“Macbeth” – Critical Evaluation
“This dead butcher, and his fiend-like queen” – Malcolm, Act V, Scene 9
Making close reference to the text to support your ideas, write a critical evaluation of the
play “Macbeth” in which you analyse closely the characters of Macbeth and Lady
Macbeth, and in particular the way in which their relationship develops. With specific
reference to the themes of Ambition, Revenge and the conflict between Good and Evil,
show to what extent you agree with Malcolm’s description of Macbeth and Lady
Macbeth at the end of the play?
PARAGRAPH 1 – INTRODUCTION
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Give a brief introduction in which you mention the title, author and main themes of
the play.
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Mention the fact that the play focuses on the development of the two main characters
of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Describe the way in which it traces their tragic
downfalls – in other words, the way in which both characters change from being
good, great and even heroic at the beginning of the play to monstrous tyrants who are
haunted by their guilty consciences at the end of the play.
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Suggest ways in which you think the main themes of the play address relevant moral
issues from which people today can also learn. Does Shakespeare warn us about the
dangers of ambition? Is it true that even people with a high degree of integrity are
capable of committing terrible deeds when tempted?
PARAGRAPH 2 – BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE PLOT
Give a brief outline of the plot in which you focus on the way Macbeth and his wife
change as the play develops. Consider the following:
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The beginning of the play
The influence of the Witches
Lady Macbeth’s changing influence on her husband
The changing roles of Macbeth and his wife
The murder of Duncan
The murder of Banquo and the banquet scene
Macbeth’s increasing paranoia and insecurity
Lady Macbeth’s sleep-walking scene
Macbeth’s determination to survive right up until his eventual death.
Support your comments with appropriate details and quotations from the play.
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PARAGRAPHS 3/4 – MACBETH
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Show how heroic Macbeth seems to be at the beginning of the play.
Trace the changes which take place in Macbeth after he hears the Witches’ news.
Say whom you think was more influential in persuading Macbeth to murder Duncan –
the Witches or Lady Macbeth?
Describe the way in which Macbeth’s attitude towards his wife changes as the play
develops.
What do each of the following asides/soliloquies tell us about Macbeth’s state of
mind at different points in the play? –
Act I, Scene 3, lines 127-142
Act I, Scene 7, lines 1-28
Act II, Scene1, lines 33-64
Act V, Scene 3, lines 22-28
Act V, Scene 5, lines 19-28
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Do you think Macbeth is heroic or loathsome or a mixture of the two in the final Act
of the play?
Again, support your comments with appropriate details and quotations from the play.
PARAGRAPHS 5/6 – LADY MACBETH
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Explain how Lady Macbeth seems to be influenced by ambition when she first
appears in (Act I, Scene 5).
Is Lady Macbeth primarily moved by love for her husband and an unselfish wish to
help him to gain the throne, or does she merely use him as an instrument by which to
realise her own ambition? Use references to the text to support your opinion.
Say how influential you think Lady Macbeth is in persuading Macbeth to murder
Duncan.
Explain how Lady Macbeth’s sleep-walking scene (Act V, Scene1) relates to earlier
parts of the play.
Why do you think the audience sees less and less of her towards the end of the play?
Don’t forget to support your comments with appropriate details/quotations from the play.
PARAGRAPH 7 – THE DEVELOPING RELATIONSHIP
Compare and contrast Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, and describe the ways in which their
characters/roles change as the play develops.
Supporting your comments with details from the play, say which character you have
greatest sympathy for. Explain why you feel this way about each character.
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PARAGRAPH 8 – CONCLUSION/MAIN THEMES
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Macbeth had a great deal of potential to be a great man. In your opinion, what went
wrong for him which prevented him from reaching this potential? You should
consider the themes of ambition and good and evil in responding to this.
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What would have been surprising about the portrayal of Lady Macbeth to an
Elizabethan audience? Say which aspects of Lady Macbeth’s character suggested
greatness, and which ones show that her character was flawed.
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Remember to mention the use of dramatic irony – the characters often fail to realise
the true significance of their words and actions. How far are they responsible for their
own actions?
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Which qualities or aspects of each character do you most admire and which
aspects/qualities were you most appalled by?
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