Themes

Themes

1. Ambition

   • "I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting intention"
   • "that is a step on which I must fall down, or else o'erleap"
   • Macbeth kills Duncan despite his morals which shows how strong his ambition is

2. Loyalty and Betrayal

   • Duncan giving Macbeth the thane of Cawdor title as a reward for being loyal
   • Macbeth's betrayal of Duncan: "He's here in double trust: First, as I am his kinsman and his subject ... then, as his host"
   • Banquo: "Thou hast it now, King, Cawdor, Glamis, all ... and I fear thou played most foully for't"
   • Malcolm: "It [Scotland] weeps, it bleeds and each new day a gash is added to her wounds"

3. Kingship

   • Duncan: "gracious" and "most sainted king"
   • Macbeth: "tyrant", "deceitful" and "bloody"
   • A good king is meant to be holy and good but Macbeth is "devilish" and talks to witches

4. Good and Evil

5. The Supernatural

   • The witches are supernatural
     • "strange intelligence"
     • "Fair is foul and foul is fair"
     • "fantastical"
   • Visions show guilt
     • Dagger
       • "a dagger of the mind"
       • "fatal vision"
       • "bloody business"
     • Banquo's ghost
       • "strange infirmity"
       • "Thy bones are marrowless, thy blood is cold"
     • "Out damned spot!"

6. Reality and Appearances

   • "look like the innocent flower but be the serpent under't"
   • "False face must hide what false heart doth know"
   • "There's daggers in men's smiles" (Donaldbain)

7. Fear