Macbeth

Corporal

Definition: relating to the body; physical.

Context: In Act 1, Scene 1, the witches vanish, and Macbeth describes their disappearance as if their physical forms, their "corporal" appearance, melted away like breath in the wind. 

Avarice

Definition: extreme greed for wealth or material gain.

Context: used by Macduff to describe Macbeth's character, highlighting his insatiable desire for power and wealth, which leads him to commit heinous acts. 

Corporal

Definition: relating to the body; physical.

Context: In Act 1, Scene 1, the witches vanish, and Macbeth describes their disappearance as if their physical forms, their "corporal" appearance, melted away like breath in the wind. 

Avarice

Definition: extreme greed for wealth or material gain.

Context: used by Macduff to describe Macbeth's character, highlighting his insatiable desire for power and wealth, which leads him to commit heinous acts. 

Diminutive

Definition: extremely or unusually small.

Context: Lady Macduff uses the word "diminutive" to describe the wren, a small bird, in a moment of despair and vulnerability after her husband, Macduff, flees, highlighting the vulnerability of her situation

Harbinger

Definition: a person or thing that announces or signals the approach of another.

Context: In Act 1, Scene 4, Macbeth says, "I'll be myself harbinger and make joyful the hearing of my wife with your approach". Macbeth uses the word to suggest that he will go ahead to prepare for King Duncan's arrival at his castle, but the audience, with hindsight, understands that this is also a foreshadowing of the events to come, particularly Macbeth's ambition and the murder of Duncan. 

Prohetic

Definition: relating to or characteristic of a prophet or prophecy.

Context:

Incarnadine

Definition: crimson red

Context: Macbeth uses the word "incarnadine" in a famous line, "The multitudinous seas incarnadine," meaning his guilt over Duncan's murder is so profound that even the ocean's waters cannot wash it away, turning them red with blood. 

Implore

Definition: to beg someone earnestly or desperately to do something.

Context: In Macbeth, the word "implore" appears in Act 1, Scene 4, where a messenger reports that the Thane of Cawdor, who had confessed to treason, "implored your highness' pardon" before his death, meaning he begged for forgiveness

Palpable

Definition: (of a feeling or atmosphere) so intense as to seem almost tangible.

Context: "palpable" is used to describe something that is capable of being perceived, or felt, and is used in the context of a hallucinated dagger Macbeth sees before committing the murder of Duncan.

Infirmity

Definition: physical or mental weakness.

Context: In Act 1, Scene 7, Lady Macbeth berates Macbeth for his wavering and lack of courage, calling him "infirm of purpose".

Mirth

Definition: amusement, especially as expressed in laughter.

Context: the word "mirth" is used in Act 3, Scene 4 when Lady Macbeth, trying to mask the horror of Macbeth's actions, tells the guests, "You have displaced the mirth, broke the good meeting, With most admired disorder." 

Tyrant/Tyranny

Definition: a cruel and oppressive ruler.

Context: Macbeth is a tyrant because he allows his desire for power to drive his actions. He is so afraid of losing the throne that he starts killing anyone who represents a threat to his reign. He resorts to violence in order to solve problems, instead of trying to find a way to preserve lives.

Equivocate/Equivocator

Definition: use ambiguous language so as to conceal the truth or avoid committing oneself.

Context: the Porter, pretending to be the gatekeeper of hell, imagines admitting "an equivocator" (Act 2, Scene 3), a term referring to someone who uses ambiguous language to mislead, which is a significant theme in the play, particularly related to the witches' prophecies and Macbeth's actions. 

Rapt

Definition: In a state of being completely absorbed or engrossed

Context: to describe Macbeth's state of being "absorbed" or "engrossed" by the witches' prophecies and the implications of his own ambition, as observed by Banquo. 

Vanquish

Definition: defeat thoroughly.

Context: the word "vanquished" appears in a prophecy delivered by the third apparition, stating that Macbeth will not be defeated until Birnam Wood moves to Dunsinane Hill. 

Voluptuousness

Definition: relating to or characterized by luxury or sensual pleasure.

Context: used by Malcolm to describe his own perceived, insatiable lust and desire, as he tests Macduff's loyalty by feigning extreme wickedness. 

Suborn

Definition: To secretly induce someone to commit an unlawful act, typically bribing or persuading them.

Context: appears in Act 2, Scene 4, where Macduff states that the guards who murdered Duncan were bribed (suborned) to commit the deed, with the implication that Malcolm and Donalbain, the king's sons, were responsible for the bribery. 

Taper

Definition: a slender candle.

Context: carried by Lady Macbeth during her sleepwalking scene in Act 5, Scene 1, symbolizing her guilt and fear of the darkness that she associates with her crimes. 

Usurper

Definition: One who wrongfully takes and holds power or authority, often by force.

Context: the word "usurper" is used to describe Macbeth after he murders King Duncan and seizes the throne, highlighting his illegitimate rule and the disruption of the natural order. 

Largess

Definition: Generosity in giving gifts or money

Context: King Duncan's generosity to his servants and Lady Macbeth, as seen in Act 2, Scene 1. 

Parricide

Definition: the killing of a parent or other near relative.

Context: Malcolm and Donalbain are "not confessing their cruel parricide, filling their hearers with strange invention" (3.1. 34-5) Macbeth means that Malcolm and Donalbain are not confessing to killing Duncan and have been claiming they're innocent.

Virtuous

Definition: Having or showing high moral standards or behavior.

Context: the word "virtuous" is used to describe King Duncan, emphasizing his good qualities and highlighting Macbeth's descent into tyranny by contrast. 

Judicious

Definition: having, showing, or done with good judgment or sense.

Context: The character Ross uses the word "judicious" when speaking to Lady Macduff in Act 4, Scene 2, to describe her husband, Macduff. Ross is trying to comfort Lady Macduff, who is understandably angry and upset about her husband's flight to England, which leaves her and her family vulnerable.

Laudable

Definition: (of an action, idea, or goal) deserving praise and commendation.

Context: used by Lady Macduff in Act 4, Scene 2, where she reflects on the world's twisted morality, stating that "to do harm is often laudable, to do good sometime accounted dangerous folly". 

Perturbation

Definition: anxiety; mental uneasiness.

Context: the word "perturbation" appears in a line spoken by the Doctor in Act 5, Scene 1, referring to Lady Macbeth's sleepwalking and sleep-talking as a "great perturbation in nature". 

Apparition

Definition: A supernatural manifestation or ghostly vision that appears to characters, often conveying foreboding or prophetic messages.

Context: the three apparitions shown to Macbeth by the witches in Act 4, Scene 1, are an armed head (warning Macbeth to beware Macduff), a bloody child (assuring Macbeth that no man born of woman can harm him), and a crowned child holding a tree (predicting Macbeth's downfall won't occur until Birnam Wood moves to Dunsinane). 

Allusion

Definition: an implied or indirect reference to a person, event, place, or work of art, often assuming the reader will recognize the reference and understand its significance.

Example: Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood Clean from my hand? (2.2.60–61)

This is an allusion to Neptune, the Roman god of the sea.

Paradox

Definition: a statement or situation that appears self-contradictory or illogical but, upon closer examination, reveals a deeper truth or insight.

Example: A prominent paradox in Macbeth, spoken by the witches, is "Fair is foul, and foul is fair," which suggests a world where appearances are deceptive and good and evil are intertwined, foreshadowing the play's themes of deception and moral corruption. 

Personification

Definition: a literary device where human attributes are given to non-human objects or abstract concepts, enhancing imagery and emotional impact.

Example: Let not light see my black and deep desires": Macbeth personifies light as having the ability to "see," suggesting that light can reveal hidden truths.

Euphemism

Definition: a mild or indirect word or expression used in place of one that may be considered harsh or blunt, often used to soften the impact of unpleasant concepts.

Example: Lady Macbeth says, referring to Duncan, “he that's coming/must be provided for: and you shall put/ this night's great business into my dispatch”(1.5.66-68) This statement can be understood as Lady Macbeth intending to take care of King Duncan as hostess of the party, however the words ‘provided for’ and ‘dispatch’ are euphemisms for murder.

Comic relief

Definition: a humorous scene or character introduced to alleviate tension in a serious work, especially in tragedies like Macbeth.

Example: In Macbeth, comic relief is shown through the Porter, who makes his entrance right after the dramatic scene, high in tension, where the king of Scotland, Duncan, is murdered.

Imagery

Definition: the use of vivid and descriptive language that appeals to the senses, creating mental pictures that enhance the emotional and thematic experience of the text.

Example: The witches' appearances in storms and the unnatural events that follow Duncan's death, like the owl killing the falcon and the horses eating each other, signal the disruption of the natural order. 

Aside

Definition: a dramatic device in which a character speaks to the audience, revealing thoughts or feelings that other characters onstage are not privy to.

Example: In Macbeth, a notable aside occurs in Act 1, Scene 3, where Macbeth, after hearing the witches' prophecy, expresses his internal conflict and ambition with the lines: "If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me without my stir". 

Dramatic Irony

Definition: a situation in which the audience knows more about the circumstances or future events in a story than the characters do, creating tension or humor.

Example: An example of dramatic irony is Duncan thanking Lady Macbeth for her hospitality because the audience knows that Lady Macbeth wants Macbeth to murder King Duncan.

Anachronism

Definition: an error in chronology where an object, event, or person is placed in a time period to which it does not belong, often used to highlight contrasts or serve thematic purposes.

Example: A notable anachronism in Macbeth is the reference to "dollars" in Act 1, scene 2, where a character mentions "Ten thousand dollars to our general use," as the dollar coin was not introduced until the 16th century, long after the play's setting in 11th century Scotland.