MACBETH
PLOT, THEMES, CHARACTERS AND MORE
START
From what was Macbeth inspired?
Macbeth stands as one of Shakespeare's most profound tragedies, delving into the intricate themes of ambition, insatiable desire, and the consequences of damnation.
- Written in the early days of King James I's rule, Macbeth debuted on stage in April 1611.
- The main source of inspiration was Holinshed’s Chronicles, which referenced Hector Boece's Scotorum Historiae from 1527.
- Other influences included Reginald Scot’s Discovery of Witchcraft, King James VI's Daemonologie from 1597, and the dramatic style of Seneca.
What is macbeth about?
- The story takes place in medieval Scotland, featuring Macbeth, a brave general in King Duncan's army, who returns from battle with his friend Banquo.
- They meet three witches who predict that Macbeth will be the next King, while Banquo's children will inherit the throne after him. - Thrilled by the prophecy, Macbeth tells Lady Macbeth, who convinces him to kill King Duncan to take the crown.
- That night, Macbeth murders Duncan and the guards to hide his crime, and with Duncan's son Malcolm fleeing, he becomes king but feels anxious about the witches' words.
- To secure his rule, Macbeth plans to kill Banquo and his son, and after that, during a banquet, he sees Banquo's ghost, his behavior strange to the guests and making him seek guidance from the witches.
What is macbeth about?
- They warn him to be cautious of Macduff, claiming Macbeth can't be harmed by anyone "born of a woman" and will only fall when Birnham Wood reaches Dunsinane Hill.
- These prophecies seem unlikely, making Macbeth feel secure.
- After learning that Macduff has gone to England to join Malcolm, Macbeth brutally kills Macduff's wife and kids.
- Lady Macbeth, overwhelmed by guilt, spirals into madness, sleepwalking and trying to wash away Duncan's blood.
- As Malcolm and Macduff approach Dusinane with soldiers hidden in Birnham Wood, Macbeth, still believing he is invincible, fights on, but ultimately Macduff defeats him, allowing Malcolm to become king.
What are macbeth's themes?
FATE AND WITCHCRAFT
AmBITION
Macbeth's main characters
LADY MACBETH
Macbeth
- Macbeth is a tragic figure whose overwhelming ambition leads to his downfall.
- He transforms from a courageous warrior into a fearful tyrant, using violence to hold onto power.
- The play shows how unchecked ambition can ruin individuals, turning them from good to evil.
- Lady Macbeth is portrayed as a powerful and ambitious woman, often seen as having masculine traits. - She skillfully manipulates Macbeth, pushing him past his doubts and moral concerns. - Her relentless desire for power leads to her insanity and eventual demise, with some critics even viewing her as a third witch in the story.
What are macbeth's themes?
BLOOD
REGICIDE
Macbeth's secondary characters
duncan
MALCOLM
MACDUFF
BANQUO
- Duncan is the King of Scotland and has two sons, Malcolm and Donalbain. - While at Macbeth's castle, Duncan is killed in his sleep by Macbeth.
- Malcolm, the oldest son of King Duncan, is the rightful successor to the throne. - He teams up with Macduff to gather an army and fight Macbeth, eventually becoming the new King of Scotland
- Macduff, the Thane of Fife, believes Macbeth killed King Duncan and teams up with Malcolm to take him down. - In the end, Macduff faces Macbeth and defeats him.
- Banquo is Macbeth's friend and a leader in the Scottish army, fighting alongside him in battles. - Macbeth has him killed, but Banquo's ghost later haunts Macbeth, increasing his guilt and fear.
MACBETH: Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee. I have thee not, and yet I see thee still. Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible To feeling as to sight? or art thou but A dagger of the mind, a false creation, Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain? I see thee yet, in form as palpable As this which now I draw. Thou marshall'st me the way that I was going; And such an instrument I was to use. Mine eyes are made the fools o' the other senses, Or else worth all the rest: I see thee still. And on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood, Which was not so before. There's no such thing: It is the bloody business which informs Thus to mine eyes. Now o'er the one halfworld Nature seems dead, and wicked dreams abuse The curtain'd sleep; witchcraft celebrates Pale Hecate's offerings, and wither'd murder, Alarum'd by his sentinel, the wolf, Whose howl's his watch, thus with his stealthy pace. With Tarquin's ravishing strides, towards his design Moves like a ghost. Thou sure and firm-set earth, Hear not my steps, which way they walk, for fear Thy very stones prate of my whereabout? And take the present horror from the time, Which now suits with it. Whiles I threat, he lives: Words to the heat of deeds too cold breath gives. [A bell rings.] I go, and it is done; the bell invites me. Hear it not, Duncan; for it is a knell That summons thee to heaven or to hell.
The dagger scene
Set up in Macbeth’s castle. It is night and Macbeth’s about to murder an asleep King Duncan. In this soliloquy Macbeth expresses all his anguish about the deed he is about to commit. He imagines he sees a dagger which guides him to his goal. At the beginning he feels horror at the sight of the dagger, and imagines himself as the personification of murder itself, but then he gives way to resolution. His urge to become king proves stronger than his conscience. This soliloquy condenses Macbeth’s dual nature: he has a conscience and he fully understands the horror of what he’s about to do but he has a fatal weakness, ambition.
MACBETH: Methought I heard a voice cry, 'Sleep no more!' Macbeth does murder sleep', the innocent sleep, Sleep that knits up the raveled sleave of care The death of each day's life, sore labour's bath Balm of hurt minds, great nature's second course, Chief nourisher in life's feast. LADY MACBET: What do you mean? MACBETH: Still it cried, 'Sleep no more' to all the house: 'Glamis hath murdered sleep, and therefore Cawdor°Shall sleep no more: Macbeth shall sleep no more?' LADY MACBETH: Who was it, that thus cried? Why, worthy thane You do unbend? your noble strength to think So brain-sickly of things. Go get some water, And wash this filthy witness from your hand. Why did you bring these daggers from the place?They must lie there. Go carry them and smear The sleepy grooms with blood MACBETH: I'll go no more. I am afraid to think what I have done; Look on't again, I dare not. 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, For it must seem their guilt. [Exit.][Knock 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 [Enter Lady Macbeth.] LADY MACBETH: My hands are of your colour, but I shame to wear a heart so white
[Enter Macbeth, with bloody daggers.]LADY MACBETH: ...My husband? MACBETH: I have done the deed. Didst thou not hear a noise? LADY MACBETH: I heard the owl scream and the crickets cry. Did not you speak? MACBETH: When? LADY MACBETH: Now. MACBETH: As I descended? LADY MACBETH; Ay. MACBETH: Hark, who lies i' the' second chamber? LADY MACBETH: Donaldbain? MACBETH: [Looking at his hands.] This is a sorry sight. LADY MACBETH: A foolish thought, to say a sorry sight. MACBETH: There's one did laugh in's sleep, and one cried 'Murder!' That they did wake each other; I stood, and heard them, But they did say their prayers and address'd them Again to sleep. LADY MACBETH: There are two lodged together. MACBETH: One cried 'God bless us!' and 'Amen' the other, As they had seen me with these hangman's hands List'ning their fear, I could not say 'Amen' When they did say 'God bless us.' LADY MACBETH: Consider it not so deeply. MACBETH: But wherefore could not I pronounce 'Amen'? I had most need of blessing and 'Amen' Stuck in my throat. LADY MACBETH: These deeds must not be thought After these ways; so, it will make us mad.
After duncan's murder
Scene II is about the murder of Duncan. Lady Macbeth is alone on stage, waiting for her husband to commit the crime. When Macbeth comes back, he is deeply shocked at his own deed and has forgotten to place the daggers close to the sleeping guards to make suspicion fall upon them.This may ruin the couple's plot, but Macbeth refuses to return to the murder scene. Lady Macbeth puts the daggers in place herself and smears the sleeping guards with the king's blood. The scene illustrates the relationship between husband and wife. She appears to be much stronger than him. This scene also marks the beginning of Macbeth's remorse. He is deeply disturbed at having killed an old man in his sleep for the sake of his own ambition. He hears voices saying that he has murdered sleep, meaning that his conscience will never allow him to sleep again; and he believes that he will never be able to wash the blood off his hands, meaning that he will never be able to cancel his terrible guilt. The whole scene is dominated by recurrent images of blood, which reinforce the horror: blood will dominate Macbeth's life from now on, as the sudden knocking seems to announce.
Regicide
- In medieval times, kings were seen as chosen by God, linking their goodness to the nation's well-being.- The downfall of a righteous king causes chaos in politics, society, and nature, as illustrated in Macbeth. - After King Duncan's murder, violent storms and animal madness symbolize the horror of the act. - These natural disasters mirror the social turmoil, including the murders that occur.
- Shakespeare uses this theme to show how unchecked ambition leads to madness and tyranny in Macbeth.
Ambition
- Ambition is a key theme in Shakespeare's Macbeth, highlighting how desire for power can ruin lives.
- Macbeth starts as a noble character but becomes a murderer driven by guilt after his ambitions spiral out of control.
- Lady Macbeth plays a significant role in pushing Macbeth towards his dark actions, showcasing her own relentless ambition.
- Her inability to handle guilt leads to her madness, while Macbeth's continuous violence further deepens their downfall.
- Both characters lose their honor and morals due to their unchecked ambitions, ultimately resulting in their tragic ends.
Blood
- Macbeth is known for its extreme violence, featuring many killings.- The story kicks off with Macbeth in battle, and the violence escalates from there.
- The plot is a cycle of brutality that leads to more bloodshed.
- Blood represents Macbeth's path to kingship and the power he craves.
- It also symbolizes guilt, as both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are tormented by their actions, with Lady Macbeth stating that the blood on their hands can never be washed away.
Fate and Witchcraft
- This theme ties back to the first major one, showing how prophecies drive Macbeth's ambitions.- The prophecies relate to witchcraft, as only witches can make such predictions. - The witches' words push Macbeth to commit murder, including killing the king, Banquo, and Banquo's son.
- Macbeth's madness blinds him to the truth in the witches' last prophecies, ultimately causing his downfall.
- This theme is crucial as it brings in the supernatural aspects that are key to the play.
MACBETH
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Transcript
MACBETH
PLOT, THEMES, CHARACTERS AND MORE
START
From what was Macbeth inspired?
Macbeth stands as one of Shakespeare's most profound tragedies, delving into the intricate themes of ambition, insatiable desire, and the consequences of damnation.
- Written in the early days of King James I's rule, Macbeth debuted on stage in April 1611. - The main source of inspiration was Holinshed’s Chronicles, which referenced Hector Boece's Scotorum Historiae from 1527. - Other influences included Reginald Scot’s Discovery of Witchcraft, King James VI's Daemonologie from 1597, and the dramatic style of Seneca.
What is macbeth about?
- The story takes place in medieval Scotland, featuring Macbeth, a brave general in King Duncan's army, who returns from battle with his friend Banquo. - They meet three witches who predict that Macbeth will be the next King, while Banquo's children will inherit the throne after him. - Thrilled by the prophecy, Macbeth tells Lady Macbeth, who convinces him to kill King Duncan to take the crown. - That night, Macbeth murders Duncan and the guards to hide his crime, and with Duncan's son Malcolm fleeing, he becomes king but feels anxious about the witches' words. - To secure his rule, Macbeth plans to kill Banquo and his son, and after that, during a banquet, he sees Banquo's ghost, his behavior strange to the guests and making him seek guidance from the witches.
What is macbeth about?
- They warn him to be cautious of Macduff, claiming Macbeth can't be harmed by anyone "born of a woman" and will only fall when Birnham Wood reaches Dunsinane Hill. - These prophecies seem unlikely, making Macbeth feel secure. - After learning that Macduff has gone to England to join Malcolm, Macbeth brutally kills Macduff's wife and kids. - Lady Macbeth, overwhelmed by guilt, spirals into madness, sleepwalking and trying to wash away Duncan's blood. - As Malcolm and Macduff approach Dusinane with soldiers hidden in Birnham Wood, Macbeth, still believing he is invincible, fights on, but ultimately Macduff defeats him, allowing Malcolm to become king.
What are macbeth's themes?
FATE AND WITCHCRAFT
AmBITION
Macbeth's main characters
LADY MACBETH
Macbeth
- Macbeth is a tragic figure whose overwhelming ambition leads to his downfall. - He transforms from a courageous warrior into a fearful tyrant, using violence to hold onto power. - The play shows how unchecked ambition can ruin individuals, turning them from good to evil.
- Lady Macbeth is portrayed as a powerful and ambitious woman, often seen as having masculine traits. - She skillfully manipulates Macbeth, pushing him past his doubts and moral concerns. - Her relentless desire for power leads to her insanity and eventual demise, with some critics even viewing her as a third witch in the story.
What are macbeth's themes?
BLOOD
REGICIDE
Macbeth's secondary characters
duncan
MALCOLM
MACDUFF
BANQUO
- Duncan is the King of Scotland and has two sons, Malcolm and Donalbain. - While at Macbeth's castle, Duncan is killed in his sleep by Macbeth.
- Malcolm, the oldest son of King Duncan, is the rightful successor to the throne. - He teams up with Macduff to gather an army and fight Macbeth, eventually becoming the new King of Scotland
- Macduff, the Thane of Fife, believes Macbeth killed King Duncan and teams up with Malcolm to take him down. - In the end, Macduff faces Macbeth and defeats him.
- Banquo is Macbeth's friend and a leader in the Scottish army, fighting alongside him in battles. - Macbeth has him killed, but Banquo's ghost later haunts Macbeth, increasing his guilt and fear.
MACBETH: Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee. I have thee not, and yet I see thee still. Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible To feeling as to sight? or art thou but A dagger of the mind, a false creation, Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain? I see thee yet, in form as palpable As this which now I draw. Thou marshall'st me the way that I was going; And such an instrument I was to use. Mine eyes are made the fools o' the other senses, Or else worth all the rest: I see thee still. And on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood, Which was not so before. There's no such thing: It is the bloody business which informs Thus to mine eyes. Now o'er the one halfworld Nature seems dead, and wicked dreams abuse The curtain'd sleep; witchcraft celebrates Pale Hecate's offerings, and wither'd murder, Alarum'd by his sentinel, the wolf, Whose howl's his watch, thus with his stealthy pace. With Tarquin's ravishing strides, towards his design Moves like a ghost. Thou sure and firm-set earth, Hear not my steps, which way they walk, for fear Thy very stones prate of my whereabout? And take the present horror from the time, Which now suits with it. Whiles I threat, he lives: Words to the heat of deeds too cold breath gives. [A bell rings.] I go, and it is done; the bell invites me. Hear it not, Duncan; for it is a knell That summons thee to heaven or to hell.
The dagger scene
Set up in Macbeth’s castle. It is night and Macbeth’s about to murder an asleep King Duncan. In this soliloquy Macbeth expresses all his anguish about the deed he is about to commit. He imagines he sees a dagger which guides him to his goal. At the beginning he feels horror at the sight of the dagger, and imagines himself as the personification of murder itself, but then he gives way to resolution. His urge to become king proves stronger than his conscience. This soliloquy condenses Macbeth’s dual nature: he has a conscience and he fully understands the horror of what he’s about to do but he has a fatal weakness, ambition.
MACBETH: Methought I heard a voice cry, 'Sleep no more!' Macbeth does murder sleep', the innocent sleep, Sleep that knits up the raveled sleave of care The death of each day's life, sore labour's bath Balm of hurt minds, great nature's second course, Chief nourisher in life's feast. LADY MACBET: What do you mean? MACBETH: Still it cried, 'Sleep no more' to all the house: 'Glamis hath murdered sleep, and therefore Cawdor°Shall sleep no more: Macbeth shall sleep no more?' LADY MACBETH: Who was it, that thus cried? Why, worthy thane You do unbend? your noble strength to think So brain-sickly of things. Go get some water, And wash this filthy witness from your hand. Why did you bring these daggers from the place?They must lie there. Go carry them and smear The sleepy grooms with blood MACBETH: I'll go no more. I am afraid to think what I have done; Look on't again, I dare not. 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, For it must seem their guilt. [Exit.][Knock 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 [Enter Lady Macbeth.] LADY MACBETH: My hands are of your colour, but I shame to wear a heart so white
[Enter Macbeth, with bloody daggers.]LADY MACBETH: ...My husband? MACBETH: I have done the deed. Didst thou not hear a noise? LADY MACBETH: I heard the owl scream and the crickets cry. Did not you speak? MACBETH: When? LADY MACBETH: Now. MACBETH: As I descended? LADY MACBETH; Ay. MACBETH: Hark, who lies i' the' second chamber? LADY MACBETH: Donaldbain? MACBETH: [Looking at his hands.] This is a sorry sight. LADY MACBETH: A foolish thought, to say a sorry sight. MACBETH: There's one did laugh in's sleep, and one cried 'Murder!' That they did wake each other; I stood, and heard them, But they did say their prayers and address'd them Again to sleep. LADY MACBETH: There are two lodged together. MACBETH: One cried 'God bless us!' and 'Amen' the other, As they had seen me with these hangman's hands List'ning their fear, I could not say 'Amen' When they did say 'God bless us.' LADY MACBETH: Consider it not so deeply. MACBETH: But wherefore could not I pronounce 'Amen'? I had most need of blessing and 'Amen' Stuck in my throat. LADY MACBETH: These deeds must not be thought After these ways; so, it will make us mad.
After duncan's murder
Scene II is about the murder of Duncan. Lady Macbeth is alone on stage, waiting for her husband to commit the crime. When Macbeth comes back, he is deeply shocked at his own deed and has forgotten to place the daggers close to the sleeping guards to make suspicion fall upon them.This may ruin the couple's plot, but Macbeth refuses to return to the murder scene. Lady Macbeth puts the daggers in place herself and smears the sleeping guards with the king's blood. The scene illustrates the relationship between husband and wife. She appears to be much stronger than him. This scene also marks the beginning of Macbeth's remorse. He is deeply disturbed at having killed an old man in his sleep for the sake of his own ambition. He hears voices saying that he has murdered sleep, meaning that his conscience will never allow him to sleep again; and he believes that he will never be able to wash the blood off his hands, meaning that he will never be able to cancel his terrible guilt. The whole scene is dominated by recurrent images of blood, which reinforce the horror: blood will dominate Macbeth's life from now on, as the sudden knocking seems to announce.
Regicide
- In medieval times, kings were seen as chosen by God, linking their goodness to the nation's well-being.- The downfall of a righteous king causes chaos in politics, society, and nature, as illustrated in Macbeth. - After King Duncan's murder, violent storms and animal madness symbolize the horror of the act. - These natural disasters mirror the social turmoil, including the murders that occur.
- Shakespeare uses this theme to show how unchecked ambition leads to madness and tyranny in Macbeth.
Ambition
- Ambition is a key theme in Shakespeare's Macbeth, highlighting how desire for power can ruin lives. - Macbeth starts as a noble character but becomes a murderer driven by guilt after his ambitions spiral out of control. - Lady Macbeth plays a significant role in pushing Macbeth towards his dark actions, showcasing her own relentless ambition. - Her inability to handle guilt leads to her madness, while Macbeth's continuous violence further deepens their downfall.
- Both characters lose their honor and morals due to their unchecked ambitions, ultimately resulting in their tragic ends.
Blood
- Macbeth is known for its extreme violence, featuring many killings.- The story kicks off with Macbeth in battle, and the violence escalates from there. - The plot is a cycle of brutality that leads to more bloodshed. - Blood represents Macbeth's path to kingship and the power he craves.
- It also symbolizes guilt, as both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are tormented by their actions, with Lady Macbeth stating that the blood on their hands can never be washed away.
Fate and Witchcraft
- This theme ties back to the first major one, showing how prophecies drive Macbeth's ambitions.- The prophecies relate to witchcraft, as only witches can make such predictions. - The witches' words push Macbeth to commit murder, including killing the king, Banquo, and Banquo's son. - Macbeth's madness blinds him to the truth in the witches' last prophecies, ultimately causing his downfall.
- This theme is crucial as it brings in the supernatural aspects that are key to the play.