Characters in

Macbeth A Who’s Who Guide

Kate Rogers - Shaker High School - 2007

 Macbeth

• Brave general but too

ambitious
• He turns to evil,
killing the King,
guards, Banquo, and
anyone else who
stands in his way
• Macbeth dies at the
hands of Macduff
 Lady Macbeth

• Vicious and ambitious

wife of Macbeth
• She convinces
Macbeth to murder the
King
• Guilt drives her crazy
• She sleepwalks
• She dies
 Banquo

• Macbeth’s friend and

general
• Suspected Macbeth of
killing the King
• He is killed by
murderers sent by
Macbeth, though his
son escapes
 Fleance

• Banquo’s son
• If what the witches say
is true, he and his heirs
will be King some day
• Escapes the plot to
murder him and his
father
• Fleance flees
 Macduff

• Scottish general
• Believes that Macbeth
killed the King
• His family is
murdered by Macbeth
• Not of “woman born”
• He later kills Macbeth
 Lady Macduff

• Macduff’s wife
• Represents
Elizabethan ideals of
womanhood
• She and children are
killed by Macbeth
because her husband is
disloyal
 King Duncan

• Good King of
Scotland
• Murdered by Macbeth
• Nature goes wild on
the night of his murder
 Malcolm

• Duncan’s eldest son

• Prince of Cumberland
• Runs away to England
• Raises army to
overthrow Macbeth
• Becomes King of
Scotland at the end of
the play.
 Donalbain

• King Duncan’s
younger son
• Malcolm’s the heir,
he’s the spare
• Flees to Ireland
 Porter

• Servant in Macbeth’s
castle: doorkeeper
• When drunk, thought
that he was the keeper
of Hell’s Gates
• Adds comic relief
 Witches

• Stereotypical evil hags

• They tell Macbeth that
he is to become King,
tempting him to evil
• They disguise their
prophecies to give him
false confidence
 Hecate

• Greek moon goddess

and goddess of the
witches
• Directs supernatural
occurrences
• Makes plan to give
Macbeth false security
 Lennox

• Scottish nobleman
• Suspicious of the
murder of the king
 Ross

• Macduff’s cousin
• Messenger who carries
news to people like
Macbeth and Macduff
throughout the play
Other Characters

• Seyton: Macbeth’s
lieutenant
• Old Siward: Earl of
Northumberland, ally
of Malcolm
• Young Siward: Old
Siward’s son, killed by
Macbeth at the end of
the play
 Bibliography
• Macbeth: http://www.dailyinfo.co.uk/images/theatre/macbeth-creation-blood.jpg
• Lady Macbeth: http://www.longoverdue.co.uk/Macbeth-Lady%20Macbeth.jpg
• Banquo: http://www.andsewitwas.com/MB_banqou02.jpg
• Fleance: http://www.kingschester.co.uk/images/pictures/JSsnowqueen/snow2.jpg
• Macduff: http://diarmid.com/Pages/Highlanders/sutherland.htm
• Lady Macduff:
http://mustard.tapor.uvic.ca/~iseadmin/sipmedia/productions/shsask_2004_Mac/shsask_2004_mac_l
ady_macduff_anguss.jpg
• King Duncan: http://www.boazfamilytree.com/gneville/images/William%20the%20Conqueror
%202.jpg
• Malcolm: http://www.pathguy.com/olivier_macbeth.jpg
• Donalbain: http://www.szinhaz.hu/boritamas/images/macbeth.JPG
• Porter: http://www.mgrhs.org/site/images/porter1.jpg
• Witches: http://www.blazer.ashland.k12.ky.us/Academics/English/Stepp/images/witches.jpg
• Hecate: http://www.pioneertheatre.org/images/archives/2002/macbeth.jpg
• Lennox: http://pretallez.com/onstage/theatre/broadway/macbeth/images/mb20.jpg
• Ross: http://www.coronadoplayhouse.com/macbeth/showphotos/ross.jpg
• Other Characters: http://www.thelivery.ca/Macbeth-victory.jpg