Shakespeare's Language & The Renaissance
When was the Renaissance? What was it?
5th-17th century
Period of growth of art, literature, philosophy, culture, politics, economics
Means “rebirth”
Influenced by Greek and Latin culture
How does Lady Macbeth explain Macbeth's odd behavior at the banquet?
She says not to worry because he has had strange visions since childhood
What vision does Macbeth have before he kills Duncan?
He sees a bloody dagger floating in front of him
"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."
Macbeth - sees a vision of a bloody dagger
"Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck, til thou applaud the deed."
Macbeth to Lady Macbeth - he wants her to remain ignorant to his planning the killing of Banquo
Why did Shakespeare primarily write in blank verse?
To make his plays more accessible for the common man.
In what way is Macduff not of woman born?
He was born by cesarean section
What does Lady Macbeth think Macbeth lacks?
The manliness to follow through his ambitions
"Who can be wise, amazed, temp'rate and furious, loyal and neutral, in a moment? No man. The epedition of my violent love outrun the pauser, reason."
"Despair thy charm, and let the angel whom thou still hast served tell thee, Macduff was from his mother's womb untimely ripped…"
Macduff - telling Macbeth how he was born via C-Section
What's an inverted sentence?
When the subject, verb, or other parts are not in their usual order.
What are the four apparitions of?
1) an armed head warning of Macduff, 2) a bloody child claiming no man born of woman will harm Macbeth, 3) a crowned child with a tree suggesting he won't be vanquished until Birnam Wood moves to Dunsinane, 4) and a line of 8 kings descended from Banquo
Why is Macbeth named king instead of Duncan's son and heir, Malcolm?
Because Malcolm's fleeing makes him look guilty
"My hands are of your color, but I shame to wear a heart so white. I hear a knocking at the south entry. Retire we to our chamber. A little water clears us of this deed."
Lady Macbeth - she & her husband are both guilty of evil doings, but she will not let them affect her.
"Let every soldier hew him down a bough and bear't before him. Thereby shall we shadow the numbers of our host, and make discovery err in report of us."
Malcolm - mentioning how the soldiers will conceal the size of their army by carrying branches from Birnam wood to Dunsinane
What's the name for an extended speech in which a character speaks to himself or herself on stage to reveal private thoughts
What's a soliloquy?
What does Lady Macbeth obsess over as she goes mad and begins sleeping?
King Duncan's blood that she cannot wash off her hands (figuratively)
What does Macbeth do when he hears Macduff has fled to England?
He orders the murder of Macduff's family
"He hath a wisdom that doth guide his valor to act in safety. There is none but he whose being I do fear."
Macbeth - describing his fear of Banquo
"Thou hast it now; King, Cawdor, Glamis, all, as the weird women promised, and I fear thou play'dst most foully for it."
Banquo - does not know for certain what Macbeth has done, he suspects that he has ' play'dst most foully'- echoing the word foul which
what is iambic pentameter
usually sounds like a HEARTBEAT that has 10 syllables in total (5 iambs, each with 2 syllables)
What does Malcolm say to Macduff to test his loyalty to Scotland?
He says he is more ambitious, greedy, lustful, and bloodthirsty than Macbeth.
Macbeth will be king and Banqou's children will be kings
"Those he commands move only in command, nothing in love. Now does he feel his title hang loose about him, like a giant's robe upon a dwarfish thief."
Angus - describing Macbeth's reluctant army
But wherefore could I not pronounce "Amen"? I had most need of blessing, and "Amen" stuck in my throat."
Macbeth - after killing Duncan, he begins to feel guilt and is unable to say Amen after praying