Download Macbeth

Plot Overview
 Shakespeare’s shortest and bloodiest tragedy
 Tells the story of a brave Scottish general (Macbeth) who
receives a prophecy from three witches that one day he will
become King of Scotland.
 Consumed with ambitious thoughts and encouraged by his
wife, Macbeth murders King Duncan and seizes the throne
for himself.
 He begins his reign with a guilty conscience and becomes a
tyrannical ruler
 Spiral of arrogance, madness, and death (Macbeth & Lady
Macbeth)
Macbeth Introduction
 Written by William Shakespeare in 1605
 Shakespeare wrote Macbeth at the beginning of King
James I reign
 Before James succeeded Elizabeth I, he was king of Scotland
 Placing the play in James’ homeland probably pleased him
 Of all the plays Shakespeare wrote under James’s reign,
Macbeth most clearly reflects the playwright’s close
relationship with the king.
 James I was interested in witchcraft and wrote a book,
Demonology, on the subject – which possibly explains the
witchcraft in Macbeth
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The Real Macbeth
 Macbeth was a real king of Scotland (from 1040-1057)
 He did kill King Duncan (1040) and seized the throne
 Unlike the Macbeth in Shakespeare’s play
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The real Macbeth had a legitimate claim to the throne
The real Macbeth was a strong leader
The real Macbeth’s reign was successful
The real Macbeth was killed at Lumphanan as opposed to
Dunsinane
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Other Influences
 Shakespeare combined the real Macbeth’s history with
a story of an old warrior chieftain King Duff
 King Duff was murdered by a man called Donwald
and his wife when he was staying in their castle as a
guest
 Shakespeare combined these two stories as influence
for Macbeth
Connections to British Society
 “Remember, remember the fifth of November
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason why gunpowder, treason
Should ever be forgot...”
 In November 1605 the Gunpowder Plot was discovered
 Guy Fawkes and his followers (Roman Catholics) planned to
blow up Parliament
 They wanted to bring down the British government and put a
Catholic rulers on the throne
 The plot was discovered and the men involved were tried and
killed as traitors
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Connections to British
Society
 Shakespeare sided with the king and seemed to think
that a play about treason and death would find an
audience at this time
So this is a comedy… right?
 Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s most famous tragedies (it
is also his shortest)
 Aside from the violent nature of the plot Shakespeare uses
several literary devices to enhance the feeling of evil
 He creates a serious and sinister mood by having most of the
play take place at night
 There is a heavy emphasis on the supernatural (witches,
dreams, spells, and ghosts)
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 Setting (Time): The Middle Ages, specifically
the eleventh century
 Setting (Place): Scotland; also England,
briefly
 Protagonist: Macbeth
 Major conflicts:
 Macbeth’s internal struggle between his
ambition and his sense of right and wrong
 The struggle between the murderous evil
represented by Macbeth and Lady Macbeth
and the best interests of the nation,
represented by Malcolm and Macduff
Major Themes
1. The corrupting nature of unchecked
ambition
2. The relationship between cruelty and
masculinity
3. The difference between kingship and
tyranny
Macbeth
 Tragic hero
 Scottish general and the thane of Glamis – meets three
witches whose prophecy drive him to evil – especially after
their prophecy that he will be made thane of Cawdor comes
true.
 He cannot resist his dark desires, but his struggle to regain
his goodness is constant
 The part of his character that is capable of love and
compassion, although ever fading, is always present. He is
easily tempted and persuaded.
 Not really a villain – despite committing many brutal
murders – he does not relish his immoral acts as a true
villain does
Lady Macbeth
 Shakespeare's most evil female character
 Unlike females who are passive or secondary to
husbands – she is a dominant force in play
 Ambitious and lusts for power (more than husband?)
 Urges her husband to kill – partners in
crime/alienated from world
 Becomes crazy with guilt
Duncan, the King of
Scotland
 Macbeth's first victim in obtaining the crown for himself.
 Shakespeare was a firm believer in the divine right of
kings. Throwing over a valiant or beloved monarch was
bad
 Shakespeare had to make notable changes to the
historical Duncan. The real King Duncan was an awful
guy.
 If Shakespeare's Macbeth planned to kill this Duncan he
would be justified, and there would be no play.
 So Duncan morphs into a delightful and loved king who
epitomizes the perfect ruler. Now, his death is unjustified.
Banquo
 The antithesis of Macbeth
 He is pure and moral - character foil.
 Brave and noble general. His children according to
the witches’ prophecy, will inherit the Scottish
throne
 Banquo has no 'vaulting ambition' and thus can
easily escape the trap of the witches' prophesies –
unlike Macbeth.
Donalbain & Malcom
 King Duncan’s sons
 Malcom – oldest son; rightful heir to throne after
Duncan
Macduff
 Macduff, the thane of Fife, arrives at Macbeth's castle
the morning after Duncan has been murdered.
 suspicious of Macbeth almost immediately.
 He sides with Malcolm, Duncan's son and rightful heir
to the throne.
 As punishment for his betrayal, Macbeth hatches a
plan to kill Macduff and his whole family.
Three Witches
 Their prophecy prompts Macbeth to commit murder
 They stir up a lot of the trouble
 Identity unclear
 Servants of Hecate - goddess of witchcraft, who helps
the three witches work their mischief on Macbeth.