MACBETH GCSE ANALYSIS QUOTES AQA - GRADE
8-9
Note
Thank you for buying this. It took me a while to make and I hope you
find it helpful for revision, make sure you rest and take breaks if you
feel too overwhelmed, good luck for your exams! :)
“Vaulting ambition” (Act 1, scene 7)
The adjective “vaulting” encapsulates Macbeth’s unchecked
ambition that is the very catalyst that drives him to commit
regicide against King Duncan and dismantle the Divine Right of
Kings, but also the root of his downfall. Thus, this leap towards
kingship could emphasise how willing Macbeth is to discard his
morality in order to transcend beyond the divine order.
Perhaps, this could be a biblical allusion to the Tower of Babel,
drawing parallels in how just like the builders wanted to ascend
the heavens and be above God, Macbeth similarly desires to
ascend the throne and be above the Divine Order.
Alternatively, Shakespeare could be using the idea of “o’erleap”
to reflect horse imagery, to emphasise how Macbeth galloping
to desires gives him power and strength but will end up being
destroyed by it . Shakespeare perhaps connects this to horse
cannibalism when the old man says “ ‘tis said they eat each
other”. Here Duncan’s horses are used as symbolism of the
endless cycle of destruction in which Macbeth is being
consumed by ambition. This could foreshadow Macbeth’s moral
downfall and the consequences of defying the natural order
which leads to great tragedy.
“Like Valour’s minion” (Act 1, scene 2)
Here Shakespeare playfully juxtaposes the notion of bravery
and servitude in Macbeth’s character. The noun “minion” has
connotations being subservient and controllable, which
illustrates Macbeth as a brave and powerful soldier on the
battlefield, but also a slave to his own hamartia- his unchecked
ambition that succumbs to the “instruments of darkness” as he
is manipulated by their prophecies. Shakespeare uses the noun
"minion” to shrink and minimise Macbeth’s power despite being
a man in the Jacobean era, to symbolise how Macbeth is
nothing in comparison to dark forces that hold omnipotence,
8-9
Note
Thank you for buying this. It took me a while to make and I hope you
find it helpful for revision, make sure you rest and take breaks if you
feel too overwhelmed, good luck for your exams! :)
“Vaulting ambition” (Act 1, scene 7)
The adjective “vaulting” encapsulates Macbeth’s unchecked
ambition that is the very catalyst that drives him to commit
regicide against King Duncan and dismantle the Divine Right of
Kings, but also the root of his downfall. Thus, this leap towards
kingship could emphasise how willing Macbeth is to discard his
morality in order to transcend beyond the divine order.
Perhaps, this could be a biblical allusion to the Tower of Babel,
drawing parallels in how just like the builders wanted to ascend
the heavens and be above God, Macbeth similarly desires to
ascend the throne and be above the Divine Order.
Alternatively, Shakespeare could be using the idea of “o’erleap”
to reflect horse imagery, to emphasise how Macbeth galloping
to desires gives him power and strength but will end up being
destroyed by it . Shakespeare perhaps connects this to horse
cannibalism when the old man says “ ‘tis said they eat each
other”. Here Duncan’s horses are used as symbolism of the
endless cycle of destruction in which Macbeth is being
consumed by ambition. This could foreshadow Macbeth’s moral
downfall and the consequences of defying the natural order
which leads to great tragedy.
“Like Valour’s minion” (Act 1, scene 2)
Here Shakespeare playfully juxtaposes the notion of bravery
and servitude in Macbeth’s character. The noun “minion” has
connotations being subservient and controllable, which
illustrates Macbeth as a brave and powerful soldier on the
battlefield, but also a slave to his own hamartia- his unchecked
ambition that succumbs to the “instruments of darkness” as he
is manipulated by their prophecies. Shakespeare uses the noun
"minion” to shrink and minimise Macbeth’s power despite being
a man in the Jacobean era, to symbolise how Macbeth is
nothing in comparison to dark forces that hold omnipotence,
