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Macbeth - Context and Themes

Contexts
1. Kingship
  1. Shakespeare wanted to impress the new King James
    1. Comparing Banquo to King James
      1. Believed the 2 are related
      2. Banquo seemed good but could be seen as cynical for not revealing what he knows about macbeth
      3. King James seemed good but persecuting catholics, a faith shakespeare is sympathetic too
    2. James was fascinated by the supernatural
      1. what did shakespeare believe about supernatural?
    3. Expressed the consequences of killing the king
2. Equality
  1. Men had control and were stronger
3. Gothic Theme
  1. dark, gloomy setting
  2. chaos
Ambition
1. changes macbeth from a "valiant" soldier to a "dead butcher"
2. makes people ruthless and selfish
  1. macbeth couldn't stop killing, to secure his position as King
3. Macbeth's destroyed by it
4. Macbeth's "fatal flaw"
  1. Lady macbeth says "he is not without ambition, but without / the illness should attend it"
    1. He's not ruthless enough
  2. makes macbeth act against his morals and better judgement
    1. "o'erleaps itself / And falls" - aim too high and risk losing everything; foreshadows macbeths downfall
5. malcom/macduff ambitious for scotland
  1. get rid of macbeth for good of scotland
6. Banquo is ambitious for his sons but doesn't act on it (reference to witches prophecies"
7. "I have no spur but only / Vaulting ambition"
Loyalty/Betrayal
1. Loyalty is rewarded
  1. Macbeth rewarded with title of Thane of Cawdor
  2. Malcolm rewards the thane's loyalty
2. Betrayal is punished
  1. Macbeth killed
  2. Macbeth betrays his sense of right and wrong, leading to his death
3. Macbeth's pretend to be loyal
  1. Macbeth is Duncan's "kinsman and his subject"
  2. Lady Macbeth says "Your servants ever"
  3. Juxtaposition of Lady M plotting Duncan's death and welcoming him to her castle - more dramatic
Good/Evil
1. Macbeth is a good man who does evil things
  1. goes from "noble" to a "tyrant"
2. lady macbeth links cruelty with masculinity
  1. Wants spirits to "unsex" her and fill her with "direst cruelty"
    1. Femininity holds her back from violent action
  2. she relies on manipulation rather than force
3. Battles
  1. At start - enemy army is led by "merciless Macdonald" whose "villanies of nature" show he's evil
  2. The last battle show macbeth is an "abhorred tyrant" who represents evil
Reality and Appearances
1. deceptive
  1. "look like th'innocent flower, but be the serpent under 't"
  2. macbeth needs "false face" to hide murderous acts
    1. when see's banquo's ghost his face is "the very painting" of his fear and betrays his feelingss
  3. Lady Macbeth has no trouble with a disguise, faints to keep up the persona, but her guilt becomes too big to hide and begins losing her mind
2. Play shows people's true nature comes out in the end
3. "fair is foul and foul is fair"
  1. good things are actually evil
4. witches convince macbeth of a false reality
  1. "none of woman born" gives him false confidence
5. Pardoxes creating uncertainty; nobody can tell what is real
  1. macbeth says "Nothing is / but what is not"
6. "False face must hide what the false heart doth know"
Fate/Free Will
1. Not clear if it was fate that killed duncan, or macbeth's free will
2. macbeth is happy to let fate take it's course
  1. "chance may crown me / without my stir"
3. lady macbeth thinks macbeth is fated to be king but makes macbeth act anyway
  1. "fate and metaphysical aid doth seem / to have thee crowned"
4. macbeth thinks people aren't in control of their fate and are actors playing a part
  1. "life is a poor player / that struts and frets this hour upon the stage"
5. Chooses not to kill Duncan - he is in control
  1. Macbeth then chooses to act, via persuasion from his wife, ignoring banquo
    1. "instruments of darkness"
    2. some prophecies are self-fullfilling, macbeth causes it to happen

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Macbeth - Context and Themes

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	Created by Matthew Hams over 7 years ago