Macbeth grade 9 key words

Question 1

What is the meaning of allegory? + example sentence

Answer 1

When characters and plot represent ideas that relate to morality, politics of religion
E.g. The play serves as a political allegory intended to warn about the dangers of oppressive absolute rule

Question 2

What is the meaning of allusion? + example sentence

Answer 2

A way of making reference to something else without explicitly stating what it is you’re referring to
E.g. In 1.2, Ross makes reference to “Bellona’s bridegroom”. While this isn’t a commonly noticeable allusion to modern audiences, Shakespeare’s audience would have immediately recognised the reference to Bellona, the Roman goddess of war

Question 3

What is the meaning of anagnorisis? + example sentence

Answer 3

The point in a text when a key character realises another character’s true identity, or they come to understand the true nature of their circumstances
E.g. Lady Macbeth’s anagnorisis comes when she discovers Macbeth has had the innocent Macduff children murdered

Question 4

What is the meaning of antagonist? + example sentence

Answer 4

A character who opposes someone or something, often the protagonist. They are generally considered the ‘bad guys’ in a text
E.g. Macduff is the main antagonist in the play, and while he doesn’t fit the typical ‘bad guy’ aspect of the definition, he goes against Macbeth, our protagonist

Question 5

What is the meaning of archetype? + example sentence

Answer 5

An archetype is effectively a stereotype of a character or thing. It is a model around which certain character types are built (ie. a tragic hero)
E.g. Macduff fits the archetype of the avenging hero, motivated by revenge and good intentions

Question 6

What is the meaning of biblical? + example sentence

Answer 6

Relating to the Bible
E.g. The three witches mirror the holy trinity; the father, the son and holy spirit. Their prophecies echo the messages of the prophets in the Bible

Question 7

What is the meaning of blank verse? + example sentence

Answer 7

Unrhymed metered lines, primarily written using iambic pentameter
E.g. All characters other than the witches speak in blank verse, emphasising the high social status of the characters

Question 8

What is the meaning of caricature? + example sentence

Answer 8

A depiction of a person in which key characteristics are exaggerated for comic effect or to imply a grotesque quality
E.g. The witches are depicted as caricatures of a typical witch image. Their warty noses and beards are exaggerated to emphasise their monstrous qualities

Question 9

What is the meaning of catharsis? + example sentence

Answer 9

Releasing strong or repressed emotion
E.g. Tension builds as the text progresses, reaching a boiling point when Malcolm confronts Macbeth. Macbeth’s death proves to be cathartic to the audience, who are intimately involved with the tension he has created

Question 10

What is the meaning of connotation? + example sentence

Answer 10

When a word, phrase, or other component of a text is intended to carry a certain meaning
E.g. In 1.3, Banquo refers to Macbeth’s expected promotion as “honest trifles”. The word “honest” is intended to describe Macbeth as an honourable man, while “trifles” carries connotations of minor importance - Banquo is attempting to warn Macbeth not to downplay the importance of his new role

Question 11

What is the meaning of conscience? + example sentence

Answer 11

A moral sense of right and wrong
E.g. The guilt Macbeth feels following Duncan’s murder is informed by his conscience; he is aware that his actions are morally wrong, but his ambitions forced him to ignore his conscience

Question 12

What is the meaning of dichotomy? + example sentence

Answer 12

A division into two opposite groups (ie. peace and war, love and hate)
E.g. Macbeth and Macduff’s attitude to loyalty represents a dichotomy of morals. While Macduff prioritises those he is loyal to, Macbeth is consistently disloyal, going so far as to kill his own best friend

Question 13

What is the meaning of divine right of kings? + example sentence

Answer 13

A belief asserting that a monarch derived their authority from God and thus any attempt to depose or murder the king is an attempt on God himself
E.g. Macbeth’s ambition to be king forces him to disrupt the divine right of kings. An audience of the time would have seen his downfall as a result of interrupting God’s will

Question 14

What is the meaning of dramatic monologue? + example sentence

Answer 14

A section of text in which the speaker addresses the audience directly
E.g. In 1.7, Macbeth delivers a dramatic monologue intended to inform the audience of the internal conflict he battles against; whether to follow his ambition or to remain loyal to the crown

Question 15

What is the meaning of emasculation? + example sentence

Answer 15

Making a man feel less masculine by taking away his power
E.g. Lady Macbeth emasculates her husband, belittling him until he gives in to the idea of killing Duncan

Question 16

What is the meaning of epitome? + example sentence

Answer 16

A person or item which is a perfect representation of something else, particularly a quality or concept
E.g. Lady Macbeth is the epitome of evil, making use of manipulation, cunning and ruthlessness to achieve her goal of becoming queen

Question 17

What is the meaning of euphemism? + example sentence

Answer 17

Language used to imply something unpleasant or impolite
E.g. Macbeth makes use of euphemisms to discuss Banquo’s murder, using mild words like “dispatched” to detract from the severity of his crime

Question 18

What is the meaning of facade? + example sentence

Answer 18

A deceptive outward appearance used to conceal a person’s true personality or feelings
E.g. Lady Macbeth encourages Macbeth to put up a facade when she tells him to “look like the innocent flower but be the serpent under it”

Question 19

What is the meaning of femme fatale? + example sentence

Answer 19

A woman who tries to achieve her hidden purpose by employing her femininity and skills of charm and seduction
E.g. Lady Macbeth fits the archetype of a femme fatale because she uses her emotional intelligence to manipulate Macbeth into killing Duncan

Question 20

What is the meaning of foil? + example sentence

Answer 20

A character with qualities that contrast another
E.g. Banquo’s noble nature makes him a foil to Macbeth. They face the same temptation, but Banquo’s morals prevent him from taking action, while Macbeth’s do not

Question 21

What is the meaning of foreshadowing? + example sentence

Answer 21

A warning of events to come in a text
E.g. The most significant example of foreshadowing in the play actually comes in the form of the witches’ prophecies, however overt that may be. They are an example of false foreshadowing, encouraging Macbeth to believe something they know not to be true

Question 22

What is the meaning of great chain of being? + example sentence

Answer 22

The believe that God created the world with a clear hierarchical structure encompassing all matter and life
E.g. The great chain of being is intimately concerned with the divine right of kinds because it validates the concept. When Macbeth disrupted the divine right of kings, he also disrupted the great chain of being, disobeying God’s will twice

Question 23

What is the meaning of heathen? + example sentence

Answer 23

Someone who doesn’t participate in a well-known religion. The term is most often used in regards to Christianity
E.g. While he may well be a Christian, Macbeth’s actions (killing, breaking the divine right of kings, disrupting the great chain of being, etc.) mean that an audience of the time would have considered him a heathen

Question 24

What is the meaning of hubris? + example sentence

Answer 24

Exaggerated self - confidence which often leads to a character’s downfall
E.g. Macbeth is the human embodiment of hubris; his exaggerated self-confidence forces him to pursue his ambitions, eventually leading to his downfall

Question 25

What is the meaning of hyperbole? + example sentence

Answer 25

Figurative speech used for exaggeration
E.g. In 2.2, following Duncan’s murder, Macbeth laments that all the oceans in the world cannot wash the blood form his hands, emphasising the way the murder is weighing on his conscience

Question 26

What is the meaning of ideology? + example sentence

Answer 26

A body of beliefs and ideals that dictates how a person thinks and acts. It can also be used in relation to political and religious beliefs
E.g. Macbeth is representative of an ideology of absolutism, which refers to the holding of absolute power, as Macbeth does once he gains the throne

Question 27

What is the meaning of irony? + example sentence

Answer 27

Expression of an emotion or thought by using language which typically means the opposite. It is often amusing, which injects a degree of comedy into a text
E.g. The witches’ prophecies are all examples of irony; while technically they all come true, the end result is nothing close to Macbeth’s expectations

Question 28

What is the meaning of juxtaposition? + example sentence

Answer 28

Two opposing things placed next to each other for contrast
E.g. Macbeth is consistently juxtaposed with morally sound characters throughout the play. His close proximity to characters like macduff and Banquo create ample opportunity for comparison

Question 29

What is the meaning of microcosm? + example sentence

Answer 29

A community or situation intended to represent the characteristics of something much larger
E.g. Macduff seems to be something of a microcosm for Scotland; he says “O Scotland, O Scotland… O nation miserable”, emphasising the way his own emotions mirror the state of the country

Question 30

What is the meaning of nihilism? + example sentence

Answer 30

Rejection of religion and the belief that life is meaningless
E.g. Macbeth’s “Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow” soliloquy emphasises his nihilism; upon hearing of his wife’s death, he looks to his reality rather than lamenting his loss

Question 31

What is the meaning of oxymoron? + example sentence

Answer 31

A figure of speech in which two contradictory terms are used consecutively
E.g. In the opening scene, the witches chant “Fair is foul, and foul is fire”, which is a clear oxymoron. This line speaks to the subverted moral code of the witches, and emphasises the evil character

Question 32

What is the meaning of peripeteia? + example sentence

Answer 32

An unexpected change in circumstances or reversal of fortune
E.g. Fleance’s escape serves as a crucial peripeteia for Macbeth because it is the first instance in the play where something doesn’t turn out as he expected it to

Question 33

What is the meaning of prose? + example sentence

Answer 33

A passage of text written without any metrical structure
E.g. Lady Macbeth speaks primarily in blank verse, but switches to prose following Macbeth’s letter, highlighting her mental disorientation

Question 34

What is the meaning of tragic hero? + example sentence

Answer 34

A character who has virtuous traits but ultimately dies or is defeated as a result of a fatal flaw
E.g. Macbeth fits the role of a tragic hero; he is born into nobility but his fatal flaw is his ambition, which eventually leads to his downfall

Question 35

What is the meaning of trochaic tetrameter? + example sentence

Answer 35

A line made up of four trochees, which are made up of one stressed syllable followed by one unstressed syllable. A trochee is the opposite of an iamb
E.g. In 4.1, the witches speak in trochaic tetrameter, as opposed to iambic pentameter which is used for most of the rest of the play. This creates a distance between the witches and the rest of the characters, isolating them as a force of evil