Macbeth Key themes? Interesting language? Atmosphere? Questions raised?

Macbeth act 1 scene 1

- a prologue of evil: the three witches arrange to meet Macbeth when the fighting is over
• Ominous and foreboding atmosphere; “thunder, lighting and in rain.” Symbol of the storm
in Macbeth’s soul.
• “Set of sun”- witches were known to be able to predict the future.
• Apocalyptic imagery; “Hurly burly” -theme of violence, suggesting winners or losers?
• Mysterious atmosphere
• Theme of winning and losing- “battle lost and won”
• “Fair is foul, foul is fair”-PARADOX- what seems beautiful is corrupt and what seems
corrupt is beautiful, not everything is at seems- appearance and reality in Macbeth universe
often contradict each other, theme of good and evil, begin with same letter makes them
seem as if they are dissolving, making it harder to differentiate, creating moral chaos,
chiastic (an exact reflection/mirror image)
• Opens in media-res ( goes straight in to it).
• Trochaic pentameter- showing they are not human- don't speak like typical Shakespeare
human character, iambic pentameter- shows something not quite right, backwards
universe?
• The audience knows why the witches want to meet with Macbeth- they know he is weak
and they can win his soul for the devil easily

Belief about witches in 1606- their purpose was to win souls for the devil, to enlarge the
kingdom of hell

Macbeth Act 1 Scene 2

• “brave Macbeth, well he deserves that name, Disdaining fortune”- show by nature that
Macbeth is reckless and he's seen as a hero by others due to way he helped to win battle
for King Duncan, “Disdaining fortune” shows he is careless about his own fate

Macbeth Act 1 Scene 3

• Purpose of opening shows that witches are spiteful and that they hate humans
• Macbeth’s first line in whole play ‘So foul and fair a day I have not seen”- shows that
there is unconscious link with him and the witches
• “How far is’t called to Forres?”- Banquo’s first line of play- shows he straightforward,
plain and rational
• The witches use equivocation- to say something that is true but misleading “all hail
Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter”- use it to trap him in to selling his soul to the devil;
misleading because 3rd witch has left out important point that he will have to murder
Duncan to become king
• Macbeth’s reaction- frightened- witches have read his mind, he wants to become king,
brought his wish to the surface
• “Lesser than Macbeth, and greater”- not as happy as him but much happier as Banquo will
be murdered and Macbeth will become king but Banquo will go to heaven and Macbeth
would go to hell and will be haunted by Banquo’s ghost until death- EQUIVOCATION-
as Banquo’s children will become kings even though he will not ‘thou shalt get kings,
though thou be none.’
• Macbeth says “Your children shall be kings”- taking witches prophecies foe granted as he
wants to be king so wants to think everything they are saying is true, not paying attention
to Banquo
• First reference to clothes- Macbeth’s title’s and honour’s are like clothes that don't fit/ suit
him - “Why do you dress me in borrowed robes?”
• Warning from Banquo “to win us to harm the instruments of darkness tell us truths; Win
us with honest trifles, to betrays in deepest consequence” Macbeth cannot say he can’t be
warned as Banquo even says that witches are messengers of the devil- themes of secrecy
and un trust
• This also juxtapose Macbeth’s view of witches and their prophecies “As happy
prologues…supernatural soliciting”
• Macbeth’s reply to warning is “Two truths are told”- more example of inattention-
RECKLESS
• Macbeth is ‘Aside’- soliloquy- Macbeth is harboring secret thoughts even though appears
to be open and honest - Theme of secrecy and truths untold. ‘the greatest is behind’ – the
best is the last one which has not yet come true.
• “Imperial theme”- him becoming king
• Macbeth is wrestling with his conscious – he asks himself questions
• “Happy prologue’s to the swelling act”- prophecies seem happy but he doesn't know that
bad things will have to happen in order for them to come true- kill Duncan to become
king-.
• “whose murder yet is but fantastical”- reference to death, foreshadowing, theme of
violence
• Banquo skeptical as witches going against balance of nature- belief about witches in 1606-
contemporary moral panic
Macbeth’s actions after being appointed Thane of Cawdor and witches prophecy reflects the
saying by Sir John Dalberg-Acton —“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts
absolutely”
Macbeth Act 1 Scene 4

• “Nothing in his life became him like the leaving it” - Lines 7 and 8- the way the Thane of
Cawdor redeemed his treachery from earlier on (betrayal to the king)
• Duncan is very trusting “on whom I built an absolute trust”- dramatic irony
• Way in which Macbeth talks- insincere and way banquet speaks is natural and from within

Macbeth Act 1 Scene 5

• Macbeth cant wait to write and tell Lady Macbeth about the prophecy as he loves her so
much
• She fears that Macbeth is “too full oath milk of human kindness” (to murder Duncan)- he
has too much family feeling for Duncan to commit the murder ti be king
• Lady macbeth accuses Macbeth of being morally weak and too cowardly to commit a sin,
but his ambition is strong enough to allow him to benefit him from it- Lines 18-22
• When Lady Macbeth speaks about her castle, she describes it like hell, and so does
Macbeth
• When Duncan and Banquo arrive at the castle (Macbeth’s) but Duncan and Banquo
describe the castle like it’s a paradise- the world is what you make of it- hell to LM and M
because they love in a mental hell, but paradise to D and B because they have pure, holy
minds
• Lady Macbeth prays for ‘direst of cruelty’- prays for what she HASN’T got (cruelty),
“unsex me”- scared she will be too soft and feminine to commit the murder
• Lines 49-51; Lady Macbeth doesn't want to think she is doing the murder herself and
doesn't want her good conscience to get in the way
• Lines 64-66; issues stream of orders -unnatural-
• Doesn't use Duncan’s ahem, uses ‘he’ -line 65- doesn't want to think she is killing him

Act 1 Scene 6

• Lady Macbeth’s insincerity towards Duncan comes out in her strained language - shows
she can't act naturally

Act 1 Scene 7

• Macbeth’s soliloquy takes place against a background of a feast- reminder of what a

terrible host he is- broken the sacred bond between a host a guest just like he does between
a king and his subject and bond between two relatives (him and Duncan)— theme of
ORDER AND CHAOS
• Macbeth’s soliloquy begins with word ‘if’ - hasn’t made up his mind yet- but then
recognises if he does it will go to hell and knows it is an evil thing to do so wishes he could
do it and get away with it ‘Could trammel up the consequence’
• Soliloquy Lines 10-12 foreshadows the retribution he’ll face later on- never sleeps
peacefully after the murder
• He is still debating whether to murder Duncan because he is ambitious and then Lady
Macbeth tells him Duncan has been asking for him, makes up his mind to not do it-
reminder of how close he is with Duncan- Lines 29-31
• Lady Macbeth’s shocking words about smashing out her baby’s brains rather than breaking
a promise like this, shows that her baby is the most precious thing in her life, values her
child and not evil at the core- Lines 54-55
“I dare do all that may become a man”- Macbeth- he thinks being a ‘man’ is murdering a
close friend in their sleep- his and Lady Macbeth’s perception of what a man is shows they
are both morally twisted
Act 2 Scene 1
• Macbeth’s soliloquy reference to dagger- dagger symbolises his conscience
• Macbeth’s mind is being tortured with his guilt- guilt causes him to blame the dagger for
his wrongdoing as he doesn't want to admit to his actions

Act 2 Scene 2
• Lines 11-13; Lady Macbeth is not evil, shows she is also a loing daughter and is doing the
murder for her husband’s sake- “Had he not resembled my father as he slept, I had done’t”
• Line 13- LB says “My husband”- first and only time in whole play she refers to Macbeth
like this- IRONY- murder was thought to bring them closer together, rather than draw
them further apart
• When speaking about the murder Lady Macbeth will not say Duncan’s name, rather she
refers to him as “he” as she does not want to face reality/ what she has done
• Macbeth will not say that he has done the murder, wont even admit it to himself and will
not speak properly about it, he says “I have done the deed”- wont admit it to himself as he
is horrified by what he has done
• Lines 36-37; Lady Macbeth is already sensing that their guilt from the murder will drive
her and Macbeth mad -“These deeds must not be thought after these ays; so, it will make
us mad”
• Lines 38-39; Macbeth says how his murder punishment will fit the crime (the way in
which he murdered)- he murdered Duncan in his sleep so now he will have sleepless
nights- “Methought I heard a voice cry, ‘Sleep no more: Macbeth does murder sleep,”
• Lines 62- 64; MB questions himself as to whether he will ever recover form the guilt he is
feeling, the blood on his hand symbolises his guilt- “What hands are here?…Will all great
Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?”

Act 2 Scene 3
• Porter scene- comic contrast- drunk porter- to break the high tension
• Within Porter’s speech he uses all kinds of references to hell, the devil and equivocation
(belief in 1606/the time that if one committed murder, they would go straight to hell)
• Lines 49-56; Lennox says “The night has been unruly”- RELIGIOUS REFERENCE-
Storm on the night of the murder is g-d’s way of saying he angry about the murder/signal
from g-d
• Macduff’s use of language- Lines 62-64;“Confusion…sacrilegious murder… The Lord’s
anointed temple,”- suggests that Macbeth’s murder of Duncan, it’s as if it was an attack
against g-d himself
• Macbeth is putting in on act about his upset of the murder but his words are actually true

Act 2 Scene 4
• “ By th’clock ’tis day and yet dark night strangles the troubling lamp.”- Macbeth’s evil
deed has thrown Scotland in to unnatural chaos, even before his coronation
Bring’s out personality different between Macduff and Ross
Act 3 scene 1

• Macbeth’s soliloquy- shows that he hates Banquo and is jealous of him, Banquo is wise
and Macbeth is reckless
• “Upon my head they placed a fruitless a crown and put a barren sceptre in my gripe;”-
shows that Macbeth is suspicious about the witches that jumped to conclusions about
Banquo and thinks Banquo would behave the way he'd behave

Act 3 Scene 4

• “You know your own degrees.”- Macbeth —> illusion of order as Scotland is already
corrupt but they don't know yet
• “play the humble host”- Shows he is hypocritical
• Banquo’s ghost is a sign of Macbeth’s guilt
• “Which of you have done this?”- Macbeth is paranoid that someone is already out to get
him for the murder so tries to cover it up straight away
• Lady Macbeth says he is “unmann’d” because he's scared of the ghost which she cant see
she says “Are you a man?”
• “What a man dare, I dare;”- Macbeth perceives a man as someone who is brave and will
risk his life to fight
• “most admired disorder”- parallel between chaos at banquet and chaos in Scotland- both
created by the same thing
• “Almost at odds with morning.”- in Macbeth’s Scotland even night and day are confused,
everything is disorder and chaos, confusion relates to equivocation
• “Did you send to him, sir?”- murder has driven them apart, rather than closer together as
“sir” is formal, especially in private
• “There’s not a one of them but in his house I keep a servant feed.”- shows he's paranoid
again because he's trying to spy on all, even the innocent
• “I am in blood stepped so far that should I wade no more,”- gone too far to turn back from
evil so needs to kill Macduff now
• Condign punishment- Macbeth’s loss of sleep is condign punishment as Duncan was killed
in his sleep

Act 3 Scene 6
• Macbeth always referred to as a “tyrant” after committing murder of Duncan- means he has
no right to be king, someone who has ceased power unlawfully
When Malcolm returns and Macbeth isn't king anymore order will be restored- Lord says that
the army will rid of Macbeth they will be able to “sleep to our nights.”
Act 4 Scene 1

• “How now, you secret, black, and midnight hags! What is’t you do .“- shows the he has
become so evil himself he is no longer afraid in the presence of evil
• “Though you untie the winds and let them fight against the churches,”- shows that Macbeth
is unreligious and the spirit of chaos, disorder and evil as will corrupt anything to get what
he want
• First apparition is armed head which symbolises Macduff as Macduff is going to come kill
him
• Second is bloody child- symbolises Macduff as he is caesarian and witch says “none of
women born shall harm born shall harm macbeth”- equivocation as he doesn't know that
Macduff is caesarian
• Third apparition is a child crowned with a tree in his hand but witches say “Macbeth will
never be defeated until Birnam wood comes to Dunsinane.’- When malcom’s soldiers fight
Macbeth
• Last of the eight kings is holding up a mirror- symbolises future and Banquo comes a end
of procession of eight kings as he is descendant of royalty and his descendants will become
king, ancestor of King James 6th of Scotland who became king James 1st of England
• “some I see That two fold balls and treble sceptres carry.”- in the future England and
Scotland will be united with Ireland, connecting Banquo to his descendant King James
• “That this great king may kindly say, Our duties did his welcome pay.”- mocking him
because they know he is actually a tyrant

Act 4 Scene 2
• Lady Macduff is designed to be a complete contrast of Lady Macbeth through her role as a
mother, wife and through her innocence —> to highlight how evil Lady Macbeth is
• “I dare not speak much further.”- shows that the terror is so big so he's scared to talk to his
won cousin, Lady Macduff
• “I hope in no place so unsactified where such as thou mayst find him.”- doesn't say ‘I don't
know’ just equivocates? natural which the corruption of Scotland

Act 4 Scene 3
• “Angels are brights still, though the brightest fell.”- Malcolm is comparing him to satan
who was once the brightest and then became devil—> Macbeth is fundamentally evil
• Malcolm lists all the qualities of a good king which reflects all of Banquo’s qualities and all
the ones Macbeth doesn't have
• Malcolm says that if he was king he’d bring total chaos and disorder- doesn't actually mean
it but saying it to test Macduff and shows that the worst type of king is like Macbeth
• “an untitl’d tyrant.”- how macduff describes Macbeth
• Highlights the way a good king should be- like Edward- heels people whereas Macbeth is
the sickness which makes Scotland in such chaos, Edward is holy unlike Macbeth
• ROSS EPAKS ABOUT SCOTLAND BEING A PLACE OF DEATH and Macbeth is the
disease that is killing people
• “He has no children.”- 1.- Macbeth has no children so he can’t understand how he feels and
would never of done it, 2.- I’m gonna get his children, 3. He’s not actually talking about
Macbeth but Malcolm, he does’t understand that the loss of a child is immeasurable to any
kind of revenge
• “O, I could play the woman with mine eyes.”- men fight and women cry and they are
powerless and weak
Macduff and Malcolm both pray to g-d for support in what they will do whereas Macbeth
goes to the withes
Act 5 scene 1
• Lady Macbeth speaks in prose as opposed to verse because her mind disintegrates and her
guilt is coming out to others
• Her sleep walking is form of poetic justice due to how they killed Duncan
• “A great perturbation in nature”- chaos let loose by Macbeth is reflected in her sleep
walking-“Fair is foul, foul is fair.”- shows that she is not asleep nor wake- equivocation
• “she has light by her continually, tis her command.”- Lady Macbeth the dark because thats
when all the bad things have taken place - Duncan and Banquo murder- and also afraid of
darkness in hell which she is afraid of being sent to
• “The Thane of Fithe had a wife…No more o’that, my lord, no more o’that.You mar all with
this starting.”- chaos in her mind about Lady Macduff’s murder and she's reliving the
banquo ghost scene where macbeth is confused about Banquo’s murder
• Lines 58-60; reliving the death of Duncan along with confusion of Banquo’s death
• “Give me your hand”- Lady Macbeth is reaching out to Macbeth but he’s not there for her
as she was for him and one thing she still has left is her love for him- she is still humane
whereas Macbeth is desensitised, her love for Macbeth has still survived through the tragic
failure of their plan
• “what’s done cannot be undone.”- she recognises the uselessness of doing evil
• Doctor mentions “unnatural deeds” and “unnatural troubles”- chaos in Scotland
• “Remove from her all her weapons” doctor tells to gentlewoman this so she doesn't kill
herself but LMB does end up doing this showing the gentlewomen’s failure and how she
must’ve been desperate to kill herself- POWER OF DEVIL AS HER SOUL HAS BEEN
ONE FOR HIM BY WITCHES and that she’s reply depressed

Act 5 Scene 2
• The Scottish forces describe Macbeth as a “tyrant” who's title doesn’t fit him, he’s like a
dwarf trying to wear a giant’s robe “hang loose about him like a giant’s robe upon a
dwarfish thief.”
• “We march on to give obedience where ‘tis truly ow’d; Meet we the medicine of the sickly
weal.”- Macbeth is an anointed king, allegedly the worst sin, and so only way they can
justify their want to kill him and Malcolm king is because there saying it’s G-d wants as
will restore justice and order- as Macbeth himself killed the original anointed king

Act 5 Scene 3
• Macbeth in castle and knows he is safe as long as he stays inside
• Macbeth’s servant is called seyton- irony
• “old ages,… honour, love, obedience, troops of his friends”- shows everything he has lost
which is why his life has become meaningless, why he’s deeply depressed
Scene 5
• Character of Seyton reflects the real satan and shows Macbeth’s castle has become a type
of hell
• “I’ll fight til my bones my flesh be hack’d give me my armour.”- Macbeth is redeemed by
his physical courage
• “I’ll put it on.”- doesn’t need the armour but still puts it on as he is reckless
• “Canst thou not minister to a mind deseas’d, pluck from the memory a rooted sorrow.”-
talking about healing himself from his depression instead of Lady Macbeth from being ill
• Lines 51-55; Macbeth pleads with the doctor to find out whats making Scotland sick when
he himself is the cause of the sickness
• “I hope the days are near at hand that chambers will be safe.”- once Macbeth is gone and
order is restored people will be able to sleep peacefully again
• Lines 17-27; Controversial as could mean 1. how sad it is that she died so young 2. she was
gonna die at some point so may aswell die, why should he care 3. why did she have to die
at such an inconsiderate time, just as he is about to go into battle. Rest of speech is about
the pointlessness of life
• “have lighted fools” Macbeth is talking about his wife who has just died as if she is a fool,
he is insensitive to his wife’s death
• Compares life to a “candle” by the time it burns out showing he's deep depressed
• Audienece in this ear wouldn't see him as depressed but would see him in despair/
blasphemy which is a sin, shows he is ungrateful to G-d so will go to hell
• “Arm, arm and out.”- almost a death wish from macbeth as he knows and has been told that
he is safe as long as he stays in his castle
• “I ‘gin to be aweary of the sun” sick of life and wishes it was over

scene 7
• “bear like I must fight the course.”- in the time people would watching cruel sport of bear
baiting where they were chained to a steak and dogs were set on them to attack and then
they couldn’t fight back- Macbeth feels just like that- a tormented animal

scene 8
• Mcabeth refuses to commit suicide as he is a reckless soldier who will fight till the end
• “my soul is too much charg’d with blood of thine already”- macbeth is telling macduff that
he doesn't want to kill him as he is already guilty of murdering his wife and children, only
time in the whole play when macbeth expresses sorrow in the play even though he doesn’t
mean it and just excuse to not fight macduff?
• Lines 19-22; shows that witches are equivocal which macbeth was told at beginning by
Banquo and he didn't listen to him and is only now realising it

scene 9
• “Hail king … th’usurper’s”- Macduff distinguishes between malcolm (legitimate king) and
macbeth (tyrant) he is the ‘usurper’
• Malcolm’s last speech line 40 is important “we will perform in measure, time and place.”-
malcolm is restoring order
• Malcolm insists from start of speech that England and Scotland will be closely united
Act one scene one “fair is foul and foul is fair”
Interpretation: from the beginning of the play the audience see what is right in the wrong
what is wrong can be right boundaries between good and evil of blood and confused
Techniques: alliteration repetition
Analysis:
 The alliteration of the F sound create a sinister uneasy tone
 The repetition affair and father suggested to ideas interchangeable emphasise further
by the definite is foul is more dominant and intimidating fair fair is caring unpleasant
the evil element overpowers goodness
 The king at the time King James wrote a book stating that the magic was evil this
chance sounds almost like a magical spell the audience would fear it

Act one scene 2 Sgt “as cannons over-charged with double cracks”
Interpretation: the sergeant gives his report on the battle that has just occurred, and Banquo
and Macbeth’s role in it. The audience’s first impression of Macbeth is as a great warrior,
heroic character who is fierce and valiant on the battlefield.
Techniques: simile, alliteration
Analysis:
 Vocabulary such as ‘canon’ and ‘charged’ gives the audience a sense of Macbeth’s
explosive, violent power as if he himself was a powerful weapon who is highly
capable of killing.
 The alliteration of the hard ‘c’ sound mimics the dynamic movements of Macbeth
through the battlefield.
 The use of over and double highlights Macbeth has far more value than a typical
soldier - he stands above the rest.

Act one scene five Lady Macbeth ‘too full of the milk of human kindness’
Interpretation: Lady Macbeth believes Macbeth does not have the ruthless nature required to
become king. Through the statement the audience come to believe she is the driving force
behind the events of the play.
Techniques: imagery, language
Analysis:
 the suggestion that Macbeth is ‘too full’ implies his not only good-natured but is ‘too’
full – it will stop him from achieving the crown.
 The image of ‘milk’ has associations with the comforting and soothing nature – not
the qualities Lady Macbeth thinks are required to become King. In Shakespearean
context, it should be women who are kind and gentle, not men.
 It is significant that she uses the phrase ‘human’ kindness - she implies Macbeth
needs to be inhuman, perhaps even supernatural like the witches if he is to succeed.

Act one scene five Lady Macbeth, ‘come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts on sex me
here and fill me the crown to turn top full of direst cruelty’
Interpretation: Lady Macbeth believes she must reject her womanly nature if she is to help
Macbeth. She also suggest that any way to gain power is through a commitment to evil rather
than positive action
Techniques: language
Analysis:
  The fact that Lady Macbeth invites the spirits with the phrase ‘come you spirits’
shows she has embraced the supernatural, whereas Macbeth seems nervous of its
power.
 The phrase ‘unsex me here’ is an explicit rejection of traditionally female behaviour.
Lady Macbeth is rejecting the typical patriarchal society of the time.
 Not only is Lady Macbeth prepared to be cruel, but the adjective ‘direst’ highlights
the extreme lengths she is willing to go.
 On one hand, Shakespeare’s use of imperatives highlight her strength and
determination. On the other hand, they illustrate a desperation in the character. This
need to change herself and remove the caring, maternal ‘milk’ may in fact foreshadow
her inability to ‘stop up th’ access and passage to remorse.’

Act one scene five, Lady Macbeth ‘look like the innocent flower will be the serpent under it’
Interpretation: Lady Macbeth shows that that manipulation and deceit are the most effective
methods of gaining power.
Techniques: imagery, juxtaposition, religious allusions
Analysis:
 The imagery of the ‘innocent flower’ highlights the goodness, but also the
vulnerability, of honest human behaviour.
 The juxtaposition of ‘the serpent under it’ is a clear biblical reference to the serpent in
the garden of Eden who helped to bring you to bring original sin into the world. The
audience would certainly link this with the devil.
 This suggests that Lady Macbeth would rather act like the devil than a moral human
being - like the witches she sees that ‘fair is foul and foul is fair’
 The words ‘under it’ implies evil is underneath of all our behaviour

Act one scene seven, Lady Macbeth ‘I would, while it was smiling in my face, have plucked
my nipple from his boneless gums, and dashed the brains out’
Interpretation: Producing and caring for children was a main role for women – Lady Macbeth
states she would cruelly reject, even destroy, her child in pursuit for power.
Techniques: imagery language
Analysis:
 Lady Macbeth’s ability to feel no guilt is highlighted by the fact she believes she
could kill her in child if and if it were ‘smiling in my face’, also showing her
willingness to destroy something innocent
 Her ruthless nature is accentuated by the speed at which she is willing to act – the
words ‘plucked’ and ‘dashed’ both for your swift clinical movements.
 The use of the phrase ‘dashed the brains out’ foreshadows the horrors acted upon
children later in the play. She is again rejecting her traditional womanly role as a
mother.
Act two scene one Macbeth ‘Is this a dagger I see before me’
Interpretation: Macbeth is hallucinating, showing the deterioration of his state of mind and
the influences the witches and lady Macbeth have on him.
Techniques: questioning
Analysis:
 The question ‘is this’ is representative of Macbeth state of mind - he is full of
uncertainty and doubt
  The fact that it is a ‘dagger’ before him suggested mind has become corrupted by
violence - the handle of the dagger is pointing towards his hand, almost inviting him
to use it .
 In a patriarchal society, male leaders are not meant to have doubt - they are meant to
be powerful, certain and strong. Macbeth has become a weaker warrior since the
warfare on the battlefield in act one.

Act two scene two Macbeth, ‘but wherefore could I not pronounce on amen? I had most need
of blessing and, amen stuck in my throat’
Interpretation: Doubt, confusion and guilt have now overcome Macbeth. The fact that he
cannot say ‘amen’ shows the audience Macbeth’s actions have separated him from religion,
something that could strike fear into a Shakespearean audience with a strong Christian belief.
Techniques: questioning, repetition
Analysis:
 Much like is this a dagger which I see before me the question is representative of
Macbeth’s state of mind - his full of uncertainty and doubt. His hesitancy contrasts
greatly with the active behaviour of Lady Macbeth.
 The repetition of ‘amen’ brings religion to the audience’s attention - the fact it stuck
in his throat implies Macbeth has acted so evilly that religion has turned against him -
evil cannot coexist with religion

Act Two Scene Two Lady Macbeth, ‘a little water clears us of this deed.’
Interpretation: Lady Macbeth has to become more ruthless as Macbeth’s courage begins to
fade - she believes she can simply wash away any sense of guilt for the murder
Techniques: language, pronoun
Analysis:
 The use of the word ‘little’ highlights just how insignificant murder is to Lady
Macbeth, if only a ‘little water’ is needed to wash it away.
 The fact that she believes washing their hands ‘clears us of this deed’ suggest she
would only feel regret if they were caught - ‘clears’ implies she has got away with
murder.
 She refers to ‘us’ in a patriarchal society, she sees herself as equal to her husband and
much like the witches, the audience see a powerful woman controlling Macbeth
actions.

Act two scene four Old Man, ‘ A falcon towering in her pride of place was by a mousing owl
and hawked at, and killed’
Interpretation: the natural order of things has become subverted - small owls are now killing
falcons. It suggest the behaviour of Macbeth has become so unnatural it has caused the
natural world fall apart and the natural order of things to go wrong.
Techniques: imagery, symbolism
Analysis:
 Just like kings should never be killed by the subjects, powerful falcons should not be
killed by weak owls.
 Hierarchy was vital to a country’s stability. The Divine Right of Kings (the belief that
the kings were gods voice on earth) meant hierarchy should not be challenged.
 The idea of a ‘mousing’ owl, with associations of small size and lack of strength,
killing a ‘towering’ falcon suggesting power and immense size, links with the
unnatural idea of Macbeth killing the king.
Act three scene two Lady Macbeth, ‘sleek over your rugged looks. Be bright and jovial
among your guests tonight.
Interpretation: Macbeth is beginning to lose his mind – Lady Macbeth understands that as
long as he is he is in control, power will remain in their hands due to the hierarchical system
in which they live.
Techniques: juxtaposition
Analysis:
 The juxtaposition of ‘rugged’ and ‘jovial’ link to hypocrisy and the two-faced nature
of Macbeth’s behaviour.
 ‘sleek over’ creates an image of taking something ugly and unpleasant and giving it to
the appearance of positivity - to be King, Macbeth must look the part.
 The fact that his actions are ‘rugged’ suggesting violent, but his current behaviour is
‘jovial’, with associations of friendship and togetherness, remind the audience of his
deceitful nature

Act three scene four Macbeth, ‘ whole as the marble, founded as the rock … but now I am
cabined crypt confined’
Interpretation: this point links back to the very beginning of the play Macbeth was a true
warrior but now he is a weak, vulnerable man.
Techniques: imagery, alliteration, try-colon
Analysis:
 The first part of the quotation shows Macbeth as he used to be.
 The word ‘whole’ suggests he was the complete soldier, and the associations with
‘marble’ and ‘rock’ of strong, unbreakable, natural substances all the things Macbeth
used to be, a traditionally strong male
 The tricolon of ‘cabined, cribbed, confined’ suggest a feeling of claustrophobia and
restriction, as if Macbeth has nowhere to hide and is now vulnerable, emphasised by
the alliteration.

Act three scene four Macbeth, ‘there the grown serpent lies: the worm that’s fled. Hath nature
that in time will venom breed’.
Interpretation: Macbeth realises in failing to kill Fleance, he has allowed evil and poisonous
thoughts to grow against him as King. Macbeth also understands that within human nature is
the threat of evil corrupting someone’s soul.
Techniques: imagery, religious allusions
Analysis:
 Macbeth initially describes Fleance as a ‘worm’ suggesting something that is small
and helpless.
 However he suggests it will grow into a ‘serpent’, linking back to the original sin of
Adam and Eve, and it will ‘breed’ poison, emphasising to the audience that the anger
and violence in the play will grow and develop even further.
 ‘Will’ confirms that the events are inevitable - evil is unstoppable and ‘will’ lead to
poisonous consequences.

Act three scene four Macbeth, ‘see there! Behold! Look! Lo! How say you? Why - What care
I?’
Interpretation: Macbeth has lost all control of his surroundings. He is now confused and
frightened unsure, of what is occurring around him.
Techniques: sentence structure, prose
Analysis:
 Most of Shakespeare’s characters, and definitely his powerful characters, speak in
iambic pentameter, and certainly in verse. However Macbeth sentences become more
stuttering, fractured and broken. He is now speaking in basic usually monosyllabic
words, and in prose, language only usually spoken by Shakespeare’s uneducated
characters (see the porter for an example in act two scene three)
 His mind has become destroyed and his language is now unintelligent and unfocused

Act three scene five Hecate, ‘this night I’ll spend unto a dismal and fatal end’
Interpretation: The most powerful witch of all, Hecate is intent on making sure that the
outcome of the action is both painful and deadly. It will be a truly tragic. The audience may
well have a strong belief in fate - they would fear their own life is not necessarily in their
control.
Techniques: language, sentence structure
Analysis:
 The idea of Hecate saying she will ‘spend’ a night on Macbeth’s fate suggests she is
in full control of what happens to him - it has associations with careful planning and
scheming to ensure his ‘fatal’ end.
 The use of ‘dismal’ and ‘fatal’ show Macbeth’s fate is going to result in death, but
‘dismal’ also implies an unheroic end for a once great soldier .
 The fact that Hecate states she wants ‘a dismal and fatal end’, rather than a ‘dismal
fatal end’ lengthens the sentence and extends the pain Macbeth will feel.

Act four scene one Witch, ‘finger of birth-strangled babe, ditch-delivered by a drab’
Interpretation: this is just one of many horrific ingredients that go into the witches’ cauldron
the idea of including body parts from a dead baby show just how evil the witches truly are,
and that Macbeth was always going to be defeated by their horrific magic.
Techniques: language, imagery, alliteration
Analysis:
 The list of ingredients around the dark cauldron is at its most evil when the finger of
the ‘babe’ is added, a symbol of pure innocence been destroyed, linking to the
destruction of the previously good Macbeth.
 The imagery of it being ‘birth-strangled’ highlights extreme cruelty of the witches
 The alliteration of ‘b’ and ‘d’ sounds creates a chant-like tone to the list of ingredients
accentuating the supernatural feel.

Act four seen one Macbeth, ‘though you untie the winds and let them fight against the
churches’
Interpretation: The completely unnatural behaviours of the witches is so powerful that it has
even has turned the natural world against religion, causing conflict throughout the land.
Techniques personification, pathetic fallacy
Analysis:
 Here the churches are a personified symbol of mortality and goodness - it would be
distressing for the religious audience to see Christianity attacked in this way.
 The witches have deliberately turned the wind against it, the words ‘fight’ linking to
the violent conflicts throughout the play.
  The fact they ‘untie’ the winds has associations with a great power being unleashed
against the moral goodness of the Church. Because the wind is attacking ‘against the
churches’ it seems as if the church is passive and vulnerable to evil’s power.

Act four seen one Macbeth, ‘then live Macduff what need do I fear of thee? But yet I’ll make
assurance double sure, and take a bond of fait: thou shalt not live.’
Interpretation: Macbeth is trying to maintain control over his own life. He believes that by
killing Macduff he is guiding his own fate.
Techniques: sentence structure, language
Analysis:
 Macbeth’s nervousness and fragility is evident here - rather than the brave warrior
from the beginning of the play, now he is desperate to be ‘sure’ and needs
‘assurances’.
 It also shows the conflict and in his mind – he starts by suggesting that Macduff can
live, but follows with a question, and then a complete contradiction, saying ‘ thou
shalt not live.
 We also see Macbeth’s lack of actual power as he needs to ‘take a bond of fate’,
relying on fate to assist him

Act 4 scene three Ross, ‘your wife and babes savagely slaughtered’
Interpretation: the image of violence flows through the statement, with the lengths Macbeth is
now willing to go in his quest for power evident to the audience. There is a clear difference
between the murders earlier in the play and the death of Macduff’s.
Techniques: sibilance, juxtaposition
Analysis:
 The juxtaposition of ‘wife and babes’ images of innocence, love and care, being
‘savagely slaughtered’(the word savage suggesting an almost inhumane behaviour)
indicates to the audience level of evil Macbeth is willing to go.
 This sibilance of ‘savagely slaughtered’ adds a swiftness to the sentence, a clear
development from the hesitancy Macbeth showed before killing Duncan.

Act four scene three Malcom ‘let grief convert to anger. Blunt not the heart, enrage it.’
Interpretation: The audience can see here that the culmination of the play will be violent and
bloody - Malcom insists that Macduff not feel sorrow, but instead uses pain to exact revenge.
Techniques: language, personification
Analysis:
 The use of emotive language shows audience how emotionally charged the final acts
will be – the abstract nouns ‘grief’ and ‘anger’ are dangerous mix of sorrow and fury.
 Malcolm compels Macduff to make sure his heart, with its associations of goodness or
bravery, becomes enraged suggesting behaviour that feels no remorse. He needs to act
in a stereotypically masculine way.
 Malcolm personifies is Macduff’s heart demanding he ‘enrage it’, as if it were another
soldier in the battlefield against Macbeth.

Act five scene one Lady Macbeth, ‘out damned spot’

Interpretation: Lady Macbeth has lost all of her composure and rational thoughts from earlier
in the play - like Macbeth in act two, her mind has begun to hallucinate.
Techniques: sentence structure, religious allusion, irony
Analysis:
  In act two Lady Macbeth claims that after killing Duncan ‘a little water clears us of
this deed’.
 Now she is hallucinating and desperately pleads for the blood to be washed away. It is
ironic that when Macbeth desperately needed to clean his hands, Lady Macbeth
mocked him, but her guilt is now having the same effect upon her.
 The fact that she describes the blood spot as ‘damned’ has associations with hell –
her guilt has caught up with her and now she is being punished. The religious
audience could see this as a divine punishment from God.

Act five scene three Macbeth, ‘the mind I sway by, and the heart I bear, shall never sag with
doubts not shake with fear.’
Interpretation: Macbeth has come full circle and has returned to his former warrior self – he is
displaying typical characteristics of the powerful leader once more. Although he is now full
of evil intentions, his spirit is as strong as ever
Techniques: language
Analysis:
 In previous acts Macbeth was riddled with ‘doubt’ and ‘fear’ – now the word ‘never’
is position before it, showing he has finally regained control over his own behaviour.
 He is again in full control as shown by the reference to both ‘mind’, suggesting this
thoughts and ‘heart’ emphasising his emotions.
 ‘Sag’ and ‘shake’ both suggest weak body movements something Macbeth explicitly
rejects.

Act five scene 5 Macbeth, ‘life is but a walking shadow’

Interpretation: Macbeth has had an epiphany and suggest that life has no real substance to it –
it is simply a ‘shadow’
Techniques: metaphor, sentence structure
Analysis:
 The use of metaphor depicting life as a ‘shadow’ suggests life is empty and has no
meaning – it also has associations with following (our shadows follows around as if
we are simply following someone else’s plan.
 The use of walking implies life is a journey, but not a dynamic energetic one -
walking is not the powerful, physical action seen earlier acts, nor the text dynamic
action expected of a king.
 The sentence structure focuses on the word ‘but’ meaning only or just. Macbeth is
arguing that life is worthless - it is only shadow

Act five scene five Macbeth, ‘a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage’
Interpretation: Macbeth understands he is under the control of someone or something else. He
is simply an actor (‘a player’) who has his life controlled by the witches and then will be
forgotten.
Techniques: alliteration
Analysis:
 The image of Macbeth as a ‘poor player’ contrasts the previous image of him as a
‘powerful cannon’ in act one. Here the alliteration adds to the pitiful nature of the
character.
 The verbs ‘struts’ and ‘frets’ are both week, indecisive actions - they suggest lack of
control and power.
  The fact that we have only an ‘hour upon the stage’ emphasises how fleeting and
insignificant each person is, foreshadowing the death that is to come.

Act five scene 5 Macduff, ‘I have no words my voices in my sword’

Interpretation: Macduff realises that justice can only be achieved through fighting, not
through words – he must meet Macbeth’s violent deeds with violence of his own to avenge
the death of his family.
Techniques: personification
Analysis:
 Macduff cannot put into words the pain feels at Macbeth’s actions, and heacts in the
way Lady Macbeth suggested earlier in the play – with actions not words.
 His ‘sword’ he become his voice – in killing Macbeths he says everything he needs to
so as to deliver justice and revenge.
 The idea of his voice being ‘in’ his sword suggest the sword is more than just a
physical weapon – it contains all of the anger and hatred of Macbeth’s victims adding
to its strength.