Macbeth

Act 3 and 4 (AI)

Characters

The witches

In Act 3 and 4, the witches play a huge role in macbeths trajectory a tragic hero. They unfold the tragedy by unfolding macbeths actions and decisions. The witches manipulate Macbeth through their prophecies, leading him to make decisions based on false assurances. The prophecies are cryptic and open to interpretation, contributing to the deception that ultimately influences Macbeth's choices. This manipulation is a classic element in the downfall of a tragic hero.

"Double, double, toil and trouble;
Fire burn and caldron bubble."

Throughout the play, this chant highlights the witches' position as agents of disaster and fate by providing a dramatic and otherworldly moment. It strengthens the spooky mood throughout and advances the idea of witches and the occult in "Macbeth." The witches' spells and prophecies have a significant impact on Macbeth's decisions and deeds, ultimately leading to his terrible demise.

"By the pricking of my thumbs,
Something wicked this way comes."Act 4 scene 1.

The pricking of my thumbs refers to an itching sensation in the thumbs, witch was belived to be a sign of something supernatural about to happen.

Duncan

Although duncan does not appear in act 3 or 4, his death leaves behind a huge influence .Duncan's murder, committed by Macbeth in Act one, is a pivotal event that triggers Macbeth's descent into guilt and paranoia. The weight of Duncan's death and the betrayal of a once-loyal subject contribute to Macbeth's inner turmoil. As a tragic hero, Macbeth grapples with the consequences of his actions and the moral consequences of regicide.

"Hail, king! for so thou art: behold, where stands
The usurper's cursed head: the time is free."

"Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood
Clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather
The multitudinous seas in incarnadine,
Making the green one red."

Lady Macbeth

In Act 4, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are emotionally distant from each other. Macbeth no longer confides in her about his plans and actions. This isolation contributes to Macbeth's increasing internal struggle and reflects the breakdown of their relationship, which was once a source of mutual support in their ambitious endeavors.

"From this moment
The very firstlings of my heart shall be
The firstlings of my hand." act 4 scene 1

"What, will the line stretch out to the crack of doom?
Another yet! A seventh! I'll see no more!"

Blood

The motif of blood is prevalent throughout Acts 3 and 4, symbolizing guilt, violence, and the consequences of ambition. Notable instances include Macbeth's hallucinations of a blood-stained dagger before Duncan's murder and Lady Macbeth's famous sleepwalking scene in Act 5, where she tries to wash imaginary bloodstains from her hands.

The quote "It will have blood, they say; blood will have blood" from Act 3, Scene 4 of "Macbeth" reflects the idea that violence begets more violence. Macbeth, who utters these words, is expressing the belief that the consequences of his murderous actions will lead to further bloodshed. It captures the cyclical and self-perpetuating nature of violence, suggesting that the repercussions of one's actions, especially those involving bloodshed, will inevitably come back to haunt them. This quote encapsulates the theme of retribution and the inescapable spiral of consequences in the play.

"It will have blood, they say; blood will have blood."act 3 scene 4

big Ideas

Guilt

In act 3 of macbeth , Macbeths guilt is a central theme that relates to the plays moral decay. After duncan got murdered, macbeth had intense guilt and paranoia. This conflict highlights the nature of unchecked ambition, as macbeths actions take a toll on his conscience. The guilt becomes a driving force in macbeths personality development, contributing to the sence of tragedy and the unraveling of his moral integrity throughout the play.

Macbeths guilt relates to his trajectory as a tragic hero. The theme of guilt becomes increasingly prominent in his character. His journey as a tragic hero follows a pattern, known as the hamartia, where a characters flaw leads to downfall.

"Thou Canst not say i did it" Act 3 lines 40:

Power

Act 4 begins with macbeth solidifying tyrannical rule. He orders the murder of macduffs family, showing his ruthless determination to eliminate any threats to his power .This brutal act underscores the corrupting nature of power and how it transforms Macbeth into a tyrant.

"Macbeth
Is ripe for shaking, and the powers above
Put on their instruments. Receive what cheer you may:
The night is long that never finds the day." act 4 scene 3

Malcolm's words acknowledge the oppressive nature of Macbeth's rule. The descriptor "ripe for shaking" suggests that Macbeth's hold on power has become unstable and suggests the potential for a downfall. In the trajectory of a tragic hero, the recognition of the hero's flaws and the consequences of their actions is a crucial step toward their ultimate fall.

Fate and destiney

Act 4 opens with Macbeth with the witches. The prophecies they have play a central role in shaping macbeths understanding of his destiny. the witches provide him with a series of predictions. These prophecies influence macbeths decisions as he interperts them as security and invincibiity.

"Be bloody, bold, and resolute; laugh to scorn
The power of man, for none of woman born
Shall harm Macbeth." act 4 scene 1.

Macbeth interperts the prophecy to mean that he is invincible assuming no one can pose a threat to him. The false sense of security leads him to make reckless decisions, such as ordering murders on macduffs family. This overconfidence is a common trait that most people have to start their character downfall.

Macbeth

Noble, Trusted, People pleaser, ambitious, hard thinker, Curious, paranoid.
In act 1 and 2 he is also emotional.

"O yet do repent me of my fury" Macbeth expresses remorse and regret for his impulsive and violent actions. while he's lying about exactly who he's referring to, he truly feels remorse for the murders he committed, specifically referring to the killing of King Duncan. this shows how macbeth is an emotional character

Macbeth seems to have a panic attack, and is letting his emotions get the best of him.

This quote shows that Macbeth's ambition is
constantly on his mind

Lady Macbeth

Advises Macbeth, manipulates him and orchestrates his downfall.
Decieving, power hungry, ambitious, Careful

Act 1 and 2 revolves around the idea of macbeth's ambitous thirst for power.

1.5"Glamis, thou art; and Cawdor, and shalt be
What thou art promised. Yet do I fear thy nature;
It is too full o' the milk of human kindness
To catch the nearest way."

Lady Macbeth acknowledges her husband's prophescy on his ascent to power. However, she expresses concern about Macbeth's compassionate nature, suggesting that he may not have the ruthlessness required to seize power without reservation.

2.2.63-64,66-67 “My hands are of your color, but I shame to wear a heart so white. [...]
A little water clears us of this deed:
How easy is it then!”

After Lady Macbeth went back to the crime scene to retrieve the daggers, she was covered in blood like Macbeth. She is saying that they have the power to get away and rid themselves of this heinus action just by washing themselves slightly.

2.1 "Is this a dagger which I see before me,
The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee.
I have thee not, and yet I see thee still.
Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible
To feeling as to sight? or art thou but
A dagger of the mind, a false creation,
Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain?"

Macbeth is contemplating the murder of King Duncan. The vision of the dagger, which he cannot touch, represents the hallucinatory nature of his ambition and desire for power.

1.5 "Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, And fill me from the crown to the toe topful Of direst cruelty! make thick my blood, Stop up the access and passage to remorse, That no compunctious visitings of nature Shake my fell purpose nor keep peace between The effect and it! Come to my woman's breasts, And take my milk for gall, you murd'ring ministers."

Lady macbeth is calling on supernatural forces to strip away her obstacles that may impose a threat to her reaching her desires. This reflects a belief in her ability to shape her own destiny.

1.7.31-33 “We will proceed no further in this business:
He hath honored me of late, and I have bought
Golden opinions from all sorts of people”

Here Macbeth seems to decide he wont carry out the witches' prophecy and kill King Duncan. He says he can't murder someone that thinks so highly of him especially while he is a guest at his home.

FOLLOWING THE TRAJECTORY (1)

2

2

3

4

5

6

1.7 "Bear welcome in your eye,
Your hand, your tongue. Look like th' innocent flower,
But be the serpent under't."

Lady Macbeth advises Macbeth to appear innocent and welcoming, like a harmless flower, while concealing the ruthless and deceitful intentions. This advice foreshadows the overarching theme of deception in the play, as characters often hide their true motives behind a façade of loyalty or innocence.

2.3.108-109
“O, yet I do repent me of my fury,
That I did kill them.”
—Macbeth (to Macduff, Malcolm, Donalbain, Banquo, Lennox, and Lady Macbeth)

Macbeth reveals that he killed the guards, when he was meant to be acting like he found out about the murders at the same time everyone else did. He now must deceive the rest of the characters by coming up with a new alibi

1.3.130-137 “[Aside] This supernatural soliciting
Cannot be ill’ cannot be good. If ill,
Why hath it given me earnest of success, \
Commending in truth? I am Thane of Cawdor:
If good, why do I yield to that suggestion
Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair
And make my seated heart knock at my ribs
Against the use of nature?”
1.3.143-144
“[Aside] If chance will have me King, why, chance may crown me,
Without my stir.”
—Macbeth (to himself)

Macbeth questions whether the prophecy is inherently good or evil. He realizes that he is now Thane of Cawdor, as the Witches predicted, intensifying his internal conflict. He grapples with the disturbing thoughts of ambition that arise from the prophecy, there is imagery of his heart pounding and his hair standing up, which is meant to show his anxiety and fear associated with these ambitions. In the aside, he momentarily considers the idea of fate ("If chance will have me king") but ends with a passive acceptance, suggesting that if fate intends him to be king, it will happen without his direct intervention. This

1.4.148-153
"[Aside] The Prince of Cumberland! That is a step
On which I must fall down, or else o’erleap,
For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires;
Let not light see my black and deep desires:
The eye wink at the hand; yet let that be,
Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see.”
—Macbeth (to himself)

Macbeth reacts to the news that Malcolm, the Prince of Cumberland, is the heir to the throne. He reveals his internal turmoil and his recognition that the path to becoming king now faces a significant obstacle. The phrase "That is a step On which I must fall down, or else o’erleap" reflects Macbeth's contemplation of the choices he must make in pursuing his ambition. The lines that follow show a sense of urgency and determination, with Macbeth expressing a desire for darkness (Symbol of the hidden) to conceal his nefarious intentions.

1.7.79-82 I am settled and bend up
Each corporal agent to this terrible feat.
Away, and mock the time with fairest show;
False face must hide what the false hear doth know”

Macbeth´s hamrtia, in this quote he finally caves in, and decides he will kill king duncan and fulfill the witches prophecy after much persuasion from his wife.

1.3 "Fair is foul, and foul is fair:
Hover through the fog and filthy air."

this quote establishes the inversion of the natural order. The "fog and filthy air" suggest an unnatural, supernatural atmosphere, foreshadowing the disruptive events that will follow.

2.1 "Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee."

this quote illustrates how the dagger becomes a tangible representation of Macbeth's ambitious thoughts. In the quote, Macbeth hallucinates a dagger seducing him into falling for and acting upon the ambitious thoughts that haunt his mind.

2.2 "Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep'—the innocent sleep, Sleep that knits up the ravell'd sleave of care, The death of each day's life, sore labour's bath, Balm of hurt minds, great nature's second course, Chief nourisher in life's feast."

Macbeth reflects on the significance of sleep, describing it as innocent, soothing, and necessary for a healthy mind.

2.2 "There's one did laugh in's sleep, and one cried,
'Murder!'
That they did wake each other. I stood and heard them,
But they did say their prayers, and addressed them
Again to sleep."

This quote claims that Duncan's guards were alarmed and frightened, but saying their prayers and sleeping caused them to be at peace.

2.2 "Will all great Neptune's ocean
wash this blood clean from my hand?"

Macbeth says this line as he grapples with the guilt and consequences of his ambitious act. The blood on his hands becomes a powerful symbol of the immoral deeds he has committed in pursuit of power. Neptune is the greek god of water which owns all the oceans. Macbeth is saying that the water of all the water on earth will not cleanse him of the metaphorical blood that will always stain his hands.

5.1 ""Here's the smell of the blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand."

Lady Macbeth acknowledges that no amount of cleansing can get rid of the metaphorical stench of guilt associated with the blood on her hands.

1.4.148-153
"[Aside] The Prince of Cumberland! That is a step
On which I must fall down, or else o’erleap,
For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires;
Let not light see my black and deep desires:
The eye wink at the hand; yet let that be,
Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see.”
—Macbeth (to himself)

Macbeth in this quote acknolwedges his hands are would be doing something evil, and asks the darkness to shield his eyes from the deed his hands will commit, as he knows there will be detrimental mental consequences to him if he chooses to interfere with fate to sway malcom from his corronation.

1.4.148-153
"[Aside] The Prince of Cumberland! That is a step
On which I must fall down, or else o’erleap,
For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires;
Let not light see my black and deep desires:
The eye wink at the hand; yet let that be,
Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see.”
—Macbeth (to himself)

Macbeth is asking the darkness to hide the evil action he is about to commit.

2.4 By the clock 'tis day,
And yet dark night strangles the travelling lamp.
Is't night's predominance or the day's shame
That darkness does the face of Earth entomb
When living light should kiss it?"

The failure of the sun to rise is a powerful symbol of the moral and political chaos unleashed by Macbeth's ambition and Duncan's murder. Shakespeare fusing the characters time of despair and the darkness that is the night is a clear symbol of a correlation between the two.

power hungry

traits of Lady Macbeth**

Careful

decieving

ambitious

Act 5 (HA)

Big Ideas

Insanity

"Upon the next tree shall thou hang alive
Till famine cling thee." Macbeth 5.5.3.38-39

When the servant was telling Macbeth what he saw in the forest Macbeth told him he'd hang him off a tree until he dies of hunger. This shows his disregard for humanity, leading him to lose touch with reason as his mental state declines.

Ambition

"I’ll fight till from my bones my flesh be hacked." Macbeth 5.3.2.33

Ambition is one the main reasons Macbeth had
his tragic downfall. He was overly eager to accomplish his goals, and with his wife Lady Macbeth supporting his evil ideas, it made it much easier. In this quote Macbeth shows his unwavering ambition that still drives him. That means holding onto the power of the throne even if it means physical destruction.

Guilt

"My soul is too much charged
With blood of thine already." Macbeth 5.8.1.5-6

This emphasizes the burden of guilt Macbeth has
for the murder of many people, specifically Macduff's family. This shows Macbeths self awareness of his irreversable actions.

Symbols

War

"They have tied me to a stake. I cannot fly,
But, bearlike, I must fight the course. What’s he
That was not born of woman? Such a one
Am I to fear, or none." Macbeth 5.7.1.1-3

War is one of the main symbols in this act.
There was a lot of bloodlust and violence. Macbeth mentions he's tied to a stake, and he must fight. He's realized he's reached his downfall and must fight until the witches prophecy proves itself.

Darkness

"Out, out, brief candle!
Life’s but a walking shadow" Macbeth 5.5.2.23-24

Life's but a walking shadow, this portrays how Macbeth feels about his life. Darkness, the symbol is a huge symbol in Macbeth, as he is pure evil.

Blood

"Here's the smell of the blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand." Lady Macbeth 5.1.3.38-39

Macbeth has a lot of blood on his hands, and Lady Macbeth knows all about it as she witnessed him turn evil. Lady Macbeth mentions that no perfume could sweeten the smell of the blood, showing how much people Macbeth has killed trying to keep his place on the throne. Blood is a very significant symbol in this play and is brought up multiple times in this act.