Macbeth
fDefine Tragedy:
(Feel free to use the definition in the back of your textbook [page R123])
Tragedy is defined as a hero’s downfall that is inevitable or caused by his/or her actions.
Freytag’s Pyramid (10 points): Exposition, Inciting Event, Rising Action (complications), Climax, Catastrophe, Resolution
Exposition: The witches want to meet with Macbeth. When this play starts Scotland is at war with Norway. Macbeth fights for his king while other nobles aren’t loyal.
Inciting Event: The Witches give Macbeth a prophecy and greet him with the 3 titles of Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cadoucor, and king. Macbeth is already Thane of Glamis so in order for the prophecy to come true he needs to become Thane of Cadoucor. This prophecy ends up coming true. Macbeth was given the title of Thane of Conductor. Now he believes that there is a chance he will become king.
Rising Action (complications):
Malcom receives the title of king
Macbeth starts to 2nd guess what he is doing (whether or not he wants to kill the king, but then the king stays overnight in Macbeth's castle. This made for the perfect opportunity to kill the king.
Macbeth washes the blood off his hands and realizes what he has done
Macbeth sees Banquo's ghost at the feast and starts to question whether he is sane or not
Climax: When Macbeth kills KInd Duncan. This caused the entire plot to change and evil started to enter. Macbeth is now forever changed and this mistake is irreversible.
Catastrophe: There are 2 big castrophere that happen in Macbeth, 1) Lady Macbeth dies while sleepwalking 2nd 2) Macbeth is killed by Macduff. These events changed the entire play. The main character and the main character's reasoning for everything dies.
Resolution: Macbeth is killed and peace is brought to the land again. Macduff becomes king and brings all the nobles who fled because of Macbeth backl.
How to use this quote sheet wisely: USE THIS FORMAT!!!
For the Macbeth test there will be a number of quotes from the play for you to identify.
Famous Lines from Macbeth…they have been known to show up on a test or two…
Act I
“Fair is foul and foul is fair…”
The Witches recite this aloud as if it were an incantation. The witches have just stated their intentions to meet Macbeth. With this objective, there seems to be an undertone of mischief or evildoing.
This quotation helps to develop the mood of the opening scene—mysterious and evil. In the lines, there exists a paradox: fair is foul. How can something fair also be foul? The inconsistency in these lines helps develop one of the prevalent themes in the play: Appearances often present a false image that disguises foul reality. All is not as it seems…
“For brave Macbeth- well he deserves that name- disdaining fortune, with his brandished steel, …Till he unseamed him from the nave to the chops.”
The captain is speaking to Duncan. They are talking about Macbeth killing the traitor Macdonwald and being loyal to the king.
This shows that Macbeth is very brave. He is fighting for his king and is incredibly loyal to him. He is violent, not afraid to die, and willing to kik with no mercy.
“All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter.”
The witches are speaking to Macbeth. They greet Macbeth with 3 titles.
The 3 titles the witches say are Thane of Glamis, and Thane of Cadoucor (he doesn't have this title yet) meaning there is irony and it is probably going to happen, and you shall be king hereafter. There is dramatic irony. If the 2nd title comes true, Macbeth will believe that the 3rd one will come true. There is irony and a temptation for Macbeth.
“Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none.”
The witches are speaking to Banquo. They deliver a prophecy to him. He wanted him after hearing Macbeth.
They told him he is going to be king but soon his bloodline would be on the throne. This is another prophecy. There is foreshadowing now because Macbeth doesn't have his bloodline on the throne if Banquos are there. Macbeth's bloodline will end with him. They have been tempted by the witches to make these prophecies come true.
“He [the king] made me, for him, call thee Thane of Cawdor!”
Ross speaking to Macbeth. He gives Macbeth the new title Thane of Cawdor. It is a reward from the king.
The 2nd greeting prophecy came true, so Macbeth thinks the 3rd may come true. It is going to start to play on his desires now. It is very serious now which was unexpected.
“And oftentimes, to win us to our harm, the instruments of darkness tell us truths, win us with honest trifles, to betray ’s in deepest consequence.”
Banquo to Macbeth. For both of them, these prophecies are coming true.
The witches are evil. They tempt you to destroy you. We are starting to see a difference between the two characters. Macbeth believes in all of it while Banquo is a little bit more cautious. There is a character revelation at this point.
“If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me, without my stir.”
Macbeth realizes that if he needs to be king he doesn't have to do anything different. He thinks he will get it as a reward like the other title.
We see how ambition and temptation is playing in Macbeth. Reason and logic are slowly leaving him and now he just wants to be king in any way possible. The effects of the temptation are starting to hit him.
“There’s no art to find the mind’s construction in the face: he was a gentleman upon whom I built an absolute trust.”
Ducon to Malcolm. They are discussing the first Thane of cawdor. Duncan admits that he doesn't know he will be a traitor because he seemed like he was loyal.
This ties into the Universal truth of appearance being a false image of the bad reality. There is a cycle happening and Duncan is almost too trusting unlike the others. People are not what they seem. He is too trusting of a king.
“The Prince of Cumberland! That is a step on which I must fall down or else o’erleap.”
Macbeth aside, that comes after the announcement that Malcolm is heir to the throne. Macbeth now sees he can’t be king. He now realizes he can either not be king or do something in order to become king.
Macbeth is the loyal subject, but underneath he wants to kill Duncan and Malcolm. This is another universal truth. He now wants to be king and do anything to become king. His ambition is overweighing his loyalty.
“Yet I do fear thy nature; He is too full of the milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way.”
A soliloquy of Lady Macbeth. She comes to the conclusion that she needs to kill Duncan and Malcolm. It's the easiest way to become king.
She has already decided they are going to kill the king. Her and Macbeth have a very different interpretation of the information. There is a flip in the gender roles.
“Come, you spirits that lead to deadly thoughts, unsex me here, and fill me, from crown to toe, top-full of direst cruelty!”
A soliloquy of Lady Macbeth. After she gives notice that the king is going to stay at her castle, she calls on spirits to help her murder the king. She wants them to Un-sex her.
She is asking to get rid of her traditional female gender role qualities. She wants to get rid of her feminist traits which keep her from murdering the king. The motivation is all for her husband, it is not self-motivated.
“Look like an innocent flower, but be the serpent under it.”
Lady Macbeth to Macbeth. She tells him how to act around the king to not show that they want to kill him.
This is the Universal truth of “Appearance often presents a false image”. He looks nice on the outside but is evil on the inside. There is also an allusion to the bible and the devil. The devil is the serpent who is alliggended with evil.
“But here, upon this bank and shoal of time, We’d jump the life to come…He’s here in double trust:…as his host, I should against his murderer shut the door, not bear the knife myself!”
A soliloquy of Macbeth. Macbeth isn’t fully committed to killing the king while Lady Macbeth is. Macbeth is slowly talking himself out of it. He is playing back and forth with his desires and logic. He talks
The physiological state of Macbeth. He knows what is right, which is not killing the king, but his ambitions and desires and slowly taking over.
‘T gong to mur“" We will proceed no further in this business.”
Macbeth to Lady Macbeth. Macbeth tells her she's doesn't want to kill the king,
Macbeth looks physiologically firm. He took charge and made a decision that they aren't going to murder the king. This is the traditional gender role. The male takes the charge and makes the decisions.
“We fail? But screw your courage to the sticking place, and we’ll not fail.”
Lady Macbeth to Macbeth. This is in response to Macbeth how basically asked “what if i fail?΅ Lady Macbeth's response was that aren't, they aren't going to fail.
Lady Macbeth has so much confidence to kill the king, way more than Macbeth. Macbeth is second guessing while she has a stifford plan. There is another flip of the gender roles. She is fully in control.
Act II
“Is this a dagger I see before me?”
Macbeth Silique. They were walking toward the king chamber where a dagger was floating in front of them leading them to the chamber.
Macbeth is hallucinating. Macbeth is mentally breaking but is aware of it. He is aware he is dealing with witchcraft and going down a dark path.
“Had he not resembled my father as he slept, I would have done it ... .My Husband!”
Lady Macbeth Soque. She is waiting for Macbeth to come back after murdering the king. She thinks it will be easy for Macbeth to complete. She says that if the king didn’t look like her father she could’ve killed him.
There is character revelation for Lady Macbeth. She wants to be evil but she always has an excuse why she can’t do evil. Her not killing the king shows a little humaine in her. She actually admits that she wouldn’t be able to kill the king, which is very important.
“What hands are here? Ha! They pluck out mine eyes!”
Macbeth soqlue. Macbeth just murdered the king and has blood on them. He is looking at Duncan's blood on his hands.
There is an allusion. He aligns with epsitus in this because as he looks at his hands he doesn't want to see what he has done. He would rather “pluck out his eyes”. There is a little bit of regret at this point too.
“Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand? No…”
Macbeth Solque. All of the water on the plant isn’t enough to clean his hands. WHat he did was terrible, he is a murderer.
The realization that Macbeth can’t wash the blood off his hands figurality. He is going to cry this with him for the rest of his life. He murdered him while he was defenseless too, making it seem so much worse. It's not full of regret but he is starting to feel more remorseful.
“A little water clears us of this deed. How easy it is then!” 16.34.31
Lady Macbeth to Macbeth. Macbeth just killed Duncon and has Duncons blood all over his hands which she just tells him to wash off.
Lady Macbeth doesn't feel the wayMacbeth does because she didn't do the actual killing. She feels no remorse or sadness.
“To know my deed, it were best not know myself… Wake Duncan with your knocking…I wish you could!”
Macbeth to Lady Macbeth. Macbeth doesn't feel the same and knows he is not the same person anymore compared to the beginning of the play.
There is character revelation. Macbeth doesn't know who he is anymore and deep down regrets killing Malcolm.
“You are [amiss], and you do not know it. The spring, the head, the fountain of your blood is stopped; the very source of it is stopped.”
Macbeth talking to Malcolm and Donald Bain (the king's son). This is a response of Donald saying “What's wrong?”
Macbeth needs to kill the king's son next in order for the prophecy to come true.
“O, yet I do repent me of my fury, that I did kill them…The expedition of my violent love outrun the pauser, reason.”
Macbeth to the Scottish Nobles. Everyone is standing there is shock and horror about the king's death when Macbeth finally admits he was the one he killed him. Mcduck finds the body. Macbeth and Lenox follow which is where Macbeth murders all the guards which isn’t a part of the plan.
Character development for Macbeth. It is easier for Macbeth to murder now, he doesn't feel anything anymore and feels no remorse.
“Where we are there’s daggers in men’s smiles; the near in blood, the nearer bloody.”
Donald Bain speaking to Malcolm. They both know someone there did it and they are afraid they are going to be next. Malcolm flees to England and Donald goes across the Irish Sea to Ireland.
Donald and Malcolom are now untrusting. The king trusted Macbeth and Macbeth averted super loyal to him, then murdered him.
“‘Tis unnatural, even like the deed that’s done”
The old man speaking to Ross. He is talking about the supernatural/unnatural abiu the killing of the king.
Chaos, disruption, and pathetic fallacy of the natural world is mirroring this world because of Macbeth's evil deeds. His deeds disrupt the order of the universe.
Act III
“Thou hast it all now: king, Cawdor, Glamis, all, as the weird women promised, and I fear thou played most foully for it.”
Banquo soliloquy. Banquo is reflecting on how Macbeth got in power. He believes something weird must have happened there or foul play.
Banquo is nowLady Macbeth to Macbeth. She tells him how to act around the king to not show that they want to kill him.
This is the Universal truth of “Appearance often presents a false image”. He looks nice on the outside but is evil on the inside. There is also an allusion to the bible and the devil. The devil is the serpent who is alliggended with evil.
“But here, upon this bank and shoal of time, We’d jump the life to come…He’s here in double trust:…as his host, I should against his murderer shut the door, not bear the knife myself!”
A soliloquy of Macbeth. Macbeth isn’t fully committed to killing the king while Lady Macbeth is. Macbeth is slowly talking himself out of it. He is playing back and forth with his desires and logic. He talks
The physiological state of Macbeth. He knows what is right, which is not killing the king, but his ambitions and desires and slowly taking over.
‘T gong to mur“" We will proceed no further in this business.”
Macbeth to Lady Macbeth. Macbeth tells her she's doesn't want to kill the king,
Macbeth looks physiologically firm. He took charge and made a decision that they aren't going to murder the king. This is the traditional gender role. The male takes the charge and makes the decisions.
“We fail? But screw your courage to the sticking place, and we’ll not fail.”
Lady Macbeth to Macbeth. This is in response to Macbeth how basically asked “what if i fail?΅ Lady Macbeth's response was that aren't, they aren't going to fail.
Lady Macbeth has so much confidence to kill the king, way more than Macbeth. Macbeth is second guessing while she has a stifford plan. There is another flip of the gender roles. She is fully in control.
Act II
“Is this a dagger I see before me?”
Macbeth Silique. They were walking toward the king chamber where a dagger was floating in front of them leading them to the chamber.
Macbeth is hallucinating. Macbeth is mentally breaking but is aware of it. He is aware he is dealing with witchcraft and going down a dark path.
“Had he not resembled my father as he slept, I would have done it ... .My Husband!”
Lady Macbeth Soque. She is waiting for Macbeth to come back after murdering the king. She thinks it will be easy for Macbeth to complete. She says that if the king didn’t look like her father she could’ve killed him.
There is character revelation for Lady Macbeth. She wants to be evil but she always has an excuse why she can’t do evil. Her not killing the king shows a little humaine in her. She actually admits that she wouldn’t be able to kill the king, which is very important.
“What hands are here? Ha! They pluck out mine eyes!”
Macbeth soqlue. Macbeth just murdered the king and has blood on them. He is looking at Duncan's blood on his hands.
There is an allusion. He aligns with epsitus in this because as he looks at his hands he doesn't want to see what he has done. He would rather “pluck out his eyes”. There is a little bit of regret at this point too.
“Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand? No…”
Macbeth Solque. All of the water on the plant isn’t enough to clean his hands. WHat he did was terrible, he is a murderer.
The realization that Macbeth can’t wash the blood off his hands figurality. He is going to cry this with him for the rest of his life. He murdered him while he was defenseless too, making it seem so much worse. It's not full of regret but he is starting to feel more remorseful.
“A little water clears us of this deed. How easy it is then!” 16.34.31
Lady Macbeth to Macbeth. Macbeth just killed Duncon and has Duncons blood all over his hands which she just tells him to wash off.
Lady Macbeth doesn't feel the wayMacbeth does because she didn't do the actual killing. She feels no remorse or sadness.
“To know my deed, it were best not know myself… Wake Duncan with your knocking…I wish you could!”
Macbeth to Lady Macbeth. Macbeth doesn't feel the same and knows he is not the same person anymore compared to the beginning of the play.
There is character revelation. Macbeth doesn't know who he is anymore and deep down regrets killing Malcolm.
“You are [amiss], and you do not know it. The spring, the head, the fountain of your blood is stopped; the very source of it is stopped.”
Macbeth talking to Malcolm and Donald Bain (the king's son). This is a response of Donald saying “What's wrong?”
Macbeth needs to kill the king's son next in order for the prophecy to come true.“O, yet I do repent me of my fury, that I did kill them…The expedition of my violent love outrun the pauser, reason.”
Macbeth to the Scottish Nobles. Everyone is standing there is shock and horror about the king's death when Macbeth finally admits he was the one he killed him. Mcduck finds the body. Macbeth and Lenox follow which is where Macbeth murders all the guards which isn’t a part of the plan.
Character development for Macbeth. It is easier for Macbeth to murder now, he doesn't feel anything anymore and feels no remorse.
“Where we are there’s daggers in men’s smiles; the near in blood, the nearer bloody.”
Donald Bain speaking to Malcolm. They both know someone there did it and they are afraid they are going to be next. Malcolm flees to England and Donald goes across the Irish Sea to Ireland.
Donald and Malcolom are now untrusting. The king trusted Macbeth and Macbeth averted super loyal to him, then murdered him.
“‘Tis unnatural, even like the deed that’s done”
The old man speaking to Ross. He is talking about the supernatural/unnatural abiu the killing of the king.
Chaos, disruption, and pathetic fallacy of the natural world is mirroring this world because of Macbeth's evil deeds. His deeds disrupt the order of the universe.
suspicious of Macbeth. His moral integrity is contrasting with Macbeth's ambition. This also foreshadows
“To be thus is nothing, but to be safely thus…Our fears in Banquo stick deep…”
Macbeth soliloquy. Macbeth shows that he is nervous that Banquo will overthrow.
This hits the theme of insecurity in power. This makes Macbeth want to commit more evil crimes and murders. It develops the plot for Macbeth to kill Banquo.
“Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown and put a barren scepter in my gripe, …no son of mine succeeding.”
Macbeth soliloquy. Macbeth laments that his heritage will not take the throne.
Macbeth has a profound obsession with him and his family's legacy. He knows has motivation to murder Banquo and his children to make sure they can’t become king. Also the imagery of a “fruitless crown”symbolizes futality.
“It is concluded: Banquo, thy soul’s flight, if it find heaven, must find it tonight.”
Macbeth soliloquy. Macbeth decides that he will kill Banquo.
Macbeth iis willing to kill Banquo for an unsecured form of power. This goes with the theme of unchecked ambition.
“Nought’s had, all’s spent, where our desire is got without content. ‘Tis safer to be that which we destroy than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy.”
Lady Macbeth soliloquy. Lady Macbeth says she is unsatisfied with the results of their success.
This shows the theme of ambitions hollowness because Lady Macbeth begins to feel guilty and remorseful. The foreshadows her soon to be breakdown.
“O, treachery! Fly, good Fleance, fly, fly, fly!
Banquo talking to Fleance. Banqueo gets attacked by the Asians hired by Macbeth. Banquo tell his son to escape.
Banquo is a selfless father. This helps make Banquo's prophecy come true and creates more tension inside the story.
“Thou canst not say I did it; never shake thy gory locks at me!”
Macbeth to Banquo's ghost. Macbeth halicuantes and thinks he sees Banquo's ghost at the Banquet. This shows a bit of guilt from Macbeth. Macbeth reflects on what he did there he can never make up for.
This shows Macbeth's sanity and humainess, which shows the physiological effect he is having after committing these crimes. This is dramatic irony and creates more tension.
“I am in blood stepped in so far that, should I wade no more, returning were as tedious as to go o’er.”
Macbeth talking to Lady Macbeth. Macbeth reflects on his murders and how it was an irreversible act of violence.
The imagery of blood symbolizes guilt and entrapment. Also it shows how going down the path of murder will eventually lead to moral decay, “And you all know security is mortal’s chiefest enemy”
Hecate to the Witches. Hecate chastises the witches and exploits Macbeth's overconfidence.
This brings the theme of overconfidence because Macbeth's fatal flaw foreshadows the start of his downfall. It brings elements of supernatural and suspense to the play.
Act IV
“By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes…”
2nd witch to her witch sisters. The witch is saying that wickedness is coming. Macbeth enters the scene saying he thinks he is evil just like their prophecy said.
The witches are evil, but they can feel that Macbeth is equal to. Macbeth has changed a lot since the beginning of the play.
“Laugh to scorn the power of man, for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth.”
2nd apparition that was summoned by the witches. Macbeth is immoral because he wasn’t born of a woman like everybody else.
Macbeth starts to feel immoral which makes him more cocky and confident. This conflicts with the first apparition he said.
“But I remember now I am in this earthly world, where to harm is often laudable, to do good sometimes accounted dangerous folly.”
Lady Macduff soliloquy responding to the messenger telling her to take her family and leave. She doesn't understand why she has to leave but relents the bad, evil world.
Lady Macduff mentioning the evil world relates to Macbeth being king. Bad people end up on top (Macbeth). This happens in real life today.
“Your castle surprised. Your wife and babes savagely slaughtered.”
Ross speaks to Macduff about how his wife and son died in Scotland.
Macbeth now murders men and women. He doesn't care what he has done, he just cares about being king and staying in power.
“I shall do so [dispute it a man]; but I must also feel it as a man. I cannot remember such things were that were most precious to me…”
Macduff speaks to Malcolm about the death of his family and tells him to stop complaining and actually do something about it.
Macduff wants to feel the loss of his family first then get vengeance on Macbeth. He isn’t some heartless murderer like Macbeth, he has reasoning and would prefer if none of this ever happened.
“Receive what cheer you may. The night is long that never finds the day.”
Malcom is speaking to Macduff about getting revenge on Macbeth for murdering his family.
This night is Macbeth's Evil Reign of Terror. Malcolm and Macduff are the good and the light and Macbeth is the opposite. In order to stop the terror and darkness, they need to get Macbeth off the throne.
Act V
“Out damn spot, out I say . . .who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him?...Here’s the smell of blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand!”
Lady Macbeth soliloquy. Lady Macbeth is sleepwalking and she has blood on her hands. She tries to wash it off but can’t. She is paranoid from the murders.
Lady Macbeth is starting to see things and hallucinates which symbols part of her downfall. She isn’t the same anymore after everything that's happened.
“Unnatural deeds do breed unnatural troubles.”
The doctor is talking to the gent;le women. He tells her that her breakdown is because she knows about the murderers.
Murderiningpeople isn’t natural which is why he has bad mental issues. Macbeth is slowly losing her sanity.
“Those he commands move only in command, nothing in love.”
Angus speaks about Macbeth saying he is a tyrant and the army doesn't even respect him or like him anymore, they just do the bare minimum to fulfill his needs.
Macbeth has gone so far to the point where people don’t even want to call him by his name anymore. He has fallen off.
“I have lived long enough…and that which should accompany old age, as honor, love, obedience, troops of friends, I must not look to have.”
Macbeth soliloquy. Macbeth says his life has been long. He knows he won anything as he ages.
Macbeth being self-aware can reinforce some good and humanine into his character.
“Let every soldier hew him down a bough and bear it before him.”
Malcolm talking to Seeward. He tells him to have soldiers cut down Macbeth and begin a march.
This is a significant part of the story because it leads to Macbeth's death and downfall.
“Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow …Out, out, brief candle. Life is but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and is then heard from no more…Life is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”
Macbeth soliloquy. He found out about his wife's death and is now wondering what it means and what to do with his wife.
Shakespare uses the metaphor of a candle which resembles how fast something could be taken away from you.Just one blow and it is all gone. Macbeth's entire life was just taken away from him and now he doesn't know what to do.
“If thy speech be sooth…I pull in resolution, and begin to doubt the equivocation of the fiend that lies like truth.”
Macbeth to a messenger. He gives him the news that Birnam Wood is approaching Dunsinane. Macbeth is trying to figure out and process this information he was given.
This marks the turnpoint of Macbeth trusting in the supernatural and what the witches had told him. The witches prophecy was once correct but now it is doing the total opposite.
“Despair thy charm. I was from my mother’s womb untimely ripped!”
Macduff speaking to Macbeth. He tells him that his mother gave birth to him via C section (not vaginally) which means that he wasn’t “Born of man”.
This is a major turning point inside the play which shows Macbeth that he is going to die eventually because he is human. The theme of pride is also shown here because we see Macbeth realize that the witches prophecy wasn’t all that ture. There are consequences for your actions.
“I will not yield, to kiss the ground before young Malcolm’s feet.”
Macbeth talking to Macduff. This was before he was killed. He refuses to surrender and fights until the end.
You can see Macbeth's character development from the beginning to the end of the story. Macbeth was once noble and well respected and now he is a villain who won't accept defeat. It shows the transformation of this tragic hero.
“[We will now call] home our exiled friends abroad that fled the snares and watchful tyranny… of this dead butcher and his fiendlike queen.”
Macolm to the Scottish nobles. He is welcoming all the Scottish nobles that left because of Macbeth back into the palace.
This is the resolution of the play. The reign of terror from Macbeth is now over and Malcom has taken over which means there is peace again. There is a metaphor of Macbeth compared to a butcher which shows how much this one noble knight changed throughout the entirety of the play.