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Macbeth - Final Exams, Scene Synopsis - Coggle Diagram
Macbeth - Final Exams
Context
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Political play: Performed within James VI's court; nobles here may protest James's legitimacy. Shakespeare makes Macbeth's willingness to disturb the natural order his fatal flaw.
Macbeth opposes the 'script' given to him by God, concluding that his life has had no significance: sacrilege and blasphemy.
King James wrote the book "Demonologie" which discussed the science of finding witches and trialling them.
Witches are not a conventional portrayal of Jacobean women and so must rely on a supernatural means to establish control ("wild" with beards).
Trew Law of Free Monarchies(1598) is written by James, it praises English kings as sitting upon "God's throne".
Themes
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Gender and Emasculation
LM dying off stage acts as a consequence of her 'unsex-ing' herself and rejecting her feminine role. Shakespeare uses this to convey her subservient place in a patriarchal society.
- "Art thou a man"
- "And live a coward in thine own self esteem"
- "I shame to wear a heart so white"
- "unsex me here"
- "come to my woman's breasts... take my milk for gall"
- Malcolm: "Dispute it like a man", Macduff: "I shall do so. But I must also feel it like a man". (A4S3)
- Malcolm (To Siward): "He's worth more sorrow and that I'll spend for him"
- This change is a message to King James: response to oppression of Catholics. Shakespeare does not wish for James to become a tyrant.
Ambition (Hamartia)
- "I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent"
- "I dreamt last night of the three weird sisters" (Banquo)
- "black and deep desires"
Divine Right of Kings
- "Bloody instructions"..."Return to plague the inventor".
- Raging storm + "strange screams of death" (A2S3)
- (About Banquo) "Royalty of nature" ... "He hath a wisdom that doth guide his valour to act in safety" - Message to King James: opposing Catholic oppression.
Free Will and Fate
In classical Greek literature, the "three fates" are portrayed as three women: vigin, mature and crone.
- "If chance will have me king, why, chance will crown me, without my stir".
Ambiguity of Reality
- "Fair is foul and foul is fair"
- "When the battle's lost and won"
- "Angels are bright still though the brightest fell" (Malcolm to Macduff)
Act 5
1) LM, mad with guilt, sleepwalks and tries to clean blood from his hands.
2) LM commits suicide, many of Macbeth's supporters decide to help Malcolm but Macbeth remains indifferent to this because of the prophecies.
3) Macduff is confronted by Macbeth and learns that he was born by cesarean section. Macbeth is killed and Malcolm is crowned king.
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Act 2
Plot
1) Macbeth has doubts and sees a vision of a floating dagger. He follows through with Duncan's murder.
2) Lady Macbeth has to finish the job by incriminating the guards,
3) Macduff discovered Duncan's body, the guards are seen as the subjects.
4) Macbeth murders the guards in a sudden act of "vengeance". Malcolm and Donalbain flee the castle because they are afraid that they may be next.
Act 3
Plot
1) Banquo begins to suspect Macbeth for the murder of Duncan. Macbeth sends two murderers to kill Banquo; a third arrive and the plan fails as Fleance escapes.
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3) Lady Macbeth tries to cover up Macbeth's descent into insanity. Macduff doesn't attend the banquet because he is suspicious of Macbeth.
Act 4
Plot
1) Macbeth visits the witches again, they show him more visions; he believes that he can't be killed by any man. Macbeth sends murderers to Macduff's castle to kill his family.
2) In England, Macduff implores Malcolm to return to the throne, he tests his loyalty and agrees to war against Macbeth.
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