Document gives a complete review on one of the Shakespeare's plays "Macbeth". Document describes basic information about the play (setting,composition,style,allusion) but it also contains summary of the play, divided into each act, which gives the student better orientation. Document does not inclu...
The Supernatural in Macbeth: Prophecies, Ambitions, and the Downfall of a Hero
Macbeth act 1 and 2 key quotes, main themes, examples literary devices
All for this textbook (28)
Written for
Secondary school
English
5
All documents for this subject (2118)
Seller
Follow
anastasijaivanovapanova
Content preview
MACBETH-BOOK SUMMARY
author: William Shakespeare- is an english playwright,actor and poet,born in Stratford-upon-
Avon. During his life, he lived in London where he performed in Globe-theatre and wrote
plays and soon became favourite playwright of queen Elizabeth I.,who often visited this
theatre. Through his life, he wrote many plays, Romeo and Juliet,Macbeth,Othello,Merchant
of Venice,King Lear and wrote over 100 sonnets. He died in his hometown at the age of 52.
Genre: drama,tragedy
Setting: 11th century in Scotland
Composition: the play is divided into 5 acts
Characters:
● Macbeth- main character of Shakespeare’s play, scottish general,good warrior,
ambitious,having self-doubts,plagued by worry and psychic thoughts
● Lady Macbeth- Macbeth’s wife, deeply ambitious woman who lusts for power and
position,she is the one who urges Macbeth to kill the king, after getting the crown,
both her and her husband turn mad, dangerous, but she and him love each other and
make a good duo
● The three Witches- old and weird,but very good manipulators with people, evil and
wicked, the most dangerous characters in the play, make a prophecy to Macbeth that
he will be a king of Scotland.
● King Duncan- king of Scotland,symbol of stability and goodness,good
leader,kind,killed by Macbeth
● Banquo-Macbeth’ s noble best friend,second victim of Macbeth,not as ambitious as
Macbeth but also asks for a prophecy, witches tell him that his children will rule
Scotland.
● Macduff- nobleman, loyal to king Duncan, since the murder,Macduff didn’t believe
that Duncan was murdered by his servants, Macbeth realises that he won’t be loyal
to him,so he murders his wife and children, Macduff flees and decides to revenge his
family by putting on throne someone better than Macbeth. In the end,he kills
Macbeth.
● Malcolm-son of king Duncan,since his murder, Macbeth feels threatened by him.
Malcolm is worried about his faith,so he leaves Scotland and later creates
partnership with Macduff to kill Macbeth and put Malcolm on the throne.
Full play summary:
Act 1
● The play begins with the brief appearance of the Three Witches and quickly changes
into military camp,where king Duncan listens to news of his two generals Macbeth
and Banquo,who defeated two armies- one from Ireland and other one from Norway.
After the battle, Banquo and Macbeth encounter the Three Witches. They greet them
with prophecies, they call Macbeth “Thane of Cawdor” which impresses both leaders.
After the witches tell Macbeth that he will be king, Banquo demands his future and
witches tell him that he will have children who become kings, but he himself won’t be
king. After their encounter, both leaders return back home and they are told that
Macbeth has become the Thane of Cawdor which confuses them both, but it makes
Macbeth more ambitious to become a king.
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through EFT, credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying this summary from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller anastasijaivanovapanova. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy this summary for R117,25. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
