LANGUAGE/MOTIFS:

Repetition of 'Blood': symbol of guilt running through the play ('I am in blood / Stepp'd in so far that, should I wade no more,' - Macbeth); a constant reminder of the direct consequences of the Macbeth's actions; further reinforced by the images of blood which are used throughout the character's speeches and makes what they are saying more horrific.
Imagery and repetition of 'Night': night time is traditionally associated with evil; the image of night time is also used by the characters to show the darkness of their feelings and the evil of what they are doing - 'Come, thick night, / And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell' - Lady Macbeth and 'Come, seeling night, / Scarf up the tender eye of pitiful day' - Macbeth, echoing Lady M's earlier speech and the use of 'pitiful day' tells us how Macbeth is shunning the goodness day represents.

STRUCTURE:

Blank Verse and Iambic Pentameter: blank verse is used for the main characters and nobles, mimicking a conversational tone that suggests these characters are more important than others; prose is used for minor characters - like the murderers that typically displays the weakness of their role - whilst Lady Macbeth is sleepwalking, Shakespeare uses prose to indicate her loss of power, for she has gone from soliloquy's to prose.
Stichomythia: suggests dominance.
Asides: 'Glamis, and Thane of Cawdor!' - devious.

FORM:

Tragedy Play: in which the protagonist reveals a fatal flaw (Macbeth and Lady M - ambition) which leads to their downfall from success and happiness to failure and misery; tragedies set out to stir up feelings of fear and pity in the audience – known as catharsis.
Soliloquys: like a dramatic monologue, a soliloquy is centred around a single character, indicating their power and presence in the play; Lady Macbeth has soliloquy's but is demoted to prose in Act 5.
Freytag's Pyramid.

	Created by Louise Sherry about 9 years ago

GCSE English Literature Note on English Lit: Macbeth, created by Louise Sherry on 25/04/2017.