Macbeth key quotes Flashcards
(60 cards)
fair is foul and …….
foul is fair
Analyse ‘‘fair is foul and foul is fair’’
Act 1 scene 1 - witches;
- Traditional distinctions between good and evil are blurred or reversed.
- This inversion foreshadows the moral disorientation and the collapse of ethical norms
- Reflects the theme of deception, as what appears to be fair or noble may in fact be foul or malicious
like valours…
minion
'’like valours minion analysis’’
Act 1 scene 2 - seargent;
Metaphor for Bravery -Macbeth is portrayed as the embodiment of bravery, so much so that he acts as if courage itself is his master.
'’unseam’d him’’ analysis
Act 1 scene 2 - seargent
- Highlights Macbeth’s savagery in battle, emphasizing his physical strength and willingness to use extreme violence
-Marks Macbeth as a warrior of great skill, but the imagery foreshadows his later violent actions, suggesting a potential for cruelty beyond mere heroism.
- The act of “unseaming” symbolizes the tearing apart of order and morality, mirroring Macbeth’s eventual descent into murder and tyranny.
Macbeth’s language towards witches:
Commanding ‘‘speak’’
How does Duncan describe Macbeth
Act 1 scene 2:
‘‘valiant cousin’’
‘‘worthy gentlemen’’
‘‘noble Macbeth’’
'’Make my seated heart…….
…knock against my ribs’’
Analysis of ‘‘make my seated heart knock against my ribs’’
Act 1 scene 3:
-Corporeal imagery indicates his visceral horror at his own temptation to go against God and the divine right of kings to kill Duncan.
- Here the playwright clearly indicates that regicide is against the natural order and sinful
-Macbeth is fearful
How does Banquo treat Macbeth after the prophecies
Sceptical but says ‘‘worthy Macbeth’’
'’Stars hide your fires….
…let not light see my black and deep desires’’
Analysis of ‘‘stars hide your fires, let not light see my black and deep desires’’
Act 1 scene 4:
- Suppression of Ambition: Symbolizes his desire to conceal his dark, murderous thoughts.
- Metaphor of darkness, refers to his immoral and sinful intentions, portraying his ambitions as both morally corrupt and deeply evil. He wants these desires to remain hidden in the shadows, away from the illuminating light of truth and morality.
'’It is too full o’…….
…..the milk of human kindness’’
Analyse ‘‘it is too full o’ the milk of human kindess’’
Act 1 scene 5;
- “Milk” traditionally symbolizes nourishment, care, and maternal instincts. Lady Macbeth uses it metaphorically to describe Macbeth’s overly compassionate, gentle, and benevolent nature.
- Lady Macbeth believes that Macbeth’s kindness and moral sensitivity make him unfit for the ruthless actions needed to achieve power.
-It reveals her own ruthless nature, as she does not hesitate to encourage Macbeth to suppress his moral feelings and embrace the violence needed to achieve power.
Emotional words in Lady Macbeth’s response to Macbeth’s letter
Act 1 scene 5
Semantic field:
‘‘cries, fears, illness, spirits’’
‘‘metaphysical aid’’ ‘‘fate’’ = abstract concepts
'’The raven himself is hoarse…….
…..that croaks fatal entrance of Duncan’’
Analysis of the raven himself is hoarse that croaks fatal entrance of Duncan’’
Act 1 scene 5 - lady macbeth;
- Employs the ‘‘raven’’ and omen of death
- In medieval and Renaissance literature, ravens were believed to be birds of ill fortune, often foreshadowing doom.
- Lady Macbeth’s invocation of the raven suggests that the murder of Duncan will herald death and disaster. The raven’s hoarse croak reinforces the foreboding atmosphere, emphasizing that something dark and violent is about to unfold.
What does Macbeth call lady Macbeth in act 1 scene 5
'’dearest love’’
'’Look like the innocent flower…
but be the serpent under’t’’
Analysis of ‘‘look like the innocent flower but be the serpent under’t’’
Act 1 scene 5:
- Lady Macbeth encourages Macbeth to hide his dark intentions behind a facade of innocence.
- The flower is a symbol for harmlessness, while the serpent symbolizes danger, betrayal, and evil.
- The line foreshadows Macbeth’s eventual moral corruption and descent into treachery.
when does macbeth hallucinate a dagger to kill duncan
act 2 scene 1
'’no this my hand will rather……..
……the multitudinous seas incardine’’
Analyse ‘‘no this my hand will rather, the multitudinous seas incardine’’
Act 2 scene 2 Macbeth:
- Macbeth imagines that the blood on his hands will be so vast that it will dye the seas red.
- The blood imagery here emphasizes the overwhelming guilt and horror he feels after the murder, as well as the enormity of his crime as no amount of washing will cleanse him.
Analyse ‘‘I shame to wear a heart so white’’
Act 2 scene 2 Lady Macbeth:
-She feels a sense of shame or dishonour that he is not as committed to their shared ambition as she is.
- The colour white traditionally symbolizes innocence, purity, and goodness. Lady Macbeth uses “white” to describe Macbeth’s gentle and morally upright nature, implying that he is too kind, too innocent, or too hesitant to commit the brutal act of regicide.
