Macbeth

Macbeth

Characterisation

“When the battle’s lost and won”

• The witches are the personification of evil in the play.

• The reference to Macbeth makes us wonder what his relationship to evil is.

• There is a reference to a battle which suggests the theme of the play is the battle between good and evil.

“brave Macbeth-well does he deserve that name.”

• The praise of the “bloody captain” suggests good qualities in Macbeth.

• Macbeth is established as a courageous, loyal soldier.

• However, there is a suggestion that Macbeth may be bloodthirsty in battle.

• The issue of loyalty and treason is introduced to the theme of the battle between good and evil.

“So foul and fair a day I have not seen”

• Macbeth’s use of similar language to the witches suggests he truly may be linked to them in evil.

• The language is ambiguous suggesting that evil is duplicitous and creates chaos and upheaval.

“Stay, you imperfect speakers. Tell me more”

• Macbeth’s ambition is stirred by the witches words.

• This effectively suggests it is not a virtue but a flaw in Macbeth’s character.

• His desire to listen further to the witches links him with evil.

“upon this bank and shoal of time,/We’d jump the life to come”

In the opening soliloquy, Macbeth gives various reasons why he should not kill Duncan

He is willing to trade heaven for the title, King.The reference to the afterlife shows Macbeth is

aware of the moral implications of regicide. It also refers to the theme of good and evil.

This effectively establishes that killing Duncan would be an act of evil

“I have bought/Golden opinions from all sorts of people, which should be worn

now in their newest gloss.

• Macbeth explains why he should not kill Duncan to Lady Macbeth.

• Clothing imagery is used to show he is in his rightful place.

• This effectively suggests that Macbeth becoming king, through regicide, would be unnatural.

• A further reference to the theme of the battle between good and evil.

“Have pluck’d my nipple from his boneless gums/And dashed the brains out”

• Lady Macbeth would do this rather than break a promise.

• She reminds us of the witches .• This links Lady Macbeth to the witches and

evil.• This effectively reinforces that regicide would

be the triumph of evil.

The Dagger Scene, Act 2 scene 2

• The questions show Macbeth’s indecision.• Ambiguous role of evil.• Macbeth is fully aware of the evil he will

unleash when he murders Duncan.• At the end he seems fully determined to kill

Duncan.

“I could not say ‘Amen’/When they did say ‘God bless us”

• This suggests that Macbeth has damned himself.

• The inability to pray effectively shows that Macbeth progressed in evil as soon as he committed regicide.

• The tone used by Macbeth carries a suggestion of loss and some regret.

“Some say the earth/Was feverous and did shake.”

• The evil unleashed by Duncan’s murder has spread throughout Scotland.

• This effectively shows that regicide is a crime against the God-created order. This is first seen in the natural world.

• The theme, the battle between good and evil, shows that evil has triumphed.

“Lest our old robes sit easier than our new”

• Clothing imagery is used to show that Duncan’s sons, not Macbeth are his rightful heir.

• This reinforces that regicide has disturbed the rightful order.

• This effectively reinforces the theme, the battle between good and evil.

“Know, that it was he in the times past which held you so under fortune, which

you thought had been our innocent self.”• Appearance and reality is used to show Macbeth’s

further progress in evil. He dissembles easily.• Macbeth has further progressed in evil shown by

the ease with which he plots the murder of Banquo and Fleance.

• “under fortune” suggests that Macbeth’s reign is a difficult and oppressive one.

• This links tyranny with evil.

“O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife!”

• Scorpions are linked with dark and evil things in the play.• The use of word choice,“full” suggests Macbeth’s

thoughts are consumed with evil.• The use of the exclamation mark suggests some anguish

on Macbeth’s part which is part of what makes him a tragic hero.

• This effectively shows that murder and tyranny is making Macbeth progress even further in evil.

• This further develops the play’s theme, the battle between good and evil.

“Thou canst not say I did it;never shake/Thy gory locks at me!”

Macbeth’s conscience is troubled as he is haunted by Banquo’s ghost.

The exclamation mark suggests distress.As in the Dagger scene, the supernatural has an

ambiguous attitude towards Macbeth.These factors together add to Macbeth’s

characterisation as a tragic hero despite being a murderous despot.

“I will tomorrow –and betimes I will-to the weird sisters”

• Macbeth decides to seek out the witches.• This shows a further progression in evil as he

willingly turns to the personification of evil.• Macbeth is deluded into thinking he can

control the witches.• This delusion contributes to his

characterisation as a tragic hero.

“From this moment/The very firstlings of my heart shall be /The firstlings of my hand.

• Macbeth assertion shows that he is growing more comfortable with committing evil deeds.

• This suggests he has progressed even further in evil.

• Evil seems to be triumphing.

“Those he commands, move only in command.”

• Macbeth continues to be a tyrant.• The link between tyranny and evil continues

throughout the play.• This is effective as it shows Macbeth is

becoming even more of a tyrant which suggests he is continuing to progress further in evil.

“his title/Hang loose about him, like a giant’s robe/Upon a dwarfish thief.”

• Clothing imagery is developed to indicate Macbeth is a usurper to the throne.

• The contrast between “giant” and “thief” emphasises that Macbeth is not the rightful king.

• The use of word choice, “thief” reminds us that Macbeth committed regicide to become king.

• This effectively conveys how little Macbeth deserves to be king.

“I have supp’d full with horrors;/Direness familiar to my slaughterous thoughts.”

• Macbeth is aware of the person he has become.• The metaphor compares his evil deeds to an over

indulgence of food and drink.• This effectively suggests a huge quantity of evil deeds.• The use of word choice, “horrors”, “Direness” and

“slaughterous” suggests the blackest deeds of evil.• The tone is mournful, regretful.• The use of these techniques conveys Macbeth to us as

a tragic hero.

Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player/That struts and frets his hour upon the stage”

• Acting imagery is used to show Macbeth’s sense of the futility of his life.

• The use of word choice, “shadow” suggests a sense of insignificance. This is further developed by the use of “struts and frets” which conveys the idea of unnecessary anxiety.

• This effectively shows that Macbeth questions what he has achieved by resorting to evil and promotes the characterisation of Macbeth as a tragic hero.

“Blow wind, come wrack;/At least we’ll die with harness on our back”

• Macbeth is purposeful and resolved. He is, once more, the valiant soldier he had been.

• The use of commands,”Blow wind, come wrack” suggests his determination.

• The armour metaphor conveys his determination to fight to the end.

• This effectively develops Macbeth as a tragic hero as we see, once more, the brave soldier despite his being out-numbered.

They have tied me to a stake;I cannot fly,/But bear-like I must fight the course”

• Macbeth knows he is outnumbered.• The bear-baiting simile emphasises his

hopeless situation.• Macbeth is a tragic hero as he is determined

to fight to the end.

“Why should I play the Roman fool and die/On mine own sword?

• The use of acting imagery conveys Macbeth’s determination to fight on.

• The reference to a “Sword” reminds us of the theme, the battle between good and evil.

• The rhetorical question suggests Macbeth refused to even countenance suicide as an escape.

• This effectively emphasises Macbeth as a tragic hero.

“Of this dead butcher and his fiend-like queen.”

• Malcolm gives this verdict on the deposed and dead Macbeth.

• The use of word choice, “butcher” reminds us of Macbeth’s bloodthirsty, evil deeds and reign.

• “fiend-like” reminds us of Macbeth’s link to the witches and evil.

• However, the soliloquies and the characterisation of Macbeth as a tragic hero prevents us from fully agreeing with Malcolm.