The Tragedy of Macbeth
CONTEXT
• 11 century Scotland/England
o Scotland = troubled by attacks, rebellions, feuds, political violence
• Macbeth = Protagonist
• Witches = Catalyst = plays events + downfall (of Macbeth)
• Wrote Macbeth as a tribute to King James I
• highlights the abuses of power and instability that comes with power
• Major Conflicts:
o Macbeth struggles with his conscience (before or after murder?)
o Evil (Macbeth and Lady Macbeth)
o Good (Malcolm and Macduff )
THEMES
• Appearance vs Reality (equivocation)
o clothing motif
• Guilt
o blood motif
• Choice vs Chance
o Was Macbeth responsible for his own downfall or was he just a victim of
manipulation by supernatural powers?
• Good vs Evil
o Darkness/ light motif
• Fate vs Free will
o The Witches’ prophecies can be regarded as fate, and then it follows that Macbeth
has no choice at all in his actions. It is fate that makes him behave the way he does.
o It can be argued that Macbeth causes the prophecies to come true by making certain
choices, such as killing the King and the others.
,ACT 1:
SCENE 1:
Choice vs chance = witches + premonitions
" fair is foul, and foul is fair" = Equivocation
• two sides of the same coin
o what may be considered good to one may be bad to another
• beauty (is in the eye of the beholder)
• reflects a disregard for fairness or goodness and a preference for what is foul or evil
" when the battle is lost and won"
• paradox and equivocation
Setting of scene = during a storm =trouble is coming
Witches = catalysts for the action that happens = aim = destabilise ruling order
• enjoy the prospect of chaos = “hurly-burly”
SCENE 2:
King Duncan = king of Scotland
• Weak character?
Army Captain = injured
Macdonald = Scottish = traitor
• was fighting but swopped sides = traitor
• disliked
Scotland = fighting Norway
Macbeth
• opposite to Macdonald = " for brave Macbeth"
• merciless soldier but brave
o driven by the glory of the battlefield
• patriotic and admired
• ambitious = but his ambition serves the king
• becomes Thane of Cawdor = doesn't know = Ross leaves to tell him
o Macdonald = previously Thane of Cawdor
o Paradox = " what he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won”
SCENE 3:
Witches = Ominous
Catalyst for events = destabilise ruling order
" so foul and fair a day..." = Macbeth is having a good and bad day = Paradox / equivocation
Banquo and Macbeth = repulsed by the witches = don’t look lie normal women
Banquo
• description of witches = "what are these" = refers to them as objects
o withered
o wild in their attire
o " not inhabitants of the earth"
, o witches appear to be foul
Line 46 - 48 = witches make a prophecy
• " ... thane of Glamis" = current title
• " ...thane of Cawdor" = doesn't know that he is the thane of Cawdor
• " ...King thereafter" = predicts that he will be king
Line 49 = "...why do you start, and seem to fear"
• Macbeth seems nervous/shocked
• Banquo = believes it may be an illusion
o wants to know his own future = test if they are real
o logical character = test them = asks if they are real
o witches gave him a glimpse of his future
§ "lesser and greater" = equivocation
§ "not so happy, yet much happier" = not happy but happier than Macbeth
o "thou shalt get kings, though be none"
§ Banquo himself won't be king but his descendants will
Macbeth wants to know how the witches know this information
• he wants to know more
• believes them a little = asks for evidence = wants it to be true
Witches disappear > Banquo asks if the hallucinated
• more logical = questions the events
Ross and Agnus =sent by the King = deliver message to Macbeth
Message = Macbeth is now thane of Cawdor
• Tells Macbeth that he is in the kings praise
• "why do you dress me in borrowed robes" = appearance vs reality
o Metaphor = compare new title to wearing someone else's robes
§ Was Macdonald’s old title = before he committed treason
Macbeth now believes that the witches prophecy is true - ambition can be seen
• says he wants to talk with Banquo
• " the instruments of darkness tell us truths, win us honest trifles, to betrays, in deepest
consequence"
o Banquo does not believe them
o Says that they add in bits of truth to make him believe
o Foreshadowing = only realises in the end before he dies
Macbeths soliloquy
• Questions if the predictions were true or not
• Thinks that it is true because he is now Thane of Cawdor = prediction
• Thinks about killing Duncan = " whose murder is yet fantastical"
• Is Macbeth going to act on his thoughts
• Was Macbeth a good man, or was he corrupted by ambition and the witches , or was it
always inside of him.
" new honours come upon him like our strange garment"
• recurring metaphor w/ clothing choice
Banquo = lack ruthless ambition = like Macbeth
• doesn’t take action = make prophecies come true = destiny = natural
• Macbeth = prophecies = truth = allow them = influence all his decisions
o Face terrible consequences for following the prophecies
o Destiny = unfolds = predicted = becomes king, less happy than Banquo
CONTEXT
• 11 century Scotland/England
o Scotland = troubled by attacks, rebellions, feuds, political violence
• Macbeth = Protagonist
• Witches = Catalyst = plays events + downfall (of Macbeth)
• Wrote Macbeth as a tribute to King James I
• highlights the abuses of power and instability that comes with power
• Major Conflicts:
o Macbeth struggles with his conscience (before or after murder?)
o Evil (Macbeth and Lady Macbeth)
o Good (Malcolm and Macduff )
THEMES
• Appearance vs Reality (equivocation)
o clothing motif
• Guilt
o blood motif
• Choice vs Chance
o Was Macbeth responsible for his own downfall or was he just a victim of
manipulation by supernatural powers?
• Good vs Evil
o Darkness/ light motif
• Fate vs Free will
o The Witches’ prophecies can be regarded as fate, and then it follows that Macbeth
has no choice at all in his actions. It is fate that makes him behave the way he does.
o It can be argued that Macbeth causes the prophecies to come true by making certain
choices, such as killing the King and the others.
,ACT 1:
SCENE 1:
Choice vs chance = witches + premonitions
" fair is foul, and foul is fair" = Equivocation
• two sides of the same coin
o what may be considered good to one may be bad to another
• beauty (is in the eye of the beholder)
• reflects a disregard for fairness or goodness and a preference for what is foul or evil
" when the battle is lost and won"
• paradox and equivocation
Setting of scene = during a storm =trouble is coming
Witches = catalysts for the action that happens = aim = destabilise ruling order
• enjoy the prospect of chaos = “hurly-burly”
SCENE 2:
King Duncan = king of Scotland
• Weak character?
Army Captain = injured
Macdonald = Scottish = traitor
• was fighting but swopped sides = traitor
• disliked
Scotland = fighting Norway
Macbeth
• opposite to Macdonald = " for brave Macbeth"
• merciless soldier but brave
o driven by the glory of the battlefield
• patriotic and admired
• ambitious = but his ambition serves the king
• becomes Thane of Cawdor = doesn't know = Ross leaves to tell him
o Macdonald = previously Thane of Cawdor
o Paradox = " what he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won”
SCENE 3:
Witches = Ominous
Catalyst for events = destabilise ruling order
" so foul and fair a day..." = Macbeth is having a good and bad day = Paradox / equivocation
Banquo and Macbeth = repulsed by the witches = don’t look lie normal women
Banquo
• description of witches = "what are these" = refers to them as objects
o withered
o wild in their attire
o " not inhabitants of the earth"
, o witches appear to be foul
Line 46 - 48 = witches make a prophecy
• " ... thane of Glamis" = current title
• " ...thane of Cawdor" = doesn't know that he is the thane of Cawdor
• " ...King thereafter" = predicts that he will be king
Line 49 = "...why do you start, and seem to fear"
• Macbeth seems nervous/shocked
• Banquo = believes it may be an illusion
o wants to know his own future = test if they are real
o logical character = test them = asks if they are real
o witches gave him a glimpse of his future
§ "lesser and greater" = equivocation
§ "not so happy, yet much happier" = not happy but happier than Macbeth
o "thou shalt get kings, though be none"
§ Banquo himself won't be king but his descendants will
Macbeth wants to know how the witches know this information
• he wants to know more
• believes them a little = asks for evidence = wants it to be true
Witches disappear > Banquo asks if the hallucinated
• more logical = questions the events
Ross and Agnus =sent by the King = deliver message to Macbeth
Message = Macbeth is now thane of Cawdor
• Tells Macbeth that he is in the kings praise
• "why do you dress me in borrowed robes" = appearance vs reality
o Metaphor = compare new title to wearing someone else's robes
§ Was Macdonald’s old title = before he committed treason
Macbeth now believes that the witches prophecy is true - ambition can be seen
• says he wants to talk with Banquo
• " the instruments of darkness tell us truths, win us honest trifles, to betrays, in deepest
consequence"
o Banquo does not believe them
o Says that they add in bits of truth to make him believe
o Foreshadowing = only realises in the end before he dies
Macbeths soliloquy
• Questions if the predictions were true or not
• Thinks that it is true because he is now Thane of Cawdor = prediction
• Thinks about killing Duncan = " whose murder is yet fantastical"
• Is Macbeth going to act on his thoughts
• Was Macbeth a good man, or was he corrupted by ambition and the witches , or was it
always inside of him.
" new honours come upon him like our strange garment"
• recurring metaphor w/ clothing choice
Banquo = lack ruthless ambition = like Macbeth
• doesn’t take action = make prophecies come true = destiny = natural
• Macbeth = prophecies = truth = allow them = influence all his decisions
o Face terrible consequences for following the prophecies
o Destiny = unfolds = predicted = becomes king, less happy than Banquo
