Macbeth by William Shakespeare

Flashcards focusing on key vocabulary terms and their definitions from the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare.

Ambition

A strong desire to do or achieve something, typically requiring determination and hard work.

Thane of Cawdor

A title given to Macbeth by King Duncan, fulfilling part of the witches’ prophecy.

Lady Macbeth

Macbeth's wife, who manipulates him into committing regicide to gain power.

Regicide

The act of killing a king, which Macbeth commits by murdering King Duncan.

Paranoia

An irrational and persistent feeling that one is being persecuted or harmed, which affects Macbeth after he becomes king.

Witches' Prophecy

The predictions made by the Three Witches that drive Macbeth's ambition and subsequent actions.

Macduff

A nobleman who ultimately kills Macbeth and is born via C-section, thus not 'of woman born'.

Themes of Macbeth

Ambition leads to destruction, guilt consumes individuals, and the tension between fate and free will.

Banquo's Ghost

The specter of Macbeth's friend Banquo that appears at the royal banquet, symbolizing Macbeth's guilt and fear.

Malcolm

The son of King Duncan, who becomes King of Scotland after Macbeth's downfall.