Macbeth What Great Looks Like: Major Characters, Lecture notes of English

Download Macbeth What Great Looks Like: Major Characters and more Lecture notes English in PDF only on Docsity! Macbeth What Great Looks Like: Major Characters Ark Boulton or fects Acadcn y See eeeo0d Macbeth Ark Boulton a (els) Acadcn y Pee What Great Looks Like: Act 1.7 - Macbeth As the play reaches its first climactic event, and the murder of King Duncan, we see Macbeth begin to transition from a man of fear to a man of ambition. Within Act 1 scene 7, Macbeth – having been manipulated and emasculated by the words of Lady Macbeth- begins to contemplate the reality of killing his King. At the start of this critical soliloquy, Macbeth appears to remain loyal to King Duncan, reminding us that he “should against his murderer shut the door” suggesting that Macbeth’s sense of devotion towards, and desire to protect, the King is greater than his yearning for power or success because he appears to feel guilty at even the thought of hurting someone so innocent that “his virtues would plead like angels.” Shakespeare also alludes to Macbeth’s internal fear of retribution, employing a metaphor to suggest that it is not only loyalty, but fear that is kerbing Macbeth’s ambition. He exclaims that he is worried that his actions may return to “plague th’ inventor” and see “this poisoned chalice” come to his “own lips” and shows that he is desperately afraid of the fatal consequences of committing regicide. Arguably, at this point, Macbeth can be seen as weaker than Lady Macbeth who appears to be devoid of fear and even shows her distaste for Macbeth’s concerns, dismissing his nature and suggesting that he “is too full of the milk of human kindness” and should “leave all the rest” to her. The biblical reference to “plague” highlights that Macbeth is not only afraid of the punishment he will face upon Earth but is terrified of how he will be punished by God for committing such a heinous sin. However, it soon becomes clear that Macbeth’s fear is not enough to restrict his desire for success and, at the end of the soliloquy, Shakespeare uses a metaphor to show the force of Macbeth’s true craving for power. He confesses that he has “vaulting ambition” and this alludes to the notion, that despite Macbeth’s attempt at thinking rationally, ultimately his ambition was too great because it could not be controlled. This marks the start of his transition towards becoming a tragic hero and we see him start to become a man destroyed by his fatal flaw – his ambition. This soliloquy would encourage the audience to start to fear Macbeth as during the Jacobean era regicide was the greatest sacrilege as Kings were seen as equal to God and thus any harm done against them was punishable by certain death. 1. What is the first climatic event? 2. How does Macbeth begin to transition? 3. What quotation shows Macbeth feels loyalty towards King Duncan and how does this show he is feeling? 4. Why is Macbeth afraid of retribution (punishment) and what quotation shows this? 5. Why does Macbeth seem weaker than Lady Macbeth here? 6. Which quotation marks his transition towards becoming a tragic hero and what does it show has become uncontrollable? Vocabulary: Contemplate– think about Devotion – love towards Kerbing – preventing/stopping Heinous – horrific What Great Looks Like: Act 2.1 - Macbeth After the murder of King Duncan, Macbeth appears destroyed by his remorse. Shakespeare uses exclamatory sentences and a metaphor to show that Macbeth has rapidly fallen into guilt ridden insanity. He returns from the murder appearing erratic and agitated as he exclaims “Sleep no more! Macbeth doth murder sleep!” This illustrates that Macbeth is instantly struck by remorse because he appears to immediately acknowledge that there will be devastating consequences to his evil actions. This also shows that Macbeth has realised that, in killing a vulnerable innocent man in the depth of sleep, he will be punished by insomnia and that he cannot even “say Amen” to bring him peace. It becomes clear to the audience that Macbeth’s mentality is at question and we become aware that he is slipping rapidly into guilt ridden insanity as his conscience will not let him rest rather keeps him awake to repeatedly suffer the consequences of his deeds. At this point, we see a disparity between the guilt of Macbeth and the heartlessness of Lady Macbeth who simply states “ a little water clears us of this deed” illustrating that she does not feel any remorse for their murderous acts. The symbolism of sleep repeatedly links to feelings remorse and it is later in the play, when Macbeth has lost all sense of guilt and is firmly presented as a megalomaniac, that Lady Macbeth is tainted by guilt and her sleep is destroyed by her hallucinations. Returning back to Act 2 scene 2, the suggestion that Macbeth will “sleep no more” is exaggerated by the use of exclamation mark and we see the anxiety that begins to overwhelm Macbeth as he realises he has “murdered” all that is good and peaceful in the world. The use of metaphor would frighten a Jacobean audience as Macbeth appears possessed by insanity at this point and during this era there was a great fear of the supernatural and madness would often be seen as satanic or as being brought on by witchcraft. 1. What does Macbeth fall into after the murder of King Duncan? 2. What is Macbeth feeling after the murder and what is he worried he will never do again? 3. Why does Macbeth think he is being punished? 4. How is he different to Lady Macbeth here? 5. What does sleep symbolise in the play? 6. Why would a Jacobean audience be frightened? Vocabulary: Erratic – out of control Acknowledge– realise Disparity – difference What Great Looks Like: Act 3.2 - Macbeth As the play continues, Macbeth’s “vaulting ambition” only continues to flourish. He slips deeper into becoming a megalomaniac who has lost all moral compass. Driven by a fear brought on by the witches prophecies, Macbeth decides to kill Banquo and Shakespeare uses a metaphor to show Macbeth’s growing anxieties. He states that “our fears in Banquo stick deep” highlighting that he cannot enjoy his success whilst being aware that Banquo may take his power away from him. Arguably, the use of inclusive pronoun in “our” is ironic as, at this point, Macbeth is no longer including Lady Macbeth in his plans – she remains at ease following the murder of King Duncan and is not destroyed by insanity like her husband. Therefore, Macbeth is making decisions regarding the future of their power alone and they no longer appear to be united, if anything their relationship is growing increasingly tenuous and disjointed. This also alludes to the notion that Macbeth has lost all sense of morality and is willing to kill a man who was once his best friend in the interest of maintaining his power. Therefore, we see that ambition has overtaken his moral compass – something that is later exaggerated as he orders murderers to “seize upon Fife” and kill the innocent Macduff family. This scene further suggests that Macbeth sees his success as futile whilst he is at risk of losing it to another; he comments on how he wears a “fruitless crown” and carries and “baron sceptre” and we see that he is not enjoying his power but is plagued by his desire for greater control and success. The idea that his “fears” stick “deep” illustrates how overpowering his anxiety is and further illustrate his journey towards ultimate downfall as it becomes clear that he is almost cursed by his ambition and it is slowly destroying him. At this point, a Jacobean audience would fear Macbeth’s villainous behaviours, as given the strong Christian beliefs held by the public, the audience would perceive Macbeth as an evil man who would soon be punished by God. 1. What is continuing to flourish (grow) within Macbeth? 2. What does Macbeth slip deeper into and what does he lose? 3. What quotation shows Macbeth has growing anxieties and what language device is being used? 4. Why is Macbeth afraid of Banquo? 5. Why is it ironic that Macbeth says “our” fears stick deep? 6. Where else in the play do we see that his ambition has overtaken his moral compass and what quotation supports this? Vocabulary: Tenuous– weak link Futile - pointless Plagued– destroyed by What Great Looks Like: Act 5.5 - Macbeth After hearing about the death of Lady Macbeth, Macbeth seems to have a momentary existential crisis. Shakespeare uses a metaphor to show that Macbeth has acknowledged the futile nature of power and at this point his ambition seems fleeting. He comments that “life is but a walking shadow.” Here, Macbeth realizes that his existence is now pitiful because from the moment he decided to kill King Duncan to the moment when his beloved wife killed herself, has been consumed by his reckless “vaulting ambition”. This directly shows the damaging power of ambition because he appears weak and ultimately destroyed by his fatal flaw. We see that Macbeth is beginning to accept that if he had been content with his previous title, which was prestigious enough, a host of tragedy would have been avoided. Macbeth comments that life is now “devoid of meaning” suggesting that he has been overtaken by a sense of hopelessness not previously seen within the play. This scene seems to be juxtaposed to the majority of the play - in which Macbeth is presented as a megalomaniac desperate for more and more power – because it is the only moment in which Macbeth appears to see his power as futile realising that, even as king he is no more than a “poor player who struts and frets his hour upon the stage” as death is inevitable and will eventually overpower all – regardless of status or stature. A Jacobean audience would be relieved to see some sense of remorse from Macbeth but may be surprised to see a King question their existence as there was a strong belief in the Divine Right of Kings – a belief that meant that people saw Kings as equivalent to God and so it would be unusual to see such a visible display of weakness from someone in power. 1. What is does Macbeth have after hearing about the death of Lady Macbeth? 2. How does ambition seem at this point and what quotation supports this? 3. Why does Macbeth seem weak here? What has destroyed him? 4. How does this part of the play juxtapose the rest of Macbeth’s actions? 5. Why does Macbeth see his power as futile? 6. Why would the audience be surprised to see a King show weakness? Vocabulary: Equivalent– equal to Momentary - short moment Fleeting – doesn’t last What Great Looks Like: Act 5.5 - Macbeth Despite his momentary existential crisis, Shakespeare ensures that Macbeth ends a tragic hero destroyed by his own fatal flaw – his ambition. Shakespeare uses a metaphor to show that Macbeth’s ambition has destroyed all sense of rationality and is unable to acknowledge that he is in danger now that Macduff and the English army are approaching. He exclaims that “the heart I bear shall never sag with doubt or fear” suggesting that he is so consumed by his “vaulting ambition” that he “cannot taint with fear” because he will not allow himself to be destroyed by panic or fright. Once the army eventually arrive, Macbeth quickly descends into a “confident tyrant” who refuses to accept that death is a possibility because he has been so manipulated by the witches prophecy that “no man born of woman shall harm Macbeth.” As the play reaches its final climax, we truly acknowledge Macbeth’s transition from an archetypal “brave” hero to a tragic hero destroyed by ambition. N Act 5 scene 8, Shakespeare shows that Macbeth refuses to admit defeat despite the inevitably of his death and decides to fight to the end as he will “not yield to kiss the ground at young Malcom’s feet” and forfeit his position as King. Therefore, this suggests that – for Macbeth – ambition and power is of greater value than even life itself and he seems almost fearless at the prospect of his unavoidable death. A Jacobean audience would be relieved to see Macbeth’s fatal retribution and arguably, would begin to see the play as a cautionary tale. Indeed, Shakespeare wrote Macbeth, in part, to illustrate the destruction brought about by challenging or questioning your position within The Great Chain of Being. 1. What type of hero is Macbeth at the end and what has he been destroyed by? 2. What has his ambition destroyed and what quotation supports this? 3. Why does Macbeth refuse to accept he could die? 4. Why does Macbeth fight to the death and which quotation supports this? 5. Why does Macbeth seem fearless at the end? 6. Why did Shakespeare write the play? Vocabulary: Tyrant– cruel leader Descends – falls into Lady Macbeth Ark Boulton a fects Acadcn y Se What Great Looks Like: Act 2.1 - Lady Macbeth After the murder of King Duncan, Lady Macbeth’s lack of remorse appears chilling to the audience and we begin to truly acknowledge her malevolence. Whilst Macbeth is concerned that even all of “Neptune’s Ocean” wouldn’t be able to wash away his sin, Shakespeare uses an assertive short sentence to present Lady Macbeth and cold, heartless and dismissive. She states that “a little water clears us of this deed” suggesting that she does not feel any guilt for her involvement in the deed and in fact perceives it as a small inconvenience that can easily be rectified and forgotten. Lady Macbeth also appears exasperated by Macbeth’s visible guilt and his concern that “Macbeth hath murdered sleep” because she sees remorse as a sign of weakness and wishes that he would accept that “what’s done is done” There is an evident irony employed my Shakespeare here, as by the end of the play, through the use of structural mirroring, it becomes clear that even Lady Macbeth cannot escape the grips of guilt ridden insanity and begins to hallucinate – seeing blood on her hands and realising that “what's done cannot be undone.” Returning back to Act 2, the adjective “little” highlights Lady Macbeth’s dismissive attitude because she appears to see the act of murder as something that is almost insignificant – something that should not leave them “poorly” in their “thoughts”. Here, the use of short sentences would horrify a Jacobean audience as given the strong Christian beliefs prevalent within the country, murder – and most importantly regicide- was seen as the ultimate sin and sacrilege. 1. What is chilling about Lady Macbeth in Act 2 ? 2. How is Lady Macbeth presented after the murder and which quotation supports this? 3. Why is Lady Macbeth exasperated by Macbeth? 4. How can this scene be seen as ironic? 5. Why does Lady Macbeth seem so dismissive? 6. Why would a Jacobean audience fear Lady Macbeth? Vocabulary: Rectified – put right Exasperated – angered/frustrated by What Great Looks Like: Act 5.1 - Lady Macbeth As the play develops, Lady Macbeth transitions from a woman driven by a malevolent desire for power to a weak character plagued by guilt. Shakespeare uses an imperative verb and exclamatory sentence to show that Lady Macbeth has fallen into guilt ridden insanity and is suffering a powerless demise after being destroyed by her ambition. In Act 5 scene 1, she shouts “Out damned spot!” as she hallucinates and sees herself as tainted by blood. Here, her imagined blood can be seen as symbolic of her new sense of remorse; the signs of red cannot be removed just like her acts that “cannot be undone”. Her agitated rubbing of her hands reflects her psychological distress as it shows that she is no longer at peace and has been destroyed by her guilt. Lady Macbeth's speech has become fragmented and broken by an her insanity: the suave hostess and cool, domineering wife has been reduced to a gibbering creature whose speech “signifies nothing”. There aren’t any logical connections between her memories or her sentences, and indeed, the devastation of her mind is so complete that she cannot recall events in their correct order. For example, "Out damned spot" is followed by "The Thane of Fife had a wife," referring to Lady Macduff. Arguably, it is the question “where is she now?” that suggests that Lady Macbeth’s downfall has been encouraged by hearing of Lady Macduff’s murder; Lady Macduff was an innocent woman and perhaps – for Lady Macbeth – her murder was undeserved. A Jacobean audience would be distressed to see such visible madness and yet would be pleased to see a form of redemption and retribution. It is arguable therefore that Shakespeare ensures Lady Macbeth’s death and downfall in order to act as a warning to those who desire to question their position in the chain of beings and interfere with the divine right of kings. At the end of the play, Lady Macbeth is a “walking shadow” of her former self and has lost all sense of power as she is consumed by guilt and descends into insanity – sending herself “to bed, to bed, to bed.” 1. How does Lady Macbeth transition in Act 5? 2. What has Lady Macbeth fallen into and what quotation supports this? 3. What is a symbolic of her new found remorse? 4. What has Lady Macbeth been destroyed by? 5. Why is Lady Macbeth upset by the murder of Lady Macduff and what quotation supports this? 6. Why did Shakespeare ensure Lady Macbeth’s downfall? Vocabulary: Suave– calm and in control Consumed – overtaken by The Relationship Between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth Ark Boulton . Acadcn y What Great Looks Like: Act 2.2 This scene reveals a surprising power dynamic; with Lady Macbeth further establishing herself as the dominant ‘partner in greatness.’ In Act 1 Lady Macbeth demonstrates her masterful ability to manipulate a reluctant Macbeth into committing regicide with the promise that he will become ‘much more the man.’ However, in this extract we see Lady Macbeth take charge overtly and even aggressively. This change in tone is exemplified by the imperative verbs she uses to command her panicking husband to ‘go get some water.’ The instruction ‘go’ is repeated and conjures an image of a master instructing a servant rather than a dutiful wife speaking to her husband. These imperatives also demonstrate the difference in the two characters reaction to Duncan’s death. Macbeth is traumatised, convinced he ‘hath murdered sleep,’ whereas Lady Macbeth is unfazed and able to issue the orders necessary to hide their ‘dark deed.’ The relationship presented here would be troubling to a Jacobean audience, who despite the long reign of Queen Elizabeth maintained a deeply patriarchal society. In a time when ‘nagging’ women were punished with the scolds’ bridle, it would have been shocking to see a wife openly issuing commands to her husband. 1. What does the scene reveal? 2. What does Lady Macbeth try to establish herself as? 3. How does Lady Macbeth take charge? 4. What does this conjure and image of and why? 5. Why would the relationship be troubling to a Jacobean audience? Vocabulary: Patriarchal – dominance of men What Great Looks Like: Act 2.2 Shakespeare uses assertive language and exclamatory sentences in Act 2 Scene 2 to present Lady Macbeth’s frustration at Macbeth. The use of the assertive language in ‘infirm of purpose’ illustrates clearly to the audience that Lady Macbeth is implying that Macbeth is weak-minded, and cowardly because he was unable to commit the murder without suffering with remorse and thus is someone who must be admonished for his behaviour. Throughout this scene, and the scenes that preceded it, Lady Macbeth uses insults to berate Macbeth as she believes that manipulation would hearten Macbeth to take charge in order to prove his worth to her. This highlights Lady Macbeth’s dominance over Macbeth, as it appears she believes that he will soon try to has to appease her and thus this further reveals Lady Macbeth’s power and influence. The use of the exclamatory sentence in ‘Infirm of purpose!’ conveys Lady Macbeth’s frustration, as Macbeth’s guilty conscience is proving to be a barrier in Lady Macbeth’s ambition. At this point, a Jacobean audience would be horrified to see a woman question and reproach their husband’s on his masculinity and ability to be intrepid and demonstrating values so at odds with the societal beliefs prevalent during the era. 1. What does this show about Shakespeare and how does this present Lady Macbeth? 2. What is Lady Macbeth implying about Macbeth? 3. What does Lady Macbeth use to berate him 4. Why would a Jacobean audience be horrified? Vocabulary: Hearten – change mind What Great Looks Like: Act 3.2 As the play continues, Macbeth’s “vaulting ambition” only continues to flourish and it is clear that he no longer relies on Lady Macbeth’s dominance or manipulation. He slips deeper into becoming a megalomaniac who has lost all moral compass. Driven by a fear brought on by the witches prophecies, Macbeth decides to kill Banquo and Shakespeare uses a metaphor to show Macbeth’s growing anxieties. He states that “our fears in Banquo stick deep” highlighting that he cannot enjoy his success whilst being aware that Banquo may take his power away from him. Arguably, the use of inclusive pronoun in “our” is ironic as, at this point, Macbeth is no longer including Lady Macbeth in his plans, in fact he deliberately excludes her from his decision telling her to be “innocent of the knowledge” Therefore, Macbeth is making decisions regarding the future of their power alone and they no longer appear to be united, if anything their relationship is growing increasingly tenuous and disjointed. This also alludes to the notion that Macbeth has lost all sense of morality and is willing to kill a man who was once his best friend in the interest of maintaining his power. Therefore, we see that ambition has overtaken his moral compass – something that is later exaggerated as he orders murderers to “seize upon Fife” and kill the innocent Macduff family. This scene further suggests that Macbeth sees his success as futile whilst he is at risk of losing it to another; he comments on how he wears a “fruitless crown” and carries and “baron sceptre” and we see that he is not enjoying his power but is plagued by his desire for greater control and success. The idea that his “fears” stick “deep” illustrates how overpowering his anxiety is and further illustrate his journey towards ultimate downfall as it becomes clear that he is almost cursed by his ambition and it is slowly destroying him. At this point, a Jacobean audience would fear Macbeth’s villainous behaviours, as given the strong Christian beliefs held by the public, the audience would perceive Macbeth as an evil man who would soon be punished by God. 1. What is continuing to flourish (grow) within Macbeth? 2. Who is no longer reliant on? 3. What does Macbeth slip deeper into and what does he lose? 4. What quotation shows Macbeth has growing anxieties and what language device is being used? 5. Why is Macbeth afraid of Banquo? 6. Why is it ironic that Macbeth says “our” fears stick deep? 7. Where else in the play do we see that his ambition has overtaken his moral compass and what quotation supports this? Vocabulary: Flourish – grow and develop Disjointed – broken up