Macbeth Act 5 Flashcards

Lady Macbeth's Guilt

• Lady Macbeth sleepwalks due to overwhelming guilt after Duncan's murder.
• Her disturbed state suggests deep psychological distress and a need to confess her crimes.

Doctor's Awareness

• The doctor realizes Lady Macbeth's involvement in Duncan's death when he hears her sleep-talking.

English Army's Strategy

• The English army, led by Malcolm, does not gather at any of the specified locations; they conceal their approach using cut branches from Birnam Wood.

Macbeth's Confidence

• Macbeth displays extreme confidence in the face of fear among other characters, highlighting his arrogance and denial of the impending doom.

Doctor's Prescription

• The doctor believes Lady Macbeth needs to confess her complicity in the murders to find healing.

Macbeth’s Arrogance

• Macbeth's lighthearted interaction with the doctor during a critical moment emphasizes his hubris, contrasting with the somber atmosphere.

Movement of Birnam Wood

• Malcolm's army uses branches from Birnam Wood to camouflage their advance towards Dunsinane, fulfilling the witches' prophecy.

Lady Macbeth's Death

• Tormented by guilt, Lady Macbeth ultimately succumbs to madness and takes her own life.

Macbeth's Reaction to Death

• Macbeth's unusual response to Lady Macbeth's death reflects emotional numbness, lacking the expected grief.

Metaphorical Language

• Macbeth’s expression "life is an exercise in futility" serves as a metaphor, indicating his existential despair.

Definition of Soliloquy

• A soliloquy allows characters to express their innermost thoughts and feelings to the audience, revealing personal conflicts.

Witches' Prophecy Anxiety

• A messenger's report heightens Macbeth's fear that he is losing control and that the witches' prophecy is being realized.

Young Siward's Role

• Young Siward leads the attack against Macbeth, reflecting the conflict and generational struggle.

Young Siward's Fate

• Macbeth kills Young Siward during the chaos of battle, showcasing the tragic consequences of ambition and violence.

Audience Assumption

• When Malcolm and Siward approach the stage, the audience can infer that they have successfully taken control of the castle.

Macbeth's Revelation

• Realizing his situation is hopeless, Macbeth chooses to fight to the death rather than surrender, marking his tragic resolve.

Macduff's Advantage

• Macduff is able to kill Macbeth due to the revelation that he was born by caesarean section, thus defying the witches' prophecy.

Macduff's Revenge

• It is fitting for Macduff to kill Macbeth, as the latter had ordered the slaughter of Macduff's family, bringing poetic justice to the tragedy.

Tragic Downfall

• Macbeth's insatiable ambition ultimately leads to his downfall, embodying the essence of a literary tragedy where hubris leads to ruin.