macbeth

• Kingship


  What it means to be king
• Macbeth's hamartia

  • His unchecked ambition propelling him to become a blood thirsty tyrant who defies the divine right of kings and acquires the illegitimate title of king
  • "stars hide your fires/let not light see my black and deep desires"
• Lady Macbeth's role

  • Her manipulative tactics of emasculation urging Macbeth to commit regicide and kill king Duncan and fulfil his sinful ambition to become king
  • "too full, o'the milk of human kindness"
• Macbeth's guilt

  • His going against divine law and acquiring kingship through illegitimate and violent means leads to his tragic demise
  • Engulfed by guilt, he becomes a carcass of insanity
  • "is this a dagger which I see before me?"
• Guilt's impact on Macbeth and Lady Macbeth

  1. Ambition drives them to seize power by any means necessary

  2. Ascent to the throne stained by the blood of King Duncan

  3. Guilt begins to fill them almost immediately

  4. Macbeth haunted by hallucinations and visions of the murdered king, descends into madness, tormented by his conscience

  5. Lady Macbeth overcome by guilt, resulting in madness and ultimately taking her own life
• Guilt's role

  • Not a fleeting emotion but a relentless force that shapes Macbeth and Lady Macbeth's downfall
  • Macbeth's guilt manifests in paranoia and delusions, becoming increasingly isolated and distrustful
  • Lady Macbeth consumed by guilt, her mind tormented by the horrors she helped unleash
• The quote "I could not say amen" shows Macbeth's deep regret and guilt knowing he's done wrong
• Role of the witches

  1. First appear in Act 1, Scene 1, amidst thunder and lightning, setting a foreboding tone

  2. Their ambiguous prophecies and cryptic language establish them as otherworldly beings, capable of influencing the fate of mortals

  3. Reappear at key moments to manipulate and torment Macbeth

  4. Their prophecies awaken Macbeth's ambition and set him on a path of treachery and murder

  5. Their influence highlights the power of the supernatural to corrupt and manipulate human desires, blurring the line between fate and free will
• Significance of the witches

  • Underscores the pervasive sense of moral ambiguity and the destabilization of the natural order
  • By invoking dark spirits and foretelling tragic events, they serve as a reminder of the chaos that ensues when humanity strays from the path of righteousness
  • Their role as agents of the supernatural forces Macbeth and others to confront the consequences of their actions
• Anagnorisis

  • When a hero recognises their looming downfall
  • Character is aware of the downfall
• Anagnorisis in Macbeth

  • When Lady Macbeth commits suicide
  • When Birnam woods is charging towards Macbeth
• Peripetia

  • Sudden change in the story which is a negative circumstance
  • Character isn't aware of their downfall
• Peripetia in Macbeth

  • When Macbeth commits regicide
• Catharsis

  Release of emotions through pity or fear
• Catharsis in Macbeth

  • Audience experience catharsis as they fear his bloody thirsty rampage, whilst also pity him for indulging in his ambition