| “brave Macbeth” | -Captain- uses adjective brave to describe macbeth (And then reinforces it with”well he deserves that name”)- He’s desperate for his audience and the King to appreciate MBs courage and his actions- Patriotic actions- Positive description of Macbeth |
| “he unseamed him from the nave to th’chaps” | – Captain- The description is inhumane- as though he is simply unzipping his enemies whole body- although the captain admires this, this may have appalled the audience- Macbeth killing someone |
| ‘like valour’s minion” | Captain- Shakespeare uses a simile to portray Macbeth’s character as audacious and fearless. – ‘Valour’ suggests that Macbeth is courageous in the face of danger and in battle, in doing so it shows Macbeth’s heroism and gallantry-By suggesting that Macbeth is ‘Valour’s minion’, Shakespeare is suggesting that Macbeth is the servant (‘minion’) of bravery itself. This makes him seem very heroic to the audience and they would respond by liking Macbeth. |
| “what he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won” | Duncan- referring to the title of ‘Thane of Cawdor’- juxtaposition (between the two thanes – one is dishonourable one is honourable, ones a traitor the other noble and loyal)- The witches in 1.1 already reminded us about the proximity between winning and loosing (“when the battle’s lost, and won”)- Macbeth’s inheritance of this title is something of a poisoned chalice if victory and defeat are so closely related and it is as easy to win as it is to lose.- foreshadowing MBs downfall- Jacobeans believe in the wheel of fortune. AT any given point you could be at the to of the wheel succeeding or at the bottom failing. But the wheel continues to turn.- Now MB is approaching the the top but he won’t remain there. – The beheading of the former TOC describe here foreshadows Macduff beheading of MB |
Macbeth Quotes Act 1 Scene 2
August 28, 2019