Macbeth Literature Paper 1

“Heat opressed brain” - Act 2 Scene 1 - Macbeth

T - Soliloquy: (right before he kills Duncan)

E - He admits that he's being controlled: seen through ‘heat’, as he's manipulated

Z - Foreshadow / Oxymoron

E- Shows potential downfall / ‘Oppressed’ means controlled but ‘brain’ is free

(Context - Freud:id = Macbeth is a slave to his ‘id’, as he's overtook by his desires)

“Something wicked this way comes” - Act 4 Scene 1 - The Witches

T - Juxtaposition: Macbeth is good (evil)

E - Witches only like bad people: them liking Macbeth shows how evil he is (kill Duncan)

Z - Chremamorphism “something”

E - Witches no longer recognise him: he has no feelings - changed too much

(Kingship: fully destroyed the Great Chain Of Being)

“Life is but a walking shadow” - Act 5 Scene 5 - Macbeth

T - Metaphor: compares life to shadow

E - Has a hint of regret: never be satisfied regardless of anything (meaningless)

Z - Verb: 'walking’

E - Chasing but it cannot be caught

(Context - Freud:id = constant chase due to your ‘id’, but eventually your desires will bring you to your downfall)

“Instruments of darkness tells us truth… only to betray” - Act 1 Scene 3 - Banquo

T - Metaphor: ‘Instruments’

E - Witches played with everyone (eg, led Macbeth into killing Duncan)

Z - Foreshadowing: will play EVERYONE

E - Shows downfalls of everyone (even Banquo since he fell in the trap)

(Context: Supernatural - EVERYONE is played and betrayed by supernatural)

“In thunder, lightning, or in rain?” - Act 1 Scene 1 - The Witches

T - Pathetic Fallacy

E - Sets the mood of the whole play

Z - Foreshadows the play / Symbolism

E - (Thunder: constant chatter in Act 1) (Lightning: death of Duncan) (Rain: how it affected everyone)

(Context - Supernatural: They are unstoppable and can affect everyone and anybody)

“Unsealed him from the nave to the chops” - Act 1 Scene 2 - Captain (he said it)

T - Chremamorphism: ‘unseamed’

E - Treats enemies as objects - when he kills, he is brutal

Z - Violent Imagery:

E - His killing is emotionless and he’s undefeatable

(Context - Patriarchal Society: he’s the perfect soldier in the society)