Macbeth Flashcards
(27 cards)
What does Macbeth mean by ‘Vaulting ambition’?
Ambition
Refers to Macbeth’s overwhelming desire for power.
What does Lady Macbeth mean by ‘Fill me from the crown to the toe full of direst cruelty’?
Ambition / Gender
Expresses her wish to be filled with cruelty to achieve power.
What theme is represented by the quote ‘Fair is foul and foul is fair’?
Appearance vs Reality / Supernatural
Suggests the inversion of moral order.
What does Lady Macbeth mean by ‘Look like the innocent flower but be the serpent underneath’?
Appearance vs Reality / Deceit
Advises Macbeth to appear innocent while hiding malicious intent.
What is the significance of Macbeth’s quote ‘So foul and fair a day I have not seen’?
Supernatural / Fate
Reflects the theme of conflicting appearances.
What does Lady Macbeth mean by ‘Unsex me here’?
Gender / Supernatural
Desires to shed her femininity to gain power.
What does Macbeth contemplate when he says ‘Is this a dagger which I see before me’?
Supernatural / Guilt
Indicates his guilt and hallucinations before committing murder.
What is Macbeth’s question ‘Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?’ about?
Guilt
Reflects his deep remorse after killing Duncan.
What does Lady Macbeth mean by ‘Out, damned spot!’?
Guilt / Order + Chaos
Shows her madness and guilt over her role in the murders.
What does Duncan mean by ‘There’s no art to find the mind’s construction in the face’?
Appearance vs Reality
Highlights the theme of deceit and hidden intentions.
What does the Porter mean by ‘This place is too cold for hell’?
Violence / Power
Suggests the moral decay in Macbeth’s castle.
What is Macduff’s reaction when he says ‘O horror, horror, horror’?
Loyalty / Guilt
Expresses shock at Duncan’s murder.
What do the Witches mean by ‘None of woman born shall harm Macbeth’?
Fate / Supernatural
A prophecy that gives Macbeth a false sense of security.
What is the significance of Macduff being ‘from his mother’s womb untimely ripped’?
Fate / Justice
Reveals the twist in the prophecy regarding Macbeth’s downfall.
What does Macduff mean by ‘I have no words; my voice is in my sword’?
Violence / Masculinity
Indicates his readiness to take action rather than speak.
What does Macduff mean by ‘Turn, hellhound, turn!’?
Violence / Retribution
Calls for vengeance against Macbeth.
What does Duncan mean by ‘He was a gentleman on whom I built an absolute trust’?
Loyalty / Betrayal
Refers to his misplaced trust in Macbeth.
What does Macbeth mean by ‘To be thus is nothing but to be safely thus’?
Power / Kingship
Reflects his fear and insecurity as a ruler.
What do the Witches mean by ‘Be bloody, bold and resolute’?
Fate / Supernatural
Encourages Macbeth’s violent ambition.
What does Macduff express with ‘All my pretty ones? Did you say all?’?
Guilt / Emotion
Shows his grief and guilt over the loss of his family.
What does Macduff mean by ‘Bleed, bleed, poor country!’?
Order and Chaos
Reflects his despair over Scotland’s suffering.
What does Macbeth mean by ‘She should have died hereafter’?
Gender / Guilt / Apathy
Indicates his indifference to Lady Macbeth’s death.
What does Duncan mean by ‘What he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won’?
Fate / Power
Refers to Macbeth gaining the title of Thane of Cawdor.
What does the Porter mean by ‘Faith, here’s an equivocator’?
Supernatural / Deceit
Comments on the theme of deception.
