Macbeth: Ambition, Gender, and Morality (Lecture Notes)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms related to Macbeth from the lecture notes.

Tragic hero

A noble or high-status protagonist who experiences a downfall due to a fatal flaw (hamartia). In Macbeth, his unchecked ambition leads to ruin.

Hamartia (fatal flaw)

The character flaw that causes the hero's downfall; Macbeth's hamartia is unchecked ambition.

Hubris

Excessive pride that defies the natural order; a key trait contributing to Macbeth's downfall.

Peripeteia

A reversal of fortune in a tragedy, from success to downfall.

Anagnorisis

A moment of critical self-awareness or discovery about one’s situation.

Nemesis

A punitive force or consequence that brings about the hero’s downfall; in Macbeth, ambition invites nemesis.

Catharsis

Emotional release experienced by the audience through pity and fear as the tragedy unfolds.

Chain of Being

Jacobean idea of a hierarchical cosmos; Macbeth’s murder of Duncan disrupts order and invites cosmic retribution.

Predestination

Belief that events are foreordained by fate; the play questions how much of Macbeth’s fate is foretold versus self-made.

Heaven and Hell

Religious afterlife concepts; Macbeth fears for his immortal soul and moral consequences of murder.

Synecdoche

A figure of speech where a part represents the whole (e.g., eye for consciousness, hand for action).

Metatheatre

Extended metaphor of theatre within the play; self-referential commentary that blurs fiction and reality.

Appearance vs. Reality

Theme where outward appearances mask true intentions and moral character.

Blood imagery

Motif of blood symbolizing violence, guilt, and consequence; associated with the cycle of violence (e.g., 'blood will have blood').

Guilt

Internal remorse and conscience following wrongdoing; drives Macbeth toward paranoia and nihilism.

Foil

A character who contrasts with another to highlight traits; Macduff serves as a foil to Macbeth.

Homosociality

Male-centered bonds and loyalty in Jacobean culture that shape relationships and action.

Toxic masculinity

A form of masculinity linked to violence and repression of emotion; Macbeth’s world equates manhood with brutality.

Gender performance

Idea that gender roles are socially performed; Macbeth’s fear of emasculation and Lady Macbeth’s power influence actions.

Nihilism

Philosophical view that life is meaningless; Macbeth’s outlook becomes nihilistic after murder.

Tyrant

A ruler who governs unjustly; Macbeth becomes a tyrant by the later acts.

Allusion

A reference to a biblical or classical source (e.g., flaming swords) used to evoke associations about fate, morality, or divine power.