Macbeth Notes

Literature MYCT: Essay Structure Introduction: Hook, relevant contextual information, thesis statement (what + how) [Try to do something most people would not do to secure insights] Main Body: Points + Evidence + Elaboration + Link (not necessarily in that order) Conclusion: Wrap it up and end off with a quote/question Literature MYCT: PBQ Passage Analysis General Analysis - Power struggles - Build up of tension (how) - Breaking of dialogue norms (look out for curt responses or soliloquies) - Talk about Macbeth’s hubris - Talk about the contribution of a certain scene to the anagnorsis (which will serve its purpose in purging emotions and breaking the suspense, and reaching maximum tension). Aristotle’s Unities - Unity of place (1 main place), time (in one day maximum), plot (one main plot with few or no subplots) - When a unity is broken we must explain why Ironies Dramatic irony is when the audience knows something that the character doesn’t, and the character continues to behave in a way contrary to what would be good for him/her to behave like. Situational irony is when what is expected strongly differs from what actually happens (like English comprehension). Literature MYCT: Argumentative Analysis Rosicrucian System Bile (bilious - choleric): increase in bile makes one easily angered, irritable Blood (blood – sanguine) increase in blood in the body would make one cheerfully optimistic (bold, loud, rude, merry-making type Phlegm (phlegm – phlegmatic): increase in phlegm makes one very calm and steady Black bile (bilious – melancholic): increase in black bile makes one very sad Machiavellian Philosophies The teachings of Niccolo Machiavelli (in his book On Generosity and Parsimony) he explains how parsimony (being stingy) is better than being generous, and how it is possible to employ the

“robbing Paul to pay Peter” scheme to appear to be generous, while at all times not spending anything. Kings and royalty would be well aware of Machiavellian teachings. Upset Natural Order, and Authority By the time Macbeth commits the murders of Duncan and Banquo, he is widely known as an archetype of evil. Even the Second Witch says “something wicked this way comes” (4.1) Equivocation All things foul commit equivocation. When Macbeth asks the witches what they do, they simply reply “A deed without a name” (4.1). Even the apparitions themselves all beat around the bush (nothing is stated clearly). It can be argued that Macbeth’s equivocation is what leads to a vicious cycle of equivocation, in which Macbeth has no choice but to ask the weird sisters about his future. Now, knowing that they are elements of evil (summons of Hecate herself), they themselves are equivocators. So when the apparitions appear, they (being elements supernatural and evil themselves) equivocate in their replies to Macbeth (beating around the bush and not making anything in their replies clear), which then triggers his downfall. As such, can it be argued that Macbeth’s, by equivoca