macbeth themes

macbeth themes

1. appearance v reality

   • "fair is foul, and foul is fair"
     • shows that appearance can be deceptive, things arent always what they seem
       • macbeth is a good example of this theme
         • pretends to be trustworthy to duncan and then murders him
     • connects with shakespeares message about inconsistency between reality and appearance.
   • "there is no art to find the minds construction in thy face: he was a gentleman on whom i built my absolute trust" act 1,scene 4
     • saying that you cannot judge someone by their appearance he misplaced his trustis someone who appeared trustworthy but in reality was not
       • This is dramatic irony since he also misjudges macbeth
   • "look like th'innoccent flower but be the serpant under't" act 1, scene 5
     • flower: grace, purity, fragility, tenderness,
     • serpant: destruction, lies, temptation, death,evil and poision
     • LM encourages M to decieve duncan
       • play shows people can be deceptive but their true nature always shows in the end
   • " 'tis not for you to hear what I speak, the repetition in a womans ear would murder as it fell" act 2 scene 3
     • macduff thinks that lady macbeth is too innocent and vulnerable to hear the details of a murder
       • shows dramatic irony since LM persuaded macbeth to commit the murder.
         • she appears to be and innocent subordinate character but really is strong and powerful.
           • in act 1 scene 5 lady macbeth summons "spirits" to "unesex" her here an to fill her with "direst cruelty
             • 'unsex' her in to remove all feminine feelings of tenderness and replace them with 'direst cruelty'
   • donalbain says: "there's daggers in mens smiles" act 2 scene 3
     • daggers: murder death
     • men do not always have the intentions that their face shows

2. the supernatural

   • 'is this a dagger which i see before me, the handle towards my hand?'
     • an apparition of a dagger is created by the witches to lead him to his fate
     • symbolises the impending murder of duncan
   • 'thou canst say i did it; never shake thy gory locks at me' act 3 scene 4
     • to duncans ghost
       • ghost fit supernatural theme
     • macbeth believes banquo is mocking and shaming him from his grave
   • why does shakespeare use supernatural?
     • supernatural makes the play darker and more frightening, shakespeare offers no real distinction between what is rel and what is not adding to drama
     • in jacobean time lots of people believed witches were real so witches would have been believable and frighteneing to audience
   • 'or have we eaten on the insane root?'
     • a rhetorical question displaying banquos bewilderment about the three witches
     • questioning his own sanity and if the witches really are real and can tell the future