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MACBETH AS MAJOR CHARACTER Macbeth: Beginning: Ambitious Imaginative Has a conscience Hesitates to act Middle: Physically brave Fears those who are loyal and honest Feels threatened if his masculinity is questioned Self-centred End: Loses all feelings for others Realises he no longer enjoys life BEGINNING: looking closely at Act 1, prior to Duncan’s murder A GOOD MAN BUT ONE WITH THE FATAL FLAW OF AMBITION CHARACTERISTIC Noble soldier Determined Tireless Kinsman of Duncan, loved and respected Loyal to Duncan Loves/confides in his wife Pleased/flattered/intrigued by prophecies Afraid of the witches Superstitious Duality in his nature Aware of how treason is punished Frightened that he might have to murder D to become king Prepared to let fate take its course… …but is tempted by the crown Lady M sees a weakness in him: too decent and squeamish to murder Duncan Lady M says he is not without ambition Knows he has to seize advantages Prepared to endanger his soul for eternity Ambition is his only motivation to kill Ready to back out of murder Reacts to Lady M’s taunts of cowardice Afraid of failure Is generally liked PROOF “Brave Macbeth – well he deserves that name”: fought and defeated the traitor Macdonald “like Valour’s minion carved out his passage” fought on undaunted against the Norwegians rewarded : “and with his (Cawdor’s) former title greet Macbeth” “worthy Macbeth” to soldiers “O valiant cousin, worthy gentleman” “The service and loyalty I owe, in doing it, pays itself.” “My dearest partner of greatness” “The greatest is behind” (Cawdor’s title) “Why do you start and seem to fear things that are so fair?” (B) “So foul and fair a day I have not seen” Knows what was done to Cawdor “Why do I yield to that suggestion whose horrid image doth unfix my hair and make my heart knock at my ribs against the use of nature?” “Chance may crown me without my stir” “Stars, hide your fires, let not light see my black and deep desires” “Yet do I fear thy nature; it is too full of the milk of human kindness…wouldst not play false” “Thou wouldst be great… but without the illness that should attend it” “If it were done when ‘tis done, then ‘twere well it were done quickly.” “the deep damnation of his taking off”’ “we’d jump the life to come” “I have no spur… but only vaulting ambition…” “we will proceed no further in this business; he hath honoured me of late.” Uses euphemisms for murder “I dare do all that may become a man” “If we should fail?” Noble/valiant/worthy/trusted/respected… MIDDLE: Acts 2-4” A GOOD MAN GONE SOUR CHARACTERISTIC Lies to B about the witches Guilty conscience before the murder Nervousness Aware of mortal sin; conscience-stricken Can’t sleep: guilty conscience Frightened Aware of the meaningless of life from now on Is afraid that B knows he murdered D Can’t trust D’s sons either Feels insecure; broods Jealous of B’s descendants Not soothed by Lady M Doesn’t take her into his confidence re B’s murder Horrified that Fleance escaped Hallucinates: sees B’s ghost twice at dinner Curious; can’t resist asking the witches for more prophecies Angered by Macduff’s escape Is seen as treacherous by Malcolm and Macduff M’s actions have caused rebels, such as Ross, to leave Scotland PROOF “I think not of them” “Is this a dagger I see before me?” Sees evil images” witchcrfat, murder, wolf, Tarquin (rapist) “I have done the deed. Didst thou not hear a noise?” “I could not say Amen…”; “I am afraid to think of what I have done” ;“Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?”; has had to murder the guards too “Macbeth doth murder sleep…Macbeth shall sleep no more…” “every noise appals me” “Had I but died an hour before this chance, I had lived a blessed time, for from this instant there’s nothing serious in mortality” “I fear thou played’st most foully for it” “not confessing their cruel parricide”’ “to be thus is nothing, but to be safely thus”’ “we have scorched the snake, not killed it” “no son of mine succeeding” “Things without remedy should be without regard “Be innocent of the knowledge till thou applaud the deed” “The comes my fit again; I had else been perfect” “Never shake thy gory locks at me” let the earth hide thee!” …regardless of the consequences; greedy to know more Has Macduff’s entire family killed “this tyrant whose name blisters our tongues”’ “not in the legions of horrid hell can come a devil more damned in evils to top Macbeth” It cannot be called our mother but our grave…” END: Act 5: A FIGHTER TO THE END BUT ONE WHO HAS PAID THE PRICE CHARACTERISTIC PROOF ‘Till Birnam Wood remove to Dunsinane I cannot taint with fear” Is openly scornful, rude, boasting, enraged “The devil damn thee, thou cream-faced loon. Where got’st thou that goose-look?” Aware of a bleak future “I have lived long enough” Violent “Hang those that talk of fear” Defiant “Our castle’s strength will laugh a siege to scorn” Has almost lost any sense of fear “I have almost forgot the taste of fears” Broods on life’s futility, when hears of Lady “Out, out, brief candle, life’s but a M’s death walking shadow…” Can foresee his death “I ‘gin to be weary of the sun” Determined to die fighting “At least we’ll die with harness on our back” Is trapped “I cannot fly, but bear-like must stay the course…” Unrepentant Does not confess/atone for what he’s done, but sees it through Arrogant in facing Macduff “I bear a charmed life which must not yield to one of woman born” Dies fighting “I’ll fight till from my bones my flesh be hacked.” Remembered as a cruel tyrant “this butcher and his fiend-like queen” M is cocky, feeling safe/invincible