Macbeth Themes

• Tragedy


  A play that must have a tragic hero as its protagonist
• Tragic hero


  The protagonist of a tragedy
• Tragic flaw (hamartia)


  A character trait that leads to the downfall of the tragic hero
• Hubris


  Overconfidence in one's own ambitions, a common tragic flaw in Ancient Greek tragedies
• Macbeth


  • The tragic hero of the play
  • His tragic flaw is ambition
• Punishment of tragic heroes in Ancient Greek tragedies

  1. Tragic hero is punished by the gods for their actions resulting from their hamartia

  2. This very often led to the protagonist's death
• In the play, Macbeth abandons his morals


  In his pursuit of, and attempt to cling on to, power
• Macbeth's ambition


  Leads him to commit regicide, the murder of his best friend, and the murder of women and children
• Macbeth's actions


  He is condemned to death at the hands of Macduff, and to Hell for all eternity
• Lady Macbeth


  • She is also presented as ambitious
  • Her punishment is equally severe but far less noble: she commits suicide
• Divine Right of Kings

  Kings derived their authority from God, and therefore could not be challenged
• Macbeth committing regicide


  An act against God
• Regicide


  A mortal sin, meaning dying without the grace of God and being condemned to Hell
• Duncan is referred to as a "king"


  Macbeth, once he ascends the throne, is frequently called a tyrant
• Kings


  • Bring harmony to their kingdom, in line with God's plan
• Tyrants


  • Bring only chaos and disorder
• The play ends with a legitimate ruler - Duncan's son and true heir, Malcolm - becoming king
• Shakespeare's intention


  Upholding contemporary views about kingship
• Shakespeare's intention


  Suggesting that those unaccustomed and undeserving of power will be destroyed by it
• Shakespeare is suggesting that kings are legitimate rulers, but tyrants are not
• Witches


  Agents of Satan, seen as untrustworthy and malevolent
• In Jacobean England, there was still a widespread belief in witches and witchcraft
• Many women were executed on suspicion of being witches
• Jacobean audiences – and King James I himself – were fascinated by the presentation of witches on stage, but would know to distrust them
• The witches in Macbeth should be seen as untrustworthy and malevolent
• First scene of Macbeth

  1. Ominous setting

  2. Three witches

  3. Foreshadowing future evil acts
• Witches in Macbeth


  • Capable of affecting the weather
  • Creating spells
  • Committing evil acts against ordinary people
• Macbeth


  Trusts the witches despite knowing better, due to his ambition
• Banquo


  Rightly does not trust the witches, as he represents societal norms
• Witches in Macbeth


  • Disruptive characters, negative influence on Macbeth, mislead him with their prophecies
• Use of the supernatural in Macbeth

  1. Aid to characters wishing to gain or retain power

  2. Lady Macbeth calls on evil spirits to help her achieve her ambitions (Act I, Scene V)

  3. Macbeth returns to the witches a second time in desperation (Act IV, Scene I)
• Shakespeare: 'Could be suggesting that the witches are just a symbol of the temptations all humans have to wrestle with'
• Shakespeare: 'Alternatively, they can be seen as agents of fate: they just encourage Macbeth to act upon his true nature'
• Knowledge and evidence


  1. Macbeth sees visions or hears things throughout the play

  2. A bloody dagger

  3. Knocking

  4. A voice telling him he's murdered sleep

  5. Banquo's ghost

  6. Lady Macbeth sees visions of blood on her hands in Act V, Scene I
• Hallucinations


  Representations of guilt
• Macbeth feels conflicted even before he murders Duncan

  He sees the bloody dagger floating in front of him just before he commits regicide by murdering King Duncan
• The repeated knocking and voice telling Macbeth he's murdered sleep


  Represent the lack of peace the character will experience from now on
• Lady Macbeth - who was so resolved to kill Duncan


  Eventually sees visions of blood on her hands: a metaphor for her responsibility for his murder, and her guilt
• Shakespeare's intention


  It is not clear if Shakespeare intended for these visions to be real or not, but they certainly represent psychological realities for Macbeth and Lady Macbeth
• Shakespeare presents guilt as inescapable; there is no escape from the consequences of evil acts