11/21/2023 0 Comments Act 1 scene 1 macbeth annotations![]() ![]() “I think not of them ”, dramatic irony.“Thy very stones prate of my whereabout”.“art thou but A dagger of the mind, a false creation, Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain?” → talking to inanimate objects, it is clear that Macbeth’s ‘heat-oppressed’ brain is being bent by the moral weight of the decision to kill Duncan.This hints that he is unable to cope with the pressure of the decision, and is slowly sinking into madness “Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible To feeling as to sight?”, “Mine eyes are made the fools o’ the other senses” → cannot trust his own senses.Hallucinating - shows psychological turmoil.“This even-handed justice Commends th’ingredience of our poisoned chalice To our own lips.” It also references that.“Bloody instructions, which being taught, return to plague th’inventor.” It references to how the murder is taught to other people (Macduff) and then he comes back to kill the inventor (Macbeth).Jesus was supposed to drink from the chalice. “Cat I’ the adage” Contemporary allusion.“assassination”, “surcease”, “this blow”, “these cases”, “the deed”, “taking-off”, “my intent”.Food being brought in to serve Duncan in the background[ironic because food symbolises life and Macbeth is going to take that very life.”.“I would, while it was smiling in my face, Have pluck’d my nipple from his boneless gums, And dash’d the brains out”.“live a coward in thine own esteem, Letting ‘I dare not’ wait upon ‘I would,’ Like the poor cat I’ the adage?”.“Art thou afeard To be the same in thine own act and valour As thou art in desire?”.“Was the hope drunk wherein you dressed yourself?”.“Vaulting ambition which o’erleaps itself”.“This blow might be the be-all and the end-all”.Part of him wants to yield to his ambition.Consequences of killing Duncan “This even-handed justice commends th’ingredience of our poisoned chalice to our own lips”, “bloody instructions, which being taught, return to plague th’inventor”.Moral appeal not to kill Duncan “He’s here in double trust First, as I am his kinsman and his subject, Strong both against the deed then, as his host, Who should against his murderer shut the door, Not bear the knife myself.”, “he hath honoured me of late”, “. ![]() Use of euphemisms “assassination”, “surcease”, “this blow”, “these cases”, “the deed”, “taking-off”, “my intent”.Part of him doesn’t want to kill duncan.Through Lady Macbeth being over generous to Duncan.“Air nimbly and sweetly recommends itself.”.“the temple-haunting martlet, approve By his loving mansionry that the heaven’s breath Smelling wooingly here.”.Parallelism between Macbeth’s earlier asides and the soliloquy.It shows what his partner thinks of him, as a man without strength or ambition. This gives another perspective on Macbeth to the audience, allowing for pathos to be created later.His intimate relationship with Lady Macbeth is shown by the use of phrases such as “my dearest partner of greatness” and “my dearest love”.This makes the scene striking, and makes Lady Macbeth stand out. Lady Macbeth has been portrayed as more of an evil, masculine character than a feminine one, which reverses gender roles in society at the time.Lady Macbeth invoking her evil qualities shows her masculine qualities and how she is the ‘man’ in the relationship.Duncan says “absolute trust”, then Macbeth enters immediately.Duncan trusts Macbeth, while the audience knows he should not.Good qualities intensifies the impact of his death later in the play.Gratitude “True, worthy Banquo, he is full so valiant” & “It is a peerless kinsman.”.Violence “Stars, hide your fires, Let not light see my black and deep desires”.We see Duncan and Macbeth interacting for the first time. “And Fortune on his damnèd quarrel smiling”.“Like Valour’s minion carved out his passage”.“Or memorise another Golgotha” - massacre (biblical allusion).“Bellona’s Bridegroom” - Greek Allusion.“Doubtful it stood as two spent swimmers that do cling together and choke their art.”.The audience also learns of his promotion to the Thane of Cawdor, which improves their view of Macbeth’s stature. In this scene, the audience understands how all of the other characters view Macbeth, which develops their understanding of his character. This forebodes the link between him and the witches. ![]()
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