Macbeth Introduction
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Macbeth was written by Shakespeare in 1605; it was
the last in a series of four tragedies:
Hamlet, Othello, King Lear & Macbeth
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Macbeth is a thane
(a person, ranking with an earl's son, holding lands of
the king; the chief of a clan, who became one of the king's barons)who
overthrows the rightful King of Scotland
 Shakespeare wrote Macbeth at the beginning of the
reign of King James I
Before James succeeded Elizabeth I, he was king of Scotland
 Placing the play in James’ homeland probably pleased him
 Shakespeare added mystical effects (e.g. witches) because James
was fascinated with the supernatural
 Shakespeare tied James to Macbeth by using the familial line of
Banquo
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Will the real Macbeth please stand up?
Macbeth was a real king of Scotland
 He took the throne by killing King Duncan
 In actual history, Banquo was in collusion with
him
 Macbeth reigned from 1040-1057
 Unlike the Macbeth in Shakespeare’s play,
 the real Macbeth:
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had a legitimate claim to the throne
 was popular and a strong leader
 reign was successful
 was killed at Lumphanan as opposed to Dunsinane
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Connections for British Society
“Remember, remember the fifth of November
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason why gunpowder, treason
Should ever be forgot...”
 In November 1605, the Gunpowder Plot was
discovered
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Guy Fawkes and his followers (Roman Catholics) planned
to blow up Parliament
They wanted to bring down the British government and put
a Catholic rulers on the throne
The plot was discovered –Fawkes was found in the
basement about to light 6 kegs of gunpowder -and the
men involved were tried and killed as traitors
Shakespeare sided with the king and seemed to think
that a play about treason and death would find an
audience at this time
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So this is a comedy… right?

Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s most famous
tragedies (it is also his shortest)
 Aside from the violent nature of the plot
Shakespeare uses several literary devices to
enhance the feeling of evil
 He
creates a serious and sinister mood by having
most of the play take place at night
 There is a heavy emphasis on the supernatural
(witches, dreams, spells, and ghosts)
 Use of pathetic fallacy- nature
empathizes/responds to actions of humans e.g.
earthquake
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Macbeth Act 1 - Scene 1
Witches - Supernatural influences
 “Fair being Foul” - Paradox
 King Duncan - Scotland
 Duncan’s sons- Malcolm and Donalbain
 Generals - Macbeth and Banquo
 Thunder , lightning , and rain - sense of
doom
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Macbeth Act 1 - Scene 2
Macdonaldwald’s rebellion
 Ross tells Duncan of Norway’s rebellion King of Norway - Sweno
 Thane of Cawdor rebels against Duncan
 Scotland wins - Macbeth gets title Thane of Cawdor - “ THE SPOILS OF
WAR”
 Macbeth and Banquo - “Two spent
swimmers”
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Macbeth Act 1 Scene 3
The witches first prophecy has come true
- Thane of Cawdor
 Macbeth - “So foul and fair a day , I have
not seen - recalls witches first scene
 Banquo - “The instrument of darkness tell
us truths - only to betray us”
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Macbeth Act 1 Scene 4
Execution of Cawdor
 “You can’t tell what is in a person’s heart
by looking at his face”
 “Nothing in his life became him like the
leaving of it”
 Duncan- Malcolm to be King
 Macbeth- “Let not light see my black and
deep desires”
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Macbeth Act 1 Scene 5
Macbeth’s home - Castle of Inverness
 Lady Macbeth comes up with plan to kill
Duncan - Husband weak
 “The milk of human kindness”
 Lady Macbeth - Must pour spirits in their
ear. (Hamlet killed that way)
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Macbeth Act 1 Scene 6
Lady Macbeth - chameleon - perfect
hostess
 Duncan’s speech full of dramatic irony “castle pleasant” - “air is sweeter” sees a
martlet (a summer bird)
 to Duncan the castle appears to be a
paradise
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Macbeth Act 1 Scene 7
LadyMacbeth - convinces Macbeth to do
the “horrid deed”
 Macbeth’s Soliloquy - marked by confusion
Duncan - Kinsman and his subject , a
good King and virtuous man , a popular
King , and death would bring sorrow to
Scotland
 Lady Macbeth Argument- “What could
have been when he can be King” - “
Would kill her own baby to do this”
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Macbeth Act 2 Scene 1
Past midnight - Moon has set and the
“Candles” of heaven cannot be seen dark brooding
 Banquo draws sword - irony doesn’t know
Macbeth is going to kill Duncan
 Dagger Speech - Mental disturbance
 “Is this a dagger which I see before
me,The handle toward my hand?” —
Macbeth, 2.1.42–3
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Macbeth Act 2 Scene 2
Lady Macbeth - “That which have made
them drunk, hath made me bold, What
hath quenched them have given me fire”
 Drunk with boldness and on fire with
passion
 Lady Macbeth -would have murdered
Duncan had he not looked like her father
 Macbeth has two concerns - he has
murdered sleep , bloodiness of deed
 Lady Macbeth - blood is only like paint
wash it off
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Scene 2
Knocking - knocking of their consciences
actual knock
 “With all great Neptune’s ocean wash this
blood Clean from my hand?”—Macbeth,
2.2.78–9
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Macbeth Act 2 Scene 3
Porter - light comedy
 farmer and equivocator have specific
religious and historical connotations
 A few months before Macbeth performed Gunpowder plot - King James Guy Fawkes
and John Garnett (nickname the farmer)
 Lennox - extraordinary weather -unnatural
events - The universe and events related
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Scene 3
Equivocation - The practice of lying in
court about one’s religion
 Lady Macbeth faints when Macbeth
proclaims he has killed the guards avenge the act of treasonous malice - not
in the plan
 Malcolm - England
 Donalbain - Ireland
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Scene 3
Macbeth says he has killed servants - Lady
Macbeth faints
 Macbeth and other Thanes swear to meet
“in manly rediness” to avenge this act of
“treasonous malice”
 “ There’s daggers in men’s smiles”
 Donalbain - Ireland
 Malcolm - England
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Macbeth Act 2 Scene 4
Macbeth has become King
 Donaldbain and Malcolm have fled
 Old Man - Traditional figure in lit
represents what “has been”
 Omens -owl kills falcon - daylight has
been replaced by night - horses of the
King’s stable have eaten each other
 The world he has known has been turned
on its head
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Macbeth Act 3 Scene 1
Banquo suspects Macbeth - gains comfort
from 2nd prediction - his own children will
be Kings
 Even with new title Macbeth does not feel
at ease
 calls murderers dogs but he shows his
inhumanity and imperfections -also wants
to kill Fleance
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Act 3 Scene 2
Macbeth plans murder not Lady Macbeth
 Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s world not at
peace
 Macbeth wants to get rid of his bond with
humanity
 “We have scorched the snake, not killed
it.”—Macbeth, 3.2.15
 “Duncan is in his grave; After lifeʼs fitful
fever he sleeps well.”—Macbeth, 3.2.24–5
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Act 3 Scene 3
Banquo killed - Murderers lantern
extinguished - Fleance escapes
 Forces of darkness are at odds with light
 Murderers capable of poetry
 Escape of Fleance turning point Peripeteia - sudden reversal of fortune
 Banquo’s dying words “to revenge”
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Act 3 Scene 4
Macbeth has Thanes of Scotland over Macduff not there
 Murderers tell Macbeth what happened Macbeth losses it
 Macbeth sees ghost - goes into a fit
 Macbeth has lost control
 Macbeth will kill Macduff and visit three
sisters
 “It will have blood, they say: blood will
have blood.” —Macbeth, 3.4.152–53
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Act 3 Scene 5
Hecate joins three sisters
 Some say this scene was not in the
orginal play
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Act 3 Scene 6
Lennox reveals doubts about Macbeth Did he kill the guards hastily?
 Macduff has fled to Scotland to join forces
with Malcolm also asks help from King
Edward of England
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Macbeth Act 4 Scene 1
“Double, double, toil and trouble; Fire
burn, and cauldron bubble.”—Witches,
4.1.10–1
 Macbeth goes to weird sisters and
demands to be shown apparitions of the
future
 1. disembodied head of a warrior who
warns Macbeth of revenge
 2. blood-covered child who cannot be
killed by any man “ of woman born”
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3. a child wearing a crown promises
Macbeth cannot lose in battle until Birnam
wood moves to Dunsinane
 Macbeth asks about Banquo’s sons and
sees a procession of Banquo and future
kings
 Macbethless future
 Macduff has fled to England and Macbeth
announces revenge of Macduff’s wife and
children
 “I’ll make assurance double sure.”—
Macbeth, 4.1.93
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Act 4 Scene 2
Lady Macduff feels Macduff has acted
dishonestly
 Son says the world is full of dishonest
men
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Act 4 Scene 3
“At one fell swoop.”—Macduff, 4.3.256
 Malcolm tests Macduff’s loyalty - says he
would be a great tyrant - reverse
psychology
 Macduff still hates Macbeth - Malcolm has
gotten what he wants Macduff’s loyalty
 Ross tells him of the slaughter of wife and
child - Macduff vows revenge
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Macbeth Act 5 Scene 1
“Out, damned spot! out, I say!”—Lady
Macbeth, 5.1.31
 “All the perfumes of Arabia will not
sweeten this little hand.” —Lady Macbeth,
5.1.46–7
 “What’s done cannot be undone.”—Lady
Macbeth, 5.1.62–3
 Played in dark except one candle
 Lady Macbeth has gone mad - sleepwalks
and tells fragments of events
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overheard by doctor and lady-in-waiting
 Lady Macbeth is seen rubbing her hands (quotes at the beginning)
 Lady Macbeth needs a “divine”
 Spiritual darkness - 1 candle
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