macbeth 1

• Macbeth's reputation precedes him, this establishes him as a respected figure to emphasize his fall from grace - a key aspect of a dramatic tragedy.

  • This makes him a tragic hero.
• Macbeth is described as "valour's minion" suggesting he strongly abides by codes of honor, alternatively the noun "minion" could foreshadow his susceptibility to manipulation and how he will soon be a marionette of the witches.
• Macbeth is depicted as violent "Disdaining fortune... smok'd with bloody execution"

  • This suggests he has a relentless force in battle, so skilled his sword did not have time to cool.
  • "Smok'd" could connotate to heat and hell, foreshadowing his evil.
• Macbeth shows signs of influence from the Witches both physically and orally.

  • Firstly, his initial words in the play echo the Witches' paradox "so foul and fair a day I have not seen", showing him slowly becoming a mouthpiece for the Witches' evil, he is a vessel for their misconduct.
• Macbeth states "doth unfix my hair and make my seated heart knock at my ribs" showing both externally and viscerally the Witches have rattled him.

  • The phrase "doth unfix my hair" could relate to the subtle motif of clothes as a symbol of power, deception, and identity.
• Macbeth questions - "Why do you dress me in borrowed robes?"

  • Suggests he has been awarded a title that does not belong to him.
  • It shows that throughout the play, as he moves through the hierarchal ranking, it is superficial and transient (much like clothes) rather than being an intrinsic role he was destined to have.