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Themes, Ambition, Loyalty and Betrayal, Good and Evil, Supernatural -…
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Ambition
quotes
"let not light see my black and deep desires"- Macbeth, Act 1 Scene 4
"unsex me here" - Lady Macbeth, Act 1 Scene 5
"Look like the innocent flower but be the serpent under it" - Lady Macbeth, Act 1 Scene 5
"if chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me without my stir" - Macbeth, Act 1 Scene 3
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Ambition as good
Malcolm & Macduff are ambitious for their country - they want to remove Macbeth's power for the good of Scotland.
Banquo is ambitious for his sons after the prophecy - but he doesn't act in a violent way like Macbeth
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Dangerous - can quickly spiral out of control. (Macbeth considers the morality of killing Duncan for a long time, but doesn't hesitate to kill Banquo)
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Leads to Macbeth and Lady Macbeth's destruction - warning against ambition that isn't balanced by morals or reason
Loyalty and Betrayal
Quotes
False face must hide what the false heart doth know Macbeth, Act 1, Scene 7
As his host, who should against his murderer shut the door, not bear the knife myself.
Where we are, there’s daggers in men’s smiles; the nearer in blood, the nearer bloody. Donaldbain, Act 2, Scene 3
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Difference between characters who say they are loyal (Macbeth talking about the 'loyalty' he owns to Duncan even when he's plotting his murder) and characters whose actions show their loyalty.
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Play as a circular structure, at the start Duncan kills Thane of Cawdor for betrayal, while Macduff kills Macbeth for betraying Scotland.
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Loyalty and betrayal are often linked - Macduff's loyalty to Scotland leads him to betray his family.
Good and Evil
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Quotes
We’ve scorched the snake, not killed it. (Macbeth to Lady Macbeth) They cannot stop their violence because the need for power will never end.
There’s husbandry in heaven; their candles are all out. (Banquo to Fleance) This time is very dark and something bad is going to happen.
Is this a dagger I see before me, the handle toward my hand? (Macbeth soliloquy) Sees a hallucination of dagger, but grabs it and goes to kill Duncan.
as he not resembled my father as he slept, I had done it. (Lady Macbeth to Macbeth) This is why Lady Macbeth couldn’t kill Duncan herself. First time we see her “soft side.”
Gender
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Witches' gender is ambiguous Banquo 'they should be women' but have beards, like Lady Macbeth they use manipulation instead of physical force
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Supernatural
Witches
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However - when planning to harm the sea captain they say his ship' cannot he lost' - hints their power is limited.
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Chaos - try to impose an unnatural order. Macbeth says they 'untie the winds' and make 'castles topple'. Motivated by destruction - represent struggle between natural and unnatural order.
Presented as completely evil - don't show any remorse, even celebrate evil.
Adds to the atmosphere, make sit darker
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