Macbeth Themes and Quotations

Alternative transcript:

MACBETH'S GOODNESS BECOMES OVERPOWERED BY HIS EVIL DESIRES. KEY QUOTES: SHAKESPEARE USES BATTLES TO SHOW GOOD AND EVIL. IN THE OPENING SCENE, THERE IS A BATTLE BETWEEN SCOTLAND AND NORWAY. THE ENEMY AARMY IS LEAD BY THE "MERCILESS MCDONALD" WHOSE "VILLAINIES OF NATURE" SHOW THAT HE IS EVIL THERE ARE ALSO CONNOTATIONS THAT EVIL IS LINKED TO MASCULINITY. LADY MACBETH WANTS THE SPIRITS TO "UNSEX" HE AND FILL HER WITH "DIREST CRUELTY" SAYING THAT IT IS HER FEMININITY THAT IS HOLDING HER BACK FROM VIOLENT ACTION. Macbeth - Themes THE SUPERNATURAL 1.THE WITCHES ARE AN EVIL SUPERNATURAL FORCES THAT CAN BE SEEN IN THEIR ABILITY TO PREDICT THE FUTURE. 2. THE WITCHES THE DRIVE AND ACTION OF THE PLAY, WITHOUT THEIR INFLUENCE AND SUPERNATURAL POWERS, IT IS UNLIKELY THAT MACBETH WOULD HAVE COMITTED ALL THE TERRIBLE CRIMES. 3. VISIONS ARE A SUPERNATURAL SIGN OF GUILT SEEN WHEN BANQUO'S GHOST APPEARS, WHEN MACBETH SEES THE VISION OF THE DAGGER AND WHEN LADE MACBETH CANNOT WIPE THE BLOOD FROM HER HANDS. KEY QUOTES: THE WITCHES ARE DESCRIBED WITH HAVING "STRANGE INTELLIGENCE" PROVING THE EXSISTNCE OF THEIR POWERS "WERE SUCH THINGS HERE AS WE DO SPEAK ABOUT?" THE CHARACTERS APPEAR CONFUSED BY THE VISIONS AND THEREFORE SHOWS HOW THEIR GUILT HAS RUINED THEIR PEACE OF MIND. "PRITHEE, SEE THERE! BEHOLD, LOOK LO!" MACBETH'S SPEECH APPEARS AGITATED AND NERVOUS AFTER SEEING BANQUO'S GHOST, THIS QUOTE SHOWS THAT HE HAS LOST CONTROL OF HIS SPEECH DUE TO HIS FEAR MAAR HET Themes AMBITIOΝ 1. AMBITION MOTIVATES MACBETH TO COMMIT TERRIBLE DEEDS. HE IS CHANGED FROM "VALIANT" TO A "DEAD BUTCHER" 2. THE PLAY SHOWS THAT AMBITION IS DANGEROUS BEACAUSE IT CAN QUICKLY SPIRAL OUT OF CONTROL. EG. MACBETH CONSIDERS THE MORALITY OF KILLING DUNCAN FOR A LONG TIME BUT DOES NOT HESITATE TO KILL BANQUO. 3. ONCE MACBETH STARTS KILLING, HAS HAS TO KILL MORE PEOPLE IN ORDER TO SECURE HIS POSITION. THIS SHOWS THAT AMBITION MAKES PEOPLE RUTHLESS AND SELFISH. KEY QUOTES: "THOU WOULDST BE GREAT ART NOT WITHOUT AMBITION, BUT WITHOUT THE ILLNESS SHOULD ATTEND IT" (LADY MACBETH SAYS THESE WORDS TO MACBETH SAYING THAT SHE DOES NOT THINK MACEBTH IS RUTHLESS ENOUGH TO ACHIEVE WHAT HE WANTS "I HAVE NO SPUR.... BUT ONLY VAULTING AMBITION" MACBETH KNOWS THAT HE IS VERY AMBITIOUS AND ITS THIS THAT FUELS HIS DECISION TO KILL DUNCAN.