SparkNotes: Macbeth: Character List Character List Plot Overview Analysis of Major Characters Macbeth - Macbeth is a Scottish general and the thane of Glamis who is led to wicked thoughts by the prophecies of the three witches, especially after their prophecy that he will be made thane of Cawdor comes true. Macbeth is a brave soldier and a powerful man, but he is not a virtuous one. He is easily tempted into murder to fulfill his ambitions to the throne, and once he commits his first crime and is crowned King of Scotland, he embarks on further atrocities with increasing ease. Ultimately, Macbeth proves himself better suited to the battlefield than to political intrigue, because he lacks the skills necessary to rule without being a tyrant. His response to every problem is violence and murder. Unlike Shakespeare’s great villains, such as Iago in Othello and Richard III in Richard III, Macbeth is never comfortable in his role as a criminal. He is unable to bear the psychological consequences of his atrocities. Read an in-depth analysis of Macbeth. Lady Macbeth - Macbeth’s wife, a deeply ambitious woman who lusts for power and position.

Early in the play she seems to be the stronger and more ruthless of the two, as she urges her husband to kill Duncan and seize the crown. After the bloodshed begins, however, Lady Macbeth falls victim to guilt and madness to an even greater degree than her husband. Her conscience affects her to such an extent that she eventually commits suicide. Interestingly, she and Macbeth are presented as being deeply in love, and many of Lady Macbeth’s speeches imply that her influence over her husband is primarily sexual. Their joint alienation from the world, occasioned by their partnership in crime, seems to strengthen the attachment that they feel to each another. Read an in-depth analysis of Lady Macbeth. The Three Witches - Three “black and midnight hags” who plot mischief against Macbeth using charms, spells, and prophecies. Their predictions prompt him to murder Duncan, to order the deaths of Banquo and his son, and to blindly believe in his own immortality. The play leaves the witches’ true identity unclear—aside from the fact that they are servants of Hecate, we know little about their place in the cosmos. In some ways they resemble the mythological Fates, who impersonally weave the threads of human destiny.

They clearly take a perverse delight in using their knowledge of the future to toy with and destroy human beings. Read an in-depth analysis of The Three Witches. Banquo - The brave, noble general whose children, according to the witches’ prophecy, will inherit the Scottish throne. Like Macbeth, Banquo thinks ambitious thoughts, but he does not translate those thoughts into action. In a sense, Banquo’s character stands as a rebuke to Macbeth, since he represents the path Macbeth chose not to take: a path in which ambition need not lead to betrayal and murder. Appropriately, then, it is Banquo’s ghost—and not Duncan’s—that haunts Macbeth. In addition to embodying Macbeth’s guilt for killing Banquo, the ghost also reminds Macbeth that he did not emulate Banquo’s reaction to the witches’ prophecy. King Duncan - The good King of Scotland whom Macbeth, in his ambition for the crown, murders. Duncan is the model of a virtuous, benevolent, and farsighted ruler. His death symbolizes the destruction of an order in Scotland that can be restored only when Duncan’s line, in the person of Malcolm, once more occupies the throne.

Macduff - A Scottish nobleman hostile to Macbeth’s kingship from the start. He eventually becomes a leader of the crusade to unseat Macbeth. The crusade’s mission is to place the rightful king, Malcolm, on the throne, but Macduff also desires vengeance for Macbeth’s murder of Macduff’s wife and young son. Malcolm - The son of Duncan, whose restoration to the throne signals Scotland’s return to order following Macbeth’s reign of terror. Malcolm becomes a serious challenge to Macbeth with Macduff’s aid (and the support of England). Prior to this, he appears weak and uncertain of his own power, as when he and Donalbain flee Scotland after their father’s murder. Hecate - The goddess of witchcraft, who helps the three witches work their mischief on Macbeth. Fleance - Banquo’s son, who survives Macbeth’s attempt to murder him. At the end of the play, Fleance’s whereabouts are unknown. Presumably, he may come to rule Scotland, fulfilling the witches’ prophecy that Banquo’s sons will sit on the Scottish throne. Lennox - A Scottish nobleman. Ross - A Scottish nobleman.

The Murderers - A group of ruffians conscripted by Macbeth to murder Banquo, Fleance (whom they fail to kill), and Macduff’s wife and children. Porter - The drunken doorman of Macbeth’s castle. Lady Macduff - Macduff’s wife. The scene in her castle provides our only glimpse of a domestic realm other than that of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. She and her home serve as contrasts to Lady Macbeth and the hellish world of Inverness. Donalbain - Duncan’s son and Malcolm’s younger brother. Macbeth | Folger Shakespeare Library FOLGER SHAKESPEARE LIBRARY 201 East Capitol Street, SE Washington, DC 20003 Open to the public every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas. January 24 – March 5, 2017 Stage Director Talk: As You Like It January 26, 2017 at 6:30 PM The Folger's online catalog is your first stop for finding items in our rich rare and modern materials collections. The Folger is looking for exceptionally qualified individuals who are committed to the mission, vision, and values of our organization.

You are here Listen to the play Macbeth, set primarily in Scotland, mixes witchcraft, prophecy, and murder. Three "Weïrd Sisters" appear to Macbeth and his comrade Banquo after a battle and prophesy that Macbeth will be king and that the descendants of Banquo will also reign. When Macbeth arrives at his castle, he and Lady Macbeth plot to assassinate King Duncan, soon to be their guest, so that Macbeth can become king. After Macbeth murders Duncan, the king's two sons flee, and Macbeth is crowned. Fearing that Banquo's descendants will, according to the Weïrd Sisters’predictions, take over the kingdom, Macbeth has Banquo killed. At a royal banquet that evening, Macbeth sees Banquo's ghost appear covered in blood. Macbeth determines to consult the Weïrd Sisters again. They comfort him with ambiguous promises. Another nobleman, Macduff, rides to England to join Duncan's older son, Malcolm. Macbeth has Macduff's wife and children murdered. Malcolm and Macduff lead an army against Macbeth, as Lady Macbeth goes mad and commits suicide.

Macbeth confronts Malcolm’s army, trusting in the Weïrd Sisters’ comforting promises. He learns that the promises are tricks, but continues to fight. Macduff kills Macbeth and Malcolm becomes Scotland's king. Early printed texts Macbeth was published for the first time in the 1623 First Folio (F1) and that text is the basis for all modern editions of the play. No Fear Shakespeare: Macbeth: Characters No Fear Shakespeare Act 1, Scene 1 Macbeth A Scottish general and the thane of Glamis. (“Thane” is a Scottish title of nobility, and Glamis is a village in eastern Scotland.) Macbeth is led to wicked thoughts by the prophecies of three witches, especially after their prophecy that he will be made thane of Cawdor comes true. Macbeth is a brave soldier and a powerful man, but he is not virtuous. He is easily tempted into murder to fulfill his ambitions to the throne, and once he commits his first crime and is crowned king of Scotland, he embarks on further atrocities with increasing ease. Macbeth cannot maintain his power because his increasingly brutal actions make him hated as a tyrant.

Unlike Shakespeare’s other great villains, such as Iago in Othello and Richard III in Richard III, who revel in their villainy, Macbeth is never comfortable in his role as a criminal. He shows at the beginning of the play that he knows right from wrong, and chooses to do wrong without being able to justify it to himself. Ultimately, he is unable to bear the psychic consequences of his atrocities. Lady Macbeth Macbeth’s wife, a deeply ambitious woman who lusts for power and position. Early in the play she seems to be the stronger and more ruthless of the two, as she urges her husband to kill Duncan and seize the crown. After the bloodshed begins, however, Lady Macbeth falls victim to guilt and madness to an even greater degree than her husband. Her conscience affects her to such an extent that she eventually commits suicide. At the beginning of the play, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth apparently feel quite passionately for one another, and Lady Macbeth exploits her sexual hold over Macbeth as a means to persuade him to commit murder. However, their shared alienation from the world, occasioned by their partnership in crime, does not bring them closer together, but instead seems to numb their feelings for one another.

The Three Witches Three mysterious hags who plot mischief against Macbeth using charms, spells, and prophecies. Their predictions prompt him to murder Duncan, to order the deaths of Banquo and his son, and to blindly believe in his own immortality. The play leaves the witches' true nature unclear we don’t really know whether they make their own prophecies come true, or where they get their knowledge from. In some ways they resemble the mythological Fates, who impersonally wove the threads of human destiny. They clearly take a perverse delight in using their knowledge of the future to toy with and destroy human beings. Banquo The brave, noble general whose children, according to the witches' prophecy, will inherit the Scottish throne. Like Macbeth, Banquo thinks ambitious thoughts, but he does not translate those thoughts into action. In a sense, Banquo’s character stands as a rebuke to Macbeth, since he represents the path Macbeth chose not to take: a path in which ambition need not lead to betrayal and murder. Appropriately, then, it is Banquo’s ghost and not Duncan’s that haunts Macbeth.

In addition to embodying Macbeth’s guilt for killing Banquo, the ghost also reminds Macbeth that he did not emulate Banquo’s reaction to the witches' prophecy. King Duncan The good king of Scotland whom Macbeth, ambitious for the crown, murders. Duncan is the model of a virtuous, benevolent ruler. His death symbolizes the destruction of an order in Scotland that can be restored only when Duncan’s line, in the person of Malcolm, once more occupies the throne. Macduff A Scottish nobleman hostile to Macbeth’s kingship from the start. He eventually becomes a leader of the crusade to unseat Macbeth. The crusade’s mission is to place the rightful king, Malcolm, on the throne, but Macduff also desires vengeance for Macbeth’s murder of Macduff’s wife and young son. Malcolm The son of Duncan, whose restoration to the throne signals Scotland’s return to order following Macbeth’s reign of terror. Malcolm becomes a serious challenge to Macbeth with Macduff’s aid (and the support of England). Prior to this, he appears weak and uncertain of his own power, as when he and Donalbain flee Scotland after their father’s murder.

Hecate The goddess of witchcraft, who helps the three witches work their mischief on Macbeth. Fleance Banquo’s son, who survives Macbeth’s attempt to murder him. At the end of the play, Fleance’s whereabouts are unknown. Presumably, he may come to rule Scotland, fulfilling the witches' prophecy that Banquo’s sons will sit on the Scottish throne. Lennox Enjoying "Macbeth" by William Shakespeare -- Chao Mugger If you're here, you already know the plot of Macbeth, or can find it from the links. Here are some things to notice. The three witches remind English teachers of the three Fates of Greek mythology and the three Norns of Norse mythology. "Weird" (as in "weird sisters") used to mean "destiny" or "fate". Perhaps in an older version they were. At the beginning, Duncan I is not leading either of his people's armies. He is not even present for Cawdor's execution. This is a good way for a king to get himself replaced quickly. A blood-drenched captain reports that Macbeth and Banquo have just defeated the rebellious Macdonwald (MacDonald, E-I-E-I-O).

Ross and Angus then enter and announce that "Bellona's bridegroom, lapped in proof" has defeated the Thane of Cawdor and the Norwegians at Fife. Holinshed credits Macbeth with both of these victories, but let's think. Macbeth cannot have fought two battles 500 miles apart at the same time, and in the next scene he knows nothing about the Thane of Cawdor's disloyalty. Macduff is thane of Fife. If "lapped in proof" is a mistake for "brave Macduff" or "Lord Macduff", then the whole scene makes more sense, and Shakespeare introduces the conflict between the two men early. (In Holinshed, Macbeth does fight both battles. Shakespeare is, as he often does, telescoping time. For the stage, perhaps "brave Macduff" does work better.) Duncan gives Cawdor's title and property to Macbeth. (If Macduff defeated the Thane of Cawdor, then Macduff should have gotten the title.

Is Duncan again showing incompetence?) Update 2010: The Folger "supernatural horror" production available on DVD uses "brave Macduff". Malcolm was not yet of age, and Duncan's declaring him heir was an impediment to Macbeth's claim on the throne via his mother. Holinshed points this out. As soon as Macbeth thinks of murdering Duncan, he says to Banquo, "Let's talk about this confidentially." This happens again before the dagger scene. However, Shakespeare's Banquo only becomes Macbeth's accomplice by his acquiescence afterwards. Nothing is what it seems. This begins with Macbeth's beautiful castle and gracious hostess. When Duncan talks about the nice air and the nice birds at Macbeth's castle, Banquo -- very much the butt-kisser -- immediately agrees in a way that will make the king think that Banquo thinks that the king is a good observer of nature. You'll have to decide for yourself whether Macbeth begins the play as a "nice guy." Unlike Hamlet, Othello, and King Lear, no one seems to genuinely admire or love him except as a warlord.

Lady Macbeth famously says he is full of the milk of human kindness, which she dislikes. In considering the murder, Macbeth seems most worried about the dangers and disadvantages to himself. You may enjoy listing these. ("Maybe destiny will make me king without murdering anyone." "It would be more fun to enjoy my current success and popularity for a while." "I'll go to hell." "Duncan is a good man and people won't like his killer." "I might get caught red-handed." "Somebody will assassinate me in turn.") Do you think he's also considering that what he's doing is wrong? Different people will reach different conclusions. Notice that on the morning of the day Banquo gets murdered, Macbeth asks him three times where he is going and whether his son will be with him. Banquo should have been more suspicious. After the banquet, every one of the other warlords in Scotland knows that Macbeth killed Banquo for no good reason, and that he is mentally imbalanced, and that they are themselves in danger. My friend Ian Brown offered an idea that seems ingenious. Much of what goes on in this short play is what is NOT said.

In the scene after the banquet, the Macbeths have become distant from one another. They say little of consequence, as in a marriage that both parties know has failed. Brown suggests that Lady Macbeth writes a letter warning her friend, Lady Macduff, about her husband. This explains the appearance of the messenger to warn Lady Macduff just before she is killed -- this episode does not contribute otherwise to the drama -- and afterwards, Lady Macbeth's repetitive writing during her sleepwalking. My cyberfriend Kyle Reynolds wrote to remind me that most (all?) of the actual murders occur off-stage, since without any between-act curtains, the story had to be written so that somebody would remove a dead body from the stage. Thanks. People suspect Malcolm and Donalbain because they ran away. No white Bronco though. -- Rodger Burnich (link is now down) The Background Around 1950, scholars noticed and argued the obvious. Macbeth was written specifically to be performed for, and to please, King James I. James Stuart was already King James VI of Scotland when Queen Elizabeth's death made him James I of England as well.

In the late 1500's, Scotland had a witch craze, with many people convicted of wicked secret practices without physical evidence. James I, who believed the witch hysteria, wrote a book about the supposed hidden world of wicked witches, entitled Demonology. The witch persecutions were a monument to human stupidity. James may have really believed that there was a secretive sect devoted to malicious evil. Or he may have been just another cynical politician trying to unite people against a common imagined enemy with different cultural practices. Perhaps the truth is somewhere in the middle. Whatever indigenous/pagan beliefs and practices may really have existed in Macbeth's Scotland, the "witches" of the play are obviously there for their role in Macbeth's fictionalized story. Stephen Greenblatt's "Will in the World" (highly recommended, a book about Shakespeare's times and how he must have been influenced by contemporary events) explains some puzzling features of our play. Henry Garnet, a Jesuit and priest who was implicated in the Gunpowder Plot, wrote A Treatise of Equivocation about how to mislead and answer ambiguously under oath. He was executed.

He may be the "equivocator that could swear in both the scales against either scale, who committed treason enough for God's sake, yet could not equivocate to heaven." Of course, the witches "equivocate" with Macbeth in reassuring him that he will not be vanquished until the forest moves, and not be killed by anyone born of woman. A Matthew Gwynn held a pageant to greet James I, in which three boy-actors played Sibyls and prophecied his future greatness and mentioned Banquo. James supposedly told John Harrington that before the execution of his mother, Mary Queen of Scots, there was an apparition of "a bloody head dancing in the air". An accused witch named Agnes Thompson, who had been tortured, told James and his court that on Halloween of 1590, two hundred witches had sailed into the town in sieves. In his book on witches, James wrote that they would give deceptive and double-meaning prophecies. Macbeth deals with the fictional ancestors of the Stuart line (Banquo, Fleance) and presents Banquo more favorably than did the play's sources.

(In Holinshed, Banquo is Macbeth's active accomplice.) The procession of kings ends with a mirror (probably held by Banquo rather than another king, as in some notes.) James could see himself, thus becoming part of the action. Macbeth says he sees more kings afterwards. Shakespeare has turned the nature spirits of his sources into witches for the witch-hunting king's enjoyment. Evil? Predestination? You may be asked, "What is the nature of evil in "Macbeth"? Again, you'll need to decide for yourself. Shakespeare only uses the word "evil(s)" in the England scene, and only uses it to refer to bad deeds and bad character traits. (The "King's Evil" for which Edward touches people was scrofula, a mycobacterial infection of the cervical lymph nodes. There was an old superstition that it could be cured by the touch of a king. James I, for whom the play was probably performed, also touched for scrofula because his English advisors told him the people wanted it.

William III told a man who asked for his touch, "May God give you better health and better sense.") Some people will decide that the Macbeths are victims of supernatural forces beyond anybody's control. Other people will decide that the talk about predestination simply reflects the folk-tale, or that the Macbeths' era and/or their outlook on life guarantee that something really bad will happen to them. Perhaps despite the supernatural trappings of witches and talk about devils, "evil" for Shakespeare is nothing more or less than bad human habits and behaviors. You decide. Are You a Man? As you go through the play, look for the repeated theme of "What is a real man?" Like nowadays, there is no consensus. Lady Macbeth, misogynist, wants to lose her femininity so she can be cold-blooded and commit murder like a man does. Macbeth, having second thoughts, tells his wife that it's unmanly to murder your benefactor while he is asleep. Lady Macbeth gets abusive and tells him this will make him more of a man. Macbeth flatters his wife, saying she has such "undaunted mettle" that she won't have any baby girls, only baby boys.

Macbeth, perhaps having learned from his wife, gets two men to commit his murder by insulting their masculinity. Macduff leaves his wife and children in danger while he goes (as everybody must realize) to plot against Macbeth with Malcolm and the English. Lots of people talk about Lady Macbeth being "unnatural". but Lady Macduff complains about her husband leaving his family for the sake of his country as being "unnatural" (he lacks "the natural touch") and his unmanly flight against "against all reason." For her, he's dead, or less of a man than a wren is. What do you make of this? Malcolm tells Macduff -- who has just learned about the murder of his family -- to bear his sorrow like a man. Macduff replies he must also feel it as a man does, i.e., he IS a man because he has feelings. Siward's son becomes a man in his father's eyes the day he falls in battle There are others. You can get a good paper out of this. Who Was the Third Murderer? People have had lots of fun trying to figure out who the Third Murderer really is. It's evidently somebody who knows Banquo and Fleance.

The usual suspects include Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, or a servant or thane. All these people are supposed to show up momentarily at Macbeth's dinner party, without bloodstains. My ingenious cyberfriend Tanner Campbell suggested it is one of the witches. She can blow out a torch by supernatural means, and their participation could assure the survival of Fleance and thus the success of her prophecy. Shakespeare actually needed to set the scene for a murder. He does not have a modern filmmaker's repertoire. (Macbeth's mutterings would be today's voice-overs.) So to set the scene, he had to use dialogue. Macbeth pays spies in each of his warlords' castles, so he has other people available. It seems reasonable that he would send somebody knowledgeable to help two disenfranchised persons (not professional hit men) kill a mighty warrior and his teenaged son. It is also unlikely that he would want to introduce the assassins to each other ahead of time. The Third Murderer does not come back with the others to collect his fee, because he was probably played by one of the minor actors who were party guests and would need to be changing costume.

My correspondent Matthew Houston reminded me that the Third Murderer is someone familiar with Banquo's habits ("... he usually does ... ") and suggests the First Murderer put out the light because he answers evasively when the Third Murderer asks "Who did strike out the light?" I am wondering whether the First Murderer was reluctant to kill a child. In other words, you will have to decide for yourself! Is Macbeth bad luck? Producing Macbeth is supposed to be unlucky. Fires, falls, and weapon injuries have plagued past productions. Superstition requires those involved in productions not to say the play's title, but rather "The Scottish Play". There are silly urban legends about the boy actor who first played Lady Macbeth getting sick and Shakespeare having to fill in, and Queen Anne closing the theaters after people thought the deviltry of the play had caused a bad storm. Some people think that the play's vision of evil, with witches, demonic familiars, and so forth explains the bad luck. You will have to decide for yourself. The Curse by Ivanov is now down. It dealt with theatrical superstitions.

The accidents are more common because the stage is dark, there's fire scenes, the fog machine makes the stage slippery, there's more wielding of crude weapons by more people, and so forth. Link is now down. A correspondent in 2002 reminded me that failing acting companies would produce "Macbeth", which was very popular, as a last-ditch, not-always-successful way of staying in business. A correspondent in 2003 told me that saying the name of the play was bad luck but that people avert this by a prayer/apology to the "Muse of the Theater", i.e., Melpomene (mell-POMM-eh-neh or --eeny; portfolio is tragedy, Thalia is comedy). "Did the Greeks really believe in their mythology?" Who knows? If you would like a different counterspell, let me suggest this.

Those wishing to participate join hands in a circle, and one member says, "May those who work on this production, and those who see it, be guided to choose peace over violence, love over vanity, and hope over despair." All say, "Amen." A Rooted Sorrow Previous stage villains, notably Shakespeare's Aaron and Richard III, do not reach the Macbeths' depth. Aaron gloats on his misbehavior, and Richard acts the villain until the end. Your instructor may talk about Macbeth beginning as a good and fine man, possessing the tragic flaw of ambition, upsetting the divinely-ordained natural order, and so forth. You'll need to decide for yourself about this. On the one hand, the other characters talk about Duncan as being "meek", very likable and kindly, and so forth. And people do seem to be dismayed over the murder. On the other hand, Macbeth seems -- from the play's bloody beginning -- to be one of many thugs in a society in which power is gained and maintained by killing other thugs, and where loyalty is at best provisional.

Lady Macbeth doesn't seem to think that there's anything really unusual about the idea of murdering a guest, and she assumes it's occurred to her husband as well. You could get a good paper by arguing one side, or both -- does Shakespeare believe that there is a deep morality underpinning human society, or does he not believe this, or does he let you decide? Of course, the Macbeths end up miserable. They do not suffer primarily from conscience (which is not much in evidence in any character, though Malcolm at least claims to live clean to test Macduff). They do not suffer from fear of the afterlife (which Lady Macbeth b-tches out of her husband; he talks about giving up his "eternal jewel", i.e., his soul, to the devil simply as an accomplished fact). Their fear of human retribution merely drives them to additional murders. Shakespeare's insight goes far deeper. So far as I know, this is the first work in English that focuses on the isolation and meaninglessness that result from selfishness and cruelty. By the end, Lady Macbeth dissociates from the horror of what she has become.

Shakespeare uses insanity as a metaphor for actually gaining insight in "King Lear" and maybe elsewhere. Lady Macbeth's insanity is really nothing more than her realizing the nature and consequences of the horrible thing she has done. Macbeth verbally abuses and bullies the people who he needs to defend him (and who are abandoning him), while reflecting to himself on the emptiness and futility of it all. Of course, the couple no longer have a relationship, and Macbeth is merely annoyed when she dies. Kids... this is true to life. Try to live better than the Macbeths did. What Does It All Mean? Fair is foul and foul is fair. In Macbeth, things are seldom what they seem, and we often don't know what's really happening. The play is full of ambiguity and double meanings, starting with the prophecies. The day is extremely foul (weather) and extremely fair (MacDonald has been disemboweled.) Banquo is not so happy, yet much happier. Is the dagger a hallucination, or a supernatural phantom? Ask the same question about Banquo's ghost. Does the bell summon Duncan "to heaven or to hell"?

One of Duncan's son's called out "Murder!" in his sleep, but the other one laughed, mysteriously pleased at his father's death. Which was which? Liquor "equivocates" with the porter's sexuality. Does Macbeth say "Had I but died an hour...." because he is really sorry (i.e., sad about his moral deterioration and/or realizing he's getting himself into trouble), or just overacting? Does Lady Macbeth really faint? ("Perhaps she is actually a person of more sensitive feelings than she lets on.") Or does she simply pretend to faint to divert attention from her husband's overacting? Who's the third murderer? Is Ross playing both sides? Is Lennox, who overheard Macbeth's plot against Macduff after the party, the messenger who warns her too late? Does Lady Macbeth commit suicide or die of cardiac complications? What is Lady Macbeth writing in her sleepwalking scene? A confession? A suicide note? A last love letter to a neglectful husband? (My correspondent Terilyn J.

Moore, who has taught the play for many years in high school and also shared the idea about Lennox and Lady Macduff, tells me that she invites class members to reproduce what Lacy Macbeth might have written.) There's a lot of talk about clothing -- clothes give you an identity and also conceal who you are. These mysteries add to the literal fog on-stage. Shakespeare chose his subject matter and some plot details to please James I. But as always, his deeper purpose seems to be to show us our own lives and make us think. The key question that Shakespeare seems to ask is this. Is human society fundamentally amoral, dog-eat-dog? If so, then Macbeth is right, and human life itself is meaningless and tiresome. Or do the hints of a better life such as King Edward's ministry, Malcolm's clean living, the dignified death of the contrite traitor, and the doctor's prescription for pastoral care, display Shakespeare's Christianity and/or humanism? It's a dark play. The light of goodness seems still fairly dim. But evil always appeals more to the imagination, while in real life, good is much more fun. Is the message of Macbeth one of despair, or of hope?

I don't know. You decide. Citing this page: To include this page in a bibliography, you may use this format: Friedlander ER (1999) Enjoying "Macbeth" by William Shakespeare Retrieved Dec. 25, 2003 from For Modern Language Association sticklers, the name of the site itself is "The Pathology Guy" and the Sponsoring Institution or Organization is Ed Friedlander MD. Links Sigmund Freud on the Macbeths. Today's psychiatrists will almost all tell you that Freud's actual contribution was taking emotions seriously, listening and trying to understand. Much of his "theory" is only of historical interest, but you might decide that some of the "psychoanalytic" writings -- like this one -- are just common sense described in unfamiliar terms. Thanks to Caitlin Monesmith for finding this link. Homework Resources Twelfth Night I've received several requests for my thoughts on Othello, and wish I had time to put something together. For now, if you're asked to write on the play, here are two ideas.

(1) Look at the short story that provided the plot (click here or here ), and notice how Shakespeare has portrayed racism as it really is in our world. Ordinary decent folks (i.e., the Venetian government) care only who a person is and what that person can do. They consider Brabantio a jerk for accepting a person of another race as a friend but not as a son-in-law. Iago, who for whatever reason has a chip on his shoulder, spews racial venom for his own dark reasons. Desdemona is originally frightened by someone who looks different, but quickly learns to love that person so that race become indifferent. (2) It is very common for special-forces operatives who return to civilian life and/or who try to sustain a marriage to have terrible difficulties. Those who are successful deserve our special admiration. Too many become terribly confused and end up in self-destructive behaviors, both loving and hating. It's one of our world's strangest ironies that romantic love is more treacherous and incomprehensible than war.

Likewise, it'll be a while before I can put anything online about "The Merchant of Venice." I do want to take a minute to ask people considering Shakespeare's presentation of Shylock to consider his era. In all but Shakespeare's earliest plays, our sympathies are always divided. Shakespeare's English contemporaries would seldom or never see a real Jew (they had been expelled from England in 1280), and the "stage Jew" of the time was an evil, comic figure. Nevertheless, Shakespeare is the first writer to present a Jew as a human being. And it is easy to understand why Shylock is bitter and angry. Even at the beginning, the protagonists of the play talk trash to him simply because he is a Jew, obviously without even thinking. It's impossible not to notice this. They invite Shylock to their party simply so that his daughter can rob him, and afterwards they are only amused when his feelings are trampled. The play is actually about anger -- and Shakespeare has chosen a Jew to represent somebody who is right to be angry. This is more than a progressive choice -- it must have taken a great deal of courage.

Defending himself, Shylock points out the evils of slavery, which the Jews did not practice but which was accepted at the time by some Christians. (It was illegal in Shakespeare's England but would soon re-emerge in the colonies.) The most famous speech ("The quality of mercy...") anticipates what I've found to be Shakespeare's greatest theme, i.e., in a godless universe, our only hope is to be kind to one another. No matter what your grievance is, why not be the first to take the brave step to end the stupid hatreds that darken our world? Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" may have been spoiled for you as required reading in high school, and/or by parodies of the balcony scene and/or a bad (left-wing, right-wing) college "Western Civ" course. Think: The play's about godawful teenaged murder-suicide. (Juliet is 14, Romeo 16.) Shakespeare's plot-source was a warning to teenagers to obey their parents.

The themes of the play, which were pretty-much new with Shakespeare and very radical in his time, are (1) young people ought to be allowed to marry for love, not just whoever their parents choose for them; (2) young people's tragedies likely result from their parents' stupidity and meanness; (3) love matures people, and gives dignity, meaning, and beauty even in the worst of circumstances. By the way, did you notice that Papa Capulet is an old guy ("past [his] dancing days", thirty years since he was "in a mask"), but Mama Capulet was pregnant with Juliet at age 13. In other words, she was the old lecher's forced child-bride and she is setting up the same thing for Juliet. Forced marriage is still common (and the typical cause for a young girl's suicide) in much of our world. Did you also notice that the Capulets are not terribly surprised to find Juliet dead on her wedding day? The fact that forced marriage is illegal in the United States and England may be due, at least in part, to the fact that we listened when Shakespeare showed us who we are. For this, I'm thankful. I'm Ed.

I'm an MD, a pathologist in Kansas City, a mainstream Christian . a modernist , a skydiver , an adventure gamer , the world's busiest free internet physician , and a man who still enjoys books and ideas. Have you a weird sister? An odd brother? -- Richard Armour on Macbeth I hope you like Macbeth, and that I've been of some help. A Brief Look at Feminism in Shakespeare's Macbeth - Inquiries Journal A Brief Look at Feminism in Shakespeare's Macbeth Keywords: Shakespeare Macbeth Mcbeth Feminism Feminism in Macbeth Shakespeare Lady Macbeth King Duncan Women Shakespeare In Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, he presents the conflicting character of Lady Macbeth. Upon receiving her husband’s letter about the witches’ prophesies, she attempts to be like a man in order to exude the strength needed to gain additional social status as royalty. Lady Macbeth appears to be very influential in planning – deciding when and how they should kill King Duncan – and chiding her husband for not acting more like a man; yet, despite these capabilities, she is the main reason for the revealing of the Macbeth’s part in the usurpation of the throne.

First shown as an iron-willed character willing to “[pluck] my nipple from [my child’s] boneless gums, And [dash] the brains out, had I so sworn as you Have done to this” to later being shown as possessed by nightmares of guilt (I. vii), how could such a strong character so quickly fall prey to uneasiness? According to materialist feminism theory, despite her earlier show of strength, Lady Macbeth’s eventual weakness is a result of a patriarchal portrayal of her gender. A popular speculation on why the oppression of women is not more commonly recognized than the oppression of certain ethnic or religious groups, is that “women’s allegiance to men from their own [background] always supersedes their allegiance to women from different classes” (Tyson 97). While certain social and economic factors separate people from different walks of life, within these groups women are also separated from each other. Women remain isolated which prevents them from making significant changes because they have no strength in size. Similarly, Lady Macbeth, while being notably strong compared to other members of her gender, has no way to enact her schemes as she is kept isolated from other women during the course of the play.

While her strength is great, she is not powerful enough alone to deal with a murder. She does not reveal the secret of their murderous deeds because she is a woman and thus inherently weak, but she reveals the secret because she is a woman and thus has been selectively isolated from finding strength in number. From the very beginning of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth is shown as a character is relents in creating rebellious plots. According to Lois Tyson, “women [invest] themselves…in the accomplishments of their husbands and sons” (97). Lady Macduff – the epitome of motherhood – does not concoct some evil plot because she invests all of her intellectual powers into the achievements of her husband and children. On the other hand, Lady Macbeth, not as bound to domestic duties as Lady Macduff, sharpens her intellectual capabilities for her own use. While intelligence from a male character would be seen as a beneficial trait, patriarchy defines Lady Macbeth’s intelligence as a flaw and as an indicator that she is unnatural and “unfulfilled” as a woman. Patriarchal society encourages Lady Macbeth to invest herself in the role of mother.

Lady Macbeth is seen as selfish and abnormal when she confesses that there is a situation in which she would “[dash] [her child’s] brains out” (I.vii), a very unnatural statement according to patriarchy’s belief that women’s desire to have and protect children is a part of “their natural biological makeup” (Tyson 97). Though intelligent and strong at the beginning of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth is reduced to an insignificant person haunted by nightmares and guilt as a result of a patriarchal portrayal of her gender. Shakespeare , William. William C. Carroll, ed. Macbeth. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 1999. Tyson, Lois. Critical Theory Today: A User-Friendly Guide. New York: Taylor & Francis Group, 2006. (Works with EndNote, ProCite, & Reference Manager) APA 6th Davis, M. A. (2009). "A Brief Look at Feminism in Shakespeare's Macbeth." Inquiries Journal/Student Pulse, 1(11). Retrieved from MLA Davis, Marion A.

"A Brief Look at Feminism in Shakespeare's Macbeth." Inquiries Journal/Student Pulse 1.11 (2009). < > Chicago 16th Davis, Marion A. 2009. A Brief Look at Feminism in Shakespeare's Macbeth. Inquiries Journal/Student Pulse 1 (11), Harvard DAVIS, M. A. 2009. A Brief Look at Feminism in Shakespeare's Macbeth. Inquiries Journal/Student Pulse [Online], 1. Available: Marion A. Davis graduated in 2010 with a concentration in Linguistics from Georgia State University in Atlanta, GA. More By This Author: MacBeth - Attitude Changes MacBeth - Attitude Changes In the tragic drama Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare in 1606 during the English Renaissance, the hero, Macbeth, constantly declines in his level of morality until his death at the end of the play. Because of his change of character from good to evil, Macbeth's attitude towards other characters, specifically Duncan, Banquo, Lady Macbeth, and the witches, is significantly affected. The first of the four characters is Duncan.

Since Macbeth interacts with Duncan only a minimal amount before Duncan's death, Macbeth's attitude towards him changes very rapidly. Before Macbeth hears the witches' first prophecy, he is very close to Duncan, and would never even think of doing something against him. When the thought of murdering Duncan crosses his mind immediately after he finds that he has just been named Thane of Cawdor, he cannot believe he "yield[s] to that suggestion / Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair / And make my seated heart knock at my ribs" (I, iii, 133-35). In scene 5 of act 1, however, his "vaulting ambition" is starting to take over, but partly because of his wife's persuasion. He agrees that they must "catch the nearest way" (17), and kill Duncan that night. On the other hand, as the time for murder comes nearer, he begins giving himself reasons not to murder Duncan: First, as I am his kinsman and his subject, Strong both against the deed; then, as his host, Who should against his murderer shut the door, Not bear the knife myself.

(I, vii, 13-16) When Lady Macbeth enters, though, she uses her cunning rhetoric and pursuasion techniques to convince Macbeth that this is, beyond the shadow of a doubt, the right thing to do. He then tells her that "I am settled." (79). He is firmly seated in his beliefs that killing Duncan is the right thing to do-until he performs the murder. He is so horrified by this act that for a moment he forgets where he is or whom he is with. We learn from this murder that Macbeth truly had faith in the king and was very loyal, but under the forces of his wife's persuasion and his own vaulting ambition, he is put in the evil frame of mind for just long enough to kill Duncan. This murder does permanently alter him from his moral state of mind, however, and he soon does not feel much remorse for murdering Duncan. The Second of the four characters towards whom Macbeth's attitude changes is Banquo. Before he murders Duncan, Macbeth is a very close friend to Banquo, and they are almost always together. After the murder, however, Macbeth senses suspicion on Banquo's part.

He realizes that Banquo's "wisdom that doth guide his valour / To act in safety" (52-53) will cause Banquo to want to turn Macbeth in for his crime. Macbeth knows he must also get rid of Banquo since, according to the prophecy, the throne will pass to Banquo's sons otherwise. Macbeth starts showing his extreme hatred towards Banquo while he is convincing the two murderers that killing him is right: Macb: Both of you Know Banquo was your enemy. Murderers: True, my lord. Macb: So is he mine; and in such bloody distance That every minute of his being thrusts Against my near'st of life; (III, i, 114b-118) Finally, Macbeth actually shows signs of relief when the murderer calls him to the door during his banquet and tells him of Banquo's death: Macb: There's blood upon thy face. Murderer: 'Tis Banquo's then. Macb: 'Tis better thee without than he within. (III, iv, 12-14) Macbeth's last statement, "Tis . . .

within", means that Banquo's blood is better on the murderer than in Banquo, showing that Macbeth is, in truth, happy that Banquo has been killed. the killing of Banquo by Macbeth shows extreme selfishness; he cannot bear to see even his best friend's sons succeed him on the throne. However, a more important reason that Macbeth kills Banquo is because of Banquo's suspicion of him, and what Banquo will do to him once he finds out for sure that Macbeth has commited the murder of Duncan. One can see that Macbeth becomes extremely harsh if he wants his way. He will go to horrid extremes just so that he does not have to live his kingship in fear, but instead "to be safely thus." (III, i, 49) Lady Macbeth, the third character, interacts with Macbeth a considerable amount, and influences him greatly. He and his wife as a pair are dangerous because his ambition combined with her bloodiness can cause fatal situations.

In Macbeth's letter to his wife, he calls her "my dearest partner of greatness" (I, v, 8), and later, when he is talking to her in person, he calls her "My dearest love" (I, v, 54b). Shakespeare shows their close relationship until they have started falling into a state of near-despair after the murder of Banquo and Macduff's wife and son. At this point, they have started to seperate a great deal. In act five, scene five, Macbeth hears the "cry of women" and not even noticing that it is a woman's cry, let alone that of his own wife, asks "What is that noise?" (7b). He feels so little towards her that when he is informed that she has just died, he remarks that "She should have died hereafter" (17), meaning that she would have died anyway. His loss of feeling towards his wife most likely is caused by his distraction and present state of mind. Had his mind been calm and relaxed, not distracted by anything, he probably would have reacted to this news with more feeling.

However, his whole personality has changed, and perhaps death does not faze him any more because he has committed five murders since the beginning of the play. The way Macbeth acts toward the three witches changes significantly as the play progresses. In act one, scene five, Macbeth tells his wife in his letter to her that the witches "have more in them than mortal knowledge." (2), and he puts great faith in their prophecies; after all, of the witches' three so-called "prophecies", "Two truths are told" (I, iii, 126b). He depends on the witches for a long time, even after he murders Banquo. In act 3, scene 4, when he remarks that "I am in blood / Stepp'd in so far that, should I wade no more," (136-37), he knows that he must consult the witches again because "More shall they speak;" (134), and he is "bent to know" (134) what he should do and what his future holds. He then sees the three apparitions that the witchs have conjured up especially to torture him.

This causes him to become enraged at the witches and damn himself in the ironic phrase in which he damns "all those that trust them", (IV, i, 139, "them" meaning the witches. Macbeth's change in attitude towards the witches shows that his nature is to befriend those who bring him good news, but he separates from them once he finds that even though he trusted them, what they said was not in his favor. He supposedly befriended the witches simply because he thought they could tell him his future. It was a false relationship. Macbeth starts out a heroic man of good doings, but his whole attitude completely changes because of the murders he commits. His relationships with many characters are broken or become weak. He starts trusting no one and hating - or killing - everyone. His wife may have started him on his killing streak, but he was the one to finish himself off. Macbeth got what he deserved.

Question: According to Shakespeare who kills Macbeth?
Answer: Macduff