"this dead butcher, and his fiend-like queen". Are these words by Malcolm an appropriate epitaph for Macbeth and Lady Macbeth?

"this dead butcher, and his fiend-like queen". Are these words by Malcolm an appropriate epitaph for Macbeth and Lady Macbeth? Malcolm says this epitaph after Macduff has severed Macbeth's head and walks into the castle. Macduff then informs his companions to proclaim "Hail, King of Scotland!" signifying he is King, which all of his companions declare. Then Malcolm states that he and everyone else will not waste their time. Malcolm also says to his Thanes and Kinsmen to be hereby known as Earls, which is what the British Thanes were called. In the same speech he exclaims that the people that fled to England (himself, Malcolm, and his brother, Donalbain) knew what Scotland had produced and he describes Macbeth as a "butcher" and Lady Macbeth as a "fiend-like Queen", but is this true? Macbeth Malcolm describes Macbeth as a "butcher" as he feels he mercilessly killed people. Below are some points that support Malcolm's view of Macbeth. The first sign of Macbeth becoming a "butcher" is when Macbeth and Lady Macbeth plan to murder King Duncan whilst he is sleeping; this occurs in Act 1 Scene 7, although it is Lady Macbeth that persuades him to do it. In Act 3 Scene 1, we can see the first steps that Macbeth is becoming a "butcher" as he plans the death of Banquo and Fleance whilst they travel on horseback. He tells the murderers to take revenge on Banquo because it is

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How far can the audience sympathise with Lady Macbeth?

Macbeth Coursework In the play we see that Lady Macbeth is a multifaceted character - at times she behaves in a way which would make us see her as a "fiend-like monster"; however later in the play we begin to see her as a "Lady of remorse." Lady Macbeth first appears in the play in Act 1 Scene 5 when she has just received Macbeth's letter and is reading it. She does not doubt the veracity of the witches' prophecies. Immediately we begin to see her own scheming ambition, "Glamis thou art, and Cawdor; and shalt be what thou art promised" - her only concern was that her husband would not be able to act in such a way so as to fulfil the prophecy "Yet I do fear thy nature; It is too full of the milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way." She understands Macbeth's nature very well, and knows that she will have to use her own influence and power over him to compel him to act, "Hie thee hither, that I may pour my spirits in thine ear and chastise with the valour of my tongue all that impedes thee." She is hopes that she will be able to bring him to her point of view "pour my spirits in thine ear" and that she will be able to convince him that murdering Duncan is the right course of action to take, and overcome his good, kind nature, "and chastise with the valour of my tongue all that impedes thee." At that time, the 16th century, it was widely accepted and believed that

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Commentary on Macbeth soliloquy Act V scene V"To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,

Commentary on Macbeth soliloquy Act V scene V "To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow, Creeps in this petty pace from day to day, To the last syllable of recorded time; And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow; a poor player, That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, And then is heard no more: it is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing. " Soliloquy is a speech made by a character alone on the stage or thinks she/he is alone. Through soliloquy, the audience gains an honest and direct experience of that character's mind. In this particular soliloquy, Macbeth expresses overwhelming despair. This soliloquy encompasses the entire experience of Macbeth's kingship, short to the entire play. Imagery, time, dictions and repetition each have its constituency in shaping this important soliloquy. The passage reveals to the reader the despair and desolation of Macbeth just before the deciding battle with Macduff and Malcolm. Just before the soliloquy, Macbeth has been informed that Lady Macbeth is dead. The sudden departure of Lady Macbeth marks the lost of Macbeth's only love and trusty as well as the ties to the world. By now, Macbeth is all alone, as most of the previously mentioned Thanes have taken side with Malcolm. After this soliloquy, Macbeth is

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How does Lady Macbeth change throughout the play, "Macbeth"?

How does Lady Macbeth change throughout the Play? "Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be What thou art promised;" These are the powerful opening lines of Lady Macbeth - the most infamous and indomitable female character in all of Shakespeare's many works, who defies the position of order and gender of her time and used power and ambition to achieve her dreams. Her opening scene in I.v where she is reading the letter from her husband, which proclaims the witches' prophecy, and the following soliloquy are the first exposure to her character, as it allows us an insight into her most intimate thoughts and feelings. At the idea of her husband being possibly made King she jumps straight to the conclusion that he will be, "and shalt be what thou art promised". This is shocking to the audience as her superstition shows her underlying hunger for power by the fact she takes three deranged, women on a moor as the literal truth - any excuse for her to rise in authority. Shakespeare's use of the witches adds drama because at the time the play was written, during the reign of James I, witchcraft and heresy were deemed punishable by death and to "consult with any evil sprit" was illegal under the 1604 Witchcraft Act, so they would have seen it as a scandal that Lady Macbeth believed the witches. She seems even more ruthless by the fact that automatically she presumes that they will

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How does Shakespeare create dramatic tension in act 2 scene 2 of Macbeth?

How does Shakespeare create dramatic tension in act 2 scene 2 of Macbeth? Act 2 Scene 2 of Macbeth is a decisive scene in the play as it creates dramatic tension, conflict and controversy. There are many themes in this play: tragedy, the supernatural, love, dishonesty, betrayal and greed. Macbeth murdered Duncan to prove his masculinity for his wife and also his hunger for more power. Lady Macbeth wanted Duncan dead because of her greed and the witches' prophecies influence her. At the beginning of the play Macbeth is brave, content and loyal in contrast to his dark and sinister persona he adapts later on in the play. Whilst the main theme of Macbeth is one of tragic loss (in terms of the death of the King and indeed the loss of Macbeth's mental state), greed also proves to be an influential factor in the downfall of both Macbeth and his wife. It, ultimately, changed their actions and cost them their lives. At the beginning of the scene, Lady Macbeth is feeling confident. She says " What hath quench'd them hath given me fire", this indicating that she is feeling so powerful and inspired that nothing can stand in her way. Despite feeling confident, she feels agitated and remarks "Hark! Peace!" which demonstrates that she is concerned someone has been alerted to the couple's plans and will discover their wretched methods; this sudden feeling of concern contrasts with her prior

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A letter from Lady Macbeth to her husband.

My beloved Macbeth, I can barely write as unrighteous tears cloud my eyes and blur my vision. Oh, my love, how I have battledwith my conscience and how my words 'our deeds must not be thought of ' come back to haunt me. Screams in my head paralyse my sleep and torture my wake. I can no longer live for fear of the truth being shared. Ever since I received that fateful letter I began plotting how we could speed our path to power. I should have let fate take its course instead of trying to take fate into my own hands. If I had done that then maybe the smell of Duncan's blood would disappear and perhaps I would not be writing this, my final letter. I remember the time when we were a young happy couple, so much in love, so much to live for. How long ago this all seems now. I wish we could return tothat happiness, but it is all too late. I have ruined everything you worked so hard for. You were a role model to everyone who knew you. Well respected, brave and loyal, you served your country and gained the trust of our king. He rewarded you well and would have rewarded you further, but now I' ve destroyed everything. I am filled with pain and anguish and hopeless despair and all I can offer you is that when I am gone it may relieve some of the guilt I have put upon your soul. I recall being overcome with emotion when you returned to me after the battle and you were given

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Throughout the play Macbeth and Lady Macbeth together demonstrate how ambition can turn a loyal soldier into a bloodthirsty murderer

Throughout the play Macbeth and Lady Macbeth together demonstrate how ambition can turn a loyal soldier into a bloodthirsty murderer with his scheming and devious wife turning weak and disturbed as ambition slowly destroys her. Macbeth’s ambition to become king of Scotland turn’s him independent and ruthless. “The dead butcher and fiend-like queen”, is an accurate description as this is all they amount to. At the start of the play Macbeth is a loyal soldier returning from the civil war. The witches tell Macbeth that he will become Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor and King of Scotland. The witch’s prophecies make Macbeth ambitious and tap into pre-existing ambition. Macbeth believes these prophecies as the first of his prophecies has been fulfilled. Afterwards the second prophecy is carried out. Immediately Macbeth thinks of murdering King Duncan so the third of his prophecies will be fulfilled even though he is horrified by the idea. Lady Macbeth’s greed makes her determined the third prophecy will come true. But believes Macbeth is not capable of murdering Duncan but will provoke him. When Lady Macbeth hears the news that that Duncan is coming to visit she believes it is the ideal opportunity to kill Duncan. Lady Macbeth calls on the spirits of darkness and evil to replace her nurturing and feminine qualities with remorseless cruelty. Macbeth is appalled of the

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What is the importance of Banquo in Shakespeare's play Macbeth?

What is the importance of Banquo in the Shakespeare's play Macbeth? Banquo is an important character in the play Macbeth. He plays a person of integrity, honour and a man who has high morals to uphold. Although Banquo may appear a minor character in the play as he dies early through the plot, he plays an influential part throughout the rest of the story. Some might say that when Banquo dies, he plays the part of Macbeth's conscience. William Shakespeare wrote this play for King James I in 1606. William wrote this play for James I because he knew that he would be very interested and amused by the play. James I was interested in witchcraft and killed more "witches" than any other king. The play Macbeth is deemed unlucky because the spells in the story are true. They were taken from a book called 'Demonology' which was written by King James I. The character Banquo was based on a supposed descendant of James I, but all of his qualities are based on James. At the beginning of the story, Banquo is seen as an equal to Macbeth, both valiant warriors and both honourable, courageous Thanes. They were both regarded highly and respected by everyone, including Duncan, the King of Scotland. When Banquo and Macbeth first meet the witches after battling with the Norwegians, both characters seem very suspicious of them, but as the witches speak their prophecies. "All hail Macbeth, Thane of

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Explore how the writers present choices in Macbeth by William Shakespeare and the Laboratory by Robert Browning.

Explore how writer present choices in Macbeth by William Shakespeare and the Laboratory by Robert Browning. In this essay I will construct an analysis of the two main female protagonists in Macbeth by William Shakespeare and The Labatory by Robert Browning. I will reflect on the choices made by both protagonists and the inevitable consequences of them. Although both texts are written in different forms of literature - Shakespeare's "Macbeth" being in the form of a play and "The Labatory" being in the form of a poem both texts create powerful imagery and through use of language evokes strong perceptions from the audience. We as the audience are given the impression that both women are ambitious and powerful as they both successfully choose to manipulate men to make their aspirations a reality - Lady Macbeth manipulates her husband, this is portrayed malevolently when Macbeth hesitates in the murder of King Duncan and Lady Macbeth -palpably the dominant character in this scene insinuates him as a coward by ridiculing his masculinity and declares "I have given suck and know how tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me. I would, while it was smiling in my face, have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums, had I so sworn as you have done to this." In Macbeths opening soliloquy by interpreting its textual content "Firstly as I am his kinsman and his subject,

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How does Lady Macbeth persuade Macbeth to kill the King?

Fiona Harris How does Lady Macbeth persuade Macbeth to kill the King? Lady Macbeth is very determined to become Queen after she reads the letter from Macbeth about the meeting with the witches. She thinks that it is meant to be that he will become King "shalt be what thou art promised". He knows that if he wants to become great and become King of Scotland he will have to kill the current King Duncan. Lady Macbeth knows her husband too well and knows that he will not kill the king. He's "too full o' the milk of human kindness". This metaphor means he's too kind to kill the king just so he can become king himself however much he wants the throne himself. When the messenger arrives and tells her that Duncan is coming to stay the night she says " thou'rt mad to say it" meaning this is all too good to be true and all she has to do is get Macbeth to kill the Duncan and he will be King. All Lady Macbeth has to do is come up with the plan and get Macbeth to carry it out. Lady Macbeth talks to Macbeth when he arrives at the castle and tells him of the plan to kill the King. She says "look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under 't. This metaphor creates an image that means welcome Duncan into the castle and be all welcoming on the outside but underneath be evil, think you are going to kill him. Macbeth is not sure about this and say's "we will speak further". Lady

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