Macbeth Flashcards
(4 cards)
How is Macbeth presented throughout the play?
He starts off as a brave nobleman, but descends into insanity due to committing regicide and the power of evil.
Key quotes from the start of the play and their analysis
Act 1 scene 2 :
- ‘brave Macbeth’
- ‘well he deserves that name’ : the captain interrupted himself to further glorify Macbeth
- ‘disdaining fortune’ : Macbeth went against all odds and beat the ‘merciless macdonald’ despite him having a much bigger army
- ‘carved out his passage’ : shows his skill and ruthlessness
- ‘eagle’ or ‘lion’
Act 1 scene 3 :
- ‘this supernatural soliciting cannot be ill, cannot be good’ : Macbeth is conscious about good and evi
- ‘why do you start and seem to fear things that do sound so fair?’ : foreshadows later on in the play because Banquo is questioning Macbeth for actually thinking about what the witches said
Act 1 scene 4 :
- ‘let not see my black and deep desires’ : Darkness is a metaphor for evil and even from early on Macbeth has these bad thoughts
Act 1 scene 5 :
- ‘it is too full of the milk of human kindness’ : Lady Macbeth challenges Macbeth’s masculinity and pressures him to kill Duncan, Macbeth doesn’t actually want to do it at the start
Act 1 scene 7 :
- ‘we will proceed no further in this business’ : euphemism shows that Macbeth doesn’t want to continue in the murder of Duncan
- ‘I dare do all that may become a man ; who dares do more is none : macbeth’s definition of a man is one who has a conscience
- ‘I have no spur to prick the side of my intent, but only in vaulting ambition’ : the only reason Macbeth will kill Duncan is due to his ambition. Also Lady Macbeth is metaphorically his spur to carry on and kill the king
Act 2 scene 1 :
- ‘I go and it is done’ : euphemism in order to make the murder seem simple. He skips the actual murder and instead talks about it being done
- ‘Is this a dagger which I see before me?’ : his mind is
Key quotes from the middle of the play and their analysis
Act 2 scene 2 :
- ‘I could not say ‘amen’ when they did say ‘God bless us’’ : Macbeth can no longer pray after killing God’s representative on earth
- ‘sleep no more Macbeth does murder sleep’ : repetition of sleep shows that he can’t escape all the guilt. Also, when a person sleeps they are often very innocent and vulnerable however Macbeth not being able to sleep shows that he almost lacks innocence due to him committing regicide.
- ‘will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?’ : a metaphor to show that all the oceans in the world aren’t enough to wash off all his blood (guilt)
- ‘best not know myself’ : Macbeth loses his sense of identity
Act 3 scene 1 :
- ‘upon my head they placed a fruitless crown (…) for banquo’s issues have I filed my mind, for them the gracious Duncan have I murdered’ : he regrets killing Duncan because he hasn’t gotten much out of it. Still refers to Duncan as heavenly : ‘gracious’ and doesn’t use a euphemism when talking about the murder.
-‘Fleance, his son must embrace the fate’ : Macbeth is relying on the witches prophecies to decide his future actions
Act 3 scene 2 :
- ‘oh, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife’ : metaphor for Macbeth poisoning his own mind and losing control. There is also a change in their relationship at this point.
- ‘things bad begun make strong themselves by ill’ : once you commit evil, it is very difficult to turn back
- ‘how now, my Lord, why do you keep alone?’ : he is isolated and even pushed away his wife who was the closest to him. She is asking questions which shows that she doesn’t know anything.
Act 3 scene 4 :
- ‘Russian bear’ ‘armed rhinoceros’ ‘tiger’ : macbeth’s biggest opponent is his own mind. He would rather fight anything that is physically in front of him.
Key quotes from the end of the play and their analysis
Act 4 scene 1 :
-‘the castle of Macduff I will surprise’ … ‘his wife, his babes’ : Macbeth is constantly becoming more evil and will now even kill the family of macduff (innocents).
Act 4 scene 3 :
- ‘our country (…) it weeps, it bleeds, and each day and a gash is added to her wounds’ : personification of Scotland suffering due to Macbeth being such a corrupt leader
Act 5 scene 3 :
- ‘that which should accompany old age, as honour, love, obedience, troops of friends, I must not look to have’ : the asyndetic list makes us feel sympathy for Macbeth as he has lost so much
Act 5 scene 5 :
-‘lay on, Macduff, and damned be him that first cries’ : macbeth’s last words remind us that he is a warrior
