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Description
Flashcards by alliaya proctor, updated more than 1 year ago
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Created by alliaya proctor
almost 7 years ago
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| Question | Answer |
| Macbeth | Characters: Macbeth Lady Macbeth The three witches Banquo King Duncan Macduff Malcolm Hecate Fleance Lennox The Murderers Ross |
| Key Events | full title · The Tragedy of Macbeth author · William Shakespeare type of work · Play genre · Tragedy language · English time and place written · 1606, England |
| publisher · John Heminges and Henry Condell, two senior members of Shakespeare’s theatrical company tone · Dark and ominous, suggestive of a world turned topsy-turvy by foul and unnatural crimes tense · Not applicable (drama) | setting (time) · The Middle Ages, specifically the eleventh century setting (place) · Various locations in Scotland; also England, briefly protagonist · Macbeth tense · Not applicable (drama) |
| major conflicts · The struggle within Macbeth between his ambition and his sense of right and wrong; the struggle between the murderous evil represented by Macbeth and Lady Macbeth and the best interests of the nation, represented by Malcolm and Macduff | themes · The corrupting nature of unchecked ambition; the relationship between cruelty and masculinity; the difference between kingship and tyranny |
| Act 1 Scenes 1-4 | Macbeth As Macbeth is the main protagonist in the play, there are many scenes which help to illuminate his character. |
| Act One Scenes 1-2 As in many Shakespeare plays, we hear about the main character before we see him on stage. The important facts we get are: | The obviously evil witches are planning to meet with Macbeth. |
| Macbeth has shown amazing courage in the battle and virtually been the saviour of Scotland. He is called 'valiant', 'worthy' and 'noble' by Duncan, and is referred to as 'Bellona's bridegroom' – as if he is like a god. | But he is also portrayed as savage: he rips one of his enemies apart as if he is an old garment: "unseamed him from the nave to the chaps". He decapitates the man and puts his severed head on a spike on the battlements as a trophy. |
| We can thus see two possible sides to Macbeth emerging: the noble upholder of his King, and the bloodthirsty man who seems to be trying to replicate 'Golgotha' – the horrific place where Christ's crucifixion took place. | Act One Scenes 3 – 4 We see Macbeth's response to the witches' greetings and prophecies. Guilt and fierce ambition are uppermost. |
| Banquo asks "Why do you start…?" The word 'start' meant to jump guiltily. Macbeth's imagination immediately takes off, jumping to thoughts of 'murder'. | Notice the number of 'asides' which shows he dare not reveal his real thoughts. |
| His frustration is clear when Duncan proclaims Malcolm as his heir: "Stars hide your fires. Let not light see my black and deep desires." This is the first time in the play that Macbeth invokes darkness, which is symbolic of evil. | Notice that all of these thoughts occur to him before he speaks to Lady Macbeth. It is Macbeth himself who first thinks of murdering the king. |
| However, we can sympathise with Macbeth to an extent as he suffers from merely contemplating what he might do; the 'horrid image' (of himself murdering the king)makes his hair stand on end, and his 'seated heart' knocks at his ribs in terror. | The prospect of murder horrifies him. |
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