Macbeth Themes

Macbeth Themes

1. Ambition

   • Just being the "Thane of Cawdor" isn't enough for Macbeth once he sees something he wants he does whatever it takes to get it.
     • "This is a step on which I must fall down or else over leap for in my way it lies"
     • Macbeth puts his own desires before his countries need
   • Ambition always leads to evil
   • Lady Macbeth is also ambitious and wants to live out her dream of ruling through her husband.
   • The witches may also have added to Macbeth's ambition by telling him the future

2. Gender

   • Lady Macbeth is seen to be more of a man than Macbeth as after the murder she shows no emotion or guilt
     • This can be seen when she says "unsex me here" meaning she wants to have the traits of a man
     • Towards the end, she discovers her conscience, which would make her less of a man
     • She also uses the quote "take my mothers milk for goul"
   • Macbeth is seen as a coward as after the murder of King Duncan he uses the quote "stars hide your fires let not light see my black and deep desires"
     • The audience would think less of Macbeth because he is acting in a way that is un-gentleman like and in those days men had to behave in a certain way.

3. Power

   • King Duncan has the power at the beginning of the play. Unlike Macbeth, power does not corrupt the king. Ross uses the quote "God save the king" and Macbeth says "are duties are to your throne"
   • Lady Macbeth tempts him with the prospect of 'solely sovereign sway and masterdom". The sibilance suggests the sinister corruption of power.
     • She is excited by the thought of gaining power. She explains this in her letter to Macbeth.
   • Macbeth sacrifices his goodness for power. He ends up being described as a "tyrant" rather than a king. Malcolm uses the phrase "fled the snares of watchful tyrann"
   • Others also have power throughout the play
     • Lady Macbeth has power over her husband
     • The witches has power over Macbeth
     • God might also have power as in the end he puts the rightful king on the throne

4. Supernatural

   • The audience would hate the witches as many people believe that they where evil spirits
     • They used to burn suspected witches
     • People feared anything that they could not control. eg the witches
   • The witches lead Macbeth into becoming an evil person
     • They tell him what he wants to hear in order to persuade him to do things
   • Macbeth as has hallucinations about the dagger before he kills the king
     • "Is this a dagger I see before me"
     • Supernatural events occur when evil events occur
     • The fact that Macbeth is being taken over by the supernatural will make the audience fear him
   • Macbeth as hallucinates about Banquo's ghost
     • This shows his mental health is deteriorating

5. Fate

   • The fate that Macbeth will be king was chosen by the witches but Macbeth decided to do it in a way of his own. My murdering people
   • His actions suggest that fate may be predetermined, but free will determines how a people reach their destinies.
   • Argument of free will vs fate

6. Madness

   • With the guilt lady Macbeth ends up going mad and she kills herself
     • This shows that unlike Macbeth she has a conscience
       • "The thane of fife had a wife, where is she now'