Macbeth Grade 9 Analysis

Need to revise for Macbeth this includes their purpose/relevance and quotes!

MACBETH

There's no definition here , I jus hope you are having a good day :)

"Brave..."

"Brave Macbeth"

The fact that the Sergeant is complimenting Macbeth even when Macbeth isn't around suggests that what he's saying must be true.

"Disdaining..."

"Disdaining fortune"

Macbeth isn't worried about luck/fate - ironic because he becomes obsessed with the Witches' prophecies

"Which smoked..."

"Which smoked with bloody execution"

He killed so many people that his sword is steaming - shows his loyalty... but a bit too loyal?!

"Till he unseamed..."

"Till he unseamed him from the nave to th'chaps"

He cut the traitor (McDonald) in half - shows his loyalty as he has no respect for the traitor, however it seems unnecessarily brutal to fully cut someone in half - does he enjoy violence too much? These quotations set us up to expect a brave, ambitious hero, but also sows the seeds of doubt that he is prone to violence and is willing to do whatever it takes to achieve what he wants to do.

"Your children shall..."

"Your children shall be Kings

‎‎‎‎‎‎‎⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀You shall be King"

Macbeth and Banquo share the 10 syllable line - they are close and on the same page, emphasising their friendship and therefore makes it more shocking when Macbeth decides to kill him. However their thoughts are unclear - they have simply restated the prophecy instead of providing any opinion on it, which suggests that their friendship is troubled and foreshadows the end of it.

The following lines are...

"Aside"

He knows what he is talking about is evil and can't be shared with anyone, yet he is still letting the thoughts play out in his head - he is tempted

"Cannot be..."

"Cannot be ill, cannot be good"

This shows his divided mind. He has a lust for power, but equally knows that something is wrong about this - his conscience.

"If good, why..."

"If good, why do I yield to that suggestion whose horrid image doth unfix my hair and make my seated heart knock at my ribs"

Again, he is tempted to do it, despite knowing that it is a horrible thing to do. The repetition of "if good", and indeed, "if ill" in the previous line, reveals that Macbeth is having a 'mental battle' - the repetition creates an image of Macbeth going back and forth between thoughts, revealing that he cannot decide on what to do.

"Stars, hide your..."

"Stars, hide your fires, let not light see my black and deep desires"

The light imagery which has connotations of purity and innocence and represents his morals, is juxtaposed by the dark and fiery imagery which reflects his ambition, emphasising his divided mind. This is also a link to Lady Macbeth who also uses light/dark imagery, and reveals that they are both of a similar mind. "Stars" were commonly used to determine people's fate in those times, and so the fact that Macbeth is telling them to "hide [their] fires" reveals that Macbeth is taking matters into his own hands, going against what fate may have wanted for him. This links back to the first scene, where he is described to be "disdaining fortune", revealing that this ambition has been in him the entire time, suggesting that perhaps Lady Macbeth didn't need to convince him as much as we all may think - rather than needing convincing to commit such a horrible act, he just needed the confidence to do so.

Act 1 Scene 7 Soliloquy

Macbeth makes lots of indirect references to Duncan's murder - "it", "tis", "'twere"

This reveals that he wants to do it as there are lots of references and so he must be thinking about it a lot, but also reveals that he doesn't want to do it - the thought of even saying/thinking about it is too much, let alone actually carrying the murder out.

"I am his..."

"I am his Kingsman and his subject"

Loyalty - you don't kill your king, especially one that you've bravely and valiantly fought for

"Duncan hath borne..."

"Duncan hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been so clear in his great office"

Duncan is a good king - you don't kill a virtuous king

"The deep..."

"The deep damnation"

He will be damned for eternity - especially important, given that in those times religion was an extremely large part of people's lives.

"I have no..."

"I have no spurs to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition which o'erleaps itself"

Despite listing all of those reasons not to do it, he decides to do it anyway, revealing how his ambition has overcome all other thoughts. The use of "vaulting" suggests that his ambition has momentum all of its own, and indicates that no amount of loyalty would stop him. This suggests that Macbeth has no self control, and is somewhat weak, revealing that his hamartia is his hubris - his lack of self control and greed caused by his arrogance and self-confidence will catch up to him eventually. "Vaulting", coupled with "spurs" is reminiscent of his time as a cavalry soldier, which is ironic, considering that he used to his cavalry skills to protect the king, and is now using them to kill him, making the murder seem even more shocking, and further reinforces the upcoming downfall of the tragic hero Macbeth - we see him as a devoted, loyal soldier, who has now become a greedy murderer. This highlights that while Macbeth may have had some loyalty, all of it is irrelevant when compared to his ambition, emphasising the evil within him.

What is Banquo?

A foil - he makes Macbeth seem more evil and corrupt by remaining loyal

How does Macbeth lie to Banquo?

"A friend", "Being unprepared", "I think not of [the witches]"

He is angry that Banquo's children will be king!

Act 3 Scene 1 Soliloquy

Macbeth starts off with lots of references to Banquo - "his royalty", "he hath a wisdom", "they hailed him father to a line of kings"

This shows his obsession with Banquo, and his greed - soon after killing Duncan and become the King of England, he is already jealous of other people for things they do not even have yet.

As the soliloquy progresses, Macbeth refers to himself more - "upon my head they placed a fruitless crown", "no son of mine", "I murdered"

This reveals his increasing resentment towards Banquo, and his arrogance - why should Macbeth be deserving of a long bloodline of Kings when he is a murderer, and is now considering to kill someone else? Macbeth comes to the decision to kill Banquo much quicker than the decision to kill Duncan - he doesn't feel the need to deliberate with his wife either, who had previously had to convince him to commit such a horrible act. This reveals his growing greed, and his descent into madness and bloodthirst. However, he hires murderers this time, revealing that he still feels guilty for Duncan's murder, and wouldn't be able to go through with it again - he is still weak.

"Banquo, thy soul's..."

"Banquo, thy soul's flight, if it find heaven, must find it out tonight"

Macbeth still wants Banquo to go to heaven - surely, you wouldn't kill him then? Macbeth is blind with lust for power.

"I am in..."

"I am in blood stepped in so far that should I wade no more returning were as tedious as go o'er"

He feels trapped - the use of "wade" emphasises just how difficult it is to move. "Tedious" emphasises how he feels life is futile. It's just boring, he isn't worried about the moral implications.

LADY MACBETH

Still no definition you fat fûck

"Come..."

"Come you spirits"

She asking spirits to make her evil so that she can help Macbeth kill the king - she is a loving, stereotypical wife that serves the man. She is willing to be possessed by spirits just so that she can help Macbeth. The fact that she is asking to become evil suggests that she isn't evil herself, however asking to become evil in the first place suggests that there must be some evil in her - or is she just that devoted to Macbeth? Nevertheless, the invitation of evil spirits indicates that once the deed is done, she will have guilt once the evil has left her, foreshadowing her descent into madness.

"Fill me from..."

"Fill me from the crown to the toe topfull of the direst cruelty"

She wants a huge, full body change, further shown by "unsex me here", which reveals she wants to be made devoid of all feminine qualities like being nurturing and gentle. "Take my milk for gall" reveals that she wants her breast milk, which has nourishing, caring connotations, to be replaced with poison.

"Come, thick night..."

"Come, thick night, and pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell"

This light/dark imagery links to Macbeth - they are close, on the same page, a loving duo, etc. This is also ironic, as here she is calling for darkness, whereas in Act 5, she cannot be without a candle or light, emphasising the effects of greed - wanting something in the present moment may have devastating consequences in the future.

How does Lady Macbeth persuade Macbeth?

"Art though afraid" - accusations of cowardice

"When you durst do it then you were a man" - questions his manhood

"I would... have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums and dashed the brains out" - she emphasises her own determination. Is Macbeth less of a man then she is? Killing children is a taboo, especially in those times, and so the fact that she is playing on Macbeth's masculinity with such a disturbing image highlights the lengths she would go to to make him do it, emphasising her loyalty.

The fact that she is having to give him confidence rather than convince him to do the deed suggests that Macbeth is more evil than people may think - Lady Macbeth didn't have to say things like 'think of all of the power and money we'll have', but instead had to say things that questioned his ego - Macbeth always had the desire to kill, he just needed the confidence, not the rationale.

Act 5 Scene 1

Lady Macbeth has gone the same way as Macbeth only later, and it seems that she won't recover, unlike Macbeth. This seems ironic, as it appeared that Lady Macbeth was the 'mastermind' behind the murder, and would suggest that she is evil, until you realise that this all to benefit Macbeth - she is just a devoted, loving, stereotypical wife. This highlights that Macbeth is more evil than Lady Macbeth, as his guilt was just a passing - Lady Macbeth only convinced Macbeth to kill Duncan, and helped him through his times of guilt because she loved him and felt a duty to serve him, like how they should have done in those time, not because she was inherently evil. The traditional gender stereotypes are further showcased as Lady Macbeth is absent during all of Act 4, with no references to her at all, including from Macbeth. We don't know why until Act 5 when we realise it is because she is going insane from guilt. The complete lack of consolation from Macbeth is a direct contrast to Lady Macbeth, who made excuses for him when he was going insane ("a thing of custom"), and helped him get better ("You lack the seasons of all natures, sleep"). The absence of Macbeth's solace further emphasises his evil nature, as he isn't stopping to help even his own wife who is descending into madness, something emphasised by the lack of blank verse in this scene, representing her deteriorating sanity.

DUNCAN'S MURDER

Bro looked again💀

How does Shakespeare create tension in Act 2 Scene 2?

Stichomythia (rapidly alternating lines) creates a fast pace

Knocking and owl sounds makes it jumpy

Macbeth dominates...

Macbeth dominates the conversation - he is rambling and can't think straight... GUILT!

How are gender stereotypes subverted in this scene?

Macbeth is shown to be panicking and not thinking straight - the guilt is too much. ("Enter Macbeth with two bloody daggers") He is stereotypically feminine.

Lady Macbeth is the stereotypical man, taking control and covering for Macbeth's blunders. ("Give me the daggers")

This subversion is 'unnatural', and represents how the murder is unnatural, something emphasised by the owl and cricket noises - nature has been disturbed. The use of "owl", a common symbol for wisdom suggests that this deed is not clever.

However, while their emotions have been subverted, their roles have not - Lady Macbeth is still serving Macbeth, doing his work for him. Macbeth did the physical deed of killing Duncan, while Lady Macbeth cleans up after him.

AFTERMATH

I can't think of any more funny things

"Here's a farmer..."

"Here's a farmer, that hanged himself on the expectation of plenty"

The Porter is pretending to be the "porter of hell-gate", and is imagining different people who are going to hell. This is a farmer who killed himself because his crops did not yield as much money as he had hoped - he represents greed. "On the expectation of plenty" reveals that the farmer thought he was going to get a good harvest. In the 16th century, farmers used to hoard their corn so that they could sell it at high prices in times of shortage. The farmer's yield was low, and thus killed himself out of despair.

"Here's an..."

"Here's an equivocator"

Equivocate means to use ambiguous language so as to conceal the truth or avoid committing oneself - The equivocator signifies lying

"Here's an English..."

"Here's an English tailor come hither, for stealing"

The tailor was robbing his clients - he represents stealing

What is the significance of the porter?

It provides comedic relief, something especially important to a 16th century audience who would have been shocked at murder of their King.

Additionally, it signifies Macbeth's damnation - the porter, who was the porter of Macbeth's castle, is pretending to be the porter of "hell-gate", suggesting that Macbeth's home is now like hell. Firstly, it likens him to Satan - Satan owns hell, just like how Macbeth owns his own castle, which is now hell. This emphasises Macbeth's evil.

It also how Macbeth will be going to hell for his sins - each person that the porter imagined was representative of Macbeth's soul. The farmer who represented greed is a reference to Macbeth's unhealthy desire to become king. The equivocator who illustrates lying reflects how Macbeth lied to Duncan and Banquo, and the tailor (the thief) encapsulates Macbeth's theft of Duncan's title. Like how the porter welcomed those people to hell, and how he welcomed Macbeth to his home, Macbeth will be welcomed into hell.

Lennox: "The night has..."

"The night has been unruly... our chimneys were blown down... strange screams of death... the obscure bird... the earth was feverous and did shake"

Lennox's long, detailed description about why last night was 'off', is juxtaposed by Macbeth's response of "twas a rough night". Macbeth doesn't know what to say - guilt. The juxtaposition also adds to the chaos.

KINGSHIP

potential question

"Why do you..."

"Why do you dress me in borrowed robes?"

Foreshadows his gain of a truly unearned title (this quote is in response to the Thane of Cawdor)

Motif of clothing - clothing is something temporary and can physically be removed. Like his position as King, it is transient due to the sinful acquisition of it. Clothing also suggests that Macbeth is dressed as a king, whereas Duncan really was one. Flatters King James. Clothing also suggests Macbeth's materialistic view - obsession with clothes, appearance and status, not actually serving the country.

"Does he feel..."

"Does he feel his title hang loose about him like a giant's robe upon a dwarfish thief"

"Giant" is contrasted by "dwarfish" and emphasises how Macbeth cannot physically fill the role of King.

"Upon my head..."

"Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown"

'Placed' indicates that it was made not given - he manipulated his position, not given to by God.

'Fruitless' - king is synonymous with being fruitful to their people in leadership and morality. Macbeth's omission of fruit signifies his tainted kingship and how he violated the natural order to acquire this.

"Valiant..."

"Valiant cousin"

Duncan treats Macbeth and Banquo as equals. He is fair and recognises when people are deserving of praise. He also admits his own misplaced judgment in the Thane of Cawdor - he is human ("whom I built an absolute trust"). Shakespeare uses dramatic irony, as Macbeth is considering killing Duncan even though Duncan has just called him "worthiest cousin", and admitted fault to placing trust in Macdonwald. This makes Macbeth seem even more evil, and therefore less fitting for a king.

"It was said..."

"'Tis said [Duncan's horses] did eat themselves"

Unnatural - horses' cannibalism is a clear deviation from the natural order, as horses are herbivores. Even if not true, the conditional phrase "'tis said" suggests the people of Scotland are lost and confused under Macbeth's reign

Differences between Duncan and Macbeth

Duncan - generous, rewarding those who are loyal to him and serve him well, empowering his men.

Macbeth - greedy, hoards all the power. "Scorched the snake, not killed it", he kills Banquo, Macduff's family and many more, going on a killing rampage.

Malcom

An even better king than Duncan - like his father, yet not as trusting. Shown through "I have none: the king-becoming graces" and he has a "modest wisdom [that] plucks [him] from over credulous haste"

King James should be respected.

GUILT

possible question

What does Macbeth's guilt show?

His loyalty to King Duncan. His guilt then plagues him with paranoia.

"Is this a..."

"Is this a dagger which I see before me?"

Macbeth is hallucinating because of intense guilt - his evil thoughts have manifested in the form of a violent image. This also foreshadows the guilt that will follow and plague him, as later on, he will lose sleep from the guilt - "Glamis hath murdered sleep", and hallucinations are a common symptom of sleep deprivation. The use of "glamis" suggests he is feeling some detachment, emphasising his trauma. Similarly, Lady Macbeth experiences similar symptoms, further reinforcing their bond.

How is guilt shown in Act 2 Scene 2?

He can't think straight because he has just committed regicide - he dominates the conversation because he can't thing straight from guilt.

He can't "pronounce amen" = he knows he has committed an extreme sin

"Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood clean from my hand"

Neptune was the roman god of the sea - not even he can wash the blood from his hands.

What is Lady Macbeth's attitude towards guilt at the beginning?

She is remorseless and mocks Macbeth's guilt.

"A little..."

"A little water clears us of this deed"

The water could represent holy water, which people commonly used to cleanse themselves with. This contrasts with "out damned spot", which "damned" referencing damnation - in the beginning, the spirits create a facade that suggests the immorality of her actions doesn't affect her, but later we see that regicide has transformed her as she fears the eternal damnation she knows she will receive. The juxtaposition between the holy water and damnation highlights the change in her character and the guilt she is plagued by as a result of her transgression against God and her use of the supernatural. This is further conveyed through the contrast between "clears" and "spot". Clear has connotations of cleanliness and when paired with the 'religious water', emphasises the purity that Lady Macbeth once held before becoming overrun with guilt. However, "spot" suggests an imperfection or an impurity, revealing that Lady Macbeth's soul has been tainted by going against God, leading God to punish her with madness and guilt.

How does her attitude change?

Guilt causes her to go from controlling ("the dead are but pictures") to insane (blank verse to prose).

What are the consequences of guilt?

Even if Macbeth and Lady Macbeth become powerful, their guilt leads them to lose control of their reality. They may have gained control of Scotland, but they lose control of themselves. Guilt affects them differently - Macbeth's guilt causes him to have extreme paranoia, and he turns this feeling outwards. "I am in blood stepped so far, should I wade no more, Returning were as tedious as go o'er". He kills Banquo, Macduff's family etc. "I'll fight till from my bones my flesh be hacked". He will keep fighting until he dies a gruesome death - rather than admitting defeat, he keeps fighting and would rather die in agonising pain than become inferior to someone, highlighting his greed and ambition. Lady Macbeth turns her guilt inwards, something emphasised by her absence during Act 4. "The queen... is dead"

How does ambition tie into guilt?

Lust for power will cause you to become a shadow of your former self, ultimately leading to your demise, after God punishes you with guilt.

BETRAYAL

possible question

What leads to betrayal?

Lust for power and ambition

How is ambition shown to corrupt Macbeth and lead to betrayal?

He begins noble - ambition leads him to betray Duncan.

What are the consequences of guilt?

Consequences of guilt as previously mentioned

Significance of the witches?

They betray Macbeth by using equivocatory language to speak in half truths. This sparks Macbeth's hamartia and indirectly intensifies Lady Macbeth's desire for power. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth both act on the prophecies, however this leads to their downfall and causes chaos.

Shakespeare does this to demonstrate to the Jacobean audience to never trust the supernatural. King James himself wrote a book called Daemonologie, as he felt paranoid that he would be overthrown by witch-like women.

"When the battle's..."

"When the battle's lost and won"

Half truth

"Be not afraid..."

"Be not afraid of Macduff, Beware Macduff"

Half truth