Lecture notes
GCSE Macbeth Kingship Analysis
This document contains multiple quotes from each act which are all analysed to contain unique interpretations, techniques, and writer intentions/context
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MACBETH● KINGSHIP:
- “Go pronounce his present death..And with his former title greet
Macbeth”- Act 1 Scene 2-This quote clearly shows the duties King
Duncan fulfils as a king. He punishes wrongdoers and rewards those
who have achieved what is shown by the execution of the previous
traitorous Thane of Cawdor and rewards Macbeth with the title instead.
This contrasts Macbeth's rule, where he uses fear to invoke obedience
and abuses his position for selfish reasons. The nouns “death” and
“Macbeth” being paired together foreshadows Macbeth's destructive
nature and his disturbing death in Act 5, as well as all the death that he
brings as he goes against the Great Chain of Being and the death he
brings in trying to maintain this. The title Thane of Cawdor serves to be
a tool used to again foreshadow Macbeth's tragic downfall and
symbolises the deceitful qualities that come with the title. This presents
King Duncan as a responsible/dutiful king, however his hamartia may
be his naivety or his uncanny ability to trust. This makes the impact of
Duncan's death on the audience even greater as Duncan was a
compassionate king who was met with a treacherous ending.
- “Give solely sovereign sway and masterdom” Act 1 Scene 5- The
alliteration used in the phrase “solely sovereign sway” is a form of
sibilance which emphasises the harsh topic of which Macbeth and Lady
Macbeth are speaking about. Shakespeare does this to invoke a sense
of discomfort within the Jacobean audience and portray the hostility
of regicide. The noun “sovereign” connotes the idea of absolute power,
and Shakesohere cleverly pairs this with the adverb “solely” shows that
Lady Macbeth wants them to have absolute power with no
obstacles/interference. This contrasts the overall idea of ‘kingship’ as
in the Jacobean audience, a good king is one who cares greatly about
his kingdom, such as King Duncan, whereas Macbeth seeks personal
power and lusts for power that benefits him.
- “..This Duncan hath borne his faculties so meek…..his virtues will
plead like angels..”- Act 1 Scene 7- This quote is taken from one of
Macbeth's soliloquies where he addresses his doubts about killing King
Duncan. In this quote, King Duncan is described as a “meek”, innocent,
and gullible king who has strong “virtues” and is respected by his
kingdom for his compassion. The simile “virtues will plead like angels”
makes Duncans moral compass seem almost heavenly through the
, biblical imagery of ‘angels’ which are usually associated with
innocence and purity. This presents kingship as a contrasting element
throughout all of Macbeth as despite King Duncan being a fair, just
king, he is too trusting which is made more clear to Macbeth after
Duncan dies. This makes him feel more guilty, and also invokes a sense
of sadness and empathy within a Jacobean audience as a
compassionate, respected king meets a brutal death by the hands of
the one he trusted the most.
- “Beauteous and swift, the minions of their race..Turn’d wild in
nature…they would make war with mankind”- Act 2 Scene 4- The
people of Scotland (including Macbeth and Lady Macbeth) in this
context are metaphorically described as “minions'' or King Duncan's
horses which immediately indicates the status of Macbeth and Lady
Macbeth within the Great Chain of Being. This quote uses pathetic
fallacy as the rabid horses mirror the Great Chain of Being being
interfered with, which is consequently creating chaos and a “war with
mankind”. It shows how Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have gone “wild”
and have gained an almost animalistic persona which makes them go
against mankind's beliefs as well as God and nature in general. This
would invoke a sense of fear and a welling anticipation as Shakesphere
purposely makes the act of regicide a sin and deterrents anyone from
doing so. ( Reference Gunpowder Plot)
- “Under him, my genius is rebuked”- Act 3 Scene 1- This quote is
taken from another one of Macbeth's soliloquies where he
unconsciously expresses his extensive paranoia. In this context, the
noun “genius” usually refers to a person's ‘guardian spirit’ or natural
behaviour, and in this quote, Macbeth is addressing the fact that
Banquo may be spiritually and naturally superior to him(like the
witches said). He feels ashamed and tries to cover this impending need
for power and total control, by killing Banquo and eliminating him as a
threat, and yet Banquo's superior spirit/Macbeth's paranoia comes
back to haunt him anyways. This is Macbeth indirectly expressing that
Banquo has the potential to be a better king than Macbeth as he
possesses the tolerance and qualities needed for a ‘good king’ whereas
Macbeth does not. The verb “rebuked” means to express a sharp
disapproval, so Shakespeare intentionally uses this to show Macbeth's
inner criticism for giving into the witches and his shame that is slowly
morphing into a consuming guilt. This is a tool used to show the
audience how going against the Divine Right, and God, can lead to
mental torture that leads to Mcabeths tragic death.
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