macbeth

• Shakespeares message behind kingship

  Shakespeare uses King Duncan and Macbeth to juxtapose their characters to illustrate the theme of kingship. How Scotland stays powerful under the correct leader. The play starts off with King Duncan who was chosen by God under the divine right of kings where Scotland is incredibly powerful. However the second king Macbeth usurps as he is not chosen and is the wrongful leader causing Scotland to descend into mayhem. However order is restored by the 3rd king Malcom who has Macbeth killed by Macduff and the crown is then handed to Malcom.
• King Duncan on Kingship

  King Duncan illustrates the theme of kingship: he was a righteous king. He generously rewarded his men through when he saw great deeds like when he saw Macbeth winning all of these wars by giving him titles “Brave Macbeth, well he deserves that name“ for then to give him the following title of Thane of Cawdor. This illustrates the fact that when Duncan is king he is seen to be generous and this is also the reason for Scotland being so powerful under his name.
• Brave Macbeth, well he deserves that name
• A little water will clear us of this deed
• Out dammed spot!
• 'Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?
• King Duncan speaks of Macbeth and calls his "Valiant cousin" and additionally apologises with "The sin of my ingratitude weighs heavily on him" 


  This illustrates that under king Duncan (the king who was rightfully chosen by God) Scotland was powerful as he was such a righteous king.
• Duncans fatal flaw

  He trusted too much and believed in appearances too much, when he trusts the Thane of Cawdor and is then betrayed by him.
• Lady Macbeth says "Come you spirits That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full Of direst cruelty!" She asks the supernatural world to remove her femininity and replace it with masculine qualities like courage and strength. Lady Macbeth wishes to become more manly so she can take part in the murder of King Duncan herself. The fact that she needs to ask the supernatural world to change her gender suggests that she feels powerless against men and cannot achieve anything unless she becomes one herself.
• "Look like th' innocent flower but be the serpent under 't."
• Macbeth is described as being "fair" and "honourable". This shows us that he has been brought up well and is respected by others because of his good character. However, we also know that he is ambitious and wants to gain more power than he already has. He is willing to do whatever it takes to get what he wants, even if it means killing someone else.
• “Fair is foul, and foul is fair.” - Witches Act 1 Scene 1
• “I have no spur To prick the sides of my intent, but only Vaulting ambition” - Macbeth Act 1 Scene 7
• “Double, double, toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble” - Witches Act 4 Scene 1
• “Is this a dagger which I see before me, the handle towards my hand?” - Macbeth Act 2 Scene 1
• "Security is mortals Chiefest enemy" 3:5 Hecate

  At is point Macbeth is king and feels safe as king and starts letting his guard down.

  His enemies are leaving or getting murdered.

  Humans who are complacent end up harmed when not looking for danger is when danger appears.

  He thinks he's safe which ultimately leads to his downfall.
• A mousing owl hawked at the end killed a falcon - Lennox 2:4


  Metaphor of Macbeth killing Duncan and foreshadows the death of Duncan.

  Shakespeare’s use of imagery reminds us of how the natural order has been turned upside down. 

  There is a parallel between the falcon and King Duncan, whose life also comes to an unnatural end.
• Amen stuck in my throat - Macbeth 2:2


  Amen is repeated constantly to show he is going against the divine right of kings
• Guilt + Religion

  “We’d jump the life to come“ (1.1)
• “We’d jump to the life to come”

  This quote is Macbeth referencing the afterlife which Christian’s believe would be granted to those who honoured God. Macbeth knows if he commits this regicide it will sacrifice his life in heaven making him fully mortal and abandoned by God. This is enough to convince Macbeth to reconsider his plan which shows how powerful religion was at the time, Shakespeare is suggesting that Macbeth should follow his own conscience and beliefs rather than his wife. However Lady Macbeth becomes his mouth piece and controls his conscience.
• But wherefore could I pronounce ‘Amen‘? I had most needed for a blessing ‘Amen’ stuck in my throat.


  At this point Macbeth is traumatised and overwhelmed in this situation as he knows that he may be denied by Gods forgiveness as he knows he is dammed. ‘Most needed for a blessing‘ show his desperation and guilt and the desperation to regain his innocence. “Stuck in my throat” metaphor evoking the image of the barrier blocking him and God.
• Supernatural

  The structure of the Witches' speech emphasises their supernatural characteristics. The rhythmic and chant-like nature of the Witches' rhetoric implies that their words have real extraordinary power. Shakespeare, through linguistic techniques, uses this as symbolic of the supernatural and to connect other characters to the supernatural. This is evident as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth also speak in rhyming couplets at times when they are expressing evil or when they are controlled by the supernatural.
• Banquo + supernatural

  Banquo | Banquo is also affected by the Witches, as he admits to dreaming of the witches: "I dreamed last night of the three weird sisters". However, this occurs on the same day that Banquo met the Witches, prompting the question - had he been thinking of them before they met? Were Macbeth and Banquo already connected to the supernatural?