"A little water will clear us of this deed." - Lady Macbeth.
After Duncan's murder.
Trying to comfort Macbeth.
"Deed" is a euphemism and "Little water." is downplaying the gravity of the situation they've created. They have destroyed the Great Chain of Being by murdering Duncan, the mouthpiece of God.
"Will all great ________ oceans wash this _____ clear from my hands?"
"Will all great Neptune's oceans wash this blood clear from my hands?" - Macbeth.
After Duncan's murder.
He's realised what he's done and is praying to a new God as he said that "amen [was] stuck in [his] throat." as he passed the boys bedroom after committing the murder.
"Will all the _____ _________ of Arabia sweeten this little ____."
"Will all the perfumes of Arabia sweeten this little hand." - Lady Macbeth.
Similar to Macbeth's "All great Neptune's oceans." quote.
She has come to the realisation that they've destroyed Scotland.
Before her death.
"Little hand" is perhaps her still denying her fierce role in the murder.
"____ is foul and ____ is fair."
"Fair is foul and foul is fair." - The Witches.
Foreshadowing.
It's setting the mood for the supernatural.
Speaks in riddles.
Blunt with the plan - not trying to hide it.
Literally: going to make the world foul, change good to evil.
"Stars hide your _____, let not _____ see my _____ and deep _______."
"Stars hide your fires, let not light see my black and deep desires." - Macbeth.
After Duncan announces that he will name his son, Malcom, the next king (Prince of Cumberland), Macbeth hopes his disappointment doesn't show. He must find a way to prevent Malcom from becoming the next king.
"Fires" connote devilish and satan, hell, which is where he's destined to be. His sins will cause damnation.
"Yet do I fear thy nature; it is too full of the ____ of human ________."
"Yes do I fear thy nature; it is too full of the milk of human kindness." - Lady Macbeth referring to Macbeth.
She fears that Macbeth is too kind to go through with killing Duncan. This contradicts his previous behaviour as we see him "unseam[ing]" MacDonwald from the "nave to the chaps."
"Look the ________ flower, but be the _______ under't."
"Look the innocent flower, but be the serpent under't." - Lady Macbeth to Macbeth.
This is just before King Duncan's arrival at their castle. LM wants him to act nice to Duncan's face ad his evil intentions.
"Innocent." still suggests that LM believes her husband is still too kind to commit the murder/ She could also be emasculating him to get her own way.
"_____ me here."
"Unsex me here." - Lady Macbeth.
Calling on the spirits to take away her femininity.
She wants to be filled with evil because she wanted Duncan dead. (Ambition)
She transgresses gender norms because she'd happily give up her femininity if it meant that she could get her own way with everything.
"Is this a ______ I see before me?"
"Is this a dagger I see before me?" - Macbeth before the murder of Duncan.
M is hallucinating the dagger he uses to kill Duncan.
The 'dagger' is an intimate weapon, contradicting his previous kill which was at a distance.
A 'dagger' is a woman's weapon.
"I ____ thou ____'dst most ______ for't."
"I fear thou play'dst most foully for't." - Banquo to Macbeth.
Banquo fears that Macbeth has become corrupted by the Witches.
Why did Shakespeare write Macbeth?
In the Jacobean era, the Gun Powder Plot occurred. This is where Guy Fawkes tried to assassinate James I, commit regicide. He did not succeed. James I was Shakespeare's patron, so, to appeal to him, Shakespeare wrote Macbeth to denounce regicide and promote the monarchy.
James I also wrote a book called 'Demonology' where he expressed his hatred for the supernatural leading to the Witches in Macbeth corrupted Macbeth.
"Instruments of ________."
"Instruments of darkness." - Banquo.
Does not trust the Witches.
Insults them - they're mouthpieces for Satan.
"____ stuck in my ______."
"Amen stuck in my throat." - Macbeth.
After Duncan's murder, he attempted to pray for his sons, Donaldbain and Malcom, but when he tried to say 'amen' it was stuck in his throat.
This could suggest that God has prevented him from praying, punishment for Macbeth, for killing Duncan.
"_______ him from the ____ to the _____."
"Unseam'd him from the nave to the chaps." - Macbeth did this to Macdonwald.
Symbolic as Macdonwald tried to commit regicide against Duncan, he was Thane of Cawdor. (Macbeth goes onto kill Duncan after being made Thane of Cawdor, perhaps a curse placed on the title."
Macbeth is a butcher. "Dead butcher."
He is desensitised to violence, perhaps suggesting he has done this multiple times before.
"This dead ______ and his _____ like Queen."
"Dead butcher and his fiend like Queens." - Malcom to Macbeth.
Macbeth is a butcher.
Slaughtered half of Scotland.
What happened to Banquo?
Macbeth had Banquo killed because he feared that Banquo knew that Macbeth had killed Duncan. However, it's believed that Macbeth saw Banquo's ghost at a feast.
"Stay and tell me ____ you _________ speakers."
"Stay and tell me more you imperfect speakers." - Macbeth to the Witches.
Macbeth has fallen for their trap.
He has been corrupted by the Witches.
Insults them, so still aware of their social standing.
Is not afraid of the Witches as he insults them.
Foreshadows he will end up wanting more - power is corrupting.
Dealing with devil.
Macbeth is aware they aren't perfect.
Not afraid of God.
What is Macbeth's fatal flaw?
His ambition.
"Out ______ spot: ___ I say."
"Out damned spot: out I say." - Lady Macbeth.
Lady Macbeth has lost her mind. She's hallucinating a spot of blood on her hand.
Before her death/suicide.
She has deteriorated because of her guilt.
"None of _____ born shall ____ Macbeth."
"None of woman born shall harm Macbeth." - The Witches to Macbeth.
Perhaps the Witches were preying on Macbeth's ambition to make him arrogant.
Macduff was born via c-section so he's not technically 'woman born'.
Macduff can kill him.
"O, full of _________ is my mind."
"O, full of scorpions is my mind."
Hides in the dark.
Banquo is like a scorpion.
Metaphorically: manifestation of his guilt (Banquo's ghost), paranoid.
Venemous/poisonous.
Everyone is a threat.
Attack without warning.
Evil thoughts & desires.
Feels like he is poisoned with ambition and corruption.
What time period is Macbeth set in?
Written in the Jacobean Era, set in the Feudal Era.
Who is the author of Macbeth?
WilliamShakespeare.
"Why do I _____ to that suggestion?"
"Why do I yield to that suggestion?" - Macbeth.
He still has some loyalty.
Hopes he'll one day become king.
Ignites his hamartia.
Euphemism - killing the king.
Disgusted with himself.
Guilt.
Too scared to say aloud in case God hears (euphemism)
Witches have clearly corrupted him.
What is the Prince of Cumberland?
The person chosen to be the next king.
"Pour _______ in thine ear."
"Pour spirits in thine ear." - Lady Macbeth's plans for Macbeth.
Corrupting him.
Transgressive, cunning, intelligent, strategic - could be surprising but woman were seen as temptresses.
Malevolent.
Literally: manipulate/persuade.
Metaphorically: 'spirits' = alcohol - metaphor for ambition.
Society makes her evil.
He's the only way she'll get anywhere in the world.
Intimate.
He trusts her, she's exploiting that trust.
"When you _____ do it, then you were a ___."
"When you durst do it, then you were a man." - Lady Macbeth.
Weaponised gender stereotypes - honour culture.
Transgressive.
Emasculating him.
She is not meek and obedient.
Using her knowledge of Macbeth.
Mocking him.
Machiavellian.
When he was going to kill Duncan then he was was man.
Euphemism.
Contrasting connotations of a sword and a dagger
Sword:
Bravery, skill, protection.
Fair fights.
Noble & honourable.
'Fair'.
Wear with pride.
Dagger:
Hiding.
Small, no skill.
Personal.
Women's weapon - emasculating.
Assassins weapon.
'Foul'.
"Upon my ____ they placed a _________ crown."
"Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown." - Macbeth.
Paranoid about Banquo.
Needs to act.
No legacy - no heir.
Banquo will get crown.
Futile & ephemeral.
Deflecting blame toward the Witches - they betrayed him.
Usurped the power - doesn't deserve it.
"The ________ Duncan I have ________."
"The gracious Duncan I have murdered." - Macbeth.
Guilty.
Not using euphemism.
"Thou canst ___ say I did it. Never shake thy ____ _____ at me."
"Thou canst not say I did it. Never shake thy gory locks at me." - Macbeth.
Deteriorating.
Murder of Duncan - taunting/haunting him.
Macbeth is manifesting Banquo's ghost - guilt.
Fears of Fleance.
Bloody hair.
Brutal murder.
Visceral.
Lose respect.
"Out, out, _____ candle."
"Out, out, brief candle."
No heir.
His reign is brief.
Doesn't last.
Hates being king.
Wishes it to end - life is pointless.
No longer loved power.
'Let not light hide my deep and dark desires."
He'll die.
'Out, out, damned spot."
Why is Macbeth's death cyclical?
Macbeth's death is cyclical because he began the play by killing the Thane of Cawdor who tried to commit regicide against Duncan. Perhaps the Thane of Cawdor position is tainted. He was a loyal thane then, fighting even if it meant death. At the point of his death, Macduff is killing him, who is a loyal thane, and Macbeth is fighting as if he was a loyal thane.