Macbeth Themes

Macbeth Themes

1. Supernatural

2. Ambition

3. Tragedy

4. Gender

   • Masculinity
     • Violence seems to be a very 'masculine' quality
       • Violence poses a clash between masculinity and morality
         • Macbeth chooses masculinity over morality
   • HW) What makes a good king? When is violence okay? How is masculinity defined? Pick one of these questions and debate your take on this. Use at least 1 piece of evidence to support.

5. Power

6. Reality vs. Appearances

7. Kingship

   • Macbeth
     • Self-chosen, disrupted the natural order
       • Chosen by the witches/devil
     • Scotland was in ruins
       • "Duncan's horses... Turn'd wild in nature, broke their stalls, flung out... they eat each other"
         • Unnatural things are occurring
           • Macbeth has disrupted the natural order of the world
         • grotesque image
     • "Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown, And put a barren sceptre in my gripe!"
       • 'fruitless'
         • nothing good can come from this - won't lead to success
         • fruit is a reward for labour - Macbeth doesn't deserve this
         • no future
       • 'barren'
         • nothing can grow from it, pointless
         • contrasts the growing imagery when Duncan was king
       • 'placed' and 'put' - as if someone forced him to become king, but in reality it was his own choices that make him so, victim mentality
       • Duncan sees being king as a responsibility and thinks about what he can do for others. Macbeth sees the crown as a reward or prize because all he wants is power. When he doesn't get what he wants from it, he sees it as worthless.
         • Almost justifying Divine Right of Kings -only those chosen can bear the responsibility
   • Banquo
   • Donalbain
   • Malcolm
     • Before returning to Scotland, tests Macduff's loyalty
       • contrasts Duncan whose flaw was that he was too trusting
     • sets the ideal for a good king - good but not too trusting
   • Macduff
   • Duncan
     • God-chosen king
     • Scotland thrived under Duncan's rule
     • "I have begun to plant thee, and will labour To make thee full of growing."
       • plant imagery
         • extended metaphor
       • 'labour' - hard work
         • Duncan is willing to put in hard work to help people around him
           • kindness, selflessness
         • average people, farmers
           • doesn't have superiority complex, cares about his people and associates with them
             • Duncan is presented as a farmer
               • kinder, helpful
       • 'begun' - only just started, planning to do more to help them, wants them to reach full potential
         • 'full of growing'
   • King Edward (king of England)
     • "The healing benediction" - heals people with his power
       • contrasts how under Macbeth, Scotland is suffering

8. Order and chaos

9. Violence

   • Not presented as an inherently bad thing but depends on intention

10. Morality/ good vs. evil