyclical - he is shown as brave near the end of the play, as he states ‘I will not yield’ in act 5 scene8 as macduff tried to make him surrender:
He also states ‘Before my body i throw my warlike shield’ in the same act shows his bravery and honorability still, like he was at the start.
