Studied by 3 people
Highlighted in red means a technique
‘Fair is foul, and foul is fair’
The Witches/Act 1 - use of repetition and a trochaic meter → supernatural
‘in thunder, lightning or rain?’
The Witches/Act 1 - they control the weather → supernatural
‘All hail, Macbeth’
The Witches/Act 1 - ‘All hail’ is repetition and rule of three, they are manipulating trust
‘not so happy, yet much happier’
The Witches/Act 1 - To Banquo, foreshadowing Macbeth’s later path into madness
‘double, double, toil and trouble’
The Witches/Act 4 - use of repetition and alliteration → suggests supernatural and otherworldliness
‘fire burn and cauldron bubble’
The Witches/Act 4 - suggests witchcraft and the supernatural → not to trust them. ‘fire’ → symbol for warmth but also can cause destruction → mystery and unknown morals
‘something wicked’
The Witches/Act 4 - referring to Macbeth → he is even more evil than they are.
‘brave Macbeth’
Captain/Act 1 - Macbeth is seen as good and a hero
‘from the nave to th’ chops’
Captain/Act 1 - Macbeth is brutal and violent but since he is on the winning side, he is rewarded.
‘If chance will have me king, why chance may crown me, without my stir’
Macbeth/Act 1 - ‘Chance’ suggests fate and luck which links to God and it is repeated, suggesting that Macbeth holds God in very high regard. ‘without’ suggests that Macbeth will not go against God at this point in time which suggests he is more logical and loyal to the King.
‘stars, hide thy fires, let not light see my black and deep desires’
Macbeth/Act 1 - ‘Light’ juxtaposes ‘black’. ‘fires’ suggest light. ‘stars’ represent God and fate. Macbeth doesn’t want God to see his intrusive thoughts to kill the king → great chain of being
‘his kinsman and his subject’
Macbeth/Act 1 - Macbeth is lower than King Duncan in the great chain of being, and so it would be against God to kill him. They are also equals suggested by ‘kinsman’ but even so, it would be wrong to kill him.
‘as his host’
Macbeth/Act 1 - The use of ‘host’ suggests that Macbeth also shouldn’t kill the king as he is supposed to look after him, not murder him in his sleep.
‘not bear the knife myself’
Macbeth/Act 1 - Macbeth is certain that he cannot kill the king as that would go against his duty as a host. ‘knife’ is a symbol of violence.
‘no further in this business’
Macbeth/Act 1 - The use of ‘business’ suggests a sense of formality and also that Macbeth doesn’t even want to acknowledge that he just thought about killing the king.
‘I think not of them’
Macbeth/Act 2 - ‘them’ is referring to the Witches in which Macbeth has been thinking about them but doesn’t want to acknowledge that
‘a dagger which I see before me?’
Macbeth/Act 2 - Macbeth is hallucinating or it’s the Witches doing this → Theme of supernatural + madness. ‘dagger’ is a symbol for danger and death.
‘Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep!’
Macbeth/Act 2—Theme of madness, ‘sleep’ is a symbol of peace, which Macbeth will no longer have due to his actions and guilt.
‘murder’ → violent connotations (also could reference how Macbeth murdered Duncan) → foreshadows Macbeth’s barbaric descent into madness
‘Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood?’
Macbeth/Act 2 - ‘blood’ is a symbol of guilt, ‘ocean’ is a symbol of forgiveness. ‘Neptune’ is the Roman god of the seas, this emphasises Macbeth’s guilt
‘Clean from my hand’
Macbeth/Act 2 - ‘Clean’ suggest Macbeth wants to be free from the responsibility and consequences of his actions. ‘hand’ is a symbol for action and choice
‘not I pronounce “Amen”?’
Macbeth/Act 2 - “Amen” suggests Macbeth is straying from God.
‘o full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife’
Macbeth/Act 3 - ‘scorpions’ is a metaphor for evil. ‘scorpions’ are venomous which suggests Macbeth’s mind is poisoning him which suggests his mental state is deteriorating.
‘be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck’
Macbeth/Act 3 - Lady Macbeth and Macbeth’s roles have switched, ‘chuck’ is a term of endearment
‘to be thus is nothing but to be safely thus’
Macbeth/Act 3 - ‘thus’ means king, Macbeth is saying that being king means nothing now if he isn’t safe
‘thou canst not say I did it’
Macbeth/Act 3 - Said to Banquo’s ghost. Macbeth is equivocating here, he had Banquo murdered by someone else.
‘never shake thy gory locks at me’
Macbeth/Act 3 - ‘gory’ is vivid imagery, suggests Banquo’s death was gruesome, implying Macbeth is violent even when he’s not technically doing it himself. This also suggests Macbeth’s guilt and his madness increasing.
‘Let the earth hide thee.’
Macbeth/Act 3 - Macbeth does not want reminders of his guilt, corpses are often buried in the ground.
‘Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! Beware Macduff!’
The Witches/Act 4 - use of rule of three and repetition → witch'-like, warning Macbeth of Macduff
‘None of women born shall harm Macbeth’
The Witches/Act 4 - The Witches are equivocating here, Macbeth believes that he is immortal as ‘all people are born from a women’ but in reality, Macduff was born from a C-section.
‘until Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill’
The Witches/Act 4 - Macbeth believes he is immortal as woods cannot move, in reality Macduff and others use the branches of Birnam wood to disguise themselves when approaching
‘she should have died hereafter’
Macbeth/Act 5 - when receiving news of Lady Macbeth’s death. Double meaning → could be interpreted as him not caring about Lady Macbeth in this moment or wishing he could of had time to grieve her.
‘this dead butcher and his fiend like queen’
Malcolm/Act 5 - ‘butcher’ contrasts with Act 1’s description of Macbeth as ‘noble’ ‘and brave’ → shows his downward character arc. (also ‘butcher’ has violent and barbaric connotations)
‘fiend’ has connotations of the devil and witches are known in mythology to work with the devil which implies Lady Macbeth is a witch (links to the Witches and witchcraft)
‘come you spirits’
Lady Macbeth/Act 1 - links her to the Witches
‘unsex me here’
Lady Macbeth/Act 1 - She wants to be more masculine which she sees as being cruel (toxic masculinity)
‘look like the innocent flower but be the serpent under’t’
Lady Macbeth/Act 1 - theme of appearance vs reality. ‘serpent’ is a symbol for deceit, biblical illusion (Bible-Garden of Eden) → suggests sin and doing things against God.
‘take my milk for gall’
Lady Macbeth/Act 1 - ‘milk’ suggests maternal instinct which LM wants to get rid off, and turn it into ‘gall’ which suggests acidity which suggests toxicity which suggests cruelty.
‘it was smiling in my face’
Lady Macbeth/Act 1 - ‘it’ suggests inhumanity which suggests an apathy towards children.
‘from his boneless gums’
Lady Macbeth/Act 1 - ‘boneless’ suggests that it is a child but also implies disgust and apathy
‘dash’d the brains out’
Lady Macbeth/Act 1 - use of violent imagery, LM is presented as violent and apathetic
‘had I so sworn’
Lady Macbeth/Act 1 - ‘sworn’ suggests LM is using Macbeth’s loyalty against him, manipulating him into doing what she wants.
‘‘ a little water clears us of this deed’
Lady Macbeth/Act 2 - ‘water’ is a symbol for forgiveness, and ‘deed’ suggests that this murder is just business and not a big deal. This implies LM doesn’t feel guilty about their actions here.
‘water’ is also used to clean things in the literal sense, with Lady Macbeth suggesting that it doesn't take much for them to get away with what they’ve done suggesting that it is easy.
‘resembled my father as he slept’
Lady Macbeth/Act 2 - ‘father’ suggests that she does have humanity. Still, it also could suggest she is manipulating Macbeth by painting herself as weak and unable to murder, forcing him to do that act instead.
‘are you a man?"‘
Lady Macbeth/Act 3 - ‘man’ suggests masculinity. The question mark suggests she is questioning his masculinity which suggests she is using it against him to get what she wants.
‘very painting of your fear’
Lady Macbeth/Act 3 - ‘painting’ suggests that she is degrading Macbeth’s hallucination and that he is just being silly. It also suggests that she is trying to take control of the situation, which she is struggling to keep.
This suggests she is losing control of her power
Lady Macbeth is absent in Act 4, what does this suggest?
‘will these hands ne’er be clean?
Lady Macbeth/Act 5 - parallels Macbeth in Act 2, contrasts to Lady Macbeth in Act 2, suggests that guilt has finally taken over her. ‘clean’ suggests purity which suggests being free from sin, which Lady Macbeth is not which suggests she is filled with guilt for not being pure.
‘Out, damned spot! Out I say!’
Lady Macbeth/Act 5 - repetition of ‘Out’ suggests she is begging to be rid of the guilt. ‘damned’ is a vulgar word during Jacobean times due to Christianity being the main religion → suggests Lady Macbeth has gone against god → guilt
‘when you durst do it, then you were a man’
Lady Macbeth/Act 1 - ‘durst’ means to dare, she is emasculating Macbeth here, saying to him that if he gives in to ambition, then he is worthy of being a man
‘my noble partner’
Banquo/Act 1 - ‘partner’ shows that he sees Macbeth as an equal.
‘lesser than Macbeth and greater’
The Witches/Act 1 - To Banquo, ‘ lesser’ is relating to Banquo’s current life, ‘greater’ relates to his descendants
‘instruments of darkness’
Banquo/Act 1 - use of a metaphor, ‘darkness’ suggests evil and that he knows that the Witches aren’t good or trustworthy.
‘worthy’
Duncan/Act 1 - to Banquo, showcases that he is seen as good as well as Macbeth, that they are equal.
‘can the devil speak true?"‘
Banquo/Act 1 - ‘devil’ is a metaphor'/symbol for the Witches, here he is uncertain about trusting the Witches and their prophecies.
‘dream’d’ ‘the weird sisters’
Banquo/Act 2 - He was also tempted by the witches and their prophecies.
‘allegience clear’
Banquo/Act 2 - He is loyal to Duncan to the end unlike Macbeth
‘restrain’ ‘cursed thoughts’
Banquo/Act 2 - ‘restrain’ suggests struggling to keep something away which suggests that Banquo is struggling not to give into the Witches’ prophesies. However, ‘cursed’ suggests that he knows these ‘thoughts’ are bad and evil which suggests he has more will power than Macbeth, showcasing that they are foils.
‘Fly, good Fleance!"‘
Banquo/Act 3 - His one last heroic act, saving his son. Died a hero (foil to Macbeth)
‘fly’
Banquo/Act 3 - use of repetition and rule of three → suggests panic
‘most sacrilegious murder’
Macduff/Act 2 - use of alliteration which emphasises how Duncan being murdered is unspeakable → Divine Right of Kings
‘sacrilegious’ means against sacred/holy things → against god → Great Chain of Being
‘o nation miserable with an untitled tyrant-bloody-scepter’d’
Macduff/Act 4 - use of personification which shows how Macbeth is the wrong ruler → Great Chain of Being
‘tyrant’ relates to Macbeth and how he is cruel and uses arbitrary power
‘bloody-scepter’d’ → barbaric description of Macbeth is a demonic usurper
‘all my pretty chickens and their dam at one fell swoop?’
Macduff/Act 4 - ‘chickens’ as a metaphor which suggests Macduff’s family was helpless and vulnerable → emphasises how evil Macbeth is → links to ambition
‘I must also feel it as a man’
Macduff/Act 4 - ‘feel’ suggests Macduff doesn’t have any toxic masculinity in him → surprising for a Jacobean play
‘was from his mother’s womb untimely ripp’d’
Macduff/Act 5 - a declarative sentence. Macbeth realises because of this that the Witches have equivocated to him and that he is going to die now → no longer immortal.
‘The usurper’s cursed head… Hail, King of Scotland!’
Macduff/Act 5 - ‘usurper’ means someone who illegitimately claims power → links to the Great Chain of Being and Ambition.
‘Hail’ parallels the Witches with their ‘Hail, Macbeth’ → suggests that Fleance being in power could cause chaos and destruction.
