Macbeth Key Terms

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).

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.