Dylan Barrick

Mrs. Yeakel

Honors English 5th hr.

16, December 2015

Major Works Data: Macbeth

Historical Information & Publication Information:

In 1603, Scotlands King James VI claimed a foreign throne, and became King James I of

England. With their leader being from Scotland, the populous gained a sudden interest in things

pertaining to that land. This was during the time that Shakespeare was in the middle of his career

as a playwright. Shakespeares company from London England sometimes put on productions

for its rulers, such as Queen Elizabeth of England who preceded James. Most likely to appeal to

the king and the popular interest of the civilians at the time, Shakespeare wrote Macbeth, which

is based on the history of Scottish battles, rulers, and struggles for power. Getting his information

from Raphael Holinshed, he heard about stories of: kingly assassinations, slaughters of armies

and families, executions of rebels, and murderous ambushes of nobles. Although these are all

interesting topics for a play, there were also stories about witches and wizards affiliating with

traitors. This plays directly into the interests of Shakespeares new king, who had had witches

executed for treachery. The culmination of Shakespeares great literary ability, association to the

kingship, and residence all resulted in the creation of Shakespeares Macbeth.

Macbeth was written sometime around the year 1603 (most likely 1606), and was

originally published as quartos, which were smaller sections of the entire piece. They were sold

as small books. Folios (larger collections meant mainly for scholars) were produced later. These

were based on Shakespeares own papers and therefor more reliable. The first collection of all of
Shakespeares work was proven to have some content that was not canon, and many revised

versions were released later by credible sources.

Author Biographical Information:

Based on little evidence (but evidence nonetheless), it is commonly accepted that

Shakespeare was born in April of 1564 and died in April of 1616. He most likely went to Kings

New School, which taught him literacy (reading and writing, which was not terribly popular at

the time) and classic works. It is assumed that William Shakespeare earned a living as an actor,

which very well could have lead him into the career of playwriting. Shakespeare was part of the

Kings Men acting company and had produced some works of his own by the early 1500s. He

later moved from his hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon to London to pursue hid aspiration to be

a playwright. Not very much else is known about William Shakespeare other than his works as a

writer, poet, and playwright.

Genre & Characteristics of Genre:

Macbeth is a tragedy. Tragedies involve the destruction of the main characters life. Most

mainly tell the story of how this protagonists life ends up in disarray, bringing the reader

through the inevitable struggle of that character. There is usually a tragic flaw to this character,

a characteristic that eventually causes their downfall. Many times the climax is reached with the

death of that main character. Since there was no solution to the problem in the story, it is finally

solved by the characters death. Expectedly, tragedies usually have a dark tone, with few

bursts of comic relief (to further offset the negativity). Morals and themes are still taught and

delivered through these stories, by serving as an example of how things go wrong when people
dont change to solve problems. For this piece, Macbeth eventually dies at the hands of those he

has wronged in order to gain more power.

Major Characters and Roles/Description:

Macbeth

Beginning as the thane of Gladis, protagonist Macbeth is a Scottish general. Soon after

witches tell him he will be promoted all the way up to king, he is deemed thane of Cawdor. To

fulfill this Weird prophecy, he murders the current king Duncan, as well as his fellow general

Banquo to assure no one takes away his control. However, in doing this, it causes the

companions of those befallen by Macbeth to seek vengeance, and eventually bring him to his

death. Macbeth is the main vessel used by Shakespeare to deliver the themes of greed and over-

worrying, because doing so causes the characters death.

Lady Macbeth

Being an antagonist, Lady Macbeth causes trouble for Macbeth by convincing him to kill

Duncan in the first place. It is possible that in doing this she (along with the witches) represents

the concept of temptation. Later in the story, when the consequence of the murders start to take

effect, she delves deeply into madness and guilt, and eventually commits suicide. The general

effect of the character is that of greed. She was worse than Macbeth in the beginning,

disregarding the lives of others if it promised more power, and ended up much worse than him,

dead.

Banquo
 The fellow general of Macbeth. The witches prophesied that his children would inherit

the throne. Instead of attempting to force that prophecy to come into fruition, such as Macbeth

did, Banquo refused to trust the witches and did no such thing. Banquos character can serve as

an opposite to Macbeths. Therefore, Banquos ghost haunts Macbeth because he is what

Macbeth could have been. This further advances Macbeths despair and madness, causing him to

desperately cling to the throne. Banquos son, Fleance is not murdered by those set out to kill

Banquo, and may have later gained the throne as the witches predicted.

Three Witches

These three only cause foulness in the story. They meet in bad weather, signifying that

they are bad characters. Later they initialize the murder of King Duncan by Macbeth. They also

misguide him by making him believe that he would not die, when their prophecy in fact did

come true and caused his death. Resembling the three Fates of mythology, they disrespect and

enjoy messing with people. The witches too represent temptation and pride.

Duncan (King)

The Scottish king that Macbeth murders. Duncan represents a king of good virtue, and

when Macbeth kills him, it signifies an end to that reliable power. Order is again restored

Malcom becomes king.

Malcom

Following the murder of his father, King Duncan, Malcom flees to England, only to come

back with an army and seize the Scottish kingdom to reclaim the throne in his fathers name.
Malcom returning at all signifies how there was always a possibility of Macbeth losing his

control. Order is restored in Scotland and in nature when Macbeth is removed from power and

Malcom becomes king.

Macduff

Macduff is a constant threat to Macbeth, and eventually leads a crusade to uproot

Macbeth. While pursuing vengeance on Macbeth for murdering his family, he makes possible

the reinstatement of Duncans bloodline to the throne. He represents how theres always a

possibility for something to end in an unexpected manor.

Setting:

The story Macbeth is based on occurred in Scotland in the 11th century. The story of

Macbeth expands on that, stretching the already-intriguing history into a tragedy. Most of the

story in Macbeth takes place in Macbeths home as a nobleman and later as king. There are some

sections in various places such as the battlefield where the generals Macbeth and Banquo

defeated Norwegian and Irish armies.

Possible Themes & Major Symbols:

The major theme of Macbeth is greed (especially associated with power). Macbeth, in

pursuit of gaining higher authority, kills his king and his guards, then kills his comrade Banquo

to prevent his sons from taking over the kingship in the future. In this mad grab for power, his

physical and mental health diminish, as he starts hallucinating and developing insomnia.
Further shown with Lady Macbeth, her worse hunger for power eventually weighs on her

substantially enough for her to commit suicide. Another theme included in Macbeth is the

corruption of power. Having begun a general, Macbeth knows most about battle. This

background makes it easier for him to kill in order to achieve his goals. After ascending to the

title of king, it is promptly removed and replaced with that of tyrant, for his subjects in no way

trust him as a leader after finding out what he has done. Macbeth also descends to some level of

madness during his reign. It is for these reasons that many other noblemen and foreign armies

aim and succeed to remove him from power. One more possible theme shown in Macbeth is the

problems associated with worrying too much. Macbeth does all things possible to ensure that he

keeps the throne, and in those very acts causes himself to lose it.

A major symbol in Macbeth is blood. Macbeth first hallucinates a bloody dagger, then

exclaims how his blood could not be washed away by all the oceans. Blood symbolizes the guilt

of the two, how it cannot be washed away. Weather is also a symbol used in Macbeth. The

witches meet in bad weather, and it is storming when King Duncan is killed.

Quotes & Analyses: (3 quotes per Act)

Act I:

Macbeth: Stars, hide your fires; let not light see my black and deep desires. The eye wink at the

hand, yet let that be which the eye fears, when it is done, do see. (1.4)

This quote marks a serious changing point for the character of Macbeth. Up to this point

he has been quizzical of what the witches said, but now he is making it known to the audience

that deep down in his heart he wants to do something bad (kill Duncan). This is essentially when

he officially begins his path of destruction as well as self-destruction. He also isnt proud of
wanting these things since he tells the stars to leave him in the dark and doesnt want to look at

what hes going to do.

Lady Macbeth: Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, and fill me from

the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty! Make thick my blood; stop up the access to

passage and remorse, that no compunctions of visitings of nature shake my fell purpose. (1.5)

In a similar manner to her husband, Lady Macbeth makes a commitment to her foul

desires. She says that she doesnt want to be scared or remorseful. Not showing any signs of

guilt, it can be determined that her character serves as a contrast to Macbeths remorseful evil,

representing what he is not.

Lady Macbeth: Art thou so afeard to be the same in thine own act and valour as thou art in

desire? Wouldst thou have that which thou esteemst the ornament of life, and live a coward in

thine own esteem, letting I dare not wait upon I would? (1.7)

Appealing to the human fear of inaction, Lady Macbeth urges Macbeth to take action to

avoid later regret and kill Duncan. Through this, Lady Macbeth is delivering the concept of

temptation. It also shows that Macbeth most likely isnt totally evil, because he needs a

considerable amount of persuasion before committing such an act.

Act II:

Macbeth: I this a dagger which I see before me, the handle toward my own hand? Come, et me

clutch thee. I have thee not, and yet I see thee still. Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible to feeling
as to sight? Or art thou but a dagger of the mind, a false creation, proceed from the heat-opressed

brain? (2.1)

In this scene Macbeth experiences his first of many hallucinations, this one being of a

bloody dagger. This firstly foreshadows the upcoming event of Duncans murder. It is also the

first use of the recurring symbol of blood, which represents his guilt. He is essentially being

warned that the murder he is considering is bad, but in deciding to do so, Macbeths character

dives deeper still into evilness.

Macbeth: Will all great Neptunes ocean wash this blood clean from my hand? No, this my

hand will rather the multitudinous sea incarnadine, making the green one red. (2.2)

Having murdered King Duncan, Macbeth is talking about the blood on his hands, and

says that they couldnt be washed off with the whole ocean, and that they would turn the whole

ocean red. This, of course not being true, shows that Macbeth has embraced the symbol of blood

and uses it himself. The quote foreshadows that his guilt will never go away, but instead affect

and consume everything that Macbeth has and is.

Lady Macbeth: A little water clears us of this deed. (2.2)

Conversely, Lady Macbeth says the opposite, and in doing so clearly makes known her

heart: unremorseful. This in a sense is also ironic because eventually, Lady Macbeth becomes

overwhelmingly consumed with guilt and kills herself.

Act III:
Lady Macbeth: Tis safer to be that which we destroy than by destruction dwell in doubtful

joy, (3.2)

Not all too much later than she shows that her character is hard-set on evil, this quote

shows a large dynamic shift in the character. She says that she would rather be the ones killed

than live in fear of being ousted or regret of having killed someone. This also serves as

foreshadowing, as the two eventually cause their own destruction (especially Lady Macbeth, who

kills herself).

Macbeth: Thou canst not say I did it: never shake thy gory locks at me. (3.4)

In the scene surrounding this quote, Macbeth sees Banquos ghost at his party, and

exclaims out towards it. This is the first sign of Macbeths dissension into emotional turmoil, as

his past literally comes back to haunt him.

Macbeth: more shall they speak; for now I am bent to know, by the worst means, the worst. For

mine own good, all causes shall give way. (3.4)

Another shift in Macbeths character. Now stating that he will do anything to benefit

from the situation, he signals his final commitment to his past and future evil deeds. The theme

of greed is expressed here especially because his character, who was previously filled with regret

about doing such bad things, ignores that and decides to embrace human selfishness.

Act IV:
Macbeth: Then live, Macduff: what need I fear of thee? But yet Ill make assurance double sure,

and take a bond of fate: thou shalt not live; that I may tell pale-hearted fear it lies, and sleep in

spite of thunder. (4.1)

The last sentence demonstrates that weather is a symbol in this story. By thunder

Macbeth means a bad situation. This entire quote he says when hes meeting with the three

witches, and it signals his trust in them. There was bad weather and thunder before they met, so

this means he is further committing to evil and the path he is on (again in contrast to Banquos

character).

Macbeth: Infected be the air whereon the ride; and damnd all those that trust them. (4.1)

Ironically, Macbeth essentially foreshadows his own demise. He says that all who trust

the three witches are damned, but he himself trusts them.

Malcom: A good and virtuous nature may recoil in an imperial charge. (4.3)

Actually stating a main theme of the work, Malcom shows that people in the story (and

all people) are aware that power corrupts even good people.

Act V:

Menteith: What does the tyrant?

Caithness: some say hes mad; others that lesser hate him do call it a valiant furyhe cannot
buckle his distemperd cause within the belt of rule. (5.2)

Like the previous quote, these two characters demonstrate how people can see through

corrupted power. The civilians under Macbeths rule now call him a tyrant instead of a king,

signaling how he will (and all but has) lost the throne.
Macbeth: Where gotst thou that goose look?
Servant: There is ten thousand-
Macbeth: Geese, villain!
Servant: Soldiers, sir. (5.3)

One of the only examples of comic relief in the story, this quote shows how Macbeth has

now become paranoid in his despair to the point of it being humorous. This also lightens the

mood, which likely signals that there will be a very dark mood soon following. This is a

characteristic of tragedies themselves to make dark moments feel darker.

Macbeth: Ill fight till from my bones my flesh be hackd. (5.3)

This remark is that of a last effort to preserve authority. Although Macbeth must know he

is going to lose, he vows to fight against his dethroning until his death. This is the ultimate

commitment to his own greed, and the promise to the audience that Macbeth will soon hereafter

meet his death. Your mom.