ACT V - Scene VI — Vocabulary
Macbeth by William Shakespeare — key words and definitions
Vocabulary Words from ACT V - Scene VI
- Leavy
- Leafy; covered with or made of leaves. Malcolm uses this to describe the branch camouflage his soldiers carried from Birnam Wood.
- Screens
- Something that conceals or provides cover; in this context, the branches used as camouflage to hide the army's numbers and movements.
- Battle
- In Elizabethan military terminology, a division or battalion of an army, not just a fight. Malcolm uses it to mean the first unit of troops.
- Harbingers
- Forerunners or heralds; people or things that announce or signal the approach of something. Macduff uses it to describe the trumpets announcing the coming bloodshed.
- Clamorous
- Making a loud and confused noise; vociferous. Describes the blaring of war trumpets as the attack begins.
- Tyrant
- A cruel and oppressive ruler who exercises power unjustly. Siward uses this term for Macbeth, reflecting how his enemies view his illegitimate reign.
- Power
- In this military context, an armed force or body of troops, not just strength or authority. Siward refers to Macbeth's remaining army.
- Exeunt
- A stage direction meaning "they exit." From the Latin for "they go out." Used when multiple characters leave the stage simultaneously.