Macbeth Analysis Act 3 Scene 4: Full Commentary

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See also my Macbeth Soliloquies Playlist:
• Shakespeare Soliloquie...
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You might also find my Romeo and Juliet series interesting: dai.ly/x80qt0r
This video is a line-by-line walkthrough guide for William Shakespeare’s Macbeth: Act 3, Scene 4.
I provide a close reading of the entire scene, including:
- Detailed explication
- Commentary
- Literary analysis
All commentary is supplemented by in-text, line-by-line study notes designed to help students:
- Prepare for GCSE, A-Level, IB, and AP evaluation
- Prepare for general high school and college quizzes, exams, and essays
- Generate ideas for analysis essays
- Participate knowledgeably in class discussions
This video discusses :
PLOT:
- The Macbeth’s give a banquet
- Macbeth’s guilt and intense mental strain cause him to see Banquo’s ghost sitting at the table; suffers nervous breakdown with hallucinatory panic attacks
- Lady Macbeth tries to explain the fit by claiming he has had a natural illness from his youth
- The guests leave the party bewildered
CHARACTER:
- Macbeth: very emotionally unstable; nervous breakdown
- Lady Macbeth: defends Macbeth; continues to chastise him
THEME/SYMBOLISM:
- Personification: Banquo’s ghost is a manifestation of Macbeth’s guilt, shame, fear; Abel accusing Cain
- Borrowed robes: Macbeth is unsuited to king’s chair, Banquo takes it
- Manhood
- Appearance vs Reality/equivocation
- Cain and Abel; judgemental glare of the murdered ideal (Banquo)
- Sleep as innocence/healer
- Existential despair; alienation of self leads to meaninglessness, tediousness
- Thought vs action
Writing a LITERATURE ANALYSIS ESSAY? See my practical guide, with model papers:
• Literature Analysis
If you're interested in Shakespeare analysis, see my other playlists:
MACBETH:
• Macbeth Scene by Scene...
For Macbeth THESIS STATEMENT prompts see:
• Playlist
ROMEO and JULIET:
• Romeo and Juliet
For Romeo and Juliet THESIS STATEMENT prompts see:
• Playlist
HAMLET:
• Hamlet Scene by Scene
For Hamlet THESIS STATEMENT prompts see:
• Playlist
OTHELLO:
• Othello
TWELFTH NIGHT:
• Twelfth Night