Macbeth: Brave or Villain?

Macbeth: Brave or Villain?

1. Brave

   • Captain
     • Act 1, Scene 2
       • "Brave Macbeth"
       • "Doubly redoubled strokes upon the foe"
         • Exhausted yet still manages to fight amazingly
       • "His brandished steel / Which smoked with bloody execution"
         • So much heat generated from the friction of his sword killing the enemy
           • He is an extremely skilful warrior
         • "Execution" is very violent
   • King Duncan
     • Act 1, Scene 2
       • "O valiant cousin, worthy gentleman"
         • Macbeth must be great to get compliments from the King
   • Macbeth
     • Act 5, Scene 3
       • "I cannot taint with fear"
         • Forbids himself to be affraid
       • "The mind I sway by and the heart I bear / Shall never sag with doubt nor shake with fear."
       • "I'll fight till from my bones my flesh be hacked."
         • Very brave
           • "Hacked" creates horrific imagery
         • Anticipates death
         • Assertive
     • Act 5, Scene 7
       • "Bear-like I must fight"
         • Strong
         • Vicious
     • Act 5, Scene 8
       • "I will not yield / To kiss the ground before young Malcolm's feet, / And to be baited with the rabble's curse ... Yet I will try the last
   • What the audience expected a man/warrior to be
   • Caithness
     • "Some say he's mad: others that less hate him / Do call it valiant fury"
       • He is determined

2. Villain

   • Macduff
     • Act 4, Scene 3
       • There is not "a devil more damned in evils to top Macbeth"
         • Nothing is as bad as Macbeth
         • Religious audience - devils supposed to be the absolute worst, yet Macbeth is somehow worse
   • Lennox
     • "Our suffering country"
       • Whole country has been damaged by Macbeth
   • "Tyrant"
     • Powerhungry
     • Evil
     • Act 5, Scene 2
     • Repeated by lots of characters
       • Adds emphasis and impact
     • Dramatic contrast from complimenting names in Act 1
   • Macbeth
     • Act 5, Scene 5
       • "I have almost forgot the taste of fears"
         • Seen and done so many bad deeds he is no longer phased my them
       • "I have supped full with horrors"
         • Metaphor
         • Horrible imagery
         • Saturated with evil