ELA 20 FINAL EXAM GUIDE

Macbeth

Equivocation

To speak in riddles. Using ambiguous language to conceal the truth or avoid committing oneself. (Creates disorder)

Themes in Macbeth

• Reality vs appearance

• Disorder

• Ambition and power

• Good vs evil

• Fate and the supernatural

• Guilt and conscience

• loyalty and betrayal

• violence and its consequences

• Gender roles

“For them the _______ ______ have I murdered… To make them kings, the seeds of _______’s kings!”

“For them the gracious Duncan have I murdered… To make them kings, the seeds of Banquo’s kings!” (Act 3, Scene 1)

• Macbeth believes that he has killed Duncan for the sake of Banquo’s sons to be king. Without getting rid of Banquo’s son, Macbeth saw no point in killing the king in the first place. He experiences regret and guilt and rage towards the unnatural order that the witches brought.

How does Macbeth’s coronation shift his personality and state of mind? (Think: Lady Macbeth’s spur, controling Macbeth’s ambition.)

1. From Hesitant to Ruthless

• Before coronation: Macbeth is unsure and conflicted. He hallucinates the dagger, wrestles with guilt, and needs Lady Macbeth to push him to kill Duncan.

• After coronation: Macbeth becomes more decisive and ruthless. He no longer waits for Lady Macbeth’s advice—instead, he plans Banquo’s murder in secret.

2. Growing Paranoia

• As king, Macbeth becomes increasingly paranoid. He feels insecure on the throne and fears Banquo and Fleance as threats to his power. This leads him to commit more murders without hesitation.

3. Shift in Power Dynamics

• Lady Macbeth loses her influence. While she once controlled Macbeth’s actions, he now keeps her in the dark. In Act 3, Scene 2, he tells her, “Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck.” This shows he’s taking control of his own destiny.

4. Moral Decay and Isolation

• Macbeth becomes desensitized to violence and isolated in his ambition. His inner conflict fades, replaced by cold calculation and a willingness to do whatever it takes to hold power.

Summary:

Macbeth's coronation transforms him from a conflicted man into a tyrant. Freed from Lady Macbeth’s control, his unchecked ambition and growing paranoia drive him toward more violent and irrational decisions, ultimately leading to his downfall.

Oxymoron

An oxymoron is a figure of speech where two contradictory or opposite words are placed next to each other to create a striking or thought-provoking effect.

Ie. “Fair is foul and foul is fair.”

Why is a Trochaic Tetrameter meter used for only the witches in Macbeth?

By using a more aggressive-sounding trochaic meter for the witches, Shakespeare deliberately sets them apart from the other characters. (He usually uses one stressed and one unstressed like a heart beat, iambic pentameter.)

How were witches seen in Jacobean England?

Witches were feared and hated. King James the First even wrote a book called Daemonologie, to warn and educate people about how witches operate.

“Brave _______… _________ _______ with his ________ steel”

“Brave Macbeth… Disdaining fortune with his brandished steel”

• Duncan hears a report of Macbeth and Banquo’s heroism in battle.

• Macbeth is characterized as a brave warrior filled with virtue. (Sets the stage for his tragic downfall. REMEMBER, SHAKESPEARE’S TRAGIC PLAYS NEED TO LIFT THE HERO FIRST IN ORDER FOR HIM TO FALL)

• Disdaining fortune refers to the theme of fate. This description tells us that Macbeth is a man who is prepared to fight against fate, not only representing him as strong-willed but also foreshadows his attempts to take control of his future.

Masculine Stereotypes

• Medieval soldiers would be praised for their violence in battle.

• Men were expected to fight for their king and country.

• Men are expected to murder.

“Tis strange; and oftentimes to win us to our harm the ________________ tell us truths.”

“Tis strange; and oftentimes to win us to our harm the instruments of darkness tell us truths.”

• Banquo urges Macbeth to be cautious as Macbeth asks him eagerly about the prophecies.

• Banquo’s character juxtaposes Macbeth’s character. He is perceptive, recognizing that appearances aren’t always reality and that the prophecies may lead to darkness. In contrast, Macbeth seems over ambitious and rash.

How was Banquo’s character augmented from the original story in Shakespeare’s play?

• Banquo in the play was cautious toward the witches, in line with the typical Jacobean views.

• The historical Banquo betrayed Duncan. Shakespeare changed it to pleasse the king, who was related to Banquo.

“Stars, hide your ____; let not ____ see my ____ and ____ ______.”

“Stars, hide your fires; let not light see my black and deep desires.”

• Macbeth becomes aware of his dark intentions, he speaks to himself, creating an atmosphere of suspicion.

• Macbeth is aware that his thoughts are ungodly and treasonous.

“Look like the___________, but be the ______ under’t”

“Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under’t”

• The serpent references satan in the story of Adam and Eve, who tempts them.

• This connects Lady Macbeth to the sinister weird sisters through the association with darkness and devilry.

• Explores the theme of appearance and reality, Lady Macbeth is cunning and persuasive. (Juxtaposition: literary technique where two contrasting ideas, characters, images, or settings are placed side by side to highlight their differences or create a deeper meaning.)

The role of a woman in Jacobean England

• As the weaker sex, they had no rights or responsibilities when compared with men.

• It was shocking for the audience for Lady Macbeth to take charge of Macbeth in this way.

“Will all ______ _____ wash this ____ ____ from my hand?”

“Will all Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?”

• Macbeth’s guilt shows.

• Shows a human side to Macbeth.

• “Neptune’s ocean” is an allusion to the Gods that indicates Macbeth’s guilt as he questions if the blood, which symbolizes his own guilty conscience, can be cleaned from his hand.

• Macbeth believes that it is impossible to get rid of his sin.

The great chain of being

• “The great order of life”

• God set out an order for all living things.

• Kings were chosen by God to rule over the rest of humanity and earth.

• Committing regicide (Murder of a monarch) would result in the breaking of the natural order.

“Upon my head they placed a _______ _____.”

“Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown.”

• Macbeth has now become king and has become obsessed with the witches’ prophecy that Banquo’s sons will be kings.

• His crown is metphorically fruitless or useless like a tree that does not bear any fruit.

• He believes that he can only be satisfied if he can pass the throne onto his future children.

• The description of the sceptre as ‘barren’ refers to a woman who can’t bare any children, showing his displeasure at his circumstance.

“What, all my ____ _____ and their ___ at one _____ _____?”

“What, all my pretty chickens and their dam at one fell swoop?”

• Birds are used as a motif throughout the play to represent chaos and destruction (The owl’s shriek, a towering falcon being unnaturally killed by a mousing owl.)

• Shakespeare uses a tender image of pretty chickens to represent the innocence of Macduff’s wife and children, and Macbeth as a hunting bird who kills them in one “fell swoop”.

How is Macduff distinct from the other male characters in the play?

• Macduff shows emotion. After his wife and children are killed, even after being told to act like a man.

• Shakespears indicates that a good man can be both strong and tender.

• The typical masculine stereotypes promote strength and violence.

“Out, damned spot! Out, I say!”

• Lady Macbeth is guilty.

• Contrasts her earlier statement “A little water clears of this deed”

• Blood is a symbol of guilt throughout the play.

• Through her madness, Shakespeare shows how the act of treason could lead to the loss of the mind and humanity.

• He also criticizes the idea of a woman trying to have power over a man. But in modern times, women could sympathize with Lady Macbeth as despite her evil intentions, her loss of power and descent into madness speaks of the suffering of modern women in the hands of powerful men.

“Life’s but a ______ ______, a poor _____ that______ and _____ ___ ______… it is a tale told by __ _____…”

“Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour… it is a tale told by an idiot…”

• Macbeth realises he has been controlled like a puppet to commit these evil deeds, manipulated by the weird sisters.

• Macbeth believes that life is pointless.

• Treason only results in misery and death in those who commit it.

• Propaganda against the act of regicide, and criticizes those who seek to gain power for themselves.

Shakespeare’s tragic hero guide

1. Noble Status

• The tragic hero is high-ranking, respected, and starts off as a good person.

• ✅ Macbeth begins as a brave and loyal general. He’s admired by King Duncan and the people.

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2. Fatal Flaw (Hamartia)

• The hero has a personal weakness or flaw that leads to poor decisions.

• ✅ Macbeth’s flaw is unchecked ambition. Once he hears the witches’ prophecy, he becomes obsessed with power.

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3. Free Will & Poor Choices

• Even though fate plays a role, the hero makes their own choices that cause their downfall.

• ✅ Macbeth chooses to murder Duncan. He isn’t forced—he acts on his ambition.

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4. Downfall

• Their decisions lead to suffering, madness, or destruction—not just for them but for others, too.

• ✅ Macbeth becomes a paranoid tyrant, kills Banquo and Macduff’s family, and loses everything.

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5. Recognition (Anagnorisis)

• The hero realizes their mistake, often too late.

• ✅ Near the end, Macbeth realizes life is meaningless (“Tomorrow, and tomorrow…”), but it’s too late to fix anything.

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6. Death or Destruction (Catastrophe)

• The story ends in tragedy: the hero usually dies.

• ✅ Macbeth is killed in battle by Macduff. His death restores order in Scotland.