Macbeth - Context and Themes

Macbeth - Context and Themes

1. Contexts

   • Kingship
     • Shakespeare wanted to impress the new King James
       • Comparing Banquo to King James
         • Believed the 2 are related
         • Banquo seemed good but could be seen as cynical for not revealing what he knows about macbeth
         • King James seemed good but persecuting catholics, a faith shakespeare is sympathetic too
       • James was fascinated by the supernatural
         • what did shakespeare believe about supernatural?
       • Expressed the consequences of killing the king
   • Equality
     • Men had control and were stronger
   • Gothic Theme
     • dark, gloomy setting
     • chaos

2. Ambition

   • changes macbeth from a "valiant" soldier to a "dead butcher"
   • makes people ruthless and selfish
     • macbeth couldn't stop killing, to secure his position as King
   • Macbeth's destroyed by it
   • Macbeth's "fatal flaw"
     • Lady macbeth says "he is not without ambition, but without / the illness should attend it"
       • He's not ruthless enough
     • makes macbeth act against his morals and better judgement
       • "o'erleaps itself / And falls" - aim too high and risk losing everything; foreshadows macbeths downfall
   • malcom/macduff ambitious for scotland
     • get rid of macbeth for good of scotland
   • Banquo is ambitious for his sons but doesn't act on it (reference to witches prophecies"
   • "I have no spur but only / Vaulting ambition"

3. Loyalty/Betrayal

   • Loyalty is rewarded
     • Macbeth rewarded with title of Thane of Cawdor
     • Malcolm rewards the thane's loyalty
   • Betrayal is punished
     • Macbeth killed
     • Macbeth betrays his sense of right and wrong, leading to his death
   • Macbeth's pretend to be loyal
     • Macbeth is Duncan's "kinsman and his subject"
     • Lady Macbeth says "Your servants ever"
     • Juxtaposition of Lady M plotting Duncan's death and welcoming him to her castle - more dramatic

4. Good/Evil

   • Macbeth is a good man who does evil things
     • goes from "noble" to a "tyrant"
   • lady macbeth links cruelty with masculinity
     • Wants spirits to "unsex" her and fill her with "direst cruelty"
       • Femininity holds her back from violent action
     • she relies on manipulation rather than force
   • Battles
     • At start - enemy army is led by "merciless Macdonald" whose "villanies of nature" show he's evil
     • The last battle show macbeth is an "abhorred tyrant" who represents evil

5. Reality and Appearances

   • deceptive
     • "look like th'innocent flower, but be the serpent under 't"
     • macbeth needs "false face" to hide murderous acts
       • when see's banquo's ghost his face is "the very painting" of his fear and betrays his feelingss
     • Lady Macbeth has no trouble with a disguise, faints to keep up the persona, but her guilt becomes too big to hide and begins losing her mind
   • Play shows people's true nature comes out in the end
   • "fair is foul and foul is fair"
     • good things are actually evil
   • witches convince macbeth of a false reality
     • "none of woman born" gives him false confidence
   • Pardoxes creating uncertainty; nobody can tell what is real
     • macbeth says "Nothing is / but what is not"
   • "False face must hide what the false heart doth know"

6. Fate/Free Will

   • Not clear if it was fate that killed duncan, or macbeth's free will
   • macbeth is happy to let fate take it's course
     • "chance may crown me / without my stir"
   • lady macbeth thinks macbeth is fated to be king but makes macbeth act anyway
     • "fate and metaphysical aid doth seem / to have thee crowned"
   • macbeth thinks people aren't in control of their fate and are actors playing a part
     • "life is a poor player / that struts and frets this hour upon the stage"
   • Chooses not to kill Duncan - he is in control
     • Macbeth then chooses to act, via persuasion from his wife, ignoring banquo
       • "instruments of darkness"
       • some prophecies are self-fullfilling, macbeth causes it to happen