MACBETH’S LETTER – RELEVANT FEATURES Line l. 1 l.2 l.4 l.5 l.3 l.7 l.8 l.9 l.10 l.11 l.13 l.12 l.15-16 Expression The day of success The perfectest report, more than mortal knowledge They made themselves air, into which they vanished Rapt in the wonder of it Burned in desire / to question All-hailed Weird sister Coming on of the time This have I thought good to deliver thee My dearest partner of greatness Greatness Rejoicing Glamis … promised l.15 l.16 l.17 l.18 l.19-20 l.20 Glamis thou art, and Cawdor Yet Too full of human kindness To catch the nearest way = to kill Duncan Without the illness Should What thou wouldst highly That wouldst you holily l.20-21 l.21 l.22 l.22 l.22-23 l.25 l.26 Wouldst not play false And yet wouldst wrongly win Great Glamis Cries Thus thou must do, if thou have it That which … that which Spirits Valour of my tongue l.26 l.27 l.27-28 Chastise Golden round Fate and metaphysical aid Meaning or underscoring Macbeth’s pride and happiness Macbeth’s belief in supernatural Macbeth’s wonder at the witches. Macbeth seems to unconsciously want to believe in the prophecy Macbeth’s greed for power Macbeth seems already absorbed in his dreams Respect for the witches Macbeth is convinced that he would become king Deviation: it expresses the irrationality of Macbeth’s submission to his wife Importance of Macbeth’s wife in his life Repetition: the idea of greatness fills Macbeth’s mind completely Macbeth imagines his life and happiness as king Lady Macbeth expresses his decision in synthesizing all the condition of Macbeth Accent on Glamis and Cawdor Change in topic Metaphor: weakness of Macbeth’s nature Lady Macbeth does not admit other ways to become king. Run-on-line: it reinforces the lack of malevolence in Macbeth’s personality For Lady Macbeth, ambition is naturally bound with malevolence Chiasm: contradiction in Macbeth’s personality. Honesty and ambition can hardly coexist. Ironical tone Importance of conviction Macbeth is courageous only when there is somebody who tells him what to do. Anaphor: it underlines the idea of lack Reference to medieval science Lady Macbeth is aware of her abilities. She is also determined to convince her husband. Reference to the behavior of the medieval fairies Reference to the medieval kenning Lady Macbeth justifies her actions