English literature Macbeth

• Macbeth


  The eponymous character of this Shakespearean tragedy
• Macbeth


  • Starts out in a position of glory and success, but falls from grace due to an error in judgement of his own making
  • Has a fatal flaw, or hamartia: his unchecked ambition
• Tragic hero


  A character who starts out in a position of glory and success, but falls from grace due to an error in judgement of their own making
• Macbeth


  • Presented as the stereotypical hero, the ideal warrior
  • Fulfils the expectations of masculinity and proves his manhood
  • Has a noble status, which gives him a place to fall from
• Gender


  Macbeth's journey from hero to villain, from brave warrior to coward, allows for an exploration of gender, power, and morality
• Macbeth's relationship with his wife


  Allows Shakespeare to examine gender roles, marital relations, and power in his own society
• Macbeth's character


  Is defined by both his ambition and his guilt
• Macbeth's life


  Seems to be controlled by fate, but how much of it was foretold, and how much was of his own making?
• Macbeth's masculinity


  • Overwhelmingly, Shakespeare writes Macbeth to be a symbol for toxic and repressive masculinity, ultimately associating manhood with violence
  • Macbeth's fear of being emasculated, and the 'feminine' traits he inherits at certain points in the play, means Shakespeare uses his character to explore femininity
• Macbeth's relationship with Lady Macbeth


  Macbeth, for most of the play, treats Lady Macbeth as his equal, or even his superior. He allows himself to be manipulated by her, because she has the power to strip him of his masculinity
• Macbeth's ambition


  More than to be king, it is to be indisputably 'manly'
• Religion in the play


  Macbeth rarely mentions God by name, but the idea of Heaven and Hell plays heavily on his mind, suggesting he is worried about the destination of his immortal soul
• Macbeth's decision to kill Duncan

  A landmark decision in his moral path, as it is a conscious choice to put an end to his good ways and embrace corrupt temptation
• Macbeth's inability to cope after the murder


  Demonstrated by the fact that he will "sleep no more" and could not "say Amen", showing that life as he knows it is over and he has strayed from God's path
• Scotland after the murder


  Shakespeare constructs it as a godless, Hellish land to match its king
• Male friendships in Jacobean culture

  Were a huge part of the patriarchal society, where men were emotionally and psychologically attuned to each other and became very close
• Macbeth's guilt


  • Immediately after the murder, he becomes a guilt-ridden and tragically remorseful figure
  • His guilt makes him a nihilistic figure, a character tormented by his own conscience
• Macbeth's violence


  • The play is filled with violence and conflict, both internal and external
  • No one suffers more from this than Macbeth himself
• Ambition propels him into unescapable regret


  Suggesting that the real punishment for regicide isn't execution, but guilt
• Even when no one suspects him of foul play, Macbeth is troubled and cannot enjoy the life he sacrificed his immortal soul (what Christians believed lived on after death and went to Heaven or Hell) for
• Shakespeare suggests that the conscience, or inner voice of God, that we all have ensures that no crime or sin can go unpunished
• He proposes that no one can cope with the guilt our conscience creates, nor can we live with the knowledge of our own evil
• Conflicts in the play


  • Good and evil
  • Supernatural and the natural
  • Appearances and reality
• Whenever his manliness is challenged, Macbeth responds by committing a violent, ruthless act
• Violence and bloodshed


  Used to maintain tyranny and corruption
• Macbeth's reign is plagued by disease and murder, unlike Duncan's nurturing, fruitful reign
• "blood will have blood": 'Shakespeare argues that violence breeds more violence'
• Macbeth kills for more and more power, finding that what he already has isn't enough to satisfy himself
• Weak will

  Macbeth takes the opinions and suggestions of others to heart and can't avoid being manipulated by them
• Macbeth in the final acts

  • Violent and ruthless, hellbent on furthering his own power and status, no matter the cost
  • Dejected, dispirited, and nihilistic, someone who knows his power is meaningless and is haunted by his own mortality, but can't do anything about either
• Macbeth has become a tyrant - to repress all feelings of guilt and regret, he embraces violence and greed
• Hubris

  Macbeth's hubris peaks in Act 4, as he believes he is immune to fate and higher powers
• Macbeth's slaughtering of Macduff's innocent family implies he believes he shouldn't be limited by moral or social rules, and exploits his power as king to kill whenever he pleases
• Lady Macbeth and Macbeth

  • Both are incredibly ambitious and power-hungry
  • Both are weakened by guilt and paranoia as the plot develops
  • The main difference is their confidence - Lady Macbeth is determined, ruthless, strong-willed, and self-assured, whereas Macbeth is uncertain, weak-willed, and hesitant
• Power dynamic between Lady Macbeth and Macbeth

  Initially, Lady Macbeth holds the power, but eventually Macbeth breaks away from her, plotting without her and keeping secrets
• Duncan and Macbeth

  Duncan is the rightful king, renowned for his fatherly love and attention for his subjects, whereas Macbeth's reign is associated with Hell and the Devil
• Macbeth and Malcolm

  Malcolm is the rightful heir to the throne, a symbol for peace, purity, and order, unlike the disorder, chaos, and sin associated with Macbeth
• Macbeth and Macduff

  Macduff is Macbeth's foil, highlighting the flaws Macbeth has - he chooses allegiance to his country, unlike Macbeth, and is a symbol for honour, nobility, and selflessness
• Macbeth and Banquo

  Banquo is physical proof of Macbeth's corruption and paranoia - he shows it's possible to hear the Witches' prophecies and not turn to murder
• Banquo

  • Resists greed and temptations, physical proof of Macbeth's corruption and paranoia, symbol for honour, loyalty, and prosperity