This provides 15 English literature essay plans for the play Macbeth. Each essay plan includes 3 points, with two or more quotations for each. Each quotation is deconstructed thoroughly and there is an analysis of linguistic devices, as well as discussions on the structure of quotations. There are ...
Guilt
Thesis: Through the theme of guilt, Shakespeare interrogates how immoral decisions catalyse this
feeling and how it influences human psychology, especially with both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.
Point Evidence, analysis and context
The effect of guilt is ‘Methought I heard a voice cry, “Sleep no more: Macbeth does murder
immediately sleep”’ (II.II)
overwhelming and - The action of Macbeth “murder[ing] sleep” has many different
impairing cognitive interpretations. Firstly, it might metaphorically symbolise
function, allowing Macbeth destroying his inner feeling of contentment and serenity
manifestations of replacing it with guilt and regret. Alternatively, it might
hallucinations. symbolise the destruction of Macbeth’s moral conscience. It also
might symbolise the dismantling of the harmony within Scotland.
“Prithee, see here! Behold! Look! Lo! How say you? Why - what care I?”
- Macbeth's speech deviates from speaking in verse with iambic
pentameter to speaking in prose, which is only used by the
uneducated Porter in the play, showing that he has resorted to
unintelligent language. Macbeth’s sentences have become
fragmented and broken whilst also being monosyllabic. Thus, it
emphasises how Macbeth’s mind has been destroyed by the
supernatural and marks his descent into madness.
- In the Jacobean period, hallucinations were quintessential forms
of madness. Thus, Shakespeare reveals the disastrous
repercussions of ambition and regicide. The play is an exposition
on the effects of breaking the Great Chain of Being and
disobeying the Divine Right of Kings. Shakespeare wanted to
show his loyalty to King James I and to distance himself from his
father who was said to be associated with a rebel from the
Gunpowder plot. In Shakespeare’s acts of flattery, he hoped to
earn patronage for his acting company ‘the King’s men’, once
named ‘Chamberlain’s Men.’
Macbeth’s guilt is at “Seated heart knock [at his ribs]”
first prevalent but as - This metaphor is used to illustrate how it frightens Macbeth that
his character develops, he could envisage such a thing, and internally he feels his body
he overcomes this guilt reacting to this.
and, arguably, - The knocking returns after he has committed regicide but this
becomes immune to it. time the knocking can be heard by the audience, a sign that
Macbeth’s private thoughts have physically manifested
themselves in the real world. The constant knocking is symbolic
of the guilt Macbeth feels for what he has done.
“I am in blood stepped in so far, that, should I wade no more, returning
were as tedious as go o'er” (III.IV)
- This metaphorical excerpt begins blunt and declarative.
- There is an escalation in the verb from “stepped” to “wade”
creates vivid imagery, depicting Macbeth being fully submerged
in blood. It emphasises the fact that he is fully engulfed in
ambition and quest for power. This graphic portrayal highlights
, the scale of Macbeth’s violence. No more is the hesitancy
displayed in the beginning, instead replaced with apathy and
numbness.
- The phrase “that, should I wade no more” is an elliptical clause,
intentionally omitting words. Through this, it suggests that
Macbeth acknowledges that his actions are morally wrong and
perhaps is afraid to directly confront his wrongdoing.
Through the motif of - The persistent motif of blood links to the idea of humoral theory,
blood that permeates which was a prevalent medical concept during Shakespeare’s
throughout the play, it time. Blood was one of the four humors. The imbalance of a
is symbolic of the humor was believed to cause illness or madness. Thus, the effect
unfading and of this excess blood exemplifies the psychological toll of their
permanent guilt of the actions.
Machiavellian villains, “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand? No:
Lady Macbeth and this my hand will rather the multitudinous seas incarnadine, making the
Macbeth. green one red. ” (II.II)
- This quote highlights how Macbeth cannot symbolically wash his
hands clean. An allusion to the Roman God “Neptune”, who is
the God of the freshwater and all the seas, is used. A hyperbole is
used to emphasise the permanence of this blood and therefore, his
guilt.
- The “hand” is the object of this phrase, revealing Macbeth’s
efforts to disassociate from the crimes he has committed and to
distance himself from it, highlighting his own shame. Yet,
Shakespeare uses hypophora to highlight Macbeth’s implicit
acknowledgement of his own guilt.
- The line “multitudinous seas incarnadine” is a verbose phrasing of
“making the green one red”. The word “green” is a metonym of
“the multitudinous seas” while “red” is a metonym of
“incarnadine.” It underscores how Macbeth’s evil and sinful
actions have polluted or is going to pollute the future of Scotland.
These polysyllabic and monosyllabic lines juxtapose each other
and present a lexical contrast that reveals Macbeth’s mental
instability and an effort to perhaps conceal his actions.
- In many Christian ceremonies, water is used to cleanse people of
their sins. The fact that Macbeth is unable to cleanse his sins,
emphasises his distance from Christianity.
‘Here’s the smell of the blood still; all the perfumes of Arabia will not
sweeten this little hand. O, O, O.’ (V.I) VS ‘A little water clears us of our
deed.’
- The use of the olfactory imagery in the hyperbolic phrase ‘all
the perfumes from Arabia’ is reminiscent of the luxurious and
strong scents of Arabian fragrances. These pungent and nice
smells should mask the scent of blood however the blood remains
permanent. It highlights how nothing can subdue her guilt. As
well as that, the use of smell to perceive things has animalistic
and primitive connotations, which emphasises Lady Macbeth’s
loss of sophistication and intelligence and amplifies her guilt.
- When Lady Macbeth is sleepwalking, she is no longer speaking in
blank verse but rather in prose, reflecting her mental
disorientation.
- The use of the modal verb “will” shows the pervasiveness and the
inevitability of her guilt.
, - The repetition of the letter “O” is a verbal expression of Lady
Macbeth’s guilt, most importantly, along with her frustration,
desperation, and despair.
- Shakespeare appeals to the heavily religious Jacobean audience.
He alludes to the act of Pontius Pilate ordering the execution of
Jesus and his washing of hands after to claim innocence. Though,
Pilate’s actions are clearly meaningless as his sins still remain.
This emphasises that guilt cannot be removed by sin. Shakespeare
therefore parallels Macbeth and Lady Macbeth with Pontius
Pilate, revealing them as the direct opposition to the Christian
faith.
Conclusion: Guilt is such an overwhelming feeling that it has the potential to cause death, evident
in Lady Macbeth. Or, due to the exhaustion that is caused by overwhelming guilt, characters (such
as Macbeth) decide to ignore their conscience.
Supernatural/Evil/Sin
Thesis: Through the use of the supernatural in the form of the Witches, Shakespeare interrogates
its influences on human nature and how it exacerbates human flaws, especially with both Macbeth
and Lady Macbeth.
, Point Evidence, analysis and context
Structurally, the “Fair is foul, and foul is fair”
Witches are the - This phrase utilises the form of chiasmus due to its use of
first characters seen repetition and equivocation and it is paradoxical. As well as that,
on stage, setting up antimetabole is also used. The repetition of “fair” and “foul”
the prevalence of suggests that these two ideas are interchangeable, which is
the motif of the emphasised further by the indefinite article “is”.
supernatural - Through the use of “fair”, which has pleasant connotations, and
throughout the “foul”, which has a connotation of evil and dominance, Shakespeare
play. effectively combines the two, showing how good is always tainted
with evil. This is emphasised through the alliteration as well.
- This phrase foreshadows the plot where Macbeth uses deception to
become King, thus it shows the omniscience of the Witches.
- Through this opening speech, the Witches speak in trochaic
tetrameter displaying a shift in meter with the speech of the rest of
the characters emphasising their difference and other-worldly
attributes. Their use of rhyming couplets adds to the sense that they
are casting a spell adding to the sense of supernatural. This is further
enforced through their choral speech.
“Weïrd sisters”
- The word “weïrd” has its etymological roots from the Germanic
word “wyrd” meaning destiny or fate. This, therefore, associates the
Witches with prophecy and the classical three fates from mythology,
who are representative of the past, present, and future. The Witches
in the play claim to “spin the threads of life” which highlights their
differing roles where one spins, one measures, and one cuts. This is
highly redolent of the nature of the traditional fates.
- Thus, Shakespeare shows how they control the destinies of men.
- Holinshed’s Chronicles portrays them as ‘goddesses of destine’, but
in Macbeth, their portrayal is much more simple to legitimise their
power.
- King James I wrote a pamphlet condemning witchcraft named
Daemonologie and illustrates its pernicious influence. On a surface
level, Shakespeare could be appealing to King, who was very
susceptible to flattery, in order to gain patronage for his drama
company.
- Following the death of the beloved sovereign, Queen Elizabeth I,
England descended into a darker time. Thus, perhaps King James I
wanted to provide a scapegoat to unite them against a persona that is
different from himself as a blame for this changing time. So,
Shakespeare conducts a debate on the effectiveness of scapegoating
as a means to consolidate power. Through the play, he illustrates
how the pervasive discussion or condemnation of witchcraft
throughout society can have harmful impacts as it is seen that
Macbeth is tempted by the Witches even when he knows they are an
evil force. Perhaps Shakespeare is cautioning against being swept up
in this scapegoating game.
Lady Macbeth “Pour my spirits in your ear.”
- In this phrase, there is an allusion to demonic possession. It may
reference the Garden of Eden where Eve tempted Adam to sin
through whispering in his ear, inevitably causing the downfall of
man. Thus, Shakespeare associates the fall of man with femininity
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller jesskeads. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $10.49. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
