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Summary Macbeth Characters & Themes
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This document contains 17 pages including; Character Analysis, Context of Macbeth, Themes & Act Summaries.
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Macbeth Characters & 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 honorable 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 wants 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
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