MACBETH
This document contains quotes and analysis on themes and characters such as:
Reality vs appearance
Loyalty
Kingship
Supernatural
Macbeth
Fate and Free Will
, Reality vs appearance:
• The witches trick Macbeth- The witches speak in trochee and they use rhymes to
trick Macbeth- The witches plan to meet Macbeth in Act 1 Scene 1, but they do not
explain their full intentions. Their final rhyming couplet, “Fair is foul and foul is fair.”
The witches introduce the idea that nothing is as it seems.
• Banquo's ghost- “don’t shake thy gory locks at me”- Banquo is not really there and is
therefore t is not reality. Links to the beginning of that scene where Macbeth is in a
good mood because he thinks that Banquo and Fleance are being dealt with and he
is happy to “play the humble host” the word “play” suggests that it is fake.
• “Is this a dagger I see before me?”- not real, his imagination/ conscience. M realizes
this and continues to say “is this a dagger of the mind?”
• LM pretends to faint “here hither hoe”- not real, only does it to deflect the blame
from her and M.
• Duncan describes Macbeth as a “valiant cousin… worthy gentlemen.”- at this point in
the play the witches have just told the audience that “foul is fair” meaning nothing is
as it seems- suggesting that m is not “worthy”, m might not be as good as the other
characters believe.
• “stars hide your fires let not light see these deep and dark desires.”
Loyalty:
• Macbeth is the epitome of a loyal subject at the beginning of the play: His brave and valiant
fighting to overcome the traitorous Thane of Cawdor (Act 1 scene 2) Macbeth cut him from
the “nave to the chops.”
• Macbeth talks of loyalty: When honoured by King Duncan talks of loyalty and the Thane of
Cawdor’s betrayal is punished by execution (Act 1 scene 4). Macbeth is described to be a
“Valiant cousin… worthy gentlemen.”
• Lady Macbeth fakes loyalty: She pretends to be a selfless, modest, and dutiful servant to King
Duncan. (Act 1, Scene 6)
• Macbeth betrays his King and best friend: To win and keep the crown Macbeth is no longer
loyal and kills both his king and his best friend but pays a heavy price of guilt (Act 2 scene 1
and Act 3 Scene 1). “Don’t shake thy gory locks at me.”
• Macbeth is punished for his betrayal: Macbeth is beheaded by Macduff (cyclical structure as
traitor is beheaded at the beginning also)
• Siward is proud of his son’s loyalty as he bravely faced Macbeth. (Act 5 scenes 8 and 9) Young
Siward represents loyalty towards his father and the true heir, Malcom. "Young Siward" is a
device used by Shakespeare to show the extent of loyalty. Young Siward was thought by his
father to have had a "good death" in battle against Macbeth because his wounds were
"afore" meaning that Young Siward died facing the enemy (Macbeth). This shows loyalty
because Young Siward died in battle whilst he was fighting for the true heir, Malcom this
means that Young Siward died because of this loyalty to the monarch.
This document contains quotes and analysis on themes and characters such as:
Reality vs appearance
Loyalty
Kingship
Supernatural
Macbeth
Fate and Free Will
, Reality vs appearance:
• The witches trick Macbeth- The witches speak in trochee and they use rhymes to
trick Macbeth- The witches plan to meet Macbeth in Act 1 Scene 1, but they do not
explain their full intentions. Their final rhyming couplet, “Fair is foul and foul is fair.”
The witches introduce the idea that nothing is as it seems.
• Banquo's ghost- “don’t shake thy gory locks at me”- Banquo is not really there and is
therefore t is not reality. Links to the beginning of that scene where Macbeth is in a
good mood because he thinks that Banquo and Fleance are being dealt with and he
is happy to “play the humble host” the word “play” suggests that it is fake.
• “Is this a dagger I see before me?”- not real, his imagination/ conscience. M realizes
this and continues to say “is this a dagger of the mind?”
• LM pretends to faint “here hither hoe”- not real, only does it to deflect the blame
from her and M.
• Duncan describes Macbeth as a “valiant cousin… worthy gentlemen.”- at this point in
the play the witches have just told the audience that “foul is fair” meaning nothing is
as it seems- suggesting that m is not “worthy”, m might not be as good as the other
characters believe.
• “stars hide your fires let not light see these deep and dark desires.”
Loyalty:
• Macbeth is the epitome of a loyal subject at the beginning of the play: His brave and valiant
fighting to overcome the traitorous Thane of Cawdor (Act 1 scene 2) Macbeth cut him from
the “nave to the chops.”
• Macbeth talks of loyalty: When honoured by King Duncan talks of loyalty and the Thane of
Cawdor’s betrayal is punished by execution (Act 1 scene 4). Macbeth is described to be a
“Valiant cousin… worthy gentlemen.”
• Lady Macbeth fakes loyalty: She pretends to be a selfless, modest, and dutiful servant to King
Duncan. (Act 1, Scene 6)
• Macbeth betrays his King and best friend: To win and keep the crown Macbeth is no longer
loyal and kills both his king and his best friend but pays a heavy price of guilt (Act 2 scene 1
and Act 3 Scene 1). “Don’t shake thy gory locks at me.”
• Macbeth is punished for his betrayal: Macbeth is beheaded by Macduff (cyclical structure as
traitor is beheaded at the beginning also)
• Siward is proud of his son’s loyalty as he bravely faced Macbeth. (Act 5 scenes 8 and 9) Young
Siward represents loyalty towards his father and the true heir, Malcom. "Young Siward" is a
device used by Shakespeare to show the extent of loyalty. Young Siward was thought by his
father to have had a "good death" in battle against Macbeth because his wounds were
"afore" meaning that Young Siward died facing the enemy (Macbeth). This shows loyalty
because Young Siward died in battle whilst he was fighting for the true heir, Malcom this
means that Young Siward died because of this loyalty to the monarch.
