Macbeth Study Guide

Macbeth

Background Info

• Written in 1606 early in the reign of King James I
• Qualities of good king, horrors of tyranny
• Common for people to be accused of witchcraft, King James fascinated by it
• Witches as devil-like figures
• Shakespeare had a book by him: Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland by Raphael Holinshed
• Influenced his plays (events, power, politics, characters, motives)
• Reminds audience of medieval plays - dramatic, mysterious

Act 1 Summary:

• Scene 1: witches promise to meet with Macbeth after battle
• Scene 2: King Duncan asks for a battle report, wounded captain speaks highly of Macbeth and Banquo
• Scene 3: witches plan to torment a sea captain, Macbeth arrives and they prophesy that he will become Thane of Cawdor and King of Scotland, and Banquo will have descendants who are kings - Banquo warns of future evil
• Scene 4: Duncan applauds Macbeth, who declares his loyalty to him; Duncan declares his son Malcolm as heir to the throne
• Scene 5: Lady Macbeth gets Macbeth's letter and decides that they must murder Duncan. She calls for evil spirits to help in case Macbeth is too soft.
• Scene 6: Duncan and Banquo arrive at their castle, oblivious to the danger ahead
• Scene 7: Macbeth is conflicted towards himself with only ambition driving him forward; later decides not to do it and Lady Macbeth accuses him of being a coward

Act 2 Summary:

• Scene 1: Banquo worries about him killing the king and also about what Macbeth might do to the king; Macbeth hallucinates just as he is about to murder Duncan; as his mind is filled with evil images as he kills him
• Scene 2: Lady Macbeth is worried until Macbeth returns and confirms that the king is dead; Macbeth is guilty and continues to hallucinate
• Scene 3: Macduff discovers that Duncan is dead and everything is thrown into chaos; Macbeth pretends that the guards killed Duncan and then he killed the guards; Lady Macbeth faints to divert attention towards her; Malcolm flees to England, Donaldbain flees to Ireland
• Scene 3: Macduff discovers that Duncan is dead and everything is thrown into chaos; Macbeth pretends that the guards killed Duncan and then he killed the guards; Lady Macbeth faints to divert attention towards her; Malcolm flees to England, Donaldbain flees to Ireland
• Scene 4: Ross and an old man discuss the strange events that happened around Duncan's murder; Macduff reveals that Macbeth has been elected king but he will not attend the ceremony

Act 3 Summary:

• Scene 1: Banquo suspects that Macbeth got his title from evil ways; Macbeth invites two murderers in and tells them that Banquo is an enemy (along with his son Fleance)
• Scene 2: Macbeth starts to feel guiltier and guiltier; he hints to his wife that (the murder of Banquo) will happen that night
• Scene 3: a third murderer joins the others; Banquo is murdered but Fleance escapes
• Scene 4: Macbeth starts to worry again when he receives news of Fleance's escape; he isn't secure and hallucinates again, seeing the Ghost of Banquo; Macbeth wants to visit witches to know his future, vows that he will not turn back and will kill anyone in his way
• Scene 5: Hecate punishes the witches for talking to Macbeth without her; she tells them to meet in Hell to tell Macbeth his future, promising to use magic to ruin it
• Scene 6: Lennox ironically believes that Duncan was killed by his own sons, he hints at Macbeth's intentions towards murdering the two sons and Fleance; he notes how Macduff and Macbeth are turned against each other

Act 4 Summary:

• Scene 2: Macduff's wife worries; a messenger warns her but not soon enough; murderers enter and murder her and her sons
• Scene 3: Macduff tests Malcolm and realize that they are on the same side; the two of the join forces to turn against Macbeth after Ross reveals the murder of Macduff's family
• Scene 1: the witches prepare a cauldron that Hecate approves of; Macbeth enters; the witches show three apparitions: "beware Macduff", "no naturally born man can harm him", "Macbeth won't be defeated until Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane"; Macbeth hears of Macduff's flight and swears to kill every member of his family

Act 5 Summary:

• Scene 1: consumed by guilt, Lady Macbeth starts to sleep walk and washes her hands in her sleep; the Gentlewoman brings a doctor but cannot help
• Scene 2: the English army with Malcolm and Macduff approach; Macbeth's army is internally fragmented because his men only obey him out of fear
• Scene 3: Macbeth rages at a soldier bringing him news and at a doctor who can't cure mental disorders; he decides to fight to the death and kill all those who spread rumors
• Scene 4: the English army uses branches to camouflage their journey to Dunsinane; many desert Macbeth's army
• Scene 5: Macbeth feels no fear whatsoever; Seyton announces that lady Macbeth is dead; Macbeth won't believe the apparitions
• Scene 6: Malcolm orders his troops to throw down the branches and start to fight
• Scene 7: Macbeth kills young Siward; Macduff refuses to fight with anyone but Macbeth; Siward invites him to Macbeth's castle
• Scene 8: Macbeth announces that no naturally born man can kill him, Macduff reveals his Caesarean birth; Macbeth initially refuses to fight but soon agrees and is killed
• Scene 9: Siward's only concern towards his son's death is whether or not he died bravely; Malcolm is crowned as king and his nobles as earls

Major Characters

• Macbeth - Thane of Glamis/Thane of Cawdor/King of Scotland - initially moral but too easily influenced by others, brave
• Lady Macbeth - wife of Macbeth - very ambitious, stubborn and succumbs to her own guilt
• Macduff - Thane of Fife - vengeful, clever
• The witches - part of the supernatural world, wicked and manipulative
• King Duncan - previous king of Scotland, a little naive and too trusting
• Banquo - smart but doesn't trust his initial instincts; protective of his son even as he is about to die

Themes and Motifs

• Themes:
• Uncontrolled ambition leads to destruction
• Avoiding one's instincts leads to trouble
• The importance of children to continue the family line (i.e. succession to the throne)
• Motifs:
• Fate vs. free will
• Cruelty and masculinity
• Kingship vs. tyranny
• The loss of children
• The influence of the supernatural world

Symbols

• Blood - the guilt of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth (also their visions and hallucinations)
• Weather - trouble ahead, corruption and destruction (particularly whenever the witches meet)
• Ghosts - past actions influence the future
• Sleep - symbolizes innocence and purity, so by killing Duncan, Macbeth has murdered sleep