Guilt, Innocence and Paranoia

• What unchecked ambition causes the Macbeths' downfall?

  Amoral ambition
• How does guilt affect the Macbeths?

  It drives them insane and breaks them
• What might have happened without the Macbeths' paranoia?

  Their murder spree might have ended with Duncan
• What significant event raised questions about rightful monarchy during Macbeth's time?

  Elizabeth I's death without an heir
• What was the Gunpowder Plot of 1605?

  A failed assassination attempt on James VI
• How does Shakespeare illustrate the consequences of regicide in Macbeth?

  By showing the Macbeths' violent guilt and destruction
• What type of society was Jacobean Britain?

  A very religious, Christian country
• What belief did people hold about God in Jacobean Britain?

  God was all-seeing and judged every sin
• How does Shakespeare depict the Macbeths' punishment for their crimes?

  They experience a personal hell despite secrecy
• What does the Macbeths' guilt suggest about their innate nature?

  It suggests their innate goodness rebels against immorality

  
• How does Shakespeare portray innocence in Macbeth?

  As a virtue that is celebrated and lost
• Who represents youthful innocence and virtue in Macbeth?

  Malcolm
• How does Macbeth's guilt manifest after Duncan's murder?

  Through paranoia and a murder spree

  
• What does Macbeth acknowledge about the afterlife before killing Duncan?

  It would sacrifice his life in Heaven
• What does Macbeth's inability to say 'Amen' signify?

  His fear of being denied God's forgiveness
• What metaphor does Macbeth use to describe his fear of guilt?

  “Stuck in my throat”
• How does Macbeth view his identity after killing Duncan?

  He prefers to forget who he is
• What does Ross's statement about Scotland reveal about Macbeth's impact?

  Macbeth's guilt has weakened the country
• How is paranoia described in Macbeth?

  As a poison that is relentless
• How does Macbeth's ambition lead to his punishment?

  It is punished, not rewarded
• What does Lady Macbeth's initial lack of guilt indicate about her character?

  She is powerful and strong at first

  
• What happens to Lady Macbeth as guilt takes over?

  She descends into weakness and insanity

  
• How does Lady Macbeth's guilt manifest compared to Macbeth's?

  It makes her retreat into herself
• What does Lady Macbeth's call to “unsex” herself imply?

  She associates guilt with femininity and weakness
• What does Lady Macbeth envy about the dead?

  Their peace of mind
• What does Lady Macbeth mean by “All’s spent”?

  There is a cost for being guilty
• How does Shakespeare depict the inevitability of guilt?

  Through Lady Macbeth's statement, “What’s done, is done”
• What does blood symbolize in Macbeth?

  Guilt and death
• How do hallucinations function in the play?

  As symbols of guilt and the supernatural
• How does Lady Macbeth react to the blood motif?

  She believes washing hands will remove guilt
• What does Lady Macbeth order Macbeth to do after the murder?

  Wash the blood from his hands
• What does Lady Macbeth's focus on water symbolize?

  Purity and life
• What does Lady Macbeth's concern about being caught reveal?

  Her focus on external consequences over guilt
• What motif is used throughout the play to show the Macbeths' reaction to guilt?

  Blood
• How do the Macbeths react differently to blood?

  It reveals their differing mental states
• What does Lady Macbeth believe washing their hands will do?

  Rid them of guilt
• What does Lady Macbeth mean by "A little water clears us of this deed"?

  She thinks water can wash away guilt
• What does Lady Macbeth's reference to "filthy witness" suggest?

  She can't confront the reality of her actions
• How does Macbeth react to the blood on his hands?

  He is shocked
• What does Macbeth mean by "Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood / Clean from my hand?"

  Nothing can remove his guilt