MACBETH SLICED in QUOTES LEARN KEY QUOTES KNOW

MACBETH SLICED in QUOTES LEARN KEY QUOTES KNOW: Structure, Language, Ideas, Context, Effects on Reader

Act 1 Scene 1 The Witches Ideas Structure Language Context Fair is foul, and foul is fair: Hover through the fog and filthy air. Effects / Explore

Language: repeated fricatives give menacing feel. Oxymoron implies the world has turned upside down (‘topsyturvy’). Pathetic Fallacy. Ideas: theme of the SUPERNATURAL is introduced here. Audience will expect ‘unnatural’ events. Unusually, we don’t meet the hero (? ) Macbeth in the opening scene – is he in the plot with the witches? Act 1 Scene 1 The Witches Structure: Rhyming couplet gives resolution to the scene plus adds sense of casting spells / witchcraft. Shakespeare uses DIFFERENT METRE (rhythm) for the witches: it’s not iambic (stressed then unstressed) but trochaic instead (unstressed then stressed) Fair is foul, and foul is fair: Hover through the fog and filthy air. Effects / Explore: the scene uses narrative enigma to keep audience confused and questioning: is Macbeth evil? What are the witches plotting? Context: Shakespeare uses popular beliefs about witches. 1604 law passed making witchcraft punishable by death under King James. People believed witches servants of the devil.

Quick Slice of Learning: Macbeth & Metre – Trochaic tetrameter is a rapid meter of poetry consisting of four feet of trochees. A trochee is made up of followed by one stressed syllable and one unstressed syllable: DAdum / DAdum. (8 syllables in total) – The witches in Macbeth speak in incomplete trochaic tetrameter (7 syllables instead of 8). Shakespeare uses this to show they are different / not ‘normal’ as a trochaic metre is the opposite of an iambic metre (and most of the play is iambic) – Most of the play is iambic pentameter: five feet of iambs with an unstressed syllable then a stressed syllable: IAMBIC de. DUM / de. DUM (10 syllables)

Act 1 Scene 2 Army Camp Ideas Structure Language Context King Duncan: “What he hath lost noble Macbeth hath won” Effects / Explore

Ideas: King Duncan is referring to the old Thane of Cawdor being a traitor and that he is about to give the title to Macbeth instead (due to his ‘brave’ actions fighting the Norwegians). Introduces theme of APPEARANCE Vs REALITY (whether you can trust what’s on the surface) Act 1 Scene 2 Army Camp Structure: use of repetition to structure the line gives a sense of inevitability which links to theme of FATE suggesting it’s Macbeth’s fate to be a great nobleman and have social status under King Duncan Language: the play uses a lexical (semantic) field of winning and losing which are also opposites. This hints that fortunes / FATE may change suddenly. The words also echo the witches, suggesting that they predicted this would happen (prophecy) King Duncan: “What he hath lost noble Macbeth hath won” Effects / Explore: the audience see Macbeth as a good soldier and loyal to the King in this scene. It makes it more shocking later when he thinks about killing Duncan Context: the King is the most important person on Earth under God. Society at the time believed in ‘THE GREAT CHAIN OF BEING’ - everything had a place / a hierarchy of status. Even heaven had a hierarchy with god ruling over different groups of archangels & angels. On Earth, it was Kings, churchmen, nobles, merchants then peasants.

Act 1 Scene 3: a heath. Language Structure Links back to the words of the witches. Repetition. Alliteration emphasised the connection between foul and fair. Could be linked to Macbeth’s connection with the witches. Idea The inseparable nature of Macbeth and the forces of darkness. Macbeth’s first words in the play: “So foul and fair a day I have not seen” Effects / Explore Immediate link between Macbeth and the witches Introduction of theme of paradox two conflicting ideas are expressed in the same sentence and this exactly the same as the situations Macbeth will be confronted with throughout the play e. g the foul actions Macbeth commits in order to reach fair ends. Context Shkp as a writer: creating the tone of darkness. Fate vs Free Will – is Macbeth in charge of his destiny? Theme: Supernatural

Act 1 Scene 4: King Duncan’s Castle Structure Rhyme and enjambment of ‘fires’ and ‘desires’ connects his thoughts and actions. Language Personification of stars Sibilance of S emphasises the heinous nature of regicide ‘Deep’ suggests the extent of his ambitions and yet ‘black’ does suggest he has a conscience – he knows it is wrong. MACBETH: [Aside] Stars, hide your fires; Let not light see my black and deep desires Ideas The contrast between action and tbought. Is it worse to know something is wrong and do it anyway? Context Fate vs Free Will References to ‘stars’ as the controller of fate – an Elizabethean belief. Modern day audiences respond differently Effects / Explore This explores whether we should let fate control our destiny or whether our ambition should take over. Or, is our ambition our fate? ‘black and deep’ shows Macbeth is already concerned by is thoughts. It also explores the contrast between our thoughts and our outwardly behaviour. As M contemplates his fate, his couplets foreground the cosmology of the play – heaven (desires) and hell (fires). This recurs throughout the play. Theme: Ambition, Fate/Free. Will,

Act 1 Scene 5 Macbeth’s Castle Structure: This is a soliloquy so we get an insight into her. Previously, there has been little mention of a wife and immediately we get this shocking insight. Language: ‘milk’ is an interesting choice. 1) it is a source of life for babies and her distaste is obvious – is her behaviour as unnatural as infanticide? It also implies the weakness of milk itself, that something that sustains life is weak could be linked to her murderous intentions. Personification of his ‘nature’ as too gentle for ambition. Milk is metaphorical for the stereotypical feminine nurture and kindness. Lady Macbeth (after reading the letter): …yet do I fear thy nature; It is too full o' the milk of human kindness To catch the nearest way Effects / Explore ‘Milk’ may also show she feels Macbeth needs to be nurtured to commit regicide. It also has connotations of innocence. It contrasts with the ‘dark’ desires he has in Act 1 Scene 3. What does it mean to be a ‘man’? Ideas Nature Gender roles Ambition Power and influence Context Women were expected to follow mens’ wishes but here Lady Macbeth is the opposite of what was normal and expected. This role reversal could surprise an Elizabethan audience – her unnatural behaviour supports this response. Theme: Ambition, Power, Corruption

Act 1 Scene 7: Macbeth decides Structure Macbeth moves from not wanting to kill Duncan to deciding to. Monosyllabic – creates a sense of certainty in his decision. The final line is decisive. Regular verse adds a sense of stability. Language Antithesis between ‘hide’ and ’show’ shows how appearances and reality are interlinked but also separate entities which we can control. Alliteration of ‘f’ sounds – it becomes almost mechanical, as though it in itself is not genuine. Ideas Appearance vs reality Macbeth: “We will proceed no further in this business” Then (after persuasion by Lady M): “False face must hide what the false heart doth know” Effects / Explore. Lady M has worked hard to get M to agree to kill Duncan. M now completely over turns his first decision. Is Macbeth absolutely sure? Context. Gender roles are again challenged throughout this.

Act 2 Scene 1: Macbeth outside King’s chamber Structure Opening line has feminine ending, reinforcing M’s uncertainty at what he is seeing. Second line has trochaic inversion with caesura. It sandwiches two stresses around the end of the sentence Language Foreshadowing the bloody end to M’s own life as a result of his actions. Rhetorical Q further emphasises the exploration of appearances vs reality. ‘come’ is a command word, almost transferring the blame for the upcoming murder to the dagger itself. Macbeth: Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee. Ideas Appearances vs reality Context A dagger would be a regularly used implement in battle. Effects / Explore Shkp presents a psychological insight to a man on the brink of regicide. The direction of the dagger is almost tempting M into ‘clutching’ it. This could be symbolic of the temptation he has to commit the act, that Duncan is a metaphorical sword, in the easiest place for M to strike.

Act 2 Scene 2: after the killing Structure Stark syllabic difference in this quote. From multi to mono, which is reflective of his unbalanced mental state. Ideas Madness/sanity Illusions Language ‘blood’ is symbolic of his guilt ‘incarnadine’ C 16 meaning ‘pink’ – the Latin foot ‘carn’ refers to flesh. He realises that blood can be washed but the guilt cannot. ‘multitudinous’ refers to many seas around the Globe. Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood Clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather The multitudinous seas incarnadine, Making the green one red. Effects / Explore The person who is knocking is actually Macduff, who eventually goes on to destroy Macbeth. Context The technique of not letting us ‘see’ the murder may be borrowed from the ancient Greek tragedies of Aeschylus and Sophocles. They are kept off stage to make them more terrible through the power of suggestion ‘Neptune’ is the god of the Sea.

Act 2 Scene 3: Macduff, Malcolm and Donalbain Ideas Structure Epizeuxis of ‘horror’ – MCD is stupefied by the horror Language ‘tongue’ shows that the events are too shocking to name or talk about and ‘heart’ shows the emotional reaction to Duncan’s murder. The difference between terror and horror. Macduff: O horror, horror! Tongue nor heart Cannot conceive nor name thee! Effects / Explore The witches claim to perform ‘a deed without a name’ which unsettles our faith in the unknown (ie something we can’t name). The sense that the most terrifying aspects of existence transcend language. Context. A modern audience might view women as stereotypically emotional, but hundreds of years ago, it was almost the opposite. Men were the emotional ones, and women were thought to be too flighty to have real emotions, except for towards their children.

Act 2 Scene 4: Ross and an ‘old man’ outside castle Structure. This scene serves to connect what has gone on with the next act. It is a brief pause to postulate on the order in humanity. Ideas Nature The chain of being Language Rich symbolism here: the owl killing the falcon mimics Macbeth’s soaring ambition. A falcon’s pride of place is its highest point of flight. An owl usually goes down to kill, but in this case, has gone up, signifying how unnatural MCB’s behaviour is. A falcon is also a day creature, and a royal companion whereas an owl is deathly. Old Man: 'Tis unnatural…On Tuesday last, A falcon, towering in her pride of place, Was by a mousing owl hawk'd at and kill'd Effects / Explore Like those who sought to crucify Christ, M and LM are relegated to mere player status – they become, briefly, instruments whose crime against all of humanity has surpassed their collective motive of ambition. Through them, Evil has been unleashed and it has destroyed God’s beloved. Context An owl at this time was intertwined with darker imagery and death, stemming from Norse legends. The disruption of the ecological pyramid, the food chain, is used as a microcosm of the disruption that is occuring to the natural divine law of the monarchy. There is also a biblical link – a divinely appointed monarch has been assassinated and it is so calamitous that the natural order has been disrupted – this is reminiscent of events following the death of Christ.

Act 3 Scene 1: Macbeth’s Palace Structure At the end of this speech, Banquo tells himself to ‘hush’. This enables the audience to gain an insight. Language ‘it’ meaning M’s desire for power or the crown. ‘king, Cawdor, Glamis’ – tricolon listing M’s titles almost formulaic – like the way M talks about murdering D. Unnatural. Banquo: Thou hast it now: king, Cawdor, Glamis, all, As the weird women promised, and, I fear, Thou play'dst most foully for't: Effects / Explore ‘foully’ – foul crops up again as a recurring motif throughout the play. Banquo is deceiving MB about his true thoughts. Instead he postulates on the actions of MB rather than rushing to the treachery that has occurred. Ideas Ambition Deceit Corruption Context Fate vs free will. Banquo could be considering the same things we are thinking. If the Witches predict the event, MB as King, but they do not predict the means.

Act 3 Scene 2: Macbeth’s Palace Structure ‘spent/content’ Rhyme here links the idea that if we get what we want, but we are not happy with it, we don’t have it. The second rhyme pushes this deeper, where LM goes as far as to say she’s rather be dead. Ideas Madness Ambition Language Oxymoron: doubtful joy – shows how conflicted she is as a result of her actions. Naught/All contrast – the line becomes a lamentation rather than a generalisation. Lady M: 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 Context The word ‘doubt’ often mean suspicion or fear in this time. Effects / Explore LM’s language now contrasts with M’s. In the previous scene, M’s langauge is more like hers was – he emasculates the soldiers to anger them into killing for him where as LM has now become the weak, disturbed character

Act 3 Scene 4: the Feast & Banquo’s Ghost Structure Shortly before this, stage directions tell us that B’s ghost enters. However, we are unsure if it is real or not but we know that M can see it. Language Use of pronoun ‘I’ – M believes he cannot be guilty as he used killers to murder Banquo. Blood symbolism is used again to show the emotional progression of characters. Macbeth: Thou canst not say I did it: never shake Thy gory locks at me Ideas Supernatural Reality/Appearances Context In the context of playwright, this quotation and the earlier stage directions allow for the visual dramatisation of the workings of M’s mind. Effects / Explore Macbeth is hallucinating – are hallucinations just our mind? This part of speech signifies the collapse of the dinner party which is, in itself, metaphorical of M’s internal psychological collapse. Equally, it could be argued that the collapse of the social aspect of the party symbolises that M has broken societal rules in his regicide.

Act 4 Scene 1: a cavern (witches) Language Structure Rhyme of ‘thumbs’ and ‘comes’ – their words continue to be lyrical. ‘thing’ - M is no longer a human person. This line also shows the witches’ prophetic ability – they know he is coming ‘wicked’ could be referring to the acts he has commited by killing B’s family – the witches know he is evil. They are complicit in this, though, having created the circumstances for his evil to out. Second Witch: By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes. Effects / Explore Who is in control here? The witches previously summoned M but now he goes to them. Are their prophecies just exposing his flaws, or are they controlling them? Ideas The supernatural Fate vs free will Context It was customary to fold the thumb into the palm of the hand as a precaution against the supernatural. Ovid’s Fasti makes reference to this. This also appeals to King James, who Shkp will have wanted to please – KJ was superstitious and so the witches behave in a stereotypical way.

Act 4 Scene 2: Macduff’s Castle Structure The child is killed before the mother, further going against the natural order of the world. Is it more shocking that the mother must witness the child’s death before her own? Ideas Ambition Innocence Language ‘mother’ reinforces the horror of M’s actionns and again we see terror Macduff’s Son: He has kill'd me, mother: Run away, I pray you!. . . Effects / Explore This is the point where M crosses from a challenge to the throne, which some could argue a king should expect, to moving to killing the entirely innocent. If we weren’t shocked before, we are now. Context SHKP’s use of child characters has been criticised as precocious and pathetic. Is the child’s fear justified here?

Act 4 Scene 3: England – Malcolm & Macduff then Ross brings latest news of Scotland Structure It is important that we find out MCD’s intentions after the witches’ prophecies about him Language ‘Heaven’ has obvious biblical links. If MCB is Lucifer, Satan, what is MCD? The theme of heaven over looking the Earth runs throughout this scene with MCD and he also believes his sin has caused his family’s deaths. Macduff: O I could play the woman…Bring thou this fiend of Scotland myself; Within my sword's length set him; if he 'scape, Heaven forgive him too! Ideas Gender roles Context Views on gender would vary between a modern and older audience. We may challenge the stereotypical notions of manhood, but what’s interesting is that SHKP himself does this through MCD. Maybe it isn’t such a modern issue? Effects / Explore MCD is a man of little words, saying little but committing to swift and decisive action. MCD says he could act like a female or he could act – what does this show about the role of gender? Equally, given MB and LMB’s focus on being a ‘man’, what could this show about how we should interpret what it means to be a ‘man’. He also says he ‘must feel it like a man’. He decides to kill MB – is it ever OK to take a life?

Act 5 Scene 1: Lady Macbeth sleepwalking scene Structure Earlier in the play, LMB says ‘a little water clears us’ but now it does not. This structure and link makes her descent towards madness even more shocking and apparent. She also does not speak in verse and not in iambic pentamenter which reflects her lack of control over basic actions such as speech. Language ‘spot’ – the imaginary blood on LMB’s hands Repetition (diacope) of ‘out’ ‘spot’ – the motif of blood occurs again and symbolises her guilt. ‘murky’ has connotations of darkness and sorrow, suggesting that LMB is already well acquiatined with the darkness of hell. Lady Macbeth: Out, damned spot! out, I say!--One: two: why, then, 'tis time to do't. --Hell is murky! Ideas Madness Ambition Context ‘hell’ has clear biblical links – but is this simply saying that sin ends in hell? Effects / Explore This is the culmination of many aspects of the play. From the recurrence of blood as a motif, to the links to previous references to washing blood and water, the sleep walking Lady Macbeth is a shadow of her former self. Given the recurrence of blood, we sense it was inevitable. Does this show that sin will always end in madness, or does one have to be mad ton begin with to commit a sin?

Act 5 Scene 3: Macbeth hears of the English Army Ideas Fate vs Free Will Structure Language Appearances and The Dramatic Irony ‘let them fly’ shows that MB is aware reality continues across the play – that his men are now marching against Loyalty we know why MCB has him. He believes those Context such brazen confidence. M’s words in this scene remind us of the essential theatricality of the action – that the lengthy soliloquies, off stage deaths and poetic speeches Macbeth: are not meant to capture reality but Bring me no more reports; let them fly all: to reinterpret it in order to evoke a certain emotional response from the Till Birnam wood remove to Dunsinane, audience. ‘The Divine Right of I cannot taint with fear. Kings is a politicla and relgious doctrine of absolutism, deriving a king; s right to rule directly from the Effects / Explore will of God. This also implies that Macbeth’s confidence in the witches; prophecy gives him a attempts to despose a king run false confidence here. contrary to the will of God. In this We also consider how a prophecy from the Witches can be sense, we question whether MCD’s both true and false; were they ever accurate prophecies or plans are ethically valid. did they just encourage what was already within MCB.

Act 5 Scene 5: Macbeth learns of Lady M’s death Structure L 1 is rhythmic because of it’s repetition – the repetition sounds childlike. It could also sound compulsive, like M’s growing madness. The pace of the line could also show that M is searching for meaning. L 2 syllable and time are linked metrically by stresses Ideas Time Fate Language Episeuxis = to-morrow – the structural repetition mimics the way M is saying that days blend into one another; it is as repetitive as he feels time and life is now that he has lost his wife and his dreams of power. The word ‘syllable’ shows M is linking the fallibility of language with the tedium of time. ‘fool’ is a metaphor of the fool as a stand in for all humanity and our ‘yesterdays’ are what lead us to our deaths Macbeth: To-morrow, and to-morrow, Creeps in this petty pace from day to day To the last syllable of recorded time, And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death Effects / Explore M is lamenting that each day creeps by like all others now that his wife has died. He goes on to question life itself – we see a shell of his former self. Is life only worth living if we have what we truly desire? Context ‘Dust’ has biblical undertones, referring to the storms of sands and dusts taken by Eastern travellers which were often deadly.

Act 5 Scene 8: Macduff appears with Macbeth’s head and Malcolm takes his rightful place as King of Scotland Structure The final line here provides a clear summary of the feelings both the audience and the characters have. Language M is the ‘dead butcher’ as he has murdered so many to feed his ambition. ‘grace of Grace’ also directly contrasts with M’s language throughout the play which is often dark, supernatural and deadly. ‘crown’d’ now sees the rightful King take his place, and natural order is now restored to the world. Malcolm’s closing speech describes “this dead butcher and his fiend-like queen” Last lines: So, thanks to all at once and to each one, Whom we invite to see us crown'd at Scone Effects / Explore What is this a play about? Ideas Natural Order Consequences Context ‘Grace’ has clear biblical links and cements the idea that Jacobeans would believe him to be an excellent King because of Christian nature