MacBeth Motifs

MacBeth Motifs

1. "unsex me here"

   • Take away her feminine features so she can be "man enough to kill Duncan"

2. "Spirits give her the devil's mark"

   • Becomes an ambiguous character

3. Duplicitous

   • Says one thing but does another
     • Macbeth gaining power was the only way Lady MacBeth could gain power

4. Machiavellian

   • a character who is duplicitous, lacks empathy, and disregard for morality

5. Stichomythia

   • rapidly alternating lines
     • Lady MacBeth & her father

6. Imagery of Sleep

7. Blood stained hands

   • murder leaves a lasting mark

8. Desire for God's blessing vs eternal damnation

9. Tragic hero as the moral compass

10. Eye for an Eye

11. Vaulting Ambition which o'erleaps itself and falls on th'other

    • argues against murder - it is unjustifiable to mortals and God alike