Macbeth

Macbeth

Theme

“The battlefield: thunder and lightning. Enter three Witches”

• The stage directions refer to a “battlefield” which introduces the theme, the battle between good and evil.

• “thunder and lightning” the tumultuous weather suggests upheaval and fear. This foreshadows what Scotland will be like under Macbeth’s reign.

• “three Witches”. The witches are the personification of evil in the play. The presence of the witches in the opening scene is ominous.

“Fair is foul, and foul is fair”

• The witches speak in riddles. This is augmented by the use of alliteration.

• This suggests that evil spreads confusion and upheaval.

• The scene ends with the witches casting a spell.

• This is a bad omen for the rest of the play

“all’s too weak,/For brave Macbeth-well he deserves that name.”

• Valour and strength on the battlefield is linked to goodness.

• The issue of loyalty and treason is linked to the theme, the battle between good and evil

“What he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won”

• Duncan awards the title held by the traitor to Macbeth.

• This is ironical as Macbeth’s disloyalty will be even greater.

“So foul and fair a day I have not seen”

• Macbeth’s first words are identical to the words used by the witches.

• This makes us question his connection to evil.

“you should be women,/And yet your beards forbid me to interpret.”

• The witches look like neither males nor females.

• This links nature to the theme of good and evil. Unnatural things are associated with evil.

“The Thane of Cawdor lives. Why do you dress me in borrowed robes?”

• Clothing imagery is used to indicate when someone is in their rightful position.

“This supernatural soliciting/Cannot be ill, cannot be good”

• Macbeth is fully aware that communication with the witches cannot produce good.

• This connects Macbeth’s thoughts of regicide with the theme, the battle between good and evil.

“look like th’ innocent flower,/But be the serpent under’t”

• Lady Macbeth advises Macbeth to use deceit in order to fool others of his intention to kill Duncan.

• Appearance and reality is linked to the theme of good and evil.

“But here, upon this bank and shoal of time,/We’d jump the life to come.”

• In his soliloquy opening the turning point scene, Act 1 scene 7, Macbeth reveals he would willingly forgo heaven in the after-life to be king now.

• The reference to “the life to come” reminds the reader of the theme.

• This suggests that the regicide of Duncan by Macbeth would be the triumph of evil over good.

“I would…Have pluck’d my nipple from his boneless gums/And dash’d the brains out.”

• Lady Macbeth wants to persuade Macbeth to proceed with regicide.

• She would rather commit an unnatural, non-maternal act than break a promise.

• This comment reminds us of the witches, their behaviour and their appearance.

• This effectively suggests that Lady Macbeth, and what she is proposing, is evil.

“False face must hide what the false heart doth know”

• The turning point scene ends. Macbeth has decided to kill Duncan.

• The repetition of “false” emphasises deception.

• Appearance and reality is used to show that just by deciding to kill Duncan, Macbeth has already progressed in evil.

The Dagger Scene

• This begins with a series of questions reflecting Macbeth’s confusion and anxiety as to whether or not to kill Duncan.

• Macbeth seems to grow more resolute as he contemplates committing regicide.

• Murder is personified which suggests the growth is resolution is accompanied by Macbeth’s further progression in evil.

“I could not say ‘Amen’/When they did say ‘God bless us’

• The king is viewed as appointed by God. Therefore, regicide is against God’s order.

• Macbeth has progressed deeply in evil by killing Duncan.

• His inability to say ‘Amen’ suggests he is eternally damned.

• The tone of these lines suggests he is distressed by this.

“The night has been unruly”

• The murder of Duncan has disturbed God’s order and spread evil throughout Scotland.

• The disorder in nature is used to convey this.• In the theme, the battle between good and

evil, evil can be seen to triumph.

“That darkness does the face of earth entomb/When living light should kiss it?”

• The evil unleashed by Macbeth’s murder of Duncan continues to spread.

• Darkness is linked to evil deeds.• The use of contrast, “entomb” and “living

light” conveys the extent by which the natural order has been disturbed by this act.

• This suggests evil is continuing to triumph

“Know, that it was he in times past which held you so/ under fortune, which you thought had been our/

innocent self.

• Since murdering Duncan Macbeth becomes more adept at dissembling.

• He easily lies to encourage the murder of Banquo and Fleance.

• The use of appearance and reality highlights that Macbeth continues to progress in evil .

“O,full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife!”

• Macbeth remains troubled. He wishes to secure his reign and is dwells on the witches’ prophecy to Banquo.

• Scorpions are linked to evil due to their nocturnal and predatory habits. This suggests Macbeth’s mind is consumed with evil.

• This links to the theme suggesting evil continues to spread and defeat good.

Banquet Scene

• Despite Macbeth’s descent to evil the supernatural has an ambiguous attitude toward him.

• Banquo’s ghost haunts Macbeth as a punishment for his murder.

• Macbeth’s mental state seems in disarray.• This suggests there is no profit from trafficking

with evil.

“Loves for his own ends, not for you”

• Hecate berates the other witches. Her complaint is that Macbeth is merely using evil as a means to an end.

• This suggests that evil can not be trusted by any one.

• The reader’s awareness of what is in store for Macbeth contributes to his characterisation as a tragic hero.

“our suffering country/Under a hand accurs’d”

• Tyranny is linked to the theme of good and evil as evidence of evil.

• The use of word choice, “accurs’d” is a reminder of the theme.

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