Question

Now look at the words you just defined as they exist in lines from Macbeth. See if you correctly determined the meaning for each word. You can also look at the context provided for each word to see if it helps you make sense of the word. In the answer space, comment on words that you did not define correctly or found challenging and explain why you think you were unable to define them. Would having more context have helped? If so, how?

Answer 1

In Act I, Scene I, the play opens with a storm and three witches. They make plans to find Macbeth after a battle and give him their predictions. During their opening chant, they use several paradoxes.

First, they say, 'When the battle's lost and won.' In other words, all battles have one winning side and one losing side. Reading into it deeper, we see that Macbeth will win many battles in the play, but for each victory, he will also have a loss. We later see Macbeth win his battles to become king when he kills King Duncan, Banquo, and Macduff's family. However, these murders eventually lead to him losing his wife and then his own life.

The witches later say, 'Fair is foul, and foul is fair.' The witches are saying that what is fair to man is foul to the witches, but what men may see as foul, the witches see as fair. Put simply, the witches are seen as evil, but they see themselves as good.

This paradox also tells the audience that appearances can be deceiving, a main theme in the play. Macbeth appears to be a man of honor, unlikely to commit foul acts; however, he orders killing and himself murders. Macbeth believes that what may seen as wrong, or foul, to others are steps he must take to become king and stay in power. Macbeth believes it is his fate to be king, thus fair for him to take any steps necessary.

Step-by-step explanation:

Answer 2

THIS IS THE ANSWER FOR EDMENTUM TABLE THING

paraphrase for certain reasons if you want

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minion -> Usually, minion refers to subordinate people, so it's not used in praise. However, here the soldier is praising Macbeth's valor by saying he serves so perfectly that he is a leader of valor.

cleave ->I thought cleave meant to separate, as in to use a cleaver, but that meaning doesn't work with the word to after it. Seeing the meaning "to stick to," it makes sense that "cleave to my consent" means “to do as I say.”

wanton -> I thought this word was related to "to want." As an adjective, it might mean "wanting something." The meaning "uncontrollable," though, makes sense in the sentence, because it's saying that the speaker has "plenteous joys" that are "wanton in fullness" because they are too "full" or big to hide.

harbinger ->I'd heard the phrase "harbinger of joy," and realized it meant the person who brings joy or messages of joy to others. In this line, it clearly means that Macbeth will be the messenger and tell his wife the news.

metaphysical ->The Greek prefix meta means beyond, so this should mean "beyond the physical." It makes sense that "fate and metaphysical aid" would be crowning Macbeth, because the phrase refers to supernatural powers, which are beyond the physical.

prate -> I didn't know what prate meant, but it makes sense that it means "to speak," and that the stones might tell others about Macbeth’s whereabouts or location when he wants to stay hidden. Nothing about this prating seems "idle," though.

equivocate -> I know equi means equal, and vocate sounds like “vocalize.” I thought the word meant to say two things as if both were true, even if they were contradictory. So it's about lying. But the context is hard to understand—what would "equivocate to heaven" mean? Lie to heaven or lie to get into heaven?

suborn -> Although sub means below, I couldn't figure out this word's meaning, even in context.

knell -> I didn't know what knell meant. It makes sense that it means bell, and Macbeth doesn't want Duncan to hear it. But I think it's also a fateful kind of bell—a death knell—and Duncan can't change what happens to him even if he does hear it.

multitudinous -> The prefix multi- makes clear that this word means something like "having many parts" or "being very large." I didn't quite understand it until I realized incarnadine means "to redden.” He's saying that the blood (guilt) is so vast that it will make an entire green ocean turn red.

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hope that helped someone !!!