Question

Excerpt 1: read the excerpt from act 2, scene 2 of the tragedy of macbeth. macbeth has just killed duncan. he refuses to take the daggers back to the room, so lady macbeth takes them. macbeth is alone and staring at his bloody hands. lady macbeth. infirm of purpose! give me the daggers. the sleeping and the dead are but as pictures; �tis the eye of childhood that fears a painted devil. if he do bleed, i�ll gild the faces of the grooms withal;70 for it must seem their guilt. [exit. knocking within.] macbeth. whence is that knocking? how is �t with me, when every noise appals me? what hands are here! ha! they pluck out mine eyes. will all great neptune�s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand? no, this my hand will rather the multitudinous seas incarnadine, making the green one red. excerpt 2: read the excerpt from act 3, scene 4 of the tragedy of macbeth. macbeth is hosting a feast when he sees banquo�s ghost and starts speaking to it. no one else can see the ghost, and lady macbeth tries to explain away macbeth�s behavior to the guests. macbeth. avaunt! and quit my sight! let the earth hide thee! thy bones are marrowless, thy blood is cold; thou hast no speculation in those eyes which thou dost glare with. lady macbeth. think of this, good peers, but as a thing of custom: �tis no other; only it spoils the pleasure of the time. macbeth. what man dare, i dare: approach thou like the rugged russian bear, the arm�d rhinoceros, or the hyrcan tiger; take any shape but that, and my firm nerves shall never tremble: or be alive again, and dare me to the desert with thy sword; if trembling i inhabit then, protest me the baby of a girl. hence, horrible shadow! unreal mockery, hence! how does shakespeare most develop the universal themes "the relationship between violence and human nature� and "the consuming power of guilt� in these excerpts? through the repetition of questions through references to eyes and horrible sights through the internal conflict macbeth faces in the wake of his treacherous deeds through th

Answer 1

In these excerpts from "The Tragedy of Macbeth," the universal theme "the quest for power" is related to the universal theme "the relationship between violence and human nature" through Macbeth's actions and thoughts.

The correct answer is: Macbeth is willing to use violence to keep himself and his descendants in power.

In both excerpts, Macbeth is consumed by his quest for power and the fear of losing it. He is willing to resort to violence to maintain his position and ensure that Banquo's descendants do not challenge his authority. Macbeth acknowledges that he has committed murder and put his own peace at risk for the sake of securing his power and preventing Banquo's sons from becoming kings.

This shows a connection between the quest for power and the use of violence. Macbeth understands that power often requires violent actions to obtain and protect it. His willingness to employ violence demonstrates the dark side of human nature and the lengths to which individuals may go in their pursuit and preservation of power.