Macbeth
Theme
“The battlefield: thunder and
lightning. Enter three Witches”
• The stage directions refer to a “battlefield” which
introduces the theme, the battle between good
and evil.
• “thunder and lightning” the tumultuous weather
suggests upheaval and fear. This foreshadows
what Scotland will be like under Macbeth’s reign.
• “three Witches”. The witches are the
personification of evil in the play. The presence
of the witches in the opening scene is ominous.
“Fair is foul, and foul is fair”
• The witches speak in riddles. This is
augmented by the use of alliteration.
• This suggests that evil spreads confusion and
upheaval.
• The scene ends with the witches casting a
spell.
• This is a bad omen for the rest of the play
“all’s too weak,/For brave Macbethwell he deserves that name.”
• Valour and strength on the battlefield is linked
to goodness.
• The issue of loyalty and treason is linked to
the theme, the battle between good and evil
“What he hath lost, noble Macbeth
hath won”
• Duncan awards the title held by the traitor to
Macbeth.
• This is ironical as Macbeth’s disloyalty will be
even greater.
“So foul and fair a day I have not seen”
• Macbeth’s first words are identical to the
words used by the witches.
• This makes us question his connection to evil.
“you should be women,/And yet your
beards forbid me to interpret.”
• The witches look like neither males nor
females.
• This links nature to the theme of good and
evil. Unnatural things are associated with evil.
“The Thane of Cawdor lives. Why do
you dress me in borrowed robes?”
• Clothing imagery is used to indicate when
someone is in their rightful position.
“This supernatural soliciting/Cannot
be ill, cannot be good”
• Macbeth is fully aware that communication
with the witches cannot produce good.
• This connects Macbeth’s thoughts of regicide
with the theme, the battle between good and
evil.
“look like th’ innocent flower,/But be
the serpent under’t”
• Lady Macbeth advises Macbeth to use deceit
in order to fool others of his intention to kill
Duncan.
• Appearance and reality is linked to the theme
of good and evil.
“But here, upon this bank and shoal of
time,/We’d jump the life to come.”
• In his soliloquy opening the turning point
scene, Act 1 scene 7, Macbeth reveals he
would willingly forgo heaven in the after-life
to be king now.
• The reference to “the life to come” reminds
the reader of the theme.
• This suggests that the regicide of Duncan by
Macbeth would be the triumph of evil over
good.
“I would…Have pluck’d my nipple
from his boneless gums/And dash’d
the brains out.”
• Lady Macbeth wants to persuade Macbeth to
proceed with regicide.
• She would rather commit an unnatural, nonmaternal act than break a promise.
• This comment reminds us of the witches,
their behaviour and their appearance.
• This effectively suggests that Lady Macbeth,
and what she is proposing, is evil.
“False face must hide what the false
heart doth know”
• The turning point scene ends. Macbeth has
decided to kill Duncan.
• The repetition of “false” emphasises
deception.
• Appearance and reality is used to show that
just by deciding to kill Duncan, Macbeth has
already progressed in evil.
The Dagger Scene
• This begins with a series of questions
reflecting Macbeth’s confusion and anxiety as
to whether or not to kill Duncan.
• Macbeth seems to grow more resolute as he
contemplates committing regicide.
• Murder is personified which suggests the
growth is resolution is accompanied by
Macbeth’s further progression in evil.
“I could not say ‘Amen’/When they did
say ‘God bless us’
• The king is viewed as appointed by God.
Therefore, regicide is against God’s order.
• Macbeth has progressed deeply in evil by
killing Duncan.
• His inability to say ‘Amen’ suggests he is
eternally damned.
• The tone of these lines suggests he is
distressed by this.
“The night has been unruly”
• The murder of Duncan has disturbed God’s
order and spread evil throughout Scotland.
• The disorder in nature is used to convey this.
• In the theme, the battle between good and
evil, evil can be seen to triumph.
“That darkness does the face of earth
entomb/When living light should kiss
it?”
• The evil unleashed by Macbeth’s murder of
Duncan continues to spread.
• Darkness is linked to evil deeds.
• The use of contrast, “entomb” and “living
light” conveys the extent by which the natural
order has been disturbed by this act.
• This suggests evil is continuing to triumph
“Know, that it was he in times past
which held you so/ under fortune,
which you thought had been our/
innocent self.
• Since murdering Duncan Macbeth becomes
more adept at dissembling.
• He easily lies to encourage the murder of
Banquo and Fleance.
• The use of appearance and reality highlights
that Macbeth continues to progress in evil .
“O,full of scorpions is my mind, dear
wife!”
• Macbeth remains troubled. He wishes to
secure his reign and is dwells on the witches’
prophecy to Banquo.
• Scorpions are linked to evil due to their
nocturnal and predatory habits. This suggests
Macbeth’s mind is consumed with evil.
• This links to the theme suggesting evil
continues to spread and defeat good.
Banquet Scene
• Despite Macbeth’s descent to evil the
supernatural has an ambiguous attitude
toward him.
• Banquo’s ghost haunts Macbeth as a
punishment for his murder.
• Macbeth’s mental state seems in disarray.
• This suggests there is no profit from trafficking
with evil.
“Loves for his own ends, not for you”
• Hecate berates the other witches. Her
complaint is that Macbeth is merely using evil
as a means to an end.
• This suggests that evil can not be trusted by
any one.
• The reader’s awareness of what is in store for
Macbeth contributes to his characterisation as
a tragic hero.
“our suffering country/Under a hand
accurs’d”
• Tyranny is linked to the theme of good and
evil as evidence of evil.
• The use of word choice, “accurs’d” is a
reminder of the theme.
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