Context
17 Century Views On Witchcraft
IIn the 17th century, witches were credited with diabolical powers. They were thought to
predict the future, bright on night in daytime, cause fogs and tempests and kill animals. In
Act I, the First Witch describes how she created a storm to destroy the captain of the Tiger.
Witches allowed the Devil to suck their blood in exchange for an animal as an evil servant.
Accused witches were examined for the Devil’s mark, a red mark on the body from which
Satan had sucked blood (it’s speculated that the ‘damned spot’ on Lady Macbeth was
marked by the Devil). King James was fascinated by witchcraft. In 1597, he published
Demonologie that decreed that anyone found guilty of witchcraft should be executed.
Honlinshed’s Chronicles and Historical Alterations
Shakespeare never ravishly followed any source. He selected, altered and exaggerated
events to achieve maximum dramatic effect. Shakespeare altered several details provided
by Holinshed - Duncan was an ineffectual king, Macbeth was a good ruler, Banquo was an
accomplice to the murder of Duncan.
An extract from Holinshed’s Chronicles: filedownload.ashx (neshaminy.org)
Gender Expectations
Patriarchy based society in which the father was likened to the ruler of the realm. Men are
expected to be in control of their household. Women were expected to strive for obedience,
chastity, silence and piety. Women were believed to be inferior and irrational - legally a
woman’s identity was subsumed under that of her male protector - she had few legal or
economic rights. Women were also believed to be lustful - men have only women’s word for
the legitimacy of their children, and because patrilineal authority is transmitted through
women’s bodies, women were believed to be deceitful.
Four Humours
During Elizabethan England, there was a medical belief that the body consisted of four
humours. It was thought that when these four humours were in balance, a person was
healthy and rational. A surplus or imbalance causes sickness.
Great Chain of Being
Elizabethan society ascribed to the social order of the Great Chain of Being, which dictated
that if everyone played their role in society, there will be peace and harmony. The monarch
was elected by God, and therefore any act of treason or sedition was a mortal sin, and it
would also disrupt the chain and create chaos and corruption until the rightful monarch took
the throne. During Queen Elizbaeth’s reign, her extreme devotion to her country meant she
remained heirless and this led to fears of invasion and tyranny, treated nayone caught
spying or conspiring against her with harsh retribution.
James, King of Scotland
Critics speculate that Shakespeare wrote this piece to flatter new King James who probably
saw the play in 1606. It’s speculated that Shakespeare was inspired by the conspirators of
the Gunpowder Plot of 5 November 1605, Sir Everard Digby was a favourite of James and
speculated to be mirrored by Macbeth. Henry Garnet was another conspirator who claimed
to have the right to equivocate on trial, which could have possibly inspired the theme of
equivocation.
Scene By Scene Summary
Act 1 Scene 2
Thane of cawdor betrayed the Scottish crown so Macbeth has killed him. Now he has
been titled the Thane of Cawdor. Sets up a vision of Macbeth as a valiant fighter.
When the battle’s lost and paradox 3
won
Fair is foul and foul is fair paradox 3
Act 1 Scene 3
Witches are planning to cause trouble to the sailor. Banquo conveys his confusion about
the witches. Witches provide a prophecy that Macbeth will be Thane of Cawdor and then
king of Scotland. Banquo is confused about why Macbeth doesn’t feel good. Witches say
that Banquo’s children will be kings. Then Angus comes in and informs Macbeth that he is
now Thane of Cawdor.
Hail to thee, Thane of dramatic irony 11
Cawdor
Instruments of darkness tell juxtaposition 15
truths..to betrays in deepest
consequence
Supernatural soliciting paradox 17
cannot be good cannot be ill
Why do I yield to that rhetorical question 17
suggestion…make my
seated heart knock at my
ribs
Nothing is but what is not foreshadowing 17
Act 1 Scene 4
Duncan congratulates Macbeth and Banquo. Macbeth behaves humbly in front of Duncan
and like a loyal servant.
There’s not art to find the foreshadowing 19
mind’s construction in the
face
Our duties are to your contrast of spoken dialogue 21
throne and state with aside
Let not light see my black contrast of spoken dialogue 21
and deep desires with aside
Act 1 Scene 5
Lady Macbeth is alone so she’s not putting on a facade. Lady Macbeth calls on the
supernatural realm to take away Characterises Lady Macbeth as bold, ambitious, cruel.
Lady Macbeth paints a different image of Macbeth as a coward.
Stop up the passage to image 25
remorse
Take my milk for gall image 25
Look like the innocent flower simile 27
but be the serpent under it
Act 1 Scene 6
The air nimbly and sweetly dramatic irony 27
recommends itself unto our
gentle senses
All our service, in every characterisation 29
point twice done and then
done double
Act 1 Scene 7
If the assassination could image 31
trammel up the
consequence and catch with
his surcease success
Bloody instructions, which image 31
being taught, return to
plague the inventor
I have no spur to prick the personification/image 31
sides of my intent, but only
vaulting ambition
When you durst do it, then generalisation 33
you were a man.
Have plucked my nipple subverting expectations 33
from his boneless gums
Screw your courage to the image 36
sticking place
Bring forth men children only subverting expectations 36
False face must hide what synecdoche 36
the false heart doth know
Act 2 Scene 1
Banquo still doesn’t know that the king is dead. Macbeth pretends to act normal in front of
him. Macbeth orders the servant out. He gives a soliloquy that questions the reality of what
he has done. This is due to his guilty conscience. He thinks he is going crazy. He is
resolute in killing Duncan.
Restrain in me the cursed dialogue to himself 39
thoughts that nature gives
way to in repose
Thou[dagger] marshall’st me personification 41
the way that I was going
I go and it is done. phrasing 41
Act 2 Scene 2
Macbeth shows his remorse and his guilt is so great that it will follow him for the rest of his
life. Lady Macbeth shows her
I had most need of blessing religious reference 45
and Amen stuck in my throat
Macbeth does murder sleep personification 45
Sleep that knits up the personification 45
ravelled sleeve of care
Will all great Neptune’s hyperbole 47
ocean wash this blood from
my hand?
Act 2 Scene 3
The earth was feverous and historical reference 51
did shake
Act 2 Scene 4
The heavens, as troubled Historical reference 59
with man’s act
A falcon…was by a mousing Pathetic fallacy 59
owl hawked at and killed
Duncan’s horses…broke Pathetic fallacy 59
their stalls
Act 3 Scene 1
I fear thou played’st most Inside thought 65
foully for’t
Act 3 Scene 2
Full of scorpions is my mind metaphor 77
Act 3 Scene 3
Fly, good Fleance, fly fly fly! Emotions 79
Act 3 Scene 4
Never shake thy gory locks Emotions 83
at me!
Are you a man? Subverting of expectations 85
I am in blood stepped in so Metaphor 89
far that should i wade no
more, returning were as
tedious as go o’er
Betimes I will to the weird Symbol 89
sisters
Act 3 Scene 6
A swift blessing may soon Synecdoche and metaphor 95
return to this our suffering
country under a hand
accursed.
Act 4 Scene 1
I conjure you…answer me High modality 101
foreshadowing 105
1. Beware the Thane of
Fife Macduff
2. None of woman born
shall harm me
3. Shall never
vanquished be until
Great Birnam Wood
to high Dunsinane
Hill shall come
against him.
Act 4 Scene 2
Ross warns Lady Macduff and children. Lady Macduff and children get killed.
Act 4 Scene 3
Malcolm tests Macduff’s loyalties, as Macduff tries to convince Malcolm to take the crown
back. Macduff shows that he is loyal to Scotland.
Our country sinks beneath personification 117
the yoke; it weeps, it bleeds,
and each new day a gash is
added to her wounds.
Bloody, luxurious, carrying on tone 119
avaricious, false, deceitful,
sudden, malicious,
smacking of every sin
The king-becoming graces - carrying on tone 121
as justice, verity,
temp’rance, stableness,
bounty, perseverance,
mercy, lowliness, devotion,
patience, courage, fortitude.
O nation miserable! With an image 121
untitled tyrant, bloody-
sceptred.
Macduff, this noble passion, metaphor 121
child of integrity…
Here abjure the taints and metaphor
blames I laid upon myself
At his [King Edward’s] touch, metaphor 123
such sanctity hath heaven
given his[the wretched
soul’s] hand.
Macbeth is ripe for shaking Word usage 129
Act 5 Scene 1
Lady Macbeth goes crazy.
All the perfumes of Arabia hyperbole 135
will not sweet this hand
Foul whip’rings are abroad; connotations 135
unnatural deeds do breed
unnatural troubles
Act 5 Scene 2
Now does he feel his secret synecdoche 137
murders sticking on his
hands
Now does he feel his title simile 137
hang loose about him like a
giant’s robe upon a dwarfish
thief
Meet we the med’cine of the metaphor 137
sickly weal
With him pour we in our metaphor 137
country’s purge each drop of
us
Act 5 Scene 3
What’s the boy Malcolm? repetition 139
Was he not born of woman?
Honour, love, obedience, juxtaposition 141
troops of friends…but in
their stead, curses, not loud
but deep, mouth-honour,
breath
Cast the water of my land, symbol 141
find her disease, purge it to
a sound and pristine health
Act 5 Scene 4
None serve with him but synecdoche 143
constrained things whose
hearts are absent too
Act 5 Scene 5
I have almost forgot the metaphor 145
taste of fears
Life…creeps in this petty connotation 147
pace from day to day
Life’s but a walking shadow, metaphor 147
a poor player that struts and
frets his hour upon the stage
It is a tale told by an idiot, metaphor 147
full of sound and fury
signifying nothing
I…begin to doubt juxtaposition
th’equivocation of the fiend
that lies like truth
Act V Scene V
What is happening as Macbeth delivers his speech? What has prompted this lament on life? How does he respond to the news of Lady Macbeth’s
death? - Life is pointless, the steps we take don’t matter, everything will die at one point, he laments his loss.
What does Macbeth mean by ‘tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow’? What do you notice about the pace of this speech? - Each day goes by
and life drags on.
The motif of ‘light’ tends to carry connotation of hope, salvation and positivity. How has Shakespeare used the image of ‘light’ here? - the going
out of light represents the diminishing of hope and death. In particular, it represents the death of the virtuous character of Macbeth, of Macbeth’s
royalty/position of power, the physical death of Lady Macbeth, as well as his general diminishing of hope for survival.
What is the purpose and significance of the theatre/acting metaphor? How does it reveal Macbeth’s thoughts on life? - shakespeare represents
life as something that happens momentarily, like how an actor gets one or two hours of time on stage. ‘Struts and frets’ produce an image of
someone meandering and lazing about, suggesting that we’re all just wasting our time.
Shakespeare presents three seemingly disconnected images here – time, light, theatre – what is it that unites them? Why? Time will go on
endlessly, causing everything to end eventually, like how candlelight goes out and how theatre ends.
Why does the soliloquy end halfway through a line, ‘Signifying nothing’? Is Shakespeare emphasising Macbeth’s utter disillusionment with life or
the fact that life often ends abruptly and unexpectedly? Or both? - the abrupt end further emulates that everything has an end and also
emphasises the word ‘nothing’ - life is meaningless because in the end we all die.
