Macbeth Summary Notes.doc

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Macbeth Summary Notes

Themes

Reality is often opposed to appearance. In other words, appearances can be deceiving. This theme is expressed in the words spoken by the three witches in Act I, Scene (i):

Fair is foul and foul is fair.

This theme can be seen throughout the play, in situations such as these:

1) The witches utter wonderful prophesies when Macbeth first meets them on the heath. However, their words start a process of deterioration leading to Macbeth’s death. Their words only appear to be a good sign. A further irony here is that these creatures DO appear evil, but Macbeth chooses to ignore this detail.

2) Duncan’s words of praise (Act 1, Scene (vi)) show how inviting Macbeth’s castle appears. Little does he know that here he will die. This is dramatic irony.

3) Both Macbeth and his wife, in Act 1 and beyond, appear to be loyal and good when they are vicious schemers.

4) Macbeth, in Act III, Scene (i), appears to be Banquo’s friend as he invites him to supper. And we all know what happened to poor Banquo!

5) Malcolm, in Act IV, Scene (iii), appears to be a horrible person, as he lists his many faults. Yet, like Macbeth who feigns goodness to achieve his own ends, Malcolm pretends to be unfit to govern (or live !! according to Macduff) as it is helpful to him to test Macduff. This is ironic because people sometimes pretend that they are better than they are, but we normally do not expect a person to pretend that they are worse than they are.

6) Act I, Scene (vii), line 92: False face must hide what the false heart doth know.

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Evil is a second theme that cannot be ignored. As in Lord of the Flies, it seems to take on a life of its own, as one evil deed begets another.

Evil can be traced throughout the play, as follows:

1) From the opening scene, we have the ugly witches: “What are these so whither’d, and so wild in their attire, that look not like the inhabitants o’ the earth…?” (Act I, Scene (iii), lines 40-43) It is unlikely that they would be associated with anything good. 2) Banquo mistrusts them, but Macbeth is intrigued… and so begin his murderous

actions… provoked by the prophesies of the three weird sisters (SEE Act 1, Scene 3, lines 136-152). Macbeth, a man who is held in high esteem after killing

Macdonwald, chooses to make the final prophesy come true, leading to his downfall (tragic hero).

3) Lady Macbeth, when first we meet her, also chooses evil as soon as she hears what has been predicted for her husband and herself : “ …unsex me here, and fill me, from the crown to the toe, top-full of direst cruelty!”

4) Duncan’s unsuspecting nature as he enters the Macbeth household emphasizes the contrast between normalcy/day/honor/goodness and the

unnatural/night/dishonor/evil.

5) Macbeth’s soliloquy in Act I, Scene (vii) reveals to the reader that Duncan is a good king who does not deserve to die. This makes the murder even more starkly evil. 6) Nature reacts to this horrific deed by showing signs of turmoil: no stars, high winds,

screams, earth tremors, and so on…

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Another obvious theme in this play is ambition or greed. The following examples may be used to support this theme:

1) Sweno, King of Norway, sees an opportunity for possible gain when Scotland has internal strife. He brought in his army to do further damage after the traitor Macdonwald had been killed.

2) The witches know enough about human nature to bring to the surface the ambition that was likely lurking below the surface in Macbeth, a man who had already become well-known through his brave and victorious actions in battle.

3) Macbeth’s ambition is seen immediately after he is told that he will be king. He obviously realizes that this may mean destroying Duncan.

4) Lady Macbeth also is ambitious upon hearing the news, yearning to have her husband become king, which of course will make her queen.

5) Banquo is interested in the prophesy concerning himself, but makes it clear that he remains loyal to Duncan (Act 2, Scene (i), lines 33-34).

(Write your own examples at the end of these study sheets.)

Shakespeare makes extensive use of CONTRAST in this play:

1) The situation in Scotland when Duncan is king is contrasted with when Macbeth is king. For the most part, when Duncan is king, there is order. Macbeth upsets this order and replaces it with chaos. Malcolm finally restores order once more.

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3) The characters of Macbeth and Banquo are contrasted. Banquo is loyal to his king and not quick to put too much confidence in the witches. Macbeth takes what the witches have to say very seriously, and betrays his king in the most horrible way possible, stabbing him - king and honored guest - while he sleeps.

4) The heart-warming scene between Lady Macduff and her son forms a sharp contrast with the evil of most of the play. This is one of the brightest scenes, creating an atmosphere of comfort, friendliness, and love, which is destroyed by the entrance of the murderers.

5) Lady Macbeth, who appears sinister at the beginning in her “Come unsex me here” speech, is very different at the end. She becomes a suicidal broken lady plagued by mental anguish at the end.

6) Macbeth is ambitious enough at the beginning to be entranced by the thought of becoming king; later, he is so despairing that he sees no value in humanlife: “Life’s but a walking shadow…”

7) The porter’s scene provides a contrast with the prevailing mood of the play. Before this, we see the murder of Duncan, and Macbeth, hands bloodied, refusing to take the daggers back to the room where the butchered body of Duncan lies. It is a change to hear the drunken porter make foolish comments about everyday situations. His remarks provide humour, dramatic relief from the general atmosphere of horror created in earlier scenes.

8) The contrast in the apparitions’ messages is confusing. They have a double meaning. Macbeth interprets them as favouring him. However, they predict the danger Macbeth is in, both bluntly “Beware Macduff”, and in riddle.

9) There is a contrast between Edward, king of England and Macbeth, king of Scotland. Edward miraculously heals, while Macbeth infects and destroys. Look for other examples of contrast in the play.

IMAGERY

1) BLOOD IMAGERY

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- Lady Macbeth praying that cruelty will thicken her blood so that pity will not flow in her veins

- the murderer appears at the banquet door with blood on his face

- Banquo’s ghost is “blood-bolstered” and has “twenty trenched gashes on his head” - the witches include baboon’s blood in their brew

- Macbeth’s hands are bloody and he says they will dye the ocean red

- Lady Macbeth;s hands are so bloody (to her mind) that all the perfumes in Arabia will not get rid of the bloody smell

- Macduff says Macbeth has a bloody sceptre

- murder of Lady Macduff’s son – murder of an innocent

- Macbeth’s bloody head is stuck on a spear and waved above the crowd - bloody dagger illusion

- apparition of the bloody child - Duncan’s blood-covered servants

- Scotland “bleeds” – Act 4, scene 3 – spoken by Macduff (line36)

2) DARKNESS IMAGERY

- all the remarkable scenes take place during the night or in some dark spot :  Duncan’s murder

 Banquo’s murder  the dagger scene  the sleepwalking scene

 the witches’ scene, when they make their brew

- Macbeth says the “stars hide their fires” so that they may not reveal or witness his “black desires”

- Lady Macbeth calls on thick night to come “cloaked in the blackest smoke of hell” - Lady Macbeth later fears the dark since she has a candle by her bed continually - Macbeth refers to the evilness of the witches in “black Hecate’s summons” - supernatural disturbances take place at night

- Macbeth refers to life as a “brief candle” and “but a shadow”

3) CLOTHING IMAGERY

- “The Thane of Cawdor lives. Why do you dress me in borrowed robes?” - “A giant’s robe upon a dwarfish thief”

- Etc.

4) DISEASE IMAGERY

- Macbeth, as tyrant, is the source of infection that spreads through Scotland

- Macbeth regards life as a “fitful fever” – shaken by fear and lying restless in torment , his shivering tossing and turning suggesting fever

- His mind is “full of scorpions”

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- Macduff, in talking to Malcolm, speaks of Scotland as wounded, bleeding, driven and sinking in weariness

- Macbeth asks the doctor if he can cure the sickness in Scotland

- The Scottish nobles who are going to join Malcolm consider him to be medicine for a sick country

- Lady Macbeth speaks of an “infected brain” and says “think not so brainsickly of things”

- Macbeth is said to have had fits since he was young

- the dagger illusion could have resulted from a “heat oppressed brain” ATMOSPHERE

 mysterious, ominous (threatening)

 creates atmosphere through characterization: witches

- chant is ambiguous (double meaning)- their malicious quality comes out in their saying “ double double

toil and trouble” and “powerful trouble” Lady Macbeth

- in her “come unsex me here” speech indicates that she wants to become entirely evil in order to help her husband to become king. This helps to add to the suspense, leaving the reader/audience with an ominous feeling

Macbeth

- vows to commit even more horrible crimes (We are but young in deed.)

- vows to kill Macduff family - We then feel apprehensive about the safety of both mother and child. As they talk together about Macduff, husband and father, we feel a sense of dread that this sweet family is about to be destroyed. Then we feel horror as it is being done.

 he atmosphere of horror is also developed through darkness and blood imagery (See previous notes.)

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 The scene of Lady Macduff talking with her son offers a contrasting atmosphere at first, one of comfort, friendliness, and love. However, the horror of the rest of the play barges into this scene with the entrance of the murders.

Other points for your consideration:

 Characterization, as discussed throughout our in-class analysis

 Use of the Supernatural (the impact its use has upon the characters- i.e. Macbeth)  Use of Irony

 Tragic development of both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth  Suspense