Plot Context Vocabu 3 Witches: King James believed in witches, and wrote Daemonologie, a book about witches powers which lary 1. A storm. 3 witches plan Banquet scene. M sees B’s . included their powers, such as creating storms. Many people believed him, and witches were popular on stage. 1 to meet M. ghost, unsettles guests. autocratic 4 Weather Portents: Superstitious members of Shakespeare’s audience made predications about their lives based on the weather, for example some people thought thunder was a sign of an imminent death, and an East wind hubris KD’s army has defeated 3 represents evil, as alluded to in The Bible. 1. Hecate tells WS their infanticide rebels. Executes Thane . prophecies will destroy M. Equivocation: In Elizabethan and Jacobean England, Protestantism was the only legal religion and fines and 2 of Cawdor, title to M. issue 5 punishments were given to Catholics. Jesuit priests developed the doctrine of equivocation: they could say one thing but mean another, meaning they could lie even under oath. massacre WS tell M he will be 3 Suspicions of M are 1. ToC & king, and B his discussed as well as . Gender Roles: Women were considered subordinate to men. They took status from men in society, and LM’s maternal 3 sons will be kings. Ross reports that McD in Eng to role as a nobleman’s wife was to manage the household and entertain. For men, in Scotland especially, there tells M he is thane. 6 join Mal. was a warrior culture where men were seen to be bloodthirsty. Ultimately, women were seen to be weak morality English Literature: bodied and men as powerful, dominant beings. It can be argued that Shakespeare uses Macbeth to subvert D praises M and B, WS tell M he is safe until 4 these traditional gender roles. paternal 1. names Mal as next king, the wood comes alive & . 4 and plans visit to M’s that he cannot be harmed Prophecies: People believed in prophecies in Shakespeare’s time: Queen Elizabeth and King James frequently purgatory castle. 1 by one ‘of women born’. used astrologers to predict their futures. Many Christians believed the devil could use false or misleading regicide prophecies to tempt people into evil. Banquo is worried the witches prophecies are traps designed to make LM reads M’s letter 4 Macbeth do terrible things: this would be obvious to an Elizabethan audience. However, once the first prophecy 1. about WS. He arrives: M’s men kill Lady McD and tragedy comes true Macbeth’s belief is so strong that he bases his decisions on them. she persuades him to . children. 5 treason kill KD. 2 Regicide and Restoration: The reformation in the Sixteenth Century made some people think differently about regicide. As it was normal for the monarch to decide the religion of the country, some extremists plotted tyrant 4 McD joins Mal. News of 1. LM welcomes KD and assassinations (for example the 1605 gunpowder plot) in an attempt to switch the country’s religion. The theory murder of McD’s family. uprising court. . of divine right of kings (based on the principles of the great chain of being) justified the king's absolute 6 Agree to invade Scot. authority in both political and spiritual matters. Most people in Shakespeare’s original audiences would have 3 usurp been shocked at the idea of killing a king. Terminol M decides not to 5 1. LM observed Succession: For Shakespeare’s audience, succession- how one king or queen followed the last- was an important ogy
murder D; LM changes . political issue. From about 1590, people worried about who would succeed Queen Elizabeth as she had no Macbeth 7 sleepwalking. aside his mind. 1 children. When James was declared the next King of England, he chose Shakespeare and his fellow actors as his royal company, The King’s Men, which seems to have directly influenced Shakespeare to write Macbeth (a play, soliloquy M meets B & Fleance. 5 ultimately, about Scotland and succession). 2. M’s army invades; Scot He sees dagger leading symbolism . rebels join. 1 him to KD’s room. Tragic Hero: According to Aristotle, tragic heroes start off as great or excellent, but they have a fatal flaw 2 (hamartia)- often pride (hubris). This leads to a reversal of fortunes (peripeteia) and the heroes downfall. motif M kills KD, but brings 5 M’s supporters are foreshadow 2. daggers. LM takes back Adjectives to describe Character deserting. Doc can’t cure to frame grooms. Knock . resolution 2 LM. at gate. 3 Lady Macbeth: manipulative / dominant / weak / powerful / emasculating / controlling / hypocritical / remorseful / cunning / Machiavellian / sensual climax McD discovers KD dead. 5 2. Mal’s army cuts branches Macbeth: indecisive / ambitious / impulsive / intuitive / callous / tyrannical / duplicitous / zealous / catharsis M kills grooms. KD’s . 3 as camouflage. contemplative / ruthless / weak sons flee. 4 hamartia Banquo: loyal / paternal / intuitive / virtuous / shrewd / diplomatic McD reports grooms peripeteia 5 M told of LM’s death & 2. killed KD, KD’s sons Duncan: ignorant / naïve / trusting / respectful / weak / moral / respected wood is advancing. Doubts pentameter fled, and M is chosen . 4 WS. Macduff: aggressive / reckless / neglectful / heroic / emotional for king. 5 pathetic Lady Macduff: ignorant / critical / naïve fallacy 5 3. B suspects M. M plans . Mal’s army attacks. Wyrd Sisters: sinister / scheming / prophetic protagonist 1 to kill B and Fleance. Macbeth Key Quotations and Order Disorder ral And Supernatu Witchcraft thief.’ as he leads the army intowar. the army he leads as is infallible.is about the of life. hopelessness And ut ut I say!’ when he discoversslaughter.his family’s o at, weapons laugh to scorn’ to laugh weapons at, Kingship Scotland hew him down a bough’ a him down hew the state of Scotland under Macbeth’s reign. reign. Macbeth’s under Scotland the of state in the belief he cannot be killed. be cannot he belief the in of shall upon woman power have ever thee.’ To leave his wife, his babes?’ hishis wife, To leave orders his soldiers to cutorders soldiers his downtrees camouflage. for Macduff’ declares he declares not born was of woman. all my pretty chickens?’ pretty my all suffering country, under an accursed hand.’ an under accursed country, suffering and Guilt Guilt A wayward son, spiteful and wrathful’ and spiteful son, wayward A ’s guilt cannot be washed away. be washed cannot guilt ’s Macbeth Lady ‘Worthy of Macduff description Malcolm’s I ‘But smile swords Macbeth revels ripped.’ Untimely / womb mother’s his from was ‘Macduff Macduff ‘Our Lennox laments comes’ this way wicked ‘Something approach. Macbeth’s describe Witches ‘Wisdom! her criticizes husband. Lady Macduff ‘What, utter grief Macduff’s ‘Out, spot, damned dwarfish on a giant’s a ‘Like robe ‘No born man he that himself reminds Macbeth ‘Let soldier every Malcolm shadow’ walking a but ‘Life’s despair his voices Macbeth ‘Hence, horrible‘Hence, shadow’ disappear. to ghost Banquo’s orders Macbeth ‘ Hecate’s descriptionof Macbeth. of Macbeth. description Angus’s Justice 6 7 8 6 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 4 5 5. 5. 5. 3. 4. 4. 4. 5. 5. 5. 5. 5. 3. 3. and Key Quotations Key on Equivocati Ambiguity . Evil and ’ chops’ ’ Good Good weak to murder. th Macdonwald to to to deteriorate. to to escape. to ce most foully it’ mostfoully for and / Which itself’ overleaps fly, fly, fly!’ fly, fly, Reality Fleance the milk of human kindness’ human of milk the him from the nave the from him Appearan see my black and deep deep desires’ and see my black horror, horror!’ play’dst and foul is is foul fair’ and Fleance, goes goes home opposed to attending the coronation. ironically states Macbeth’s castle is a lovely place.
unseamed full of scorpions is is mind!’ my scorpions of full
Banquo cries to ‘O begins state mental Macbeth’s good‘Fly, ‘I ‘I thou fear ‘No cousin, I’ll to Fife.’ Macduff ‘Oh horror, utter corpse. upon Duncan’s disgust finding Macduff’s to is begins scheming. Macbeth Banquo recognize ‘A little water clears usthis of deed’ little ‘A clears water the they away evidence. can wash believes Lady Macbeth ‘Is this a dagger which I see before me?’ before see whichI ‘Is this dagger a a dagger. of a vision sees Macbeth Lady Macbeth worries Macbeth is too is Macbeth worries MacbethLady ‘Vaulting ambition Macbeth struggles to hide his desire to kill the king. the to kill desire his hide to struggles Macbeth is ‘It full too of seat’ ‘This a hath pleasant castle Duncan him. with away running is ambition his recognizes Macbeth ‘Let not light Macbeth’s brutal killing of the rebel the of rebel killing brutal Macbeth’s ‘What! thedevil Can true?’ speak true. comes the when prediction shock witches Banquo’s ‘He ‘He ‘Fair ‘Fair is foul atmosphere. an create ambiguous instantly The witches
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