Macbeth - By Shapkespeare

Macbeth - Characters and Themes Two mind maps in separate pages.

Edited at 2021-06-05 20:01:23

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Macbeth - By Shapkespeare
Macbeth - Characters and Themes Two mind maps in separate pages.
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Macbeth - By Shapkespeare

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Themes

Ambition

In 'Macbeth', we find that Macbeth greatest weakness is ambition. Macbeth acknowledges this specifically when he is attempting to resists the murder of King Duncan. Although the influence of Lady Macbeth and The Witches is strong, their power over Macbeth is only possible because the ambition is already there.

"I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but onlyVaulting ambition" - Macbeth

Macbeth here has given reasons for and against killing Duncan, and even though he finds may reasons against killing him (Duncan is a good king, people may find out he killed him, Duncan always rewarded those worthy of praise and that he was nothing but nice and kind to Macbeth). He only could find 2 reasons to kill him, that is for his Vaulting Ambition and for him to become King.

Macbeth

"Thou wouldst be great art not without ambition, but withoutthe illness should attend it"

Lady Macbeth here reflects on her husband's character, she knows that Macbeth is capable of ambitious dreams but thinks that he is too ruthless to achieve those dreams. These lines reflect Lady Macbeth’s own philosophy of power, in which only individuals who are willing to set their morality aside will rise to greatness.

Lady Macbeth

Supernatural/Witchcraft

During Shakespeare's time, witchcraft was a major issue, many were believed to be witches and if people thought you were, you would have been given a death sentence (eg. getting burned at the stake). So therefore when Macbeth meets the witches and not only thinks nothing of them but is also surprised, intrigued and wants to hear more: 'SPEAK I CHARGE THEE' one already starts to question what Macbeth is up to. Later on we then see Lady Macbeth calling on 'dark forces' which in reality are demonic spirits to possess her mind and body so that all human pity can be removed from her and so that she may overrule her Husband

"In thunder, lightning, or in rain?" "There to meet Macbeth" - x3 witches

This quote may go to show that it's the witches/the supernatural control the weather, and that they already know that they will meet Macbeth to give him the three prophesies.

Hecate

x3 Witches

"Is this a dagger I see before me?" - Macbeth

Macbeth starts to get delusional, in fact before murdering Duncan he hallucinates seeing a dagger that is pointing to King Duncan's room, he also hears a bell and 'see' Banquo's ghost at dinner after being told that he has been murdered as ordered.

Macbeth

“Come you spirits, That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here.” - Lady Macbeth

Lady Macbeth asks / calls on the power of the supernatural to be able to not only have power over her husband but in order to also lose her femininity

Lady Macbeth

Kingship

The theme of kingship is important and the play presents examples of good and bad rule in the form of Duncan and Macbeth. Duncan is presented as a just and fair king. He rewards his men with honours and makes Macbeth Thane of Cawdor.

"What he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won". - King Duncan

King Duncan had just ordered for the ex-Thane of Cawdor to be executed and has promoted Macbeth in his place for the bravery he had shown whilst in battle against Macdonalwald (in the civil war) and against the ex-Thane of Cawdor who attempted to help the Norwegian King invade Scotland

King Duncan

"The gracious Duncan was pitied by Macbeth" - Lennox

Lennox accuses Macbeth from killing King Duncan and Banquo, there by showing that not only did he have to kill King Duncan to achieve becoming king, but after becoming king he also killed Banquo as he was present when the witches gave Macbeth the 3 prophecies. In this scene, Lennox uses sarcasm whilst speaking about Macbeth 'grieving' King Duncan.

Macbeth

Appearance vs. Reality

"Fair is foul, and foul is fair"

What is seems good is bad and what seems bad is good

Hecate

x3 witches

“False face must hide what the false heart doth know”.

Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth this when King Duncan goes over for dinner, meaning that Macbeth must pretend to be the loyal subject of Duncan while knowing he is going to betray him by murdering him later in the night

Macbeth

Lady Macbeth

Disorder

“fair is foul and foul is fair”

This quote is one of the first said, by the 3 witches this establishes the theme of disorder in the play – nothing is what it seems and chaos is coming.

Hecate

x3 Witches

"tis unnatural, even like the deed that's done"

Lennox talks about an unruly night while the king was killed – storms, earthquakes – and this symbolises how the natural world responds to Duncan’s death.Ross and an old man talk about disorder and refer to the king’s horses eating each other. - this is symoblic as horses don't eat each other and hence goes to show that King Duncan's Death was in fact an unnatural thing.

old man - Act 2 Sc 4