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Summary Macbeth Character and themes
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Macbeth Character and themes GCSE AQA English Literature
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Inhaltsvorschau
Macbeth Characters and ThemesCharacter Analysis
Macbeth
Lady Macbeth
Witches
Duncan
Banquo
Macduff
Context of Macbeth
Writing for a King
Witches and Witchcraft
Shakespeare’s Reading
Mystery and Morality Plays
Tragedy
Themes
Ambition
Loyalty and Betrayal
Kingship
Good and Evil
Supernatural
Reality and Appearances
Fate and Free Will
Act Summaries
Act 1
Act 2
Act 3
Act 4
Act 5
Character Analysis
Macbeth
Ambitious but easily corrupted
● Strong warrior who wants to be king of Scotland and will do anything to make that happen
● Easily influenced by other such as the Witches and Lady Macbeth, which makes him weak
Brave soldier
, ● At the start of the play Macbeth cuts of the traitor’s head - these actions earn him Thane of
Cawdor
● Macbeth seems most comfortable on the battlefield as he doesn’t have to worry about guilt
● He finishes his life in battle too, and never stops fighting until the end
Brutal murderer
● Macbeth is a cold and calculated killer towards his enemies
● By the end of the play his violent ambition has ruined all of his good characteristics
Guilty conscience
● Macbeth has a sense of right of wrong and is constantly worried about the consequences of
actions.
● He’s reluctant to kill Duncan as he honoured him for bravery
● After killing Duncan, Macbeth swings between killing all of enemies or struggling with terrible
guilt
● His guilty conscience makes him imagine things and people
● At the end of the play Macbeth no longer feels guilty as he thinks life means nothing
Easily manipulated
● Lady Macbeth persuades Macbeth to take action in order to be more of a man
● However her influence declines after Duncan’s murders
● Macbeth is also influenced by the Witches: their prophecies and visions
Lady Macbeth
Ambitious and very clever
● More ruthless than her husband and often convinces him to take action
● She uses Macbeth’s ambition and fear of being seen as a coward to manipulate him into
killing Duncan.
● She is quick-witted - she comes up with a cunning plot to blame Duncan’s servants for his
death
● When Duncan’s murder is discovered she faints, this could be a pretence which draws
attention from Macbeth’s unconvincing speech
Intense relationship with Macbeth
● Changes throughout the play
● At the beginning, seems loving and generous
● As the play develops, Lady Macbeth dominates the relationship
● As Macbeth reveals less about his plans, she becomes more anxious and alone
● Even though she is a leader at the start, she can’t cope without her husband
Explores gender
● Lady Macbeth thinks that no ordinary women could plan a murder - as they are made weak
by their maternal instincts
● However she is cruel and ruthless - as she says that she would kill her own baby if she had
sworn to do it.
● She has a softer side too - she couldn’t kill Duncan herself as he reminds her of her father
● Macbeth is set in a male-dominated society, so Lady Macbeth can only achieve her ambitions
through Macbeth
Goes mad with guilt
● Starts sleepwalking
● In her sleep she washes her hands repeatedly so that she can wash away her feelings of guilt
● Guilt and isolation affect Lady Macbeth so much, that she kills herself
Witches
Main source of supernatural powers
, ● They can see the future - all their predictions eventually come true
● Speak in short lines of rhyme, which sets them apart from the other characters
● They are instruments of fate
● Often accompanied by thunder and lighting, which sets the atmosphere
Evil and take advantage of weaknesses
● They act out of malice as they don’t gain anything from their actions
● They confuse Macbeth by using paradoxes, by not being clear they keep control of Macbeth
● Hecate punishes Macbeth’s behaviour by using the apparitions to trick him
Duncan
Good king
● Model king in Macbeth: kind, honest and fair
● Puts Scotland’s needs in front of his own
● Isn’t a soldier like Macduff or Macbeth so he’s less aggressive and more gentle
○ Question whether a good leader needs to be a warrior
● Not afraid to be emotional
Too trusting
● Trusts the first Thane of Cawdor (MacDonald) and gets betrayed by him
● He trusts Macbeth and doesn’t suspect he’s plotting to kill him
● However Duncan can be firm when needed, he executes MacDonald
Banquo
More honourable than Macbeth
● Banquo is a thane and also praised for his courage in battle
● He is ambitious, however he doesn’t act on the prophecies and doesn’t become corrupted
● Macbeth wanted Banquo to help him, however Banquo kept his allegiance clear
○ Banquo’s conscience was more important to him than power and glory
● He suspects that Macbeth murdered Duncan, however he doesn’t act to protect himself
● Banquo also didn’t suspect that Macbeth would betray him
Doesn’t trust the Witches
● Banquo behaves rationally when he meets the Witches
● He is intrigued by the predictions, however he doesn’t fall into their trap
Macduff
Noble
● Macduff is honest and has integrity unlike Macbeth
● He is also brave; he fights and kills Macbeth
● He wants to put the rightful heir on the throne and avenge his family’s deaths
Puts Scotland before himself
● Macduff has a strong sense of loyalty and love for his country
● In trying to save Scotland from Macbeth, he leaves his family at home and they get killed
Context of Macbeth
● Macbeth was written around 1606 by William Shakespeare.
● He wrote for the theatre during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I and King James I.
● Macbeth could have been influenced by King James I, and what would make him a good king.
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