Summary Macbeth revision notes on characters

​CHARACTERS​
​Macbeth:​
​Plot:​
​-​ ​ oble​​warrior​​and​​loyal​​thane​​to​​King​​Duncan.​
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​-​ ​Receives​​Witches’​​prophecies​​of​​becoming​​Thane​​of​​Cawdor​​and​​king.​
​-​ ​Driven​​by​​ambition​​and​​Lady​​Macbeth’s​​influence​​to​​murder​​Duncan.​
​-​ ​Becomes​​king​​but​​rules​​as​​a​​paranoid​​tyrant,​​killing​​Banquo​​and​​Macduff’s​​family.​
​-​ ​Tormented​​by​​guilt,​​experiencing​​hallucinations​​like​​the​​bloody​​dagger​​and​​Banquo’s​
​ghost.​
​-​ ​Seeks​​the​​Witches’​​guidance​​again,​​misled​​by​​their​​ambiguous​​promises.​
​-​ ​Ultimately​​killed​​by​​Macduff,​​fulfilling​​the​​prophecies​​in​​an​​unexpected​​way.​
​Portrayal:​
​-​ ​Valiant​​–​​initially​​admired​​as​​“brave​​Macbeth”​​and​​a​​heroic​​figure.​
​-​ ​Corrupt​​–​​loses​​his​​nobility​​as​​he​​approaches​​the​​throne.​
​-​ ​Ambitious​​–​​his​​desire​​for​​power​​drives​​his​​tragic​​flaw.​
​-​ ​Tormented​​–​​suffers​​mental​​distress​​and​​near​​insanity.​
​-​ ​Deceptive​​–​​becomes​​a​​symbol​​of​​facade,​​unable​​to​​distinguish​​reality​​from​​imagination.​
​-​ ​Brutal​​/​​Merciless​​–​​ultimately​​called​​a​​“dead​​butcher”​​and​​a​​“hell-hound.”​

​Symbol:​
​-​ ​Unchecked​​ambition​​and​​its​​corrupting​​power.​
​-​ ​The​​tragedy​​of​​a​​noble​​man​​driven​​to​​tyranny.​
​-​ ​Guilt​​and​​psychological​​torment.​
​-​ ​The​​consequences​​of​​defying​​the​​Divine​​Order.​
​Themes:​
​-​ ​Ambition​
​-​ ​Guilt,​​Innocence,​​and​​Paranoia​
​-​ ​Appearance​​vs​​Reality​
​-​ ​Kingship​​/​​Abuse​​of​​Power​
​-​ ​Fate​​/​​Supernatural​
​-​ ​Gender​
​-​ ​Fear​
​Development:​
​-​ ​Act​​1:​
​-​ ​OG​​=​ ​loyal​​hero​​praised​​for​​his​​"brave"​​and​​"worthy"​​nature​
​-​ ​admits​​his​​"black​​and​​deep​​desires"​​to​​kill​​Duncan,​​persuaded​​by​​Lady​​Macbeth.​
​-​ ​Act​​2:​
​-​ ​Experiences​​intense​​guilt​​immediately​​after​​the​​murder​
​-​ ​unable​​to​​say​​"Amen"​
​-​ ​hallucinating​​the​​bloody​​dagger.​

, ​-​ ​Act​​3:​
​-​ ​Driven​​by​​paranoia​​over​​Banquo's​​prophecy​
​-​ ​arranges​​Banquo’s​​murder​​and​​sees​​his​​ghost​​at​​the​​feast.​
​-​ ​resolves​​that​​"returning​​were​​as​​tedious​​as​​go​​o’er".​
​-​ ​Act​​4/5:​
​-​ ​Increasing​​violence​​is​​driven​​by​​the​​Witches'​​ambiguous​​prophecies​
​-​ ​leading​​him​​to​​murder​​Macduff’s​​family.​
​-​ ​faces​​his​​downfall,​​understanding​​the​​equivocation​​of​​the​​fiends.​
​Shakespeare​​uses​​M:​
​-​ ​To​​explore​​how​​"power​​corrupts​​the​​minds​​of​​men".​
​-​ ​To​​demonstrate​​the​​devastating​​psychological​​consequences​​of​​ambition​​pursued​
​without​​morality.​
​-​ ​To​​condemn​​regicide​​and​​tyrannical​​leadership​​by​​portraying​​the​​king's​​destruction.​
​-​ ​To​​illustrate​​that​​true​​nature​​(guilt)​​can​​never​​be​​repressed​​regardless​​of​​outward​
​appearance.​
​Quotes:​
​-​ ​“Like​​Valour’s​​minion​​carv’d​​put​​his​​passage​​(1.2)​
​-​ ​"Stars,​​hide​​your​​fires!​​Let​​not​​light​​see​​my​​black​​and​​deep​​desires."​​(1.4)​
​-​ ​"I​​have​​no​​spur...​​but​​only​​vaulting​​ambition,​​which​​o’erleaps​​itself...​​and​​falls​​on​​th’​​other"​
​(1.7)​
​-​ ​"Is​​this​​a​​dagger​​which​​I​​see​​before​​me?"​​(2.1)​
​-​ ​Will​​all​​great​​Neptune’s​​ocean​​wash​​this​​blood​​clean?"​​(2.2)​
​-​ ​"O,​​full​​of​​scorpions​​is​​my​​mind,​​dear​​wife!"​​(3.2)​
​-​ ​"Hence,​​horrible​​shadow!​​Unreal​​mockery,​​hence!"​​(3.4)​
​-​ ​‘’Blood​​will​​have​​blood’’​​[3.4]​
​-​ ​"They​​have​​tied​​me​​to​​a​​stake;​​I​​cannot​​fly,​​/​​But​​bear-like​​I​​must​​fight​​the​​course."​​(5.7)​
​-​ ​"Out,​​out​​brief​​candle!​​Life’s​​but​​a​​walking​​shadow."​​(5.5)​
​-​ ​"False​​face​​must​​hide​​what​​the​​false​​heart​​doth​​know."​​(1.7)​
​-​ ​"But​​now​​I​​am​​cabined,​​cribbed,​​confined,​​bound​​in​​/​​To​​saucy​​doubts​​and​​fears."​​(3.4)​
​-​ ​"Upon​​my​​head​​they​​placed​​a​​fruitless​​crown​​/​​And​​put​​a​​barren​​sceptre​​in​​my​​gripe."​
​(3.1)​
​-​