The Insufficiency of Virtue: Macbeth and the Natural OrderThe first scene-by-scene philosophical study of any Shakespeare play, this book demonstrates why Shakespeare's poetic writings still arouse and sustain serious inquiry and reflection. Using a combination of philosophical rigor, political insight, and textual thoroughness, Jan H. Blits delineates the competing forms of virtue within Macbeth--the courageous public virtue of warriors like Macbeth and the internal Christian virtue evoked by Duncan. This new interpretation of Macbeth explains crucial paradoxes overlooked by previous scholars and will serve as a model for future scholarship in the field. |
From inside the book
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Page 63
... sons , he says , for her manly mettle should com- pose nothing but males . Like mother , like son . Macbeth thus seems to contra- dict himself . Even as he refers to Lady Macbeth as a mother , he implicitly de- nies that she is a woman ...
... sons , he says , for her manly mettle should com- pose nothing but males . Like mother , like son . Macbeth thus seems to contra- dict himself . Even as he refers to Lady Macbeth as a mother , he implicitly de- nies that she is a woman ...
Page 86
... son , and he seems at least partly to confuse it . When asked what is wrong ( " What is amiss ? " ) , Macbeth , half shifting the question , answers that the sons are.45 The harm to the father is indistinguishable from the harm to the sons ...
... son , and he seems at least partly to confuse it . When asked what is wrong ( " What is amiss ? " ) , Macbeth , half shifting the question , answers that the sons are.45 The harm to the father is indistinguishable from the harm to the sons ...
Page 101
... sons can become king . Believing in the sufficiency of virtue , he believes that he can master Fate by acting . " Let every man be master of his time " ( 3.1.40 ) . The childless Macbeth kills so that his own sons can succeed him on the ...
... sons can become king . Believing in the sufficiency of virtue , he believes that he can master Fate by acting . " Let every man be master of his time " ( 3.1.40 ) . The childless Macbeth kills so that his own sons can succeed him on the ...
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Common terms and phrases
action answer appears Banquo battle become king beth beth's Birnam Wood blood castle Cawdor chance Christian conscience contrast crime crown dare dead death deed Despite Donalbain Duncan's murder Duncan's room Dunsinane elective monarchy England scene equivocation everything evil explicitly fate father fear fight final Fleance Ghost God's Gorgon guilt hand hath hear heart Heaven Hecate Hist Holinshed honor human husband innocence instruments of Darkness kill Duncan killers kingship Lady Mac Lady Macbeth Lady Macduff Lenox Lord Macbeth says Macbeth seems Macbeth speaks Macbeth thinks Malcolm manly virtue means mentions moral murdering Duncan Mystery Play natural order never night nobles once one's play political pray prophecy refers Rosse Rosse's royal Scot Scotland Scottish sense Seyton Shakespeare Shakespearean Tragedy Siward sleep soliloquy soul speech suggests sword tell Thane Thane of Cawdor thee things thou thought throne tion trust unsex wife Witches woman words