Macbeth Notes

Act I Letter shows trust in Wife. United as young lovers. Creates disgusting image of dead child. Results in impressing Macbeth and shows strength. At their closest after argument | debate. 

Act II Conscience manifests itself as visions (Dagger). Lady Macbeth pretends to be brave but, seems nervous alone. Mocks Macbeth's failure (not perfect) Lady Macbeth covers Macbeth when his actions are exaggerated and suspicious.

Act III Plans Banquo's murder. Uses none of his Wife's help. 'Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck' Lady Macbeth mocks Macbeth at the banquet. Lady Macbeth uses her quick thinking and dismisses Macbeth's behaviour. Confides some of his concerns to Lady Macbeth but, has again made plans without her assistance. (Spies in Macduff's Castle) Burnham Wood & No one of woman born.    

Act IV Macbeth seeks the Witches guidance, not his Wife's. Macduff's family are slaughtered. Again planned by only Macbeth.

Act V Lady Macbeth goes mad. Macbeth isn't much moved by her death. They die apart. Mad with guilt. Commitment decreases (describe how!).

'Cousin Kate' - By Christina Rossetti Nineteenth Century - Strongly Christian - didn't marry due to religious differences - most famous poem 'Goblin Market' - on the theme of a Fallen Woman - gave women a voice - views suppressed by Victorian Values and Traditions which favoured men. Marriage was a business deal. Lady Macbeth's strength - unusual woman - 'my battlement (castle). Cottage maiden - affair with lord - not intending on marrying her - merely to use her - Marriage very important - Victorian Times - Defined a woman - Lord abandons maiden - marries her pure, virginal cousin, Kate, instead - Maiden has a baby - ostracised by society - Maiden flaunts her commitment to her child - Kate is infertile - Kate failed to fulfil her duties as a Wife. Lady Macbeth & Cottage Maiden - Committed to their cause and blame others for their failure and flaws. Six, eight line stanzas - alternate line rhyme scheme - very traditional - unusual - fallen woman - modern message - disguised - by it's conventional appearance. Conventional Wife - greets King Duncan 'your servant(s) ever' 'In every point done twice' - dutiful Wife - host - Standard, iambic pentameter - outwardly conventional - different woman - is written in prose - Shakespearian verse - suggests something unexpected - result of this letter - Images of duplicity (Being two - faced) - 'look like the innocent flower, But be the serpent under't' - Arguable, the Lord and Kate are also duplicitous. Lord is because he led the Maiden to believe he really liked her but, in reality it was just for sex. Clothing imagery. Kate is because 'Love was writ in sand' 'her love was not true' - fake - for his money. Lady Macbeth goes mad - with guilt - prose to convey madness - 'out down spot, out I say!'. Loss of conventional (Traditional - which neither The Cottage Maiden or Lady Macbeth were) form - when bonds of commitment are broken in both texts - real personality of characters are revealed. CLOTHING IMAGERY Hyphens used to break the trains. Main similarities and differences between the Lord's wavering commitment to the Maiden and Macbeth's and Lady Macbeth's changing commitment to each other. - The Lords commitment is wavering and he most likely shows compaction but, is very seducing and complimentary. Similarly the Macbeth's commitment starts strong at the time of the performance of the regicide and decreases as the play goes on. They die apart. 

'Porphehyria's Lover' - By Robert Browning Nineteenth Century writer of the Victorian era. Admired romantic poets. Wrote on the theme of relationships. Wife - Elizabeth Barrett - Browning. Wife was also a respected poet. Gives away - Soliloquy (Macbeth Comparison I. V)(Lady Macbeth I. V) What's it about? What he does (Kills her 37 & 38 'I found a thing to do') Porphyria & Lady Macbeth - Macbeth doesn't listen (defer) to Lady Macbeth Speaker & Macbeth - Neither have the upper hand at the start of the texts. Both gain power throughout through murder. Every five lines - Structure - iambic pentameter - Macbeth Pathetic Fallacy - Night and Rain 'he rain set early in to-night' Lady Macbeth references to night and darkness - 'Come thick night' 'The blanket of the dark' Weather - Lady Macbeth - asks the Devil for. IRONIC - Washing hands. Clothing imagery. Commitment - affected - knowledge - is married - someone else. 'vainer ties' thought of her Husband ruins the night. Macbeth - 'hense horrible shadow' - Banquo's ghost. Commitment wavering - Macbeth & Lady Macbeth. Emotional - exclamatory mood - 'and yet God has not said a word!' Macbeth - 'One cried 'murder' 'God bless us!' Escaped God's judgement - 'and yet God has not said a word!' Lady Macbeth - hoping - 'nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark' Macbeth fears judgement from God - 'God bless us!' 'the life to come' United in knowledge of their crimes - initially brings Macbeth and Lady Macbeth closer - later brings their downfall. Weakening lovers - weak commitment in both relationships becomes their downfall | demise.

Macbeth Final Notes