Notesale: Turn your study into money

Document Preview

Extracts from the notes are below, to see the PDF you'll receive please use the links above

---

Macbeth Questions

Act I:

Why is it so important that Macbeth should first be presented to us as a brave and honoured
soldier? Consider tragic elements
...
When the witches first exclaim that Macbeth “shalt be king hereafter” (47) Macbeth does not
give into this evil desire and chooses to leave it to chance, so “chance may crown me [him]” (143)
...
However, later on in the play, Macbeth’s fatal flaw
of ambition is displayed which leads to his downfall
...


What is the difference between Macbeth’s and Banquo’s reactions to the witches? How will this
affect the whole play?


The main difference between Macbeth and Banquo’s reactions to the witches prophecies,
is that Macbeth suffered with inner turmoil contemplating the murder of Duncan, while Banquo
did not have inner conflict
...
Macbeth asks Banquo “Do you not hope your children shall be
kings?” (229)
...
This demonstrates that Banquo is not
internally struggling with his morality the same way Macbeth is
...


Can the weird sisters “make” anything happen, or do they merely foresee the future? How do you
know?


The weird sisters cannot “make” anything happen, they can fortune tell and influence the
characters of the play
...
The witches were able to influence Macbeth
to question his morality by influencing him to kill Duncan to take the crown
...
Therefore, the witches
cannot make anything happen because their prophecies were able to influence one character and
not the other; they can merely foresee the future
...
Is Macbeth becoming weaker or stronger in will
and determination? Explain using specific references from both acts we have read so far
...


I do not have you; however, I see you
...


Or is this dagger a hallucination of my mind falsely created from my confused brain

I can see you as well as this dagger I draw

You’re leading me to the place I was already going to, and I was to use such a weapon

My eyes fool me compared to my other senses,

or my sight is the only sense which works

I can see you, but now I can see blood splatted on you which I did not see before

There is no dagger here,

it is the deed that will be done that is making me see one

At this time, half the world sleeps and is tortured by nightmares

The witches celebrate by sacrificing things to their leader, Hectate

Old man murder, alarmed by the wolves, moving quietly like a ghost

Hard floor, do not listen to where my steps take me

I do not want to echo back and break the silence


This silence suits this moment because of the deed I’m about to commit

While I stall and talk to myself, Duncan lives

The more I talk, the more my courage weakens

Analysis:


Macbeth is facing an internal conflict, this is shown through the hallucination of the
dagger
...
Here,
his tragic flaw of ambition is displayed as his determination strengthens to kill Duncan and take
the Scottish throne
...
It also demonstrates the guilt Macbeth feels because he is betraying a
friend for personal gain
...
However, Macbeth
does not leave it to chance to fulfil the prophecies, he takes it upon himself to murder Duncan and
fulfil his legacy
...
This illustrates that Macbeth’s tragic flaw of determination and ambition grows more due
to his desire for the throne
...
Once Macbeth does the deed, Lady Macbeth
exclaims that she “I heard the owl scream and the crickets cry” (666)
...
Macbeth’s internal
disgust with himself also inflicts horror as he taunts himself saying “Macbeth does murder
sleep” (695)
...


Why did Macbeth kill the Grooms? Was it a wise move? Explain
...
It was not a wise move because Macduff then grew suspicious of Macbeth
...
He blamed
the murder of the Grooms on his love for Duncan
...
Macduff finds this suspicious and questions him saying that killing the Grooms “puts
upon them [Macbeth and Lady Macbeth] suspicion of the deed” (980)
...


Act III

For what reasons does Macbeth want Banquo murdered? What reasons does he give the
murderers? What does the conversation with the murderers reveal about Macbeth?


Macbeth wants to kill Banquo because he fears that his prophecy of his kids becoming
king will come true
...
Macbeth is also jealous of Banquo because “his
royalty of nature Reigns that which would be feared” (53)
...
Macbeth struggles with this because he does not carry himself
like a king would due to his downfall in morality
...
The conversation with the murderers displays how he is trying to give the murderers a
good reason to hate Banquo but in reality they would kill anyone if they were paid to do it
...


Do Scenes 1 and 2 taken together indicate that Macbeth has either fallen or risen in moral sense?
Explain
...
In Act I, Macbeth was facing internal conflict on whether to
kill Duncan or not
...
She urges Macbeth that he “must leave this” (1208)
...
However, this was the
point of no return and now Macbeth continues with evil morality by wanting to kill Banquo and
keep his crown
...


Scene 4 is considered by many to be the turning point in the play
...



This is the turning point in the play because it demonstrates how Macbeth has reached the
point of no return
...

Lady Macbeth exclaims that “this is the air-drawn dagger which, you said, led you to
Duncan” (1350)
...





Macbeth no longer needs Lady Macbeth’s involvement and bids her to be “innocent of the
knowledge” of his decision
...
Now the rolls have changed,
and Lady Macbeth’s femininity and emotion is shown again while Macbeth lacks emotion and
morality when he wants to kill Banquo
...
This will affect their relationship because now they are not a team
anymore, Lady Macbeth is changing and becoming more aware of the deterioration of morality
while Macbeth continues the downwards spiral
...
This demonstrates how the evil deeds are not done because he must
kill Banquo to stop his sons from claiming the throne; however, Lady Macbeth feels like after
murdering Duncan the evil should stop
...


Act IV

What are the three new prophecies the witches make to Macbeth? Which seems the most
immediately dangerous? What effects do the witches enchantments have upon Macbeth’s
morals?


The first prophecy is to beware of Macduff, the second is that no man born of a woman
can kill Macbeth and the third was that Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane Hill but he will not be
conquered
...
The witches prophecies make Macbeth believe he is safe
due to the second prophecy
...
This is a tragic flaw
because he will not worry about being overthrown due to the prophecies
...


What further moral degeneration does Macbeth show at the end of Scene 2? How is it symbolic?


Macbeth’s moral degeneration is shown more by the end of Scene 2 because he murders
Macduff’s family
...
This demonstrates how Macbeth is now
going after the purely innocent, such as children, in order to keep his throne
...
In Act I, Macbeth struggled to kill
Duncan, but now Macbeth wants to be invincible by keeping the crown and he does this by killing
Macduff’s innocent family
...


In Scene 3, why does Malcom misrepresent his own character to Macduff? How does Macduff’s
reaction as well as his horrible personal news set him up as a foil?


Malcom wants to misrepresent his character to Macduff to test his loyalty
...
For instance, Duncan mistrusted Macbeth and ended up
dead
...
Macduff still stays loyal to Malcom which makes them continue in their plan to
overthrow Macbeth
...
Macduff portrays grief and sadness for the death of his family
setting him up as a foil to Macbeth who feels lack of emotion due to his tyranny
...
When
he finds out about her death he explains that “she should have died hereafter” (17)
...
This demonstrates how his position as King has
made him a tyrant and desensitised to grief
...
Contrastingly, Macbeth felt little tried and barely
talks about it, he then moves on and talks about Birnam showing how he cares more about
keeping his crown then his wife’s death
...
Where does he show false
bravery which masks the underlying fear? Where does he reveal dependence upon the witches
prophecies? Where does he reveal the sense of betrayal by the witches? Where does he reveal
his horrified realisation of his misspent life?


Macbeth’s final mental state is consisting of fear as he figures out that the witches
prophecies will not guard him anymore
...
His dependence on the prophecies is then betrayed when Macduff explains that he
was “untimely ripp’d" (16) from his mothers womb
...
His fear is shown when he states that he will “not fight with thee” (22) because of his
lack of confidence in himself
...

This demonstrates that Macbeth realised he has misspent his life by following the witches
misleading prophecies
...
This demonstrates his strength and ambition as a
king
...
Macbeth was power hungry and ambitious enough to kill Duncan and claim the crown
...
Moreover, his strength and ambition is
shown in Scene 8 when he states that he will not yield to Malcom
...






Definitions Macbeth

• Antagonist

• The villain or character which opposes the protagonist, is portrayed as the enemy

• Example: Macbeth is his own worst enemy because he believes the witches prophecies

• Aside

• A passage meant to be heard by the audience but not the other characters in the play

• Example: When Macbeth hears that he may have a chance to be King due to the witches
prophecy he states “[Aside] If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me,


Without my stir
...

• Catastrophe

• The final action which completes the unravelling of the plot, most often in a classical tragedy

• Example: Macduff enters with Macbeth’s head proving that Macbeth is dead and Malcolm is
the new King of Scotland
...
He says he is “sick at heart” because of the
inner turmoil he faces due to lack of faith in the witches prophecies
...

This is the climax of the play because Lady Macbeth wanted the evil deeds to be done after
the murder of Duncan, but the murder of Banquo demonstrates that the murder of Duncan
was the point of no return and he has become a tyrannical leader
...
He states that
he is the “porter of hell-gate” (2), this comical statement parallels a more sinister one
...


• Complication

• An intensification of the conflict in a play which builds up and accumulates into the central
conflict

• Example: The conflict intensifies as Macbeth falls to his doom because he becomes
comfortable and believes that no man born of a woman can kill him including Macduff
...


• Denouement

• The final part of a play where all the strands of the plot and conflict are drawn together and
are all matters are resolved or explained

• Example: The denouement is when the audience realises that the prophecies were just to
make Macbeth comfortable inevitably leading to his downfall
...


• Deus ex Machina

• An unexpected event saving something in a hopeless situation, often used as a plot device
in a play

• Example: Macduff is able to win against Macbeth due to the turn of events of not being born
by a woman
...


• Dramatic monologue

• A poetic speech or narrative by a character which reveals aspects of the character while
describing an event

• Example: In Act II, the dagger monologue demonstrates Macbeth’s decision to murder
Duncan and his internal conflict between good and evil
...
We also learn of the relationship between Macbeth and Duncan which
becomes important in Act II
...


• Foil

• When one character contrasts another character

• Example: Macbeth and Duncan foil because Duncan had a military who was loyal to him out
of love, while Macbeth had a military who was loyal to him because they were commanded
...


• Metaphor

• Figure of speech where a phrase is applies to na object or action which is not realistic or
applicable

• Example: In Act III, Scene 4, Macbeth states “there the grown serpent lies; the worm that’s
fled” (32) comparing Banquo to a serpent because he made the mistake of trusting him and
his son Fleance a worm because he hides until he can emerge in the right circumstances
...


• Protagonist

• The central character of a play, story or narrative and is often portrayed as the hero or “good
guy”

• Example: Macduff is the hero for killing the tyrannical Macbeth
...


• Resolution

• The unfolding of a complicated conflict or event during a narrative or play

• Example: Malcolm becomes king of Scotland in Act V, Scene 8
...



• Rising Action

• Plot of series of events in which an increase of intensity and suspense occurs which leads to
the main conflict or climax

• Example: The rising action was in Act II when Duncan is killed, making Macbeth an evil
tyrannical king
...
The lightheartedness of the witches dancing creates humour even though they are
criticising Macbeth for being too comfortable because it will lead to his downfall
...


• Subplot

• A subordinate plot

• Example: The subplot of Macbeth is when Macbeth kills Banquo and attempts to kill his son
...


• Tragedy

• A branch of drama which contains a series of unfortunate and sorrowful events encountered
or caused by a heroic character

• Example: Macbeth is a tragedy because it is set in the unfortunate event of wartime as well
as the deaths of the tragic hero, Macbeth, and the deaths of Banquo and Duncan
...


• Tragic flaw

• A trait of a character which leads to his or her downfall, this is often a hero

• Example: The tragic flaw of Macbeth was that he believed the witches prophecies and
became too comfortable leading to his downfall
...


• Understatement

• A figure of speech where a writer makes an event or situation seem less serious than it really
is

• Example: “Twas a rough night" (II
...
61)” Says Macbeth after murdering Duncan

---