Flashcards
Themes
Cards in this deck (6)
- 1The SupernaturalThe supernatural interacts with key characters in different ways: witchcraft exposes Macbeth's inner evil and directs him to certain deeds; Lady Macbeth appeals to the supernatural to possess her and is still power within her; Banquo resists the witches' prophecies refusing to submit to the supernatural.
- 2Gender, masculinity and femininityLady Macbeth challenges expectations about what it means to be a woman and challenges the masculinity of the male characters. The play poses the question of what it means to be a man and what it means to be a woman.
- 3Fate Vs Free willIt is unclear how much control Macbeth has over his own fate. The witches' prophecies may be self-fulfilling as Macbeth's own ambition takes over and seeks to make the prophecies a reality.
- 4Loyalty and Trust Vs Betrayal and RevengeMacbeth' loyalties are conflicted between his comradeship for Duncan and Banquo and his loyalty towards his wife. He makes a fatal decision to trust the witches' prophecies, and so chooses to betray Duncan
- 5Appearance Vs RealityFrom the very first scene ('Fair is Foul...'), things are not what they seem. The natural order of the world cannot be trusted. People are deceitful; the supernatural interferes with the natural world; people experience visions.
- 6Disorder and inversion of the natural orderThe play subverts natural orders: Macbeth disrupts succession of royalty; Lady Macbeth breaks gender norms; the supernatural imposes on the natural world; Macbeth and Lady Macbeth struggle with inner turmoil and conflicts.
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- GCSE English (Macbeth) Flashcards on Themes, created by Kaila Merridan on 13/12/2018.
- Created by
- Kaila Merridan · Dec 2018
- Updated
- Dec 13, 2018
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