Macbeth Notes Page 1

MACBETH

GENRE: Tragedy TONE: Dark and ominous, suggestive of a world turned topsy-turvy by foul and

unnatural crimes SETTING (TIME): The Middle Ages, specifically the 11th Century SETTING (PLACE): Various locations in Scotland; also England, briefly PROTAGONIST: Macbeth MAJOR CONFLICTS: The struggle within Macbeth between his ambition and his sense of right and

wrong. The struggle between the murderous evil – represented by Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, and the best interests of the nation – represented by Malcolm and Macduff.

RISING ACTION: Macbeth and Banquo’s encounter with the Witches initiates both conflicts.

Lady Macbeth’s speeches goad Macbeth into murdering Duncan and seizing the crown.

CLIMAX: Macbeth’s murder of Duncan in Act II represents the point of no return, after

which Macbeth is forced to continue butchering his subjects to avoid the consequences of his crime.

FALLING ACTION: Macbeth’s increasingly brutal murders (of Duncan’s servants, Banquo, Lady

Macduff and her son). Macbeth’s second meeting with the Witches. Macbeth’s final confrontation with Macduff and the opposing armies.

THEMES: The corrupting nature of unchecked ambition.

The relationship between cruelty and masculinity. The difference between kingship and tyranny.

MOTIFS: The supernatural, hallucinations, violence, prophecy SYMBOLS: Blood

The dagger that Macbeth sees just before he kills Duncan in Act II The weather

DRAMATIC IRONY: The bloody battle in Act I foreshadows the bloody murders later on.

When Macbeth thinks he hears a voice while killing Duncan, it foreshadows the insomnia that plagues Macbeth and his wife. Macduff’s suspicions of Macbeth after Duncan’s murder foreshadow his later opposition to Macbeth.

All of the Witches’ prophecies foreshadow later events.

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THE GREAT CHAIN OF BEING

[Source: Blue Book series]

BACKGROUND NOTES

When the play was written

1605–1606. James I was king of England and Scotland. He was the first king to rule over both

countries simultaneously. Elizabethans and Jacobians were obsessed with the idea of order (cf.

The Great Chain of Being above). They saw the King as a direct appointee of God (The Divine

Right of Kings), and consequently, any attempt to overthrow him was ‘wicked’ and would result in

‘chaos’. During the two years that Shakespeare wrote this play, King James’ secret police

discovered gunpowder under the Houses of Parliament. This was an attempt to overthrow the

institutions of law and order in England during the time that Macbeth was being written. Direct

reference to the trial of Guy Fawkes and his conspirators is made in the porter scene, but it is the

horror with which the English public received the news which is important. The play Macbeth deals

with the themes of usurpation, evil and the chaos which results from the deliberate upheaval of

the established order.

When the play was set

In Scotland, between 1040 and about 1060. The King ruled the land. Beneath him in status were

the Earls (noblemen by birth) and beneath them, the thanes. As far as can be established, these

Thanes were not born to their stations, but were warriors appointed by the King to administer a

section of the King's lands known as Thanage. In return they would pay the King taxes in money

and food, and would be expected to accommodate the King if travels took him to that particular

Thanage.

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Scotland, during this period, was plagued by rebellions and revolutions. During Duncan's reign

the Thane of Cawdor took part in a rebellion, and forces from Ireland and Norway were sent to aid

the rebellion. The play opens with the defeat of the rebels, and we are introduced to two of

Duncan's generals, Macbeth and Banquo, who had been largely instrumental in this victory.

NB: In history Macbeth's wife, Lady Macbeth or Gruoch, had been married before to

Gillacomgain and had had a son by him – hence her words in the play, “I have given suck".

The Witches

In Shakespeare's day, people were extremely superstitious and even the most intelligent believed

in witchcraft demons, and in the occult. King James himself had written a book about it. In this

play the 'Weird Sisters' are supernatural agents of evil. Macbeth, however, is certainly no mere

puppet moving under their manipulation. They have a power over Macbeth, which, though strong,

is limited. They tempt him to do evil, and tempt him with great subtlety. They cannot, however,

force him to do it. The choice to do evil rests ultimately with Macbeth himself.

The Plot

“The essential plot of Macbeth is that of a man, not naturally depraved, who has fallen under the

compulsive power of an imagined better state for himself, which he can obtain only by acting

contrary to his normal habits and feelings; who attains this state and then finds that he must

continue to act thus and even worse, in order to hold on to what he has got; who persists and

becomes progressively hardened morally in the process; and who then, ultimately, when the once

alluring good is about to be taken away from him, faces the loss in terms of what is left of his

original character.” [RS Crane: ‘The Structure of Macbeth']

NB: Notice, in the above plot outline, no mention is made of Lady Macbeth or the Weird Sisters

(the Witches). Notice also that the play is called MACBETH and not LADY MACBETH or

THE WEIRD SISTERS. Beware of absolving Macbeth of too much blame by saying that he

was forced to commit evil by the witches and his wife. He is a man who must stand alone to

be judged and condemned. Although the audience does this, however, we still maintain our

sympathy for the hero throughout the play.

Themes

1. The reversal of values in the state of Scotland, which leads to the disintegration of order,

and ultimately to chaos.

2. Ambition, and the evils which may attend it.

3. False appearances vs Reality. (What seems is not what is.)

4. The concept of manhood. What defines a man?

5. Good vs Evil.

Symbols/Motifs

Macbeth is rich in imagery, and it is impossible to list them all. Below is a guide to some of the

dominant imagery which should be looked for while reading the play.

1. Dress / Clothes – representing the honours Macbeth gains after the murder.

2. Echoing sound – indicating the boundless effects of evil, within one man.

3. Light and Dark – light represents all that is good, honest and life-giving; dark

represents everything evil and death.

4. Disease / Health / Doctors – sin is a disease, and Scotland, under the reign of

Macbeth, becomes diseased and in dire need of a remedy and medicine.

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5. Nature – all that is whole and beautiful in nature represents good order and stability;

perversions of nature represent evil and chaos.

6. Blood – to increase our sense of fear, horror and pain.

7. Animals – predatory animals, such as scorpions, serpents, 'hell-kites' and others add

to the horror and bring out the bestiality of man, thus illustrating the theme of 'the

concept of man'. Birds and animals indulging in the procreative activities of life

symbolise order, stability and good.

About the play, Macbeth

Legend has it that Macbeth was written in 1605 or 1605 and performed at Hampton Court in 1506

for King James I and his brother-in-law, King Christian of Denmark. Whether it was first performed

at the royal court or was premiered at the Globe theatre, there can be little doubt that the play was

intended to please the King, who had recently become the patron of Shakespeare's theatrical

company. We note, for example, that the character of Banquo – the legendary root of the Stuart

family tree – is depicted very favourably. Like Banquo, King James was a Stuart. The play is also

quite short, perhaps because Shakespeare knew that James preferred short plays. Furthermore,

the play contains many supernatural elements that James, who himself published a book on the

detection and practices of witchcraft, would have appreciated. Even something as minor as the

Scottish defeat of the Danes may have been omitted to avoid offending King Christian.

The material for Macbeth was drawn from Raphael Holinshed's Chronicles of England, Scotland,

and Ireland (1587). Despite the play's historical source, however, the play is generally classified

as tragedy rather than a history. This derives perhaps from the fact that the story contains many

historical fabrications – including the entire character of Banquo, who was invented by a 16th-

century Scottish historian in order to validate the Stuart family line. In addition to such

nationalization, Shakespeare took many liberties with the historical accuracy, manipulating the

characters of Macbeth and Duncan to suit his purposes. In Holinshed's account, Macbeth is a

ruthless and valiant leader who rules competently after killing Duncan, whereas Duncan is

portrayed as a young and soft-willed man. Shakespeare draws out certain aspects of these two

characters in order to create a stronger sense of polarity. Whereas Duncan is made out to be a

venerable and kindly older king, Macbeth is transformed into an indecisive and troubled young

man who cannot possibly rule well.

Macbeth is certainly not the only play with historical themes that is full of fabrications. Indeed,

there are other reasons why the play is considered a tragedy rather than a history. One reason

lies in the play's universality. Rather than illustrating a specific historical moment, Macbeth

presents a human drama of ambition, desire, and guilt. Like Hamlet, Macbeth speaks soliloquies*

that articulate the emotional and intellectual anxieties with which many audiences identify easily.

For all his lack of values and “vaulting ambition”, Macbeth is a character who often seems

infinitely real to audiences. This powerful grip on the audience is perhaps what has made

Macbeth such a popular play for centuries of viewers.

*soliloquy = an act of speaking one's thoughts aloud when by oneself or

regardless of any hearers, especially by a character in a play

Given that Macbeth is one of Shakespeare's shortest plays, some scholars have suggested that

scenes were excised from the Folio version and subsequently lost. If scenes were indeed cut out,

however, these cuts were most masterfully done. After all, none of the story line is lost and the

play remains incredibly powerful without them. In fact, the play’s length gives it a compelling,

almost brutal, force. The action flows from scene to scene, speech to speech, with a swiftness

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that draws the viewer into Macbeth's struggles. As Macbeth's world spins out of control, the play

itself also begins to spiral towards to its violent end.

MACBETH: AN OVERVIEW OF THE PLOT

THE PLOT: The term 'plot' refers to the ACTIONS and EVENTS in the play and the circumstances

and sequence in which they occur. The plot includes the "story" but involves much more than just

the story. It also deals with the deliberate way in which the playwright chooses his characters,

uses them and manipulates their actions to illustrate his message/s.

*****

The play is set in Scotland. Macbeth and Banquo – both generals in the army of King Duncan of

Scotland – returning from a victory, are stopped by three Witches. The Witches prophesy that

Macbeth will first become THANE OF CAWDOR and then KING OF SCOTLAND. They also

predict that Banquo will be the FATHER OF KINGS, though he himself will never be one.

Macbeth immediately begins to display his private ambitions of becoming king.

The king, overwhelmed by Macbeth's victory, honours him by awarding him the title "THANE OF

CAWDOR" (just as the Witches predicted). Macbeth’s imagination races ahead. Can the Witches'

prophecies be completely true? He confides his "feelings" with his wife, Lady Macbeth, who is

herself very ambitious. Lady Macbeth encourages her husband to attain his goal. She is both

devious and ruthless enough to suggest that Macbeth should murder Duncan.

Spurred on by his wife, Macbeth murders Duncan – who is a guest at Macbeth's castle. As soon

as the murder is discovered, Macbeth murders Duncan’s guards, as if they were the guilty ones.

Duncan's sons, fearing their own safety, flee to England and Ireland. Macbeth usurps the throne

of Duncan. The Witches' prophecies have "come true".

Macbeth is, however, not at peace with himself. The Witches' prediction that Banquo’s

descendants would be Kings troubles him greatly. Macbeth also realises that Banquo suspects

him of killing King Duncan. He orders the death of Banquo and Fleance (Banquo’s young son).

Banquo is killed but Fleance escapes.

The ghost of Banquo returns to plague Macbeth's conscience. Macbeth receives word that

opposition is building up against him. Malcolm (Duncan's son) and Macduff have joined forces

and are preparing an attack on Macbeth.

Macbeth seeks confirmation from the Witches. The Witches trick Macbeth further and fill him with

a false sense of security.

Macbeth, hardened by killing and full of malice against potential enemies, orders the killing of

Macduff's wife and children.

Lady Macbeth in the meantime, burdened with guilt over the murders, becomes a sleepwalker.

She commits suicide. At the end of the play Macduff kills Macbeth in battle.

Duncan's son Malcolm is declared the rightful King of Scotland.

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A DIAGRAMMATIC OVERVIEW

MACBETH:

A TRAGEDY

An outstanding

soldier, full of honour

and titles falls victim to:

(a) evil forces (without) and

(b) a tragic flaw (within).

He kills his king to usurp the throne;

loses his peace and honour; becomes a

cold-blooded killer and is killed in the end.

1. EXPOSITION

1.1 Meeting of the Witches

1.2 Macbeth & Banquo

encounter Witches – prophecies

1.3 Macbeth displays private

ambitions to become king.

2. DEVELOPMENT

2.1 Macbeth shares his

ambitions with Lady M.

2.2 Plot to murder Duncan.

2.3 The murder of Duncan.

2.4 Macbeth kills guards.

2.5 Macbeth becomes king.

3. CLIMAX

3.1 Macbeth encounters Banquo’s ghost.

3.2 Macbeth’s duplicity is revealed &

opposition against him mounts.

4. DENOUEMENT

(Unravelling)

4.1 Macbeth’s treachery &

tyranny.

4.2 Macbeth turns to the

Witches but their

prophecies clearly

turn against him.

4.3 Further prophecies are

also ambiguous.

5. CONCLUSION

5.1 Macbeth is killed by Macduff.

5.2 Lady Macbeth also dies.

5.3 Retribution.

5.4 Malcolm becomes king.

5.5 Natural order has been restored.

5.6 Good overcomes evil.

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MAP

[source: De Jager – Haum]

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THE CHARACTERS Duncan King of Scotland

Malcolm

Donalbain Duncan’s sons

Macbeth Thane of Glamis, later of Cawdor, later King of Scotland Thanes of Scotland:

Banquo Macduff Lennox Rosa Menteth Angus Cathness

Fleance Banquo’s son Seyward Earl of Northumberland Young Seyward His son Seyton Macbeth’s armour bearer Son of Macduff A captain An English Doctor A Scottish Doctor A Porter Lady Macbeth Wife of Macduff Gentlewoman Lady Macbeth’s attendant Three Weird Sisters Three Other Witches Hecate Apparitions Three Murderers Lords, Gentlemen, Officers, Soldiers, Attendants, Messengers,

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CHARACTER SKETCHES DUNCAN Duncan is the king of Scotland. In the play, he is murdered by Macbeth. He is really a true and noble king and is well liked by everyone.

MACBETH An ambitious leader in Duncan’s army. He hears a prophecy (from the Witches) that he will one day be king of Scotland. This makes him even more ambitious and he eventually kills Duncan because of it. He becomes a really cruel and unfair ruler of Scotland. He is eventually killed by Macduff. Towards the end of the Act 1, we see another side to him. Lady Macbeth has already told us that, although he is ambitious, he also lacks the drive to get where he needs to be. She says that he has too good a nature ever to be truly successful. For this very reason, we begin to see the true side of Lady Macbeth. BANQUO He is the other leader of Duncan’s army. The Witches tell him that his sons will be kings of Scotland. Macbeth hires murderers to kill Banquo. LADY MACBETH She is far more ambitious than her husband. She wants him to be king more than he really wants to be. The only reason he kills Duncan eventually, is because he doesn’t want to be called a coward by his wife. She is prepared to kill her own child for Macbeth to be king. She is far more ruthless than Macbeth. THE WITCHES Their sole purpose in the play is to bring about Macbeth’s downfall. They speak in riddles (ambiguously) and tempt Macbeth submit to evil doings. MALCOM Duncan’s eldest son. Duncan names Malcolm his successor as king of Scotland. Malcolm is able to lead an army against Macbeth after his father is murdered. At the end of the play, he becomes the rightful king of Scotland. DONALBAIN Duncan’s youngest son. He flees to Ireland for refuge after his father’s murder.

MACDUFF He becomes important after Duncan is murdered. Macbeth is really afraid of him and the Witches warn Macbeth to be scared of Macduff; Macduff eventually kills Macbeth. ROSS He just brings messages and describes events throughout the play. His character in the play is not that important.

[Adapted from FB page: 20/05/2020]

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CHARACTER CHART

[Source: Exam Success]