Macbeth vocab

Thane (n.) A nobleman under service of a king, much like a knight Known by the names of the places they ruled Macbeth=Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor Macduff=Thane of Fife

Motif (n.) The repetition of an image, symbol, or idea in a work of literature Motifs in Macbeth Blood Clothing Sleep/sleeplessness Light/darkness Birds Unnatural occurrences

Comic relief (n.) In drama, a humorous scene that follows a serious one Intensifies the seriousness by adding contrast

Motifs in Macbeth Blood Clothing Duncan: “What bloody man is that?” I/ii Macbeth: “…When we have marked with blood those sleepy two of his own chambers and used their very daggers…” I/vii Clothing Macbeth: “The Thane of Cawdor lives. Why do you dress me in borrowed robes?” I/iii Banquo: “New honors come upon him, like our strange garments, cleave not to their mold but with the aid of use.” I/iii

Motifs in Macbeth Light/Darkness Macbeth: “Stars, hide your fires; Let not light see my black and deep desires.” I/iv LM: “Come, thick night, and pall me in the dunnest smoke of hell!” I/v

Motifs in Macbeth Sleep/sleeplessness LM: “When in swinish sleep their drenched natures lie as in a death, what cannot you and I perform upon the unguarded Duncan?” I/vii

Your motif task from here on in: Choose a motif from the previous list Every time it is mentioned in Macbeth, note the page # in your notebook or mark the page with a sticky note. These references will become the basis of a unit assessment

Minion (n.) Assistant or servant The dictator used his minions to do his dirty work

Disburse (v.) To pay out to someone The treasurer disbursed $1000.00 for the field trip.

ague (n.) Fever The ague left him hallucinating and blabbering.

dire (adj.) very bad After the botched robbery attempt, the three found themselves in a dire situation.

Harbinger (n.) One who announces the arrival of another The robin is the harbinger of spring.

Missive (n.) Letter After reading about a tax increase, he sent a missive to his congressman.

prate (v.) To speak foolishly or about trivial matters The girls would prate on and on about their favorite boy bands

trifle (n.) Something trivial or unimportant He threw his life away as if it were a trifle.

equivocate (v.) To speak vaguely or be deliberately unclear; to speak in half-truths The three witches equivocate with Macbeth.

chide (v.) Tell somebody off (gently) The woman would chide her young son for misbehaving in public.

parricide (n.) The murder of one’s parents No one could understand what drove her to parricide

suborn (v.) Persuade another to do wrong, esp. with a bribe I tried to suborn my teachers to get better grades, but most of them refused.

Blank Verse (n.) Unrhymed iambic pentameter (ten syllables per line, no end rhyme) Most of Macbeth is written in blank verse “Lower-class” characters speak in straight prose Other characters deviate from blank verse if they are lying, speaking prophecy, or doing something out of the ordinary

Blank Verse (n.) Unrhymed iambic pentameter (ten syllables per line, no end rhyme) “All hail Macbeth. Hail to thee Thane of Glamis” (10 syllables) “All hail Macbeth. Hail to thee Thane of Cawdor.” (11 syllables) “All hail Macbeth, that shall be king hereafter.”(11 syllables)

couplet (n.) two lines of verse that form a unit alone or as part of a poem, especially two that rhyme and have the same meter

Paradox (n.) A statement that seems to be contradictory but that might be true when considered from a particular perspective. Fair is foul and foul is fair. To achieve peace, you must prepare for war.

Aside (n.) a remark made by an actor, usually to the audience, that the other characters on stage supposedly cannot hear Asides are designated in the script of a drama Ex: MACBETH (aside): This supernatural soliciting cannot be good; cannot be ill.

Aside (n.) a remark made by an actor, usually to the audience, that the other characters on stage supposedly cannot hear In film, characters address the camera when using asides.

intemperance (n.) overindulgence, the inability to control one’s desires. His intemperance lead to liver disease.

laud (v.) praise somebody laudable (adj): worthy of praise His performance on the football field was laudable.

incensed (adj.) angry He was so incensed that he threw his toys across the room.

entrails (n.) innards (guts) The hunters threw the elk’s entrails to the dogs.

epicure (n.) expert in food and wine and the “finer things” in life To be a food critic, one must be a bit of an epicure.