Macbeth tragic character act 1 sn3 +play

Macbeth tragic character act 1 sn3 +play

1. Whole play

   • Plot
     • Macbeth is an ambitious character which is his ultimate downfall (hamartia). He starts off as valiant but soon becomes paranoid which led to his death.
   • "Life is but a story told by a fool and it leads to nothing"
     • Metaphor
       • All his hard work was for nothing since he got nothing from it. This atheistic statement would shock the audience as he accepts his fate.
   • "This tyrant... who we once thought honest"
     • Cyclical structure of play. Macbeth saved the country from traitors but later became one himself.

2. Extract

   • Lang devices
     • "Ventures in the rebels fight"
       • Shows how is a worthy opponent when faced with difficulty.
     • "Strange images of death"
       • Foreshadow of Macbeths downfall or acknowledgement of his darker characteristics.
     • "Call thee thane of Cawdor"
       • Witches tell the truth so it helps later on when he falls.
   • Content
     • Ross and Angus are discussing Macbeths qualities. Foreshadow of how his qualities change.
   • Context
     • The witches would be feared by Jacobean audience since James 1 also feared them. They thought witches were linked to the devil.
   • Stucture
     • Potential foreshadow to how he will be betrayed by a rebellion.