Macbeth

Macbeth

1. Power

   • “Besides, this duncan hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been so clear in his great office, that his virtues will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued, against the deep damnation of his taking-off.” (Act 1 Scene 7 16-20) Even though Macbeth do think King Duncan is a good King, but do you want “Meek” as a good quality of this land?
   • “Knock, knock! Who's there, in th' other devil's name? Faith, here's an equivocator that could swear in both the scales against either scale; who committed treason enough for God's sake, yet could not equivocate to heaven. O, come in, equivocator.” (Act 2 Scene 3 7-11) this was a allusion of “Gunpowder plot”, which was the treasonous Catholic plot to blow up the parliament building, this Allusion is a small joke that macbeth slided into the Play, in order to getting away with murdering the King during the play, it is also a condemnation of the Crime that Macbeth that he just committed.
   • “So is he mine; and in such bloody distance, that every minute of his being thrusts against my near'st of life: and though I could with barefaced power sweep him from my sight […]" (Act 3 Scene 1 118-121) Macbeth said this because that Banquo is also his enemy, and his existence cause him so much pain, because he hates him so much, and because he’s King he has the power to get him killed, but if you read all the way to the end of the end, he does change his mind, saying that they are mutual, powerful friends that he doesn’t want to fall out with, but he was saying in this quote was “I can use my powers as the king to get him killed”

2. supernatural

   • three witches
     • "fair is foul and foul is fair" (Act 1 Scene 1 12) this is a paradox that recurs throughout the whole play The witches said “Good” is “Bad” And “Bad” is “Good” at the end of The play we realized this was Talking about Macbeth.
   • Dagger
     • "Is this a dagger which I see before me..." (Act 2 Scene 1 33) Macbeth starts hallucinating after the murder of King Duncan, he know that his vision was from the Murder, he sees a bloody dagger in the mid-air, which was his weapon, this was caused by the prophecy of the witches.
   • Ghost of Banquo
     • “Thou canst not say I did it; never shake thy gory locks at me!” (Act 3 Scene 4 50) was to the Ghost Banquo, but it isn’t a real ghost, it’s just Macbeth’s imagination. This is similar to the Mid-Air dagger, this is when Macbeth is in guilt, even if this was supernatural to us, it is very real to Macbeth.

3. Violence

   • “Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty. Make thick my blood. Stop up th' access and passage to remorse, that no compunctious visitings of nature shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between th' effect and it.” (Act 1 Scene 5 39-46) Lady Macbeth asks the sprites if they can make her more “Cruel”, and she wants to stop her feminine quality, because she is worried that this is affecting her ability to kill Duncan.
   • “(aside)The Prince of Cumberland! That is a step on which I must fall down, or else o'erleap, for in my way it lies stars, hide your fires! Let not light see my black and deep desires, the eye wink at my hand. Yet let that be, which the eye feats when it is done to see.” Macbeth learned in this passage that this Malco;m Prince of Cumberland and heir to crown of scotland, Macbeth don’t want to wait for the chance of becoming the king, he must take his own action, or else he won’t become the king, so Macbeth is planning to kill Malcolm.
   • "And Fortune, on his damnèd quarrel smiling, show'd like a rebel's whore. But all's too weak; for brave Macbeth (well he deserves that name) disdaining Fortune, with his brandished steel, which smoked with bloody execution.” (Act 1 Scene 2 14-18) so here the captain says here that macbeth should have died in the battle but he was stronger than his fate, but Macbeth have no one to blame other than himself.

4. Good Vs Evil

   • “have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums and dashed the brains out, had I so sworn as you have done to this.” This shows how evil lady macbeth is, that if she swear to do something she would have done it, even if killing her own baby is involved, and this point she was calling Macbeth a coward.
   • “have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums and dashed the brains out, had I so sworn as you have done to this.” (Act 1 Scene 7 56-58) This shows how evil lady macbeth is, that if she swear to do something she would have done it, even if killing her own baby is involved, and this point she was calling Macbeth a coward.
   • “Conduct me to mine host: we love him highly and shall continue our graces towards him.” in this passage we know that Macbeth is still good, because Duncan still trusts him, and by calling Lady Macbeth “hostess” is to give the reader how cunning they are. but Duncan doesn't know they want to kill him

5. Fate/Freewill

   • “Which fate and metaphysical aid doth seem To have thee crown'd withal" (Act 1 Scene 5 28) Lady Macbeth is want Macbeth to become king because of the Prophecy the witches gave them.
   • “First witch: All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Glamis. Second Witch: All hail Macbeth Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor. Third witch: All hail Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter” (Act 1 Scene 3 46-48), this was the original prophecy that the witches gave to Macbeth, this is the main reason why they (Macbeth and lady Macbeth) have lost their free will and it had been changed to fate.
   • "Prithee, peace. I dare do all that may become a man; Who dares do more is none.” (Act 1 Scene 7 46-48) Macbeth was trying to insist that the murder plot is off, Lady Macbeth needles him and makes a few jokes, until he finally gives in, saying “i dare do all that may become a man” sounds a lot like he’s made a decision.