MB
Summary
Act 1 — The Witches tell Macbeth that he will become Thane of Cawdor and King. MB sends a letter to Lady
Macbeth, letting her know of the of the prophecy, and she encourages and manipulates him to kill King Duncan.
Act 2 — MB murders D and is overwhelmed with guilt, but LMB brushes it off. They frame D’s guards and his
sons run away so MB is crowned.
Act 3 — MB becomes more paranoid and arranges Banquo’s murder. B’s son escapes. MB is haunted by B’s
ghost at a banquet.
Act 4 — W give MB three more prophecies. He orders the murder of Lady Macduff as Macduff is in England,
joining forces with Malcolm to overthrow MB.
Act 5 — LMB is overcome with guilt and dies. MD kills and beheads MB. M becomes King, restoring order in
Scotland
Context
- Sh and his men were new king’s, James I of England (VI of Scotland), royal company
↪ wrote Daemonologie (1597), a book about dark magic and
necromancy
↪ wrote that witches could create storms
- repetition of number 3 throughout
↪ pagan belief that spells repeated three times had more power
↪ associated with death and dire events
- belief in Divine Right of Kings
↪ power given by God
- Gunpowder Plot (1605) made James I more paranoid
- belief in the Great Chain of Being
↪ fixed hierarchy created by God
- patriarchal society
- James I claimed to be a descendant of Banquo
- fear of witches
- superstitious Jacobeans made predictions based on weather
↪ thunder — imminent death
↪ East wind — evil (alluded in Bible)
- Catholics were fined and punished
↪ Jesuit priests made doctrine of equivocation
- strong belief in prophecies
↪ monarchs used astrology
↪ believed devil could create false prophecies to mislead into evil
Writer’s Intentions
Shakespeare aims to:
- warn the devastating effects of tyranny on individuals and the nation
- warn the destructive power of unchecked ambition
- spotlight than anyone can be corrupted
- explore the tragic psychological consequences of guilt and violence
- challenge Jacobean gender roles
- suggest that evil reveals immorality, rather than forcing
- highlight the importance of rightful kingship
, - show that guilt and its consequences are inescapable
- suggest that evil hides behind false loyalty
- critique violent and toxic ideals of masculinity
Buzzwords
Ambition
- unchecked ambition
- moral corruption
- hamartia (fatal flaw)
- amoral (unconcerned with morality)
- morality
- Machiavellian (deceit for power and control)
- didactic (having moral instruction)
- hubris (self-pride)
- malevolent (wishing to do evil to others)
Power
- tyranny
- Machiavellian (deceit for power and control)
- usurper
- morality
- didactic (having moral instruction)
- hubris (self-pride)
Guilt, Fear, and Paranoia
- turmoil
- didactic (having moral instruction)
- pathos (evoke pity)
- mercurial (sudden changes of mood or mind)
Supernatural
- morality
- didactic (having moral instruction)
- duplicitous
Kingship and Leadership
- Machiavellian (deceit for power and control)
- usurper
- amoral (unconcerned with morality)
- morality
- didactic (having moral instruction)
- pathos (evoke pity)
- hubris (self-pride)
- chivalry / chivalrous
- regicide
- malevolent (wishing to do evil to others)
Appearance vs Reality
- euphemism
- equivocation
- didactic (having moral instruction)
- chivalry / chivalrous
Summary
Act 1 — The Witches tell Macbeth that he will become Thane of Cawdor and King. MB sends a letter to Lady
Macbeth, letting her know of the of the prophecy, and she encourages and manipulates him to kill King Duncan.
Act 2 — MB murders D and is overwhelmed with guilt, but LMB brushes it off. They frame D’s guards and his
sons run away so MB is crowned.
Act 3 — MB becomes more paranoid and arranges Banquo’s murder. B’s son escapes. MB is haunted by B’s
ghost at a banquet.
Act 4 — W give MB three more prophecies. He orders the murder of Lady Macduff as Macduff is in England,
joining forces with Malcolm to overthrow MB.
Act 5 — LMB is overcome with guilt and dies. MD kills and beheads MB. M becomes King, restoring order in
Scotland
Context
- Sh and his men were new king’s, James I of England (VI of Scotland), royal company
↪ wrote Daemonologie (1597), a book about dark magic and
necromancy
↪ wrote that witches could create storms
- repetition of number 3 throughout
↪ pagan belief that spells repeated three times had more power
↪ associated with death and dire events
- belief in Divine Right of Kings
↪ power given by God
- Gunpowder Plot (1605) made James I more paranoid
- belief in the Great Chain of Being
↪ fixed hierarchy created by God
- patriarchal society
- James I claimed to be a descendant of Banquo
- fear of witches
- superstitious Jacobeans made predictions based on weather
↪ thunder — imminent death
↪ East wind — evil (alluded in Bible)
- Catholics were fined and punished
↪ Jesuit priests made doctrine of equivocation
- strong belief in prophecies
↪ monarchs used astrology
↪ believed devil could create false prophecies to mislead into evil
Writer’s Intentions
Shakespeare aims to:
- warn the devastating effects of tyranny on individuals and the nation
- warn the destructive power of unchecked ambition
- spotlight than anyone can be corrupted
- explore the tragic psychological consequences of guilt and violence
- challenge Jacobean gender roles
- suggest that evil reveals immorality, rather than forcing
- highlight the importance of rightful kingship
, - show that guilt and its consequences are inescapable
- suggest that evil hides behind false loyalty
- critique violent and toxic ideals of masculinity
Buzzwords
Ambition
- unchecked ambition
- moral corruption
- hamartia (fatal flaw)
- amoral (unconcerned with morality)
- morality
- Machiavellian (deceit for power and control)
- didactic (having moral instruction)
- hubris (self-pride)
- malevolent (wishing to do evil to others)
Power
- tyranny
- Machiavellian (deceit for power and control)
- usurper
- morality
- didactic (having moral instruction)
- hubris (self-pride)
Guilt, Fear, and Paranoia
- turmoil
- didactic (having moral instruction)
- pathos (evoke pity)
- mercurial (sudden changes of mood or mind)
Supernatural
- morality
- didactic (having moral instruction)
- duplicitous
Kingship and Leadership
- Machiavellian (deceit for power and control)
- usurper
- amoral (unconcerned with morality)
- morality
- didactic (having moral instruction)
- pathos (evoke pity)
- hubris (self-pride)
- chivalry / chivalrous
- regicide
- malevolent (wishing to do evil to others)
Appearance vs Reality
- euphemism
- equivocation
- didactic (having moral instruction)
- chivalry / chivalrous
