Scene 2

• ”As two spent swimmers, that do cling together and choke their art.”

  • ”spent” - tired
  • Simile - suggest that the soldiers are holding eahc other back and aren’t getting anywhere (stalemate) until Macbeth arrives.
• “brave Macbeth”

  epithet - these two words can’t be separated, an adjective that links to Macbeth
• “Disdaining fortune… like valour’s minion carved out his passage”

  • Personal conflict between valour (bravery) and fortune (luck)
  • Macbeth hasn’t been lucky in this battle, it’s his sheer bravery that has allowed him to overcome the enemy.
  • He looks down upon luck and he’s bravery’s minion.
  • Disdaining - look down upon
• ”Till he unseamed him from the naves to the chaps“

  • “Unseamed” - metaphorical, ”naves” - belly button, “chaps” - nose.
  • He’s well acquainted with blood, stabs so eone with no hesitation.
  • Simile, metaphor, vivid imagery - easy to unseam a tuddy bear, Macbeth is able to easily tear his enemy apart.
• “As cannons overcharged with double cracks”

  • Simile
  • “Cannons” - mechanical, accurate most of the time, Macbeth and Banquo are machines on the battle field, well-acquainted with blood.
  • Cannons are very destructive at the best of times, these cannons have double the explosiveness (extra powerful)
  • Perhaps a danger to themselves due to the amount of ammunition.
  • “Cracks” - explosive.
• “What he hath lost noble Macbeth hath won”

  • Macbeth hasn’t won Thane of Cawdor’s title.
  • Macbeth will eventually gain the title of a traitor as the previous Thane of Cawdor was capturef and executed for treason.
  • Macbeth inherits this traitor’s title so maybe foreshadowing that Macbeth will become a traitor.
  • link back to A1S1 - ”when the battle’s lost and won”