Macbeth Analysis :) GRADE 9

In Shakespeare's eponymous tragedy ‘Macbeth’ (Macbeth and Lady Macbeth's relationship

is a complex portrait of love, illustrating layers of utter devotion alongside overwhelming
resentment. Devastating downfalls can befall a heroic character if they are too ambitious.)

With kingship - talk about Shakespeare using the play as a cautionary tale, not only for the
nobles in the courts of King James, but also for King James himself - warning him of what will
happen if he is a tyrannical king - alike macbeth.

Power and Ambition quotes

The phrase “Stars hide your fires, let not light see my black and deep desires” is
spoken by Macbeth. This provides two examples of alliteration in “let light” and “deep
desires” which emphasises the passion and ambition behind his words. Another literary
device employed is antithesis which is when two opposites are put together. Here, the “light”
is contrasted to the ‘black” desires that have come to dominate Macbeth’s heart. Macbeth is
conflicted and this conflict is further heightened by the “stars”, stars from far look innocent
and nice similar to how Macbeth is viewed as “brave” and “valiant” at the start of the play.
However, from close stars are balls of destructive fires mirroring Macbeth’s ambition and his
harmatias. The rhyming couplets of “fire” and “desires” heightens the intensity of Macbeth’s
conflict; he is unsure of what to do, and mixing good for evil similar to how the witches do.

Guilt quotes
In the rhetorical question “will all great Neptune’s oceans wash this blood clean from
my hand”. We can see that Macbeth is being punished for challenging the divine right of
kings and going against God’s will. The deliberate choice of the pagan God “Neptune” is
used to show how Macbeth is rejecting a Christian God because he feels as if the sin he
committed was too brutal and therefore needs a more brutal God such as “Neptune”.
Macbeth also rejects a Christian God in front of a Jacobean Christian audience which would
lead to them also rejecting Macbeth for his major sin.

Kingship/Greed quotes
In the phrase “upon my head they placed a fruitless crown” - the adjective “fruitless
highlights the lack of a bloodline since Macbeth has no offspring to pass the crown down to.
This links to the biblical quote “be fruitful and multiply”. This foreshadows how Macbeth’s
reign is not significant and is futile as he will lose to the descendants of Banquo. The
adjective “fruitless” also highlights how his reign is unnatural as kings should be chosen by
God under Divine Right.

Loyalty/Betrayal quotes

Supernatural quotes
Macbeth states “is this a dagger which i see before me” just before killing Duncan.
Macbeth is paranoid and consumed by madness. The hallucinations reflect how the act of
him killing the king is unnatural and perhaps these visions are controlled by the witches.

Lady Macbeth quotes :) GRADE 9

Power and Ambition Quotes

In the metaphor ‘look like th’ innocent flower, but be the serpent under’t’ Lady Macbeth
is illustrated as demanding, deceitful and devious. She is telling her husband to look
innocent yet at the same time keep the “vaulting ambition” inside of him until it's the right
time. The reference to the animal ‘serpent’ is a biblical allusion to Eve and the apple in the
book of genesis - referencing how women may be the root of all evil as many believe Eve
was the founder of sin. A Jacobean audience would have been astonished by such an
outspoken female character as women were meant to be damsels in distress not the catalyst
for the masterplan.

Lady Macbeth's ambition is made clear through the quote “Come you spirits, that tend on
mortal thoughts, unsex me here”. Women regardless of class or status were seen as
weak and subordinate to men in a Jacobean society. Although Shakespeare has crafted
Lady Macbeth to explore the theme of power in the play and essentially show how she is the
‘man’ in the relationship. A Jacobean audience would’ve been horrified by this as they were
mainly christian and any involvement with the supernatural would’ve been shamed upon.
Alternatively, as Lady Macbeth calls on evil “spirits” so do the three witches and this
highlights is it only a matter of social class that separates them.
emasculating macbeth
if she was a man she would durdt do it

GUILT QUOTES
Near the end of the play, Lady Macbeth says “All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten
this little hand”. This is a sharp contrast to earlier in the play when she says “a little water
clears us of this deed”. The adjective “little” indicates vulnerability and fragility characteristics
she now possesses. Her conscience is biting away at her and she is sure that no scent can
rid her of this regicide. Lady macbeth says this phrase near the end of her time in the play
and this suggests how she wants to conform to societies views and make herself ‘little’ and
attractive again, LM feels as if she has to punish herself for her own ambition and this is why
Shakespeare has lady macbeth commit suicide. LM could not express her violence
outwardly without her puppet ‘Macbeth’ so instead she expresses her violence inwardly
which explains why she could commit suicide yet couldn’t kill king Duncan.

SUPERNATURAL WITCHES
"Fair is foul and foul is fair," first uttered by the witches in Act 1, Scene 1, is a paradox that sets
the stage for the entire play.Shakespeare uses the phrase to show that what is considered
good is in fact bad and what is considered bad is actually good. The phrase highlights the
hypocrisy that people adopt to hide their true intentions. Shakespeare uses this opening line
to caution about judging things based on the face value. This foreshadows the cyclical
nature of the play as Macbeth is tricked by thinking the witches prophecy meant he was
immortal. The good was in fact bad as he was murdered by Macduff.

The rhyming couplets “by the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way
comes” adds an unnerving element to the witches as they foresee Macbeth’s arrival. The
Witches are a catalyst and this reflects the power the witches had in the Jacobean era,
terrorising people’s lives.
also with the supernatural, they (the witches) are presented as powerful

their ability to prophecise and predict the future shows omniscient qualities + their ability to
curse and 'vanish' (perhaps because in the chain of being, 'demons' come before 'man')

and also they show great power over others. the way they were able to overwhelm, deceive
and control Macbeth and Lady Macbeth and manipulate the catastrophic outcome they
desired all along shows a superiority and strength over the humans of the play. They planted
the idea of seizing the crown and Duncan was murdered. They foretold Banquo's
descendants would be kings to scare Macbeth and he had Banquo killed. They told Macbeth
half-truths and he fell for them and died.