Macbeth Group

Question:

ngergis
ngergis
Student
High School - 9th Grade

In Macbeth, how are Banquo's remarks about "new honors" being like "strange garments" related to ambition? 

New honors come upon him, like our strange garments, cleave not their mould / But with the aid of use

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Posted by ngergis on Tuesday March 10, 2009 at 8:04 AM and tagged with ambition, banquo, characters, macbeth, quotes, themes.

Answers:


  1. danylyshen Teacher
    High School - 12th Grade

    What this means is that MacBeth and Banquo will be imbued with new offices and new ranks. The strange garments are these new offices which they do not fit yet, they do not "cleave to their mould", but over time they might "but with the aid of use." This relates to the theme of ambition and loose fitting clothes because throughout the play many allusions are made to things "not fitting properly" and not "being quite right." This is suggesting that new offices, gained through ill, will never "feel" quite right, and never fit the wearer.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/macbeth
    http://www.enotes.com/macbeth/banquo-character-analysis

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    Posted by danylyshen on Tuesday March 10, 2009 at 8:48 AM