Macbeth Key Terms
Across
- 4. A sudden reversal of fortune (when Macbeth’s confidence turns to fear).
- 6. Hero A noble character with a fatal flaw that brings about their downfall.
- 7. The moment of realisation or recognition (Macbeth realising his downfall is inevitable).
- 8. Deliberate ambiguity or double meaning (used by the witches).
- 10. Fallacy – When weather or nature reflects the mood (e.g. stormy weather mirroring chaos).
- 12. Excessive pride or arrogance that leads to the hero’s downfall.
- 14. Right of Kings The belief that kings are chosen by God; disrupting this order is blasphemous.
- 15. Hints or clues about what will happen later in the play (e.g. the witches’ prophecies).
Down
- 1. The emotional release felt by the audience at the end of a tragedy.
- 2. The tragic flaw that leads to the downfall of the hero (Macbeth’s ambition).
- 3. A speech where a character speaks their thoughts aloud, revealing inner feelings (e.g. Macbeth’s “Is this a dagger…”).
- 5. The act of killing a king; a grave sin in Shakespeare’s time.
- 9. Cunning, deceitful, and power-driven behaviour (Macbeth’s manipulation and ruthlessness).
- 11. A key theme involving forces beyond the natural world (witches, visions, ghosts).
- 13. Central theme driving Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s actions.