• Macbeth • Written by William Shakespeare

• His shortest play• His darkest and

bloodiest Tragedy• Macbeth is the last of

Shakespeare’s four great tragedies, the others being Hamlet, King Lear and Othello.

• Historical Context • Shakespeare wrote Macbeth at the beginning of King James I reign– Before James

succeeded Elizabeth I he was king of Scotland

– Placing the play in James’ homeland probably pleased him

• Historical Context • Macbeth was a real king of Scotland

• He did kill King Duncan• Reigned from 1040-1057• Unlike the Macbeth in

Shakespeare’s play– The real Macbeth had a

legitimate claim to the throne

– The real Macbeth was a strong leader

– The real Macbeth’s reign was successful

• Overview • Macbeth is a brave Scottish general

• He receives a prophecy from 3 ghastly witches that some day he will become the king of Scotland

• He and his wife become consumed with thoughts of glory and power

• Overview • Prodded by his wife, Macbeth help fulfill the prophecy by murdering King Duncan

• He then is able to gain control of the throne

• Macbeth, however, consumed by thoughts of guilt and fear (there are prophesies of his eventual demise) he is driven mad and forced to commit murder after to murder to maintain control of his rule

• Overview • Prophesize that Macbeth will become the king

• Prophesize Macbeth’s friend Banquo will beget a line of Scottish kings, although he will never be king himself

• Prophesize he must be wary of Macduff

• Prophesize he cannot be harm by any man born of woman

• Prophesize he will be safe until Birnam Wood come to Dunsinane Castle

• Literary Focus– Publication

– Genre

– Setting (time)

– Setting (place)

– Protagonist

– Antagonist

– Climax

• 1623

• Tragedy

• Eleventh Century

• Scotland

• Macbeth

• Macduff; Guilt

• Macduff tortured by his own demons struggles before and after with his decision to murder King Duncan

• Literary Focus, Con’t– Mood

– Personification

– Serious and sinister – Most of the play take

place at night

– In one of the most famous speeches in the play Macbeth rather evenly laments his wife’s death by personifying Life:

• “Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player/ That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,/ And then is heard no more”

• Literary Focus– Themes and Conflicts

• Ambition• Corruptive nature of

Power• Guilt• Paranoia• Aggression and

Masculinity• Fate and Prophesy• Super Natural

Phenomenon• Deterioration of the

Human Mind

• Literary Focus– Symbols

• Blood

• Weather

• Blood is ever-present within the play, but it takes on symbolic meaning, most specifically when Lady Macbeth thinks her hands are stained with blood. Blood comes to represent the guilt that both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth feel because of their role in violent acts

• The change in weather throughout the play is symbolic of the terrible changes that happen to the kingdom, most notably the violent thunderstorm the night of King Duncan’s death

• Literary Focus– Foil

• Banquo, like Macbeth is given a prophecy of power, but unlike Macbeth he shows restraint; he does not follow Macbeth’s example of betrayal and murder

• Characters– Macbeth

• Brave Scottish soldier and a powerful man

• His ambitious nature betrays him and leads him into temptation

• He murders King Duncan, which starts an alarming trend of violence to solve all conflicts

• Struggles with the decisions he has made and never embraces the animalistic aggression he often shows when facing confrontation

• Lady Macbeth • Perhaps more ambitious than her husband

• She lusts for her husband to be king and urges him to murder King Duncan

• Like her husband, however, she also feels tremendous guilt over her part in the death of the King.

• She is ultimately driven mad by her own personal demons and kills herself

• Macduff • Wary of Macbeth’s kingship

• Becomes leader of forces that oppose Macbeth

• Seeks revenge against Macbeth because of the murder of his wife and son

• King Duncan • The good king of Scotland who is murdered by Macbeth

• Duncan is the model of what a king must have to be successful: virtuous, kind, even-headed, and intelligent

• Malcolm • The son of Duncan• At first is weak and

uncertain• Later, however, he

becomes a threat to Macbeth, aided by both Macduff and England

• The Three Witches • Take a delight in using their knowledge to play with the emotions of characters

• Prophesies are what spur Macbeth to murder Duncan

• Seem to act against Macbeth throughout the play

• Banquo • Brave, noble• Prophecy is his

children will inherit Scottish throne

• Thinks ambitious thoughts, but does not act upon those thoughts