Violence

• Macbeth ruthlessly murders Macduff’s family towards the end of the play, resulting in continued fighting and brutality that only ends with Macbeth’s death
• Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’ is a particularly violent tragedy, with frequent descriptions of brutal acts both in battle, and committed by Macbeth himself
• Macbeth begins and ends the play with violence, commencing with his success in war and concluding with him being beheaded
• Resolution can only take place with a violent, bloody conclusion
• Macbeth's reaction to Banquo’s death and his inability to stem the destructive violence continuing
• Macbeth is a tragic hero with a fatal flaw that leads him to killing Duncan
• The killing of Macduff’s family is transgressive and horrific, leading to violent revenge
• Duncan’s death is described as offstage but reported in detail, implying a terrible act of regicide too horrific to be seen
• Shakespeare presents violence in the play

  1. Introduction of violence through King Duncan celebrating and rewarding Macbeth’s violent acts in war

  2. Macbeth’s violence becoming increasingly underhand and ignoble as the play develops

  3. Violence becoming utterly abhorrent towards the end of the play with Macbeth ruthlessly murdering Macduff’s family
• Macbeth's violence is contrasted with his bravery at the start of the play