CONTENTS

Macbeth Resource Pack

 Synopsis

 Character description

 Historical context

 Writer’s choices

 Themes

 Characterisation

 Motifs and symbolism

 Dramatic devices

 Analysis of quotations
  Shakespeare wrote 37 plays (all of which have 5 Acts), 140
William Sonnets, 5 extended poems and used 31, 534 different words
Shakespeare with 1,223 different characters and wrote 884,421 words in
Born in Stratford- total.
Upon Avon, UK  The three genres of his plays are: comedy, history, and tragedy.
(1564-1616)  Shakespeare is considered one of the best writers of all time.

Comedies Histories Tragedies

All’s Well That Ends Well Henry IV, Part I Antony and Cleopatra
Mini-biography
As You Like It Henry IV, Part II Coriolanus
William Shakespeare (born in 1564) attended Comedy of Errors Henry V Cymbeline
grammar school but his formal education
proceeded no further. In 1582, he married Love’s Labour’s Lost Henry VI, Part I Hamlet
Anne Hathaway and had three children with Measure for Measure Henry VI, Part II Julius Caesar
her. In 1590, he left his family behind and
travelled to London to work as an actor and The Merchant of Venice Henry VI, Part III King Lear
playwright. Public and critical success quickly
The Merry Wives of Windsor Henry VIII Macbeth
followed, eventually becoming the most
popular playwright in Britain and part-owner A Midsummer Night’s Dream King John Othello
of the Globe Theatre.
Much Ado About Nothing Pericles Romeo and Juliet
Elizabeth I and James I reigned during his
literary career – he was a favourite of both The Taming of the Shrew Richard II Timon of Athens
monarchs. James I even gave him the title of The Tempest Richard III Titus Andronicus
King’s Men. Shakespeare died in 1616 at the
age of fifty-two. Much of Shakespeare’s story is Twelfth Night Troilus and Cressida
shrouded in mystery. Some argue that his plays
Two Gentlemen of Verona
were written by someone else, but these are
considered conspiracy theories. A Winter’s Tale
“Talking isn't doing. It is a kind of “O brawling love, O loving
good deed to say well; and yet [KEY QUOTATIONS BY SHAKESPEARE] hate, O anything did
words are not deeds.”
nothing first create”
“Love all, trust a few,
“No legacy is so rich as honesty.” do wrong to none.”
“All the world's a
“Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet stage, and all the
sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow.” men and women
merely players”
“A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a “Cowards die many times before
wise man knows himself to be a fool.” their deaths; the valiant never
taste of death but once.”
“There is nothing either
“If you prick us do we not bleed? good or bad but
“Wisely, and slow. They
“Jealousy…it is the green-eyed monster” thinking makes it so.”
stumble that run fast.”
“What is past is prologue.” “The love “To be, or not to be, that is the question.”
“The course of true love of heaven
never did run smooth.” makes one “The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.”
heavenly.” “I must be cruel, only to be kind.” “The lady doth protest
“Modest doubt is called too much, methinks.”
the beacon of the wise.” “Once more into the breach” "Shall I compare thee
“Friends, Romans, country- “What light from yonder window breaks?” to a summer's day?”
men, lend me your ears.”
"Can one desire too much of a good thing?" "I will speak daggers to
"In my mind's eye" "Now is the winter of our discontent" "We are such stuff her, but use none"
as dreams are made
"Though this be
madness, yet there "Beware the ides of March" on, rounded with a
little sleep" “A Pair of Star-
is method in 't." "Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and cauldron bubble." crossed Lovers”

Historical Context
1040 – ‘Macbeth’
is set in Medieval
Scotland
1606 – ‘Macbeth
is written in the
Jacobean Era
The Gunpowder Plot
Certain Catholics (Robert Catesby, Thomas Percy, Guy Fawkes and a few
others) turned to terrorism during James I’s Protestant rule, trying to blow
up the Houses of Parliament in 1605. ‘Macbeth’ was written the year after
the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 and is considered a piece of propaganda in
support of King James – the message of the play: perpetrators of regicide
will eventually receive their comeuppance.
The conspirators were betrayed, and horribly tortured on the rack until
they confessed. They were then executed in the most brutal fashion as a
warning to other would-be traitors. Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’ wove direct
references to the Plot including King James snake/flower medal.
Lady Macbeth and Role of Women in Jacobean Society
Jacobean society was patriarchal (much like the majority of Western
history). Female characters in Shakespearean tragedies were often passive
(Hamlet’s Ophelia submits stating “I shall obey my Lord” and Othello’s
Desdemona states “To you I am bound”. However, Lady Macbeth is a
cunning, manipulative and dominant woman who is associated with the
supernatural. Her introduction in Act 1 Scene 5, subverting submission
when she stops reading Macbeth’s letter, criticizes his nature as “too full
o’th’milk of human kindness”. This behavior is controversial within the
societal confines of a masculine hegemonic era in medieval Scotland.
Regardless of her heroism or villainy, she is a radical figure for the era.
The Jacobean Era
When Queen Elizabeth died in 1603, she had no
children, or even nephews or nieces. The throne
was offered to James Stuart, James VI of
Scotland, who then became James I of Britain.
Brought up by Protestant regents, James
maintained a Protestant regime in Scotland
when he came of age, and so was an acceptable
choice for England which had become firmly
Protestant under Elizabeth. James was a distant
cousin of Elizabeth – his ascension as King
caused controversy amongst Catholic relatives
(leading to Gunpowder Plot).
The Divine Right of Kings
Whilst the present Queen claims constitutional
impartiality, in the European Middle Ages, the
Divine Right of Kings was a dominant concept.
The idea claimed that kings were answerable
only to God and it was therefore treachery to
challenge them. To kill the king (regicide) was to
challenge the direct of authority of God and was
considered an ‘unforgivable sin’. James I ruled
under the notion of ‘the divine right of Kings’.
The Real Macbeth
Macbeth was a real 11th century Scottish king, but
the historical Macbeth, who had a valid right to
the throne, reigning in Scotland from 1040-57. He
succeeded Duncan, whom he had defeated in
battle, but the real Duncan was weak and a
younger ignoble King. In reality, Macbeth was
succeeded by his own stepson, not Malcolm, who
came to the throne later. Banquo is a mythical
figure. Shakespeare found his version of the story
of ‘Macbeth’ in the ‘Chronicles of Holinshed’
Elizabeth I and James I
Shakespeare was writing for the theatre during
the reigns of two monarchs, Queen Elizabeth I
and King James I. The plays he wrote during the
reign of Queen Elizabeth, such as ‘A Midsummer
Night's Dream’, are often seen to embody the
optimistic mood of the Elizabethans. However,
those he wrote during James's reign, such as
‘Macbeth’ and ‘Hamlet’, are darker and more
cynical, reflecting the insecurities of the
Jacobean period.
Shakespeare and James I
Shakespeare's play ‘Macbeth’ may be a
cautionary tale, warning any other potential
regicides (king-killers) of the awful fate for this
crime. Macbeth’s victim, King Duncan is
presented by Shakespeare as a noble, divinely-
appointed ruler. Killing Duncan has catastrophic
consequences for Macbeth and Scotland.
Duncan could be a representation of James but
might also allude to King Edward’s healing the
sick: 'such sanctity hath heaven given his hand'.
Religious Beliefs
Religious thinkers in the Middle Ages had
upheld the idea of 'The Great Chain of Being'.
This was the belief that God had designed an
ordered system for both nature and humankind
within which every creature and person had an
allotted place. It was considered an offence
against God for anyone to try to alter their
station in life. In addition, madness was often
seen as a moral issue, either a punishment for
sin or a test of faith and character.
 Key Terms Glossary
Language
Analogy - comparison between one thing and
another, typically for the purpose of explanation
or clarification.
Emotive language - describes words and phrases
meant to evoke an emotional response to a subject.
Iambic Pentameter - a line of verse ten syllables in
length each consisting of one short (or unstressed)
syllable followed by one long (or stressed) syllable.
Imperatives – command words (usually verbs).
Oxymoron - a figure of speech in which apparently
contradictory terms appear in conjunction – example:
“fair is foul and foul is fair”
Personification – human characteristics given to a
nun-human form.
Pun - a joke exploiting the different possible meanings
of a word or the fact that there are words which
sound alike but have different meanings.
Rhetorical question - a question asked in order to
create a dramatic effect or to make a point rather
than to get an answer.
Soliloquy - an act of speaking one's thoughts aloud
when by oneself especially by a character in a play.
Structure/Narrative
Catalyst – an element which enters a narrative which
causes a reaction – usually an increase in conflict and
tension.
Dramatic irony – when the audience is aware of
information that the character is not aware of.
Enigma – mystery and ambiguity developed for
dramatic effect – withholding of information for the
purposes of the narrative.
Foreshadowing - a warning and indication of a future
event.
Irony - the expression of one's meaning by using
language that normally signifies the opposite,
typically for humorous or emphatic effect.
Motif – a repletion of a certain idea or symbol in a
narrative
Semantic Field - a lexical set of semantically related
items, or simply, words and phrases with a similar
meaning or context to the subject.
Suspense - a state or feeling of excited or anxious
uncertainty about what may happen
Context/concept
Ambition - desire and
determination to achieve success.
Hierarchy – system where citizens
are ranked according to relative
status or authority.
Historical context - refers to the
moods, attitudes, and conditions
that existed during a certain time.
Hubris – excessive pride which
inevitably leads to one’s downfall.
Loyalty - giving or showing firm
and constant support or
allegiance.
Machiavellian - cunning,
scheming, and unscrupulous,
especially in politics
Patriarchy - a system of society or
government in which men hold
the power and women are largely
excluded from it.
Regicide - the deliberate killing of
a monarch
Tyranny - cruel and oppressive
government or rule.
 Macbeth
Macbeth is a Scottish general and the Thane of
Glamis who is greeted by prophecies from three
witches that he will be made Thane of Cawdor. This
comes true. He longs to become King and is then
tempted into murder (partly by Lady Macbeth) to
fulfill his ambitions to the throne. Once he commits
his first crime (killing King Duncan), he is crowned
King of Scotland. He is brave but not virtuous.
Macbeth is courageous on the battlefield but ill-
suited to politics, quickly becoming a tyrant. He
becomes suspicious of even his close friends like
Banquo. His response to every problem is violence
and murder. Macbeth is never comfortable in his
role as a criminal and this leads to a psychological
regression.
Lady Macbeth Banquo Macduff King Duncan
Macbeth’s wife, a deeply ambitious woman who lusts
for power and position. Early in the play she seems to
The brave, noble general whose children, according A Scottish nobleman hostile to The good King of Scotland whom
be the stronger and more ruthless of the two, as she
to the witches’ prophecy, will inherit the Scottish Macbeth’s kingship from the Macbeth, in his ambition for the
throne. Like Macbeth, Banquo thinks ambitious
urges her husband to kill Duncan and seize the crown. start. He eventually becomes a
After the bloodshed begins, Lady Macbeth falls victim
thoughts, but he does not translate those thoughts crown, murders. Duncan is the
to guilt and madness to an even greater degree than
into action. In a sense, Banquo’s character stands as leader of the crusade to unseat model of a virtuous, benevolent,
a rebuke to Macbeth, since he represents the path
her husband. Her conscience affects her to such an Macbeth. The crusade’s mission
extent that she eventually commits suicide.
Macbeth chose not to take: a path in which and farsighted ruler. His death
Interestingly, she and Macbeth are presented as being
ambition need not lead to betrayal and murder. is to place the rightful king, symbolizes the destruction of an
Appropriately, then, it is Banquo’s ghost—and not
deeply in love, and many of Lady Macbeth’s speeches Malcolm, on the throne, but
imply that her influence over her husband is primarily
Duncan’s—that haunts Macbeth. In addition to order in Scotland that can be
sexual. Their joint alienation from the world,
embodying Macbeth’s guilt for killing Banquo, the Macduff also desires vengeance restored only when Duncan’s line,
ghost also reminds Macbeth that he did not
occasioned by their partnership in crime, seems to for Macbeth’s murder of
strengthen the attachment that they feel to each
emulate Banquo’s reaction to the witches’ prophecy. in the person of Malcolm, once
another. Macduff’s wife and young son. more occupies the throne.

KEY CHARACTERS IN ‘MACBETH’

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.

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.
Hecate -  The goddess of witchcraft who works to enact her mischief on Macbeth (one of the three witches).
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.
Macdonwald – Traitor to the King whose army is defeated in battle by Macbeth and executed by King Duncan.
Lennox -  A Scottish nobleman.
Ross -  A Scottish nobleman.
The Murderers -  A group conscripted by Macbeth to murder Banquo, Fleance, Macduff’s family (fails).
Porter -  The drunken doorman of Macbeth’s castle.
 DETAILED SYNOPSIS (ACCORDING TO GRADESAVER) ADAPTATIONS
Act 1  2015 Justin Kurzel directed film adaptation, starring Michael Fassbender
The play takes place in Scotland. Duncan, the king of Scotland, is at war with the king of Norway. As the play opens, he learns of (Macbeth), Marion Cotillard (Lady Macbeth), Paddy Considine (Banquo),
Macbeth's bravery in a victorious battle against Macdonald—a Scot who sided with the Norwegians. At the same time, news Sean Harris (Macduff) and David Thewlis (King Duncan).
arrives concerning the arrest of the treacherous Thane of Cawdor. Duncan decides to give the title of Thane of Cawdor to  1971 Roman Polanski directed film adaptation.
Macbeth. As Macbeth and Banquo return home from battle, they meet three witches. The witches predict that Macbeth will be
thane of Cawdor and king of Scotland, and that Banquo will be the father of kings. After the witches disappear, Macbeth and
 1979 Royal Shakespeare Company TV Movie starring Ian MacKellen
Banquo meet two noblemen Ross and Angus, who announce Macbeth's new title as thane of Cawdor. Upon hearing this, (Macbeth) and Judi Dench (Lady Macbeth).
Macbeth begins to contemplate the murder of Duncan in order to realize the witches' second prophecy.Macbeth and Banquo  1948 Adaptation directing and starring Orson Welles (Macbeth).
meet with Duncan, who announces that he is going to pay Macbeth a visit at his castle. Macbeth rides ahead to prepare his  2013 National Theatre Live version starring Kenneth Branagh (Macbeth).
household. Meanwhile, Lady Macbeth receives a letter from Macbeth informing her of the witches' prophesy and its subsequent
realization. A servant appears to inform her of Duncan's approach. Energized by the news, Lady Macbeth invokes supernatural
powers to strip her of feminine softness and thus prepare her for the murder of Duncan. When Macbeth arrives, Lady Macbeth
tells him that she will plot Duncan's murder. When Duncan arrives at the castle, Lady Macbeth greets him alone. When Macbeth
fails to appear, Lady Macbeth finds him is in his room, contemplating the weighty and evil decision to kill Duncan. Lady Macbeth
taunts him by telling him that he will only be a man if he kills Duncan. She then tells him her plan for the murder, which Macbeth
accepts: they will kill him while his drunken bodyguards sleep, then plant incriminating evidence on the bodyguards.

Act 2
Macbeth sees a vision of a bloody dagger floating before him, leading him to Duncan's room. When he hears Lady Macbeth ring
the bell to signal the completion of her preparations, Macbeth sets out to complete his part in the murderous plan. Lady Macbeth
waits for Macbeth to finish the act of regicide. Macbeth enters, still carrying the bloody daggers. Lady Macbeth again chastises
him for his weak-mindedness and plants the daggers on the bodyguards herself. While she does so, Macbeth imagines that he
hears a haunting voice saying that he shall sleep no more. Lady Macbeth returns and assures Macbeth that "a little water clears
us of this deed" (II ii 65). As the thanes Macduff and Lennox arrive, the porter pretends that he is guarding the gate to hell.
Immediately thereafter, Macduff discovers Duncan’s dead body. Macbeth kills the two bodyguards, claiming that he was
overcome with a fit of grief and rage when he saw them with the bloody daggers. Duncan's sons Malcolm and Donalbain, fearing
their lives to be in danger, flee to England and Ireland. Their flight brings them under suspicion of conspiring against Duncan.
Macbeth is thus crowned king of Scotland. THEMES, SIGNS, SYMBOLS, MOTIFS, DEVICES
Act 3
In an attempt to thwart the witches' prophesy that Banquo will father kings, Macbeth hires two murderers to kill Banquo and his Treachery, Puppeteering, Ruthlessness, Justice, Murder Regicide
son Fleance. Lady Macbeth is left uninformed of these plans. A third murderer joins the other two on the heath and the three
men kill Banquo. Fleance, however, manages to escape. Banquo’s ghost appears to Macbeth as he sits down to a celebratory
banquet, sending him into a frenzy of terror. Lady Macbeth attempts to cover up for his odd behavior but the banquet comes to a
premature end as the thanes begin to question Macbeth's sanity. Macbeth decides that he must revisit the witches to look into
the future once more. Meanwhile, Macbeth's thanes begin to turn against him. Macduff meets Malcolm in England to prepare an
Corruption and Unaccountable Ambition Cruelty and Masculinity
army to march on Scotland.

Scheming and The Difference Between The Burden of Guilt

Act 4
The witches show Macbeth three apparitions. The first warns him against Macduff, the second tells him to fear no man born of Machiavellianism Kingship and Tyranny
woman, and the third prophesizes that he will fall only when Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane castle. Macbeth takes this as a
prophecy that he is infallible. When he asks the witches if their prophesy about Banquo will come true, they show him a Hierarchy
procession of eight kings, all of whom look like Banquo. Meanwhile in England, Malcolm tests Macduff's loyalty by pretending to
confess to multiple sins and malicious ambitions. When Macduff proves his loyalty to Scotland, the two strategize for their Nature Hubris Fortune, Fate and Free Will and feudal
offensive against Macbeth. Back in Scotland, Macbeth has Macduff’s wife and children murdered.
order
Act 5 Enigmas and catalysts – hallucinations and prophecies
Lady Macbeth suffers from bouts of sleepwalking. To a doctor who observes her symptoms, she unwittingly reveals her guilt as
she pronounces that she cannot wash her hands clean of bloodstains. Macbeth is too preoccupied with battle preparations to pay
The difficulty
much heed to her dreams and expresses anger when the doctor says he cannot cure her. Just as the English army led by Malcolm, Gender roles Reason versus passion of diplomacy
Macduff, Siward approaches, Lady Macbeth’s cry of death is heard in the castle. When Macbeth hears of her death, he comments
that she should have died at a future date and muses on the meaninglessness of life. Taking the witches’ second prophecies in
good faith, Macbeth still believes that he is impregnable to the approaching army. But Malcolm has instructed each man in the
English army to cut a tree branch from Birnam Wood and hold it up to disguise the army’s total numbers. As a result, Macbeth's Blood The Weather Conscience/mental health Loyalty
servant reports that he has seen a seemingly impossible sight: Birnam Wood seems to be moving toward the castle. Macbeth is
shaken but still engages the oncoming army. In battle, Macbeth kills Young Siward, the English general's brave son. Macduff then and
challenges Macbeth. As they fight, Macduff reveals that he was not "of woman born" but was "untimely ripped" from his
mother's womb (V x 13-16). Macbeth is stunned but refuses to yield to Macduff. Macduff kills him and decapitates him. At the Grudges, Vendettas and Revenge Dramatic irony betrayal
end of the play, Malcolm is proclaimed the new king of Scotland.
KEY SYMBOLS WITH QUOTATIONS
“Will all the water in the ocean
wash this blood from my
hands?” (Act 2, Scene 2)
“Out, out damned spot!”
(Act 5, Scene 1)
“Fear not, Macbeth. No
man that’s born of woman.
Shall e’er have power upon
thee.” (Act 5, Scene 3)
"If chance will have me king,
why, chance may crown me”
"Is this a dagger which (Act 1, Scene 3)
I see before me…?
(Act 4, Scene 1)
(Act 2, Scene 1)
“Out, out, brief candle. 
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player 
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, 
And then is heard no more. It is a tale 
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, 
Signifying nothing.” (Act 5, Scene 5)
“Unsex me here”
“"Come, thick night, And
“Look like th’ innocent pall thee in the dunnest
flower/But be the serpent smoke of hell,“”
under’t.” (Act 1, Scene 5) (Act 1, Scene 5)
 KEY QUOTATIONS EXPLANATION
'The raven himself is hoarse that croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan, under my battlements.' 
The raven himself is hoarse  The raven represents death and evil power, as it is dark and ominous. He croaks hoarsely as Duncan's imminent death comes closer. It uses
That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan  foreshadow to create an eerie expectation that Duncan, the king, will soon be facing danger and trouble.  Duncan's fatal entrance will come
Under my battlements. Come, you spirits  when he enters her estate. This lines reference to a raven is quite significant as it foreshadows the violence to come. The raven is mentioned to
That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here,  be hoarse, which shows that its strength is impaired, and is being silenced to hush the terrors that are coming. The raven is also a messenger
And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full  bird, therefore may perhaps regard to the messenger who delivered the letter Macbeth wrote to his wife, with also the news of the king
Of direst cruelty. Make thick my blood,  arriving to their estate very soon.
Stop up th’access and passage to remorse, 
That no compunctious visitings of nature  'Come you spirits that tend on my mortal thoughts, unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe top- full of direst cruelty.'
Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between  She is calling on the spirits that tend on her evil thoughts, to come forward and fill her body with manly cruelty. Remove her of the lady-like
Th’ effect and it. Come to my woman’s breasts,  features she owns, such as the motherly instincts and the supposedly very feminine setbacks she insists she has, and fill her with the courage
And take my milk for gall, you murd’ring ministers,  and manly strength that will allow her to commit the cruel and unspeakable act that she plans to commit. 
Wherever in your sightless substances 
You wait on nature’s mischief. Come, thick night,  'Make thick my blood, stop up th'access and passage to remorse that no compunctious visitings of nature shake my fell purpose, nor keep
And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell,  the peace between th'effect and it.'
That my keen knife see not the wound it makes,  She still calls on the spirits that can thicken her blood and strength, and stop the reasoning, worry and fear of her natural self stop her from
Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark,  doing her horrible plan. 
To cry ‘Hold, hold!’  (Act 1, Scene 5, lines 36-52)
'Come to my woman’s breasts and take my milk for gall, you murdering ministers, Wherever in your sightless substances you wait on
nature’s mischief.'
She is making a prayer of some sorts to help her commit murder with her husband. In doing this, she feels she needs to remove all womanly
softness and care. To do this, she feels the need to remove any motherly characteristics such as her womanly breasts that hold milk, and asks
If it were done when ’tis done, then ’twere well  for the evil spirits to fill it with gall (also known as bile). 'Wherever in your sightless substances you wait on nature's mischief' simply refers to
It were done quickly. If th’assassination  where the evil spirits perhaps wait.
Could trammel up the consequence, and catch 
With his surcease success: that but this blow 
'Come, thick night and pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell that my keen knife see not the wound it makes nor heaven peep through the
Might be the be-all and the end-all, here,  blanket of the dark, To cry ‘Hold, hold!'
But here upon this bank and shoal of time, 
In this phrase, Lady Macbeth asks upon the night to hide her deed from both heaven and gods eyes, and from herself and other people. She
We’d jump the life to come. But in these cases 
asks that the night shade covers the estate, and nobody can see her do the evil deed, as she would be punished severely. She feels as though if
We still have judgement here, that we but teach 
nobody sees her crime, it will simply go away and she will feel no guilt, as though it never happened. 
Bloody instructions which, being taught, return 
To plague th’inventor. This even-handed justice 
Commends th’ingredience of our poisoned chalice 
To our own lips. He’s here in double trust: 
First, as I am his kinsman and his subject, 
Strong both against the deed; then, as his host,  In this soliloquy, which is found in Act 1, scene 7, lines 1–28, Macbeth debates whether he should kill Duncan. When he
Who should against his murderer shut the door, 
Not bear the knife myself. Besides, this Duncan 
lists Duncan’s noble qualities (he “[h]ath borne his faculties so meek”) and the loyalty that he feels toward his king (“I am
Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been  his kinsman and his subject”), we are reminded of just how grave an outrage it is for the couple to slaughter their ruler while
So clear in his great office, that his virtues  he is a guest in their house. At the same time, Macbeth’s fear that “[w]e still have judgement here, that we but teach /
Will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued against  Bloody instructions which, being taught, return / To plague th’inventor,” foreshadows the way that his deeds will eventually
The deep damnation of his taking-off,  come back to haunt him. The imagery in this speech is dark—we hear of “bloody instructions,” “deep damnation,” and a
And pity, like a naked new-born babe,  “poisoned chalice”—and suggests that Macbeth is aware of how the murder would open the door to a dark and sinful world.
Striding the blast, or heaven’s cherubin, horsed  At the same time, he admits that his only reason for committing murder, “ambition,” suddenly seems an insufficient
Upon the sightless couriers of the air, 
justification for the act. The destruction that comes from unchecked ambition will continue to be explored as one of the
Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye 
That tears shall drown the wind. I have no spur 
play’s themes. As the soliloquy ends, Macbeth seems to resolve not to kill Duncan, but this resolve will only last until his
To prick the sides of my intent, but only  wife returns and once again convinces him, by the strength of her will, to go ahead with their plot.
Vaulting ambition which o’erleaps itself 
And falls on th’other. (Act 1, Scene 7, lines 1-28)
KEY QUOTATIONS EXPLANATION
Whence is that knocking?—  Macbeth says this in Act 2, scene 2, lines 55–61. He has just murdered Duncan, and the crime was accompanied by
How is’t with me, when every noise appals me?  supernatural portents. Now he hears a mysterious knocking on his gate, which seems to promise doom. (In fact,
What hands are here! Ha, they pluck out mine eyes. 
Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood  the person knocking is Macduff, who will indeed eventually destroy Macbeth.) The enormity of Macbeth’s crime
Clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather  has awakened in him a powerful sense of guilt that will hound him throughout the play. Blood, specifically
The multitudinous seas incarnadine,  Duncan’s blood, serves as the symbol of that guilt, and Macbeth’s sense that “all great Neptune’s ocean” cannot
Making the green one red. (Act 2, Scene 2, lines 55-61) cleanse him—that there is enough blood on his hands to turn the entire sea red—will stay with him until his death.
Lady Macbeth’s response to this speech will be her prosaic remark, “A little water clears us of this deed” (2.2.65).
By the end of the play, however, she will share Macbeth’s sense that Duncan’s murder has irreparably stained them
with blood.

Out, damned spot; out, I say. One, two,—why, then ’tis
time to do’t. Hell is murky. Fie, my lord, fie, a soldier and
afeard? What need we fear who knows it when none can
call our power to account? Yet who would have thought
the old man to have had so much blood in him?
(Act 5, Scene 1, lines 30-34)
These words are spoken by Lady Macbeth in Act 5, scene 1, lines 30–34, as she sleepwalks through Macbeth’s castle on the eve of
his battle against Macduff and Malcolm. Earlier in the play, she possessed a stronger resolve and sense of purpose than her
husband and was the driving force behind their plot to kill Duncan. When Macbeth believed his hand was irreversibly bloodstained
earlier in the play, Lady Macbeth had told him, “A little water clears us of this deed” (2.2.65). Now, however, she too sees blood.
She is completely undone by guilt and descends into madness. It may be a reflection of her mental and emotional state that she is
not speaking in verse; this is one of the few moments in the play when a major character—save for the witches, who speak in four-
foot couplets—strays from iambic pentameter. Her inability to sleep was foreshadowed in the voice that her husband thought he
heard while killing the king—a voice crying out that Macbeth was murdering sleep. And her delusion that there is a bloodstain on
her hand furthers the play’s use of blood as a symbol of guilt. “What need we fear who knows it when none can call our power to
account?” she asks, asserting that as long as her and her husband’s power is secure, the murders they committed cannot harm
them. But her guilt-racked state and her mounting madness show how hollow her words are. So, too, does the army outside her
castle. “Hell is murky,” she says, implying that she already knows that darkness intimately. The pair, in their destructive power, have
created their own hell, where they are tormented by guilt and insanity.

These words are uttered by Macbeth after he hears of Lady Macbeth’s death, in Act 5, scene 5, lines 16–27. Given the great love
She should have died hereafter.  between them, his response is oddly muted, but it segues quickly into a speech of such pessimism and despair—one of the most
There would have been a time for such a word. 
famous speeches in all of Shakespeare—that the audience realizes how completely his wife’s passing and the ruin of his power
Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow 
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day 
have undone Macbeth. His speech insists that there is no meaning or purpose in life. Rather, life “is a tale / Told by an idiot, full
To the last syllable of recorded time.  of sound and fury, / Signifying nothing.” One can easily understand how, with his wife dead and armies marching against him,
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools  Macbeth succumbs to such pessimism. Yet, there is also a defensive and self-justifying quality to his words. If everything is
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle.  meaningless, then Macbeth’s awful crimes are somehow made less awful, because, like everything else, they too “signify
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player  nothing.” Macbeth’s statement that “[l]ife’s but a poor player / That struts and frets his hour upon the stage” can be read as
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,  Shakespeare’s somewhat deflating reminder of the illusionary nature of the theater. After all, Macbeth is only a “player” himself,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale  strutting on an Elizabethan stage. In any play, there is a conspiracy of sorts between the audience and the actors, as both pretend
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, 
to accept the play’s reality. Macbeth’s comment calls attention to this conspiracy and partially explodes it—his nihilism embraces
Signifying nothing.  (Act 5, Scene 5, lines 16-27)
not only his own life but the entire play. If we take his words to heart, the play, too, can be seen as an event “full of sound and
fury, / Signifying nothing.”
 Act 3 Scene 1 Analysis
Pun - a joke exploiting the
different possible meanings of
a word or the fact that there
are words which sound alike
but have different meanings.
• Suspicion and paranoia - Shortly after murdering King Duncan,
Macbeth is already plotting to murder his close friend, Banquo.
• Banquo’s soliloquy – uncertainty – not best pleased how Macbeth
has won the throne but wonders if a promotion will come his way –
- “I fear thou play’dst most foully for’t”
- “May they not be my oracles as well”
• Richness of language – double meanings, puns, irony.
- environment for the audience where they are on edge - to be
Macbeth’s chief guest is to become his victim.
- Throughout the play, Macbeth’s speeches change in order to reflect
his state of mind – this scene, different man to previous scenes.
• Macbeth character traits – the soldier, the worrier, the private man,
the cunning and devious man – calculating - “Fail not our feast” and
“My Lord I will not”.
• Macbeth character arc - from noble and considered to cajoling and
cunning – is he descending into mania with the mask finally slipping?
Deeds corrupting the person?
Act 3 Scene 2
Analysis
• Brief scene between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth – shows the state of their
relationship – the role reversal where it is now LM beginning to feel the strain
of their deed – “noughts had all spent”.
• Shakespeare’s technique
– the soliloquies and worries begin to echo each other.
– Macbeth is concerned in the previous scene that even though he has killed
Duncan, he is not safely thus.
- Macbeth begins to worry that they’ve done it all for nothing – LM’s worries
echo his.
- both trying to hide their worry and misery from each other – Macbeth
refuses to let LM in on new plan (to kill Banquo) – “be innocent of the
knowledge, dearest chuck”.
• To try to protect her whilst rebuking him for being miserable – “what’s done
is done” – both suffering from insomnia and nightmares – torture of the mind
– both experiencing the same thing.
• Macbeth and Lady Macbeth begin to drift apart.
• Secrecy - After refusing to let LM in on his plan to kill Banquo, their
relationship never really recovers – he has locked out her partner-in-crime
and she becomes dependent on him except when he wishes to deal with his
“scorpions of the mind” – the Lady Macbeth of Act 2 is gone.
• Haunted - LM – how evil deeds can ruin a person
– she is possessed by demons.
Act 3 Scene 3
Analysis
• Scheming - Macbeth has planned to kill both Banquo and Fleance
because the witches told them that Banquo’s sons would be
kings - Macbeth’s murder plot shows that he is challenging fate –
same fate that crowned him Thane of Cawdor and the Crown –
wants to outsmart prophecies if they go against him.
• Witches prophecies – real danger is Fleance.
• Significant murder scene – sends third murderer after the first
two – this shows his lack of trust for anyone – the downward
spiral –
Second Murderer - “we’ve lost the best half of our affair”
• Selective - Macbeth is so inconsistent and changeable, he
believes what he wants to believe – prophecies that benefit him
(yes), prophecies that don’t (no) – immature character, not a
clever and noble man.
• Playing with fate - If he believes in the same fate that has
brought him to this point, his efforts to murder Banquo and
Fleance are useless.
- What’s worse – murdering them or trying to counter fate?
• Macbeth is on a ‘downward spiral’.
Act 3 Scene 4 Analysis
• The Celebration Feast
- attempts to endear himself to society – going overboard to make everybody welcome.
- Macbeth’s chance to put all deeds to rest.
- “The hearty welcome”, “We will require her welcome”, “They are welcome”, “Be large in mirth”, “Love and
health to all”
- Macbeth can’t hide the evil that he’s indulged in.
• Coincidence - The fact that the murderer enters just as everyone is seated for the feast is very important.
• Supernatural - Macbeth is unable to sit with his guests just as he is unable to stand with them in society (in
terms of honour and respect).
- Macbeth’s seat at the banquet is taken by Banquo’s bloodied ghost.
- Dramatic irony and dramatic tension – Macbeth is confronted by an apparition that only he can see – symptom
of guilt (hallucination?) - - After conspiring for Banquo’s murder, to find his ghost sitting at the table in his seat is
profound dramatic irony.
- Macbeth panics, becomes hysterical and upsets all of his guests.
- Echoes prophecy from the witches that Banquo’s son will come to the throne.
• Lady Macbeth tries to allay the guests’ fears:
- tells them that he sometimes behaves like this – nothing to worry about.
- “sit my worthy friends, my lord is often thus and have been from his youth”.
• Chaos - Despite Macbeth’s efforts, the feast ends in disorder and disarray – symbolic of how he is trying to get
people on his side – to bring society together – fails spectacularly.
- The reason for his failure are the deeds that he has committed to get to this point.
• Escalation - M and LM hoped to just kill King Duncan and no more – but the crime has opened up a sequence of
events where escalating crimes are to be committed – the whole plan is unravelling.
• Alienation - Macbeth’s attempts to fit in with nobles and lords from society
– however, this outburst alienates him – everything begins to crumble and he starts to feel that he is alone in the
world.
- Macbeth and wife – LM tries to rally round him, but then tells them to leave, then becomes quiet (drained by
her broken spirit).
- The only time we see LM after this point is when she is sleepwalking where we see the full torment of her
mind.
- Macbeth’s murderous tendencies are now increasing.
• Rivers of blood – “I am in blood, stepped so far”, “That I should wade no more, returning were as tedious as to
go o’er” – past the point of no return – Macbeth’s murderous nature has grown whilst LM has shrunk.
Act 3 Scene 5 Analysis

• This scene may have been added by actors rather

than Shakespeare himself.
- the Witches were popular characters for
audiences.
- Hecate has many lines.
– witches appear differently in this scene.
– they treat Macbeth as the poor victim of their
plotting at the beginning, here, they treat him as if
they are one of his own.
- the Witches’ developing identification with
Macbeth could be because he has become so evil
that he has essentially become one of them.
• Hecate talks about how Macbeth’s over-confidence
has a bearing on the future -
foreshadowing/echoing scene.
 Act 3 Scene 6
Analysis
• Regicide – even though Macbeth killed his predecessor, he is still the
lawfully crowned King.
Catalyst – an element which - Kings and members of the Royal Family may have watched the play
enters a narrative which causes in the Globe Theatre.
a reaction – usually an increase - Shakespeare has to be careful with this weighty theme.
in conflict and tension.
• Catalyst - why must Macbeth be removed from the throne.
• Scotland - How do people feel about Macbeth and the state of the
country?
• Macbeth’s antagonist - Macduff is in England seeking help of the
King there to help remove Macbeth in Scotland.
• Unsympathetic protagonist - Macbeth is preparing to move against
Macduff’s family – this makes it difficult to have any sympathy for
Macbeth whatsoever – his murderous intent has spiralled.
- Macbeth’s motivation for killing Macduff’s family is a structural
technique in the narrative from Shakespeare – context and reason
for Macbeth and a device to bring the audience out of the
claustrophobic mind of Macbeth and back into the reality of the play.
Act 4 Scene 1 Analysis
• Three Witches
- theme of deception and equivocations
- appearances vs. reality – half truths, metaphorical masks from the
witches.
- hideous ingredients are put into the cauldron (echoes Macbeth’s
banquet where everything fell apart and ended in ruin).
- the witches prepare their very own special feast which reflects the
evil which has been committed by Macbeth in the play.
- Macbeth enters Act 1 with the witches with bravado and
confidence – echoing Hecate’s prophecy in Act 3 Scene 5 that
Macbeth’s overconfidence would bring his downfall (hubris).
• Structural device used by Shakespeare
- looking for reassurance and comfort that what he has done will
keep him on the throne.
- the witches show three different apparitions which Macbeth
interprets in his own way.
– these apparitions whilst seeming to comfort him are entirely
deceptive and symptomatic of how the witches speak in riddles and
half-truths.
- the audience are shown a series of apparitions which are
supposed to confirm one thing but can be interpreted as the
complete opposite – foreshadowing event – Shakespeare is flagging
something that will become crucial to the final outcome of the play.
• Apparition #1: The Armed Head
- foretells Macbeth’s eventual decapitation at the hands of Macduff.
- Macbeth however, believes that the head is representative of
Macduff – misunderstands its true meaning.
• Apparition #2: The Bloodied Child
- meant to represent Macduff – no-one who hasn’t been born of
woman can hurt him.
- Macbeth misreads the prophecy thinking that he has nothing to
fear (deceptive prophecy).
• Apparition #3: Malcolm’s Son
- coming to Macbeth’s castle carrying a branch from a tree.
- Idea that Macbeth can’t be harmed because Burnhamwood
moves to Dunceny
- thinking that it is impossible for a forest to move, feels even
more secure following the prophecy.
- Macbeth reads into each of the prophecies on what he wants to
see from them.
• Apparition #4: Eight Kings (Descendants of Banquo).
– he sees a line of eight kings who were all descendants of
Banquo.
- this leaves him in an awful state – no-one descended from him
will inherit the throne.
- curious that Macbeth sees this but still doesn’t doubt the earlier
prophecies – the witches have been playing with him.
• Development of Macbeth’s character.
- however evil, each murder has a purpose – but now, he has
decided that he will commit murders on a whim without thought.
- “from this moment, the very first things of my heart should be
the first things on my hand”
- he plots to murder Macduff’s wife and children in a terrible act –
this almost dehumanises him in our eyes – now a cold-hearted
killing machine – it is difficult to have any sympathy for him or to
see him as anything else other than a monster at this point.
• This is where the last ounce of sympathy that we had for him
dissipates.
Act 4 Scene 2 Analysis

• Suspense - The audience are waiting throughout this scene for

something bad to happen to Macduff’s family.
• Deception – Lady Macduff tells her son that her father is a
traitor – in-depth conversation between mother and son about
the nature of treason and who can be declared treasonous.
• Off-stage - Though we see the boy being murdered, Macbeth
doesn’t carry out the deed – suggestion that Macbeth could
not have brought himself to do it even if he wanted to.
• Macbeth’s low-point – out-and-out villain:
- the only way to keep him remotely redeemable is that he is
not the direct murderer of the young boy.
• Regressive character arc
- A tragic play requires that we have some sympathy towards
Macbeth even if it is such a tiny amount.
- Structural ploys to make some elements of sympathy for the
central character.
Act 4 Scene 3
Analysis
• Theme - deception, appearances vs. reality.
• One of the longest scenes in the whole play -
- establishes the character who is big and strong enough to tackle Macbeth.
• Macduff and Malcolm’s long conversation – serves a number of purposes:
- Malcolm (in contrast to his father) is showing immense caution and is testing Macduff to see
if he can trust him.
- “to show an unfelt sorrow is an office which the false man does easy” –
- LM had previously chided Macbeth on showing his face “like a book” – Macbeth becomes
more duplicitous after this.
- suggestion that Macbeth has sent spies to try to trick Malcolm (if he comes back to Scotland,
he will be killed by Macbeth).
- this scene is critical of Scotland (and also what a good king should be like).
- Malcolm denounces himself as greedy, violent and lustful – effort to gauge Macduff’s
reaction. - If he were to be king, he would “pour the sweet milk of Concord into hell, up all the
universe of peace, confound all unity on earth”.
- Macduff is at his wit’s end – this is a subtle way of describing Scotland’s state under
Macbeth’s rule – men’s actions can disrupt the natural order (which can result in disruptions
in nature).
- Malcolm is describing a country completed ruined and miserable – this is precisely what
Macbeth’s Scotland really is.
• Analysis of Kings - Malcolm goes on to say that he’s none of the things that evil Kings he has
described, are.
- he then describes what a good King is like and references Edward the Confessor.
- people perceived that Kings had miraculous healing abilities – they were supernaturally
deified.
- Edward the Confessor (King James related) – Shakespeare is trying to present the King in a
good light – Edward is gentle and noble, Macbeth is murderous and barbaric (contrasts).
• The cycle of murder continues - Macduff learns that his family have been murdered –
Macduff and Malcom now seem like convincing, well-exposited characters with the task of
dethroning the tyrant Macbeth.
Act 5 Scene 1
Analysis
• Lady Macbeth has lost her mind:
- in previous Acts, she seems completely untroubled by evil and the supernatural – in Act 3: “the
dead are but as pictures” – she is now walking and talking in her sleep (sign of madness).
- in this scene, she seems lost – she’s gone beyond humanity, and the guilt and stress on her
mind is too much to bare.
- earlier, convinces Macbeth to kill Duncan by attacking his manhood – but now, Macbeth says - “I
dare do all that may become a man, who dares do more is none” – anyone who kills a King is not
a man (because they’ve lost their humanity).
- Analogy by D.J. Enright – Lady Macbeth is a sprinter in evil whilst Macbeth is a long-distance
runner – he starts off slowly but can go for much longer.
- Reinforced through Shakespeare’s repetition and imagery –
- Lady Macbeth’s soliloquy repeatedly focuses on blood and murder - “who would have thought
that the old man would have had so much blood in him”
- earlier, she believes that washes your hands of the blood removes the deed from your mind –
however, she is learning the hard way of the toll these deeds have on her.
• Multiple meanings of quotation - Alternative interpretation for Shakespeare’s use of language –
“out, out, damned spot”.
- Interpretation #1 – unable to literally wash the blood from her hands or figuratively clean the
guilt from her mind.
- Interpretation #2 – she may be possessed by demons – demons and witches were often known
to have certain spots on their bodies which marked them out as evil – “out, out” is a symbol that
she is trying to get her soul back – however, she has a price to pay for the crime she has
committed.
• Suicide - Lady Macbeth’s fate is the final nail in the coffin for her relationship with Macbeth –
after she dies (committing suicide), he is alone – there is also a suggestion that he’s already alone
and her death means nothing to him.
 Act 5 Scene 2 Analysis

• Extended metaphor - In this scene, the extended metaphor of attire, clothes and
garments that don’t fit appears. Angus refers to Macbeth as a dwarf wearing a
giant’s robes. Again, we can take this to mean that Duncan, as a good king, was a
“giant” while Macbeth, in his place, is a dwarf. I feel this means more about
Hubris – excessive pride stature rather than any literal sense of size. Certainly as the play draws to its
which inevitably leads to conclusion, we begin to see the final version of Macbeth and he is not hiding.
one’s downfall. • Internal conflict - Over the next few scenes, (as forces amass against him),
Macbeth faces internal turmoil. The building forces outside his castle are almost
a mere distraction to his own thoughts. The audience is being guided in the
direction of Macbeth’s own thoughts and feelings rather than putting too great a
stock in the battle which is due to happen.
• Suspense - Shakespeare makes another interesting structural decision here that
enhances the impact of the final scenes. From Act 4 Scene 3, when Macduff and
Malcolm decide to join forces to overthrow Macbeth, until the end of the play,
Shakespeare tends to contrast a scene of the “good guys” planning their attack
with a scene where we see Macbeth in emotional turmoil. Through this we see
the liberating army steadily moving towards Macbeth’s castle while we see
Macbeth himself steadily descending into despair.
• Hubris - While Macbeth believes himself to be invincible, we see that his real
enemy is his conscience. He is suffering the weight of the decisions he has made
and the acts he has carried out. The armies gathering outside his castle are
inconsequential, an annoyance at best. The real battle is within his mind and
soul.
Act 5 Scene 3 Analysis
• Illness - following Macbeth’s internal monologues, we see
that the strain is beginning to show – a Doctor comes and
Analogy - comparison
tells him about Lady Macbeth and how he is suffering – he
between one thing and simply tells him to treat the illness.
another, typically for the • Analogy - Macbeth invokes an analogy here asking the
purpose of explanation
or clarification.
doctor if he can treat a sick country – echoes and furthers
Shakespeare’s metaphor from the scene in the English
court where the doctor there about how Malcolm heals
and helps the sick people in his country whilst here in
Scotland we’ll have to assume that the entire country is
sick – it is a result of Macbeth himself – mood swings: rage,
disgust, misery, determination.
• Individualism - Macbeth decides to face the invaders
single-handedly -“till from my bones my flesh be hacked” –
Shakespeare is trying to get the audience to have some
admiration for him – logistically speaking, Macbeth is now
ruined – left with only one option: face them like a man,
like the great warrior we saw at the beginning.
Act 5 Scene 4 Analysis

• “Cut down the bow from the trees” – carry

it in front of him to disguise their numbers.
• Macbeth believed wholeheartedly in the
witches prophecies:
– another one is coming true in an
unfortunate way – his bravery and
determination is misplaced, believing
himself to be invincible
– the witches are cunning in their
deception towards Macbeth, who is highly
impressionable.
- the tragic denouement is imminent and
inevitable.
Act 5 Scene 5 Analysis

• “Died hereafter” – multiple meanings:

MACBETH: Out, out,
brief candle! Life's but a
walking shadow, a poor
player who struts and
frets his hour upon the
stage and is heard no
more. It is a tale told by
an idiot, full of sound
and fury, signifying • Scene is notable for Macbeth’s soliloquy -
nothing.
- either Macbeth knew that LM would die
anyway
- to symbolise the complete breakdown of
their relationship.
- or her dying is an annoyance and
distraction as he plans for battle.
- or she shouldn’t have died yet, she
should have died at a later date.
- speaks about the trivial nature of life
and that it is essentially worthless.
Act 5 Scene 6 & 7
Analysis
• Scene 6 – battle begins when the troops throw down their
branches.
• Scene 7 – Macbeth joins the fray – determined and fierce like a
“bear tied to a stake pursued by savage dogs” – has not figured out
the true meaning of the witches’ prophecy about Macduff yet
(“being not born of woman”).
- Siward wants to make a name for himself and kill Macbeth –
Macbeth kills him easily – honourable death for Siward – was
attacked from the front – fought an honourable battle and died an
honourable death – valour and bravery in a violent and vicious
world.
• The battlefield - The setting of the play is dangerous and violent –
Macbeth is heralded at the beginning of the play for killing lots of
people but it is acceptable because it was on the battlefield
(enemies of Scotland) – when he goes on killing the wrong sort of
people, people become concerned – unbalancing the natural order.
• Ambiguous loyalty - Suggestion of Macbeth’s soldiers are either
not fighting very hard or have joined the other side – Malcolm
“we’ve met with foes who strike beside us” – emphasis on how
alone Macbeth is now – Macbeth against the world.
Act 5 Scene 8 Analysis

• Courage versus cowardice - Macbeth – “why should I play the Roman fool and die on
my own sword?” – thought of suicide.
• Guilt - Macbeth has guilt about killing Macduff’s family – attempts to remedy this by
telling him that he does not want to shed any more of his blood - Macbeth also still
believes that he can’t be defeated by anyone born of woman – misplaced confidence.
• The final deception – Macduff was cut from his mother’s womb (caesarean) rather
than born naturally – this news devastates Macbeth – this was the sole thing that his
confidence was based.
• Macbeth’s first instinct is to run – “I’ll not fight with thee” – after being goaded by
Macduff, he becomes the warrior Macbeth – he chooses to die fighting rather than be
captured and humiliated.
• Masculinity - Macbeth forced by taunting and bullying (Lady Macbeth and Macduff) by
challenging his manhood.
• Shakespeare - presents Macbeth as Scotland’s best warrior, celebrated by his King and
loved and respected by his peers – through ambition, weakness and the influence of
others, he threw it all away – lost parts of his humanity and ends up completely alone
to face his own death – can we have any sympathy for him?
- was he wholly responsible for his actions?
- was Lady Macbeth the main influence and facilitator?
- How about the Witches?
- were they just bystanders in the decline and fall of Macbeth?
Act 5 Scene 9 Analysis

• The King is dead – Macbeth has been killed (head

cut off) and everyone gathers round to celebrate.
• Order has been restored – natural order was
disrupted by Macbeth and now Malcolm is about to
become King.
• Macbeth is the driving force of the narrative, and his
death leaves a void in the final scene which is
almost anti-climactic (intentionally so).
• Final words of the play - Macbeth is referred to as a
“butcher” (contrast to his heroic entrance in Act 1) –
tragic, regressive character arc – good man with a
flaw who ultimately ends up dead.
• Un/sympathetic - Good guy lead astray or bad guy
who took advantage of villainous influences (Lady
Macbeth and Witches)?
Links for further study:

https://myshakespeare.com/macbeth/act-3-scene-1

https://www.rsc.org.uk/shakespeare-learning-zone/
macbeth/story/timeline