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Themes - Coggle Diagram
Themes
Ambition
Macbeth
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Through Macbeth, Shakespeare explores whether ambition is useful and how it relates to fate
Effect of the Witches
When they meet Macbeth in Act One, they reveal their prophecies but don't mention murder - Macbeth jumps ahead to the possibility of killing the King showing how his ambition is overbearing
'My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical shakes so my single state of man'
Tragic Flaw
In Shakespearean tragedy all protagonists have a tragic flaw, translated from the Greek word hamartia - this flaw set in action chain of events which eventually causes their downfall
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The murders he commits cause him to grow mad with guilt - one reflection of his madness are the visions of the bloody knife which show how the consequences of his ambition have caused mental distress and near insanity
'a dagger of the mind, a false creation'
Regicide
Murder
Arugably Macbeth's ambition leads him to murder Duncan - he sees it as the only option to reach his ambitions and he knows that the only reason to kill Duncan would be so
'I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition which o'erleaps itself'
He knows that blindly obeying ambition will end in disaster - the phrase 'o'erleaps itself' suggests ambition makes people think illogically, portraying it as *self-destructive
Reflection
When Duncan is discovered to be dead, it is implied that his children murderers and Ross exclaims: *'Gainst nature still! Thriftless ambition'
Duncan's children are supposedly going against nature in killing their father in the pursuit of ambition - the audience knows it was Macbeth so questions whether it was also against nature for Macbeth to kill someone he respected and was indebted to just to fulfil his ambition
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He justifies his actions in Act Three, arguing they were all 'for mine own good'
Lady Macbeth
Alongside the Witches, Lady Macbeth is seen as the other motivator of Macbeth's ambition to usurp to crown
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Her attitude may arguable have lead Macbeth to kill Duncan however her ambition also contributes to her own insanity and eventual suicide
Effect of the Witches
Similarly to Macbeth, when she first hears of the prophecies, her mind immediately jumps to murder
She has both the ambition and confidence to act on her desires but doubts her husband's capabilities to do so
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This quote serves as our introduction to Lady Macbeth, perhaps foregrounding ambition as her defining trait
In the above quote, Shakespeare implies that Lady Macbeth believes that you can only act on your ambition and achieve greatness when you sacrifice your moral compass
Masculinity
As a Jacobean woman, Lady Macbeth would have been socially pressured to appear less ambitious and encouraged to hide her desires
While Lady Macbeth only encourages the murder and does not commit it herself, she could be viewed as more ruthless and single-minded in her ambition than Macbeth
She 'pour[s her] spirit into [his] ear' and directs her actions, which would usually be a masculine action to a feminine receiver
However, she uses gender norms to shame Macbeth into regicide, showing a reversal of the typical power dynamic - she wields power over Macbeth and persistently questions his manhood
For this as well as her ruthless ambition, she would have been viewed as a masculine character - a Jacobean audience may have been inclined to view her negatively on the assumption that she is untrustworthy because she does not conform to accepted gender norms
Banquo
Effect of the Witches
Shakespeare's exposure of both Banquo and Macbeth to temptation is necessary for the audience to view the contrasting responses to temptation and decide which is morally righteous
It is vital for Banquo to be faced with temptation and ambition as it proves that he is morally strong
Arguably this is a message from Shakespeare that everyone is capable of evil and must resist it - Banquo doesn't speak out against injustice and corruption and will not reveal the evil prophecy that promises him attractive things
Perhaps this is because he wants it to come true too and also is somewhat flawed in his ambition, however he does not allow it to become his hamartia, instead resisting it
Also Capable of Ambition
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The presence of Banquo's ambition shows that all men have ambition whether morally good or not - however Banquo is able to control his ambition and does not let it take over, making him a good man
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Guilt
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The apparition of Banquo's ghost to Macbeth in Act Three may be interpreted by a modern audience as a psychological phenomenon from Macbeth's mind which has been unhinged with guilt
However a Jacobean audience were less sceptical about supernatural phenomena and therefore may have been more likely to view to ghost as real and as a result of nature being disturbed
Blood Motif
When Macbeth encounters his wife after killing Duncan he asks her 'Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather the multitudinous seas incarnadine'
Macbeth acknowledges the sin he has committed of regicide in indelible, it will not wash away
He declares in dramatic, Latinate language, it is more likely to spread, turning the oceans red - he predicts his guilt will grow
He also hallucinates blood - 'a dagger in the mind' - addressing this dagger directly he says 'I see thee still ... gouts of blood' - these vivid images would likely evoke visceral reactions from the audience and serve as visual representations of his guilt
At the beginning of the play however, blood does not symbolise sin instead, Macbeth's loyalty and bravery as a soldier
The army captain describes how he *'unseamed' his enemies and 'smoked with bloody execution' - this convoluted and gruesome language describes how ruthlessly he executes which is meant to be a commendation and sign of his valour
Later in the play, Macbeth turns from a *'noble' (2.3) to a *'butcher' (5.8) and an 'abhorred tyrant' (5.8) - and his hallucinations of blood represent his guilt
Blood is a complex symbol and its changing meanings mirror Macbeth's changing character, or at least the changing perception
The Witches
all you have done hath been but for a wayward son [...] who loves for his own ends, not for you
This implies the Witches' ambition comes from the need for love - they cannot achieve any form of love because they are so ugly, outcasted and poor so they use witchcraft to replace this
This shows their hamartia is love as they crave this so badly that they allow themselves to be abused by Macbeth who only desires them when they are useful to him
Social comment about how marginalised women were in Jacobean society and how they were treated as disposable by men - this is shown when Lady Macbeth tries to become more masculine in order to gain power
Gender
In the Jacobean Era
Gender was a very strict and rigid construction and for the most part determined male and female roles within society
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Women were expected to be loyal and respectful daughters, wives and mothers. Angering the men around them cold result in being kicked out or killed and it was nearly impossible to support themselves financially. They received little to no education and were *very restricted in their decisions in life
Men had a much easier time. They were householders, politicians, landlords, etc. They were encouraged to be aggressive, particularly in their sexuality - male sexuality was celebrated. However there were still expectations of how men should act. They were the bread-winners and needed to be financially independent. Being a warrior was viewed as one of the most honourable things a man could be and dying in battle was the idealised way too die
Men
Macbeth
Questioning
Many times throughout the play, Lady Macbeth taunts her husband about his masculinity - it is evident that Macbeth does not like his manhood being questioned which seems to highlight his insecurity
When Lady Macbeth accuses him of being a 'coward', he replies, 'Prithee, peace. / I dare do all that may become a man' - the plea *'Prithee peace' suggests he cannot withstand the attack on his masculinity, conveying how sensitive and fragile he is - it seems as if a man's sense of manhood is dependent on the women in his life
Lady Macbeth implies Macbeth is not 'a man' because he refuses to murder Duncan, suggesting that masculinity is proven with violence. Macbeth disagrees - the quote 'I dare do all that may become a man; who dares do more is none' suggests manhood is tied to honour
Eventually Macbeth gives into his wife's insults and accusations. He becomes obsessed with proving his masculinity and becoming the man she wants him to be.. Lady Macbeth asks 'Are you a man?' and he replies, 'Ay, and a bold one, that dare look on that which might appal the devil'. The words 'bold' and *'dare' emphasise his manly bravery. The phrase 'might appal the devil' serves to prove he is stronger than the ultimate source of evil providing an exaggerated perspective of his manhood
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Guilt, Innocence & Paranoia