Macbeth seminar notes 1 PDF

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Notes on Shakespeare's Macbeth - Spring term Dr. Patricia Gillies...

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Did Macbeth have to act on the witches’ prophesy? What if he didn’t kill king? Would he still be king? Lady M a complex and powerful and strong character – innocent flower but serpent underneath Lady M gave M a push and he did the rest – maybe M is the villainous one instead of Lady M Did Lady M really want to be queen? Language and motivation don’t add up – uses language of motherhood and talk of babies, what it is to be a woman M and Lady M parallel couples with Antony and Cleopatra Language of do/doing – link to sexual performance – also the murder – carnal, flesh Use of word nothing/none – ref to female genitalia – play about femaleness? Female role, power, body Hamlet and Macbeth start with looking/ watching – Hamlet (looking on parapet), Macbeth (witches) plays are demanding your eyes LOOK AT STUDY GUIDE! AND THOUGHT EXPERIMENT! “fair is foul and foul is fair” – carnivalesque Murder of Banquo act 3 – “will I have done all of this (become a murderer) for THEM?” for his line – continuity – how much is continuity praised and dispraised – M act 5 line “tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow…” – act 3 anger for not having continuity – but in act 5 everything about continuity is meaningless and leads to nothing – if they cant have glory then that glory and continuity is meaninglessness – continuity in terms of time and in terms of life...