I. Introduction
A. British historian, Lord Acton once said, “Power corrupts and absolute power
corrupts absolutely.” This is never truer than in the play Macbeth.
B. I read Macbeth by William Shakespeare.
C. The theme of the play is that when people let their thirst for power run wild, they
destroy those around them.
II. Plot
A. Macbeth is a story about a man who hears a prediction about his future and lets
that motivate his actions.
B. The play takes place in Scotland, in castles, forests, and a battlefield, a very long
time ago. It probably takes place in 1100 or 1200.
C. important events.
1. The first event is when Macbeth, the main character, hears predictions from
the witches. This is important because it gets Macbeth thinking about his
future. He wonders if what the witches said will come true and thinks that he
needs to act to make it come true.
2. The second event is when Macbeth decides to take action to make sure part
of the prophecy comes true.
3. The third event is when Macbeth hears from the witches again and he begins
to think that he is invincible. The climax occurs when Macbeth comes face to
face with his enemy and realizes that the witches have tricked him.
4. The resolution is when peace is restored to Scotland.
III. Character
A. The protagonist is Macbeth. He is:
1. ambitious because he wanted to be king
2. loyal and a good soldier
3. afraid to take action, even though he really wants power
4. a push-over; his wife bosses him around
5. courageous when he fights in the beginning
6. ruthless when he kills anybody in his way
7. over-confident when he hears the prophecy
8. selfish since doesn’t worry about his wife or countrymen
B. The antagonist is also Macbeth because the conflict of the story is an inner one.
C. Another character is Macduff. He is:
1. fiercely loyal
2. courageous
3. suspicious of Macbeth
4. disgusted with the events happening in his country
5. a leader
6. daring
IV. Point of View
A. The narrator is third person limited.
B. This was effective.
1. It was effective because it kept some mystery in the play. If it had been
omniscient, then the reader would have known what the witches were up to
and it would have lessened the suspense of the story.
2. It was also effective because it was a play and that is the only way to write a
play.
V. Theme
A. The theme of the play is that when people let their thirst for power run wild, they
destroy those around them.
B. An example of this is when Macbeth plots the murder of his best friend
(Shakespeare 31).
C. This proves this theme because Macbeth lets his quest for power override his
feeling of friendship. Macbeth’s ambition destroys a life and a friendship. He
can’t think of anything besides the crown and it clouds his judgment.
D. This is important to learn because sometimes in life we have opportunities to
advance in our careers or in school and it would be easy to trample on those who
get in our way. It’s all too easy to think that the end justifies the means, that we
should do whatever we want to get to the top. From Macbeth we learn that that
can have disastrous results.
VI. Conclusion
A. I really liked Macbeth. It was difficult to understand Shakespeare’s language at
first, but after awhile I got it. Also, the plot was confusing at times, but I found that
if I read it aloud, it made much more sense.
B. I would recommend it to anybody because it is a classic. It is one of those books
that never goes out of style. It has great action and drama and includes such
ideas as betrayal, jealousy, the supernatural, superstition, and a drunken butler.
What more could you want from a story?