Character Motivation

Macbeth - motivated by temptations of and personal

ambition for power
- Is pressured by, at first, the 3 witches, and later his wife
Victims: King Duncan, Banquo, Lady Macduff + her children, Siward
Lady Macbeth - motivated by power
- Is willing to sacrifice her own femininity to shed blood and
gain power (1.5.3853)
Macduff - motivated by revenge towards Macbeth's ruling
and also the murder of his wife and children
(Other) Thanes - motivated by their hopes of Macbeth being
overthrown (5.2.1-30)
3 Witches (and Hecate) - motivated by their proclivity
towards stirring up trouble and ensuring fate
Malcolm - motivated by revenge for his father's murder and
the poverty his kingdom is facing, due to Macbeth's Rule
Imagery
DARKNESS
When shall we three meet again
In thunder, lightning, or in rain? (1.1.3-4)
Oftentimes, to win us to our harm,
The instruments of darkness tell us truths,
Win us with honest trifles, to betray's
In deepest consequence. (1.3.133-137)
Come, thick night,
And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell,
That my keen knife see not the wound it
makes,
Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the
dark. (1.5.43-46)
BLOOD
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.
(Lady Macbeth: 1.5.48-51)
Is this a dagger which I see before me,
The handle toward my hand? Come, let me
clutch thee.
To Ireland, I; our separated fortune
Shall keep us both the safer: where we are,
There's daggers in men's smiles: the near in
blood, The nearer bloody. (Donalbain:
2.3.137-140)
Symbols
Blood symbolizes the guilt that sits like a permanent stain
on the consciences of both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth,
one that haunts them forever.

The Weather reflects the corruption in oneself, and the
political orders, such as the terrible storms that raged on
the night of Duncan's murder.

The three witches represent the dark powers that have
the capacity to influence men's decisions, and they are an
outward representation of Macbeth's inner evil.
Themes
Ambition: Macbeth's ambition to become king shows through
when he decides that in order to get that wish, he must kill.
Revenge: Macbeth's ambition causes him to kill, creating
hate to the victim's relative's and friends, who all wish to dole
justice on him.

Kingship vs Tyranny: Macbeth's vision of kingship turns into
a tyrannical point of view when the crimes he committed got
to him.

Fate vs. Free Will: Although the three witches prophesize
Macbeth's succession to kingship and the murder of King
Duncan, Macbeth could have chosen not to commit the
crime.
Key Quotes
"We proceed no further in this business."(1.7.32): This is a critical
scene as Macbeth's senses overcome his greed, but Lady Macbeth in
pursuit of power, shows her greed as she encourages Macbeth to do
the foul deeds.
"These deeds must not be thought/ After these ways; so, it will make
us mad." (2.2.37): Dramatic Irony is seen in this line as her own advice
backfires, resulting in Lady Macbeth herself becoming mad.
"My hands are of your colour, but I shame/ To wear a heart so white."
(2. 2. 67-68): This is a critical scene as it foreshadows how Macbeth
suffers no relapse from the event, showing his transition and how Lady
Macbeth changes too as her conscious eats away at her.
"This is the very painting of your fear; / This is the air-drawn dagger
which you said/ Led you to Duncan." (3. 4. 61-62): Macbeth's weak
mind begins to break as he resents his decision, but Lady Macbeth's
greed pushes her husband to commit the crimes.
Key Quotes (cont.)
"It will have blood they say: blood will have blood." (3. 4. 123):
Macbeth's realization of the future and what it holds show that
he accepted the fact he became "evil", which plays a key role
through the rest of the play.
"Give to our tables meat, sleep to out nights,/ Free from our
feasts and banquets bloody knives" (3. 6. 34-35): Macbeth's
greed and power clouds his judgment and his mind, causing
the people to be hateful and distrustful of him.
"Accursed be that tongue that tells me so,/ For it hath cow'd my
better part of man"(5. 8. 17-18): The lines shows Macbeth's
weakness as he realizes his end because of the witches
foreshadowing.
Social Aspects
Wrote the play to please King James I, when he was
announced King
Society was patriarchal, women's rights were determined by
their rank in the society, such as peasant women almost
having none
"Universe's Hierarchy": God, Kings, aristocracy, mankind,
animals, plants
People were desperate to move up the social hierarchy and
to kill for power which reflects in the play how Macbeth kills
King Duncan, and seizes the throne for himself, but later on
Macbeth is murdered by Macduff, and Malcolm becomes
King.
Political Aspects
Elizabeth the 1st, Queen of England,
ruled England in most of
Shakespeare's life.
James the 1st of England
succeeded Elizabeth the 1st.
James was also the king of
England (James the 5th). James
filled in the later years of
Shakespeare's life and one book
Shakespeare wrote for James
was Macbeth.
Since King James is the king of both nations, naturally the
nations unified. However, James only governed the nation from
London and thus the area far away from England (Scotland)
became affected by high inflation and poverty. These areas
were governed by land owners (feudalism) and enforced by
deputies. In result, land owners often abused their power and
peasants posed a threat to the King (via rebellions and revolts).
Political Aspects (continued)
The writing of Macbeth spawned due to Shakespeare
wanting to please King James. King James actually had
ancestors named Macbeth and Banquo and unlike in
Macbeth, Macbeth AND Banquo plotted against the English
king that lived during their time.
In the prophecy of the eight kings (4.1.120), one of the kings
is holding two orbs and in England's history, King James I
also held two orbs on his coronation day. Also, the witches'
prophecies stated that the descendants of Banquo will
become king of Scotland and due to the fact that King James
I was the descendant of "Banquo", this actually happened as
King James I eventually became the king of Scotland.
Political Aspects (Cont.)
When King James I ruled from London, he allowed the area
surrounding England to become more organized. However,
there was great social unrest, poverty, and high inflation in
distant places like Scotland. Due to this, there were constant
rebellions and threats to the king and government. These
factors may have influenced the description of Macbeth and
Lady Macbeth plotting to blame King Duncan's murder on
the king's attendants.
Religious Aspects
At that time, England was a predominantly Christian country.
Shakespeare includes many allusions to the Bible and the
beliefs of the people at the time:
King as second-in-command to God: 1.2.47
The devil: 3.1.68-70
Judgment Day: 4.1.116-117
King James I, Shakespeare's patron, was highly interested in
witchcraft, influencing Shakespeare's use of supernatural
figures, such as the Three Witches, as vital contributors to
the plot.
Conflict between the rise of Protestantism and the demise of
Catholicism in England is referenced in the Porter's speech
(2.3.8-11).
Prose
Prose is language in its simplest and most common form,
providing natural flow instead of rhythmic structure and being
used in everyday life.

Porter:
Faith, sir, we were carousing till the second cock,and
drink, sir, is a great provoker of three things (2.3.22-23)
Lady Macbeth:
To bed, to bed; there's knocking at the gate. Come,
come, come, come, give me your hand; what's done
cannot be undone. To bed, to bed, to bed.(5.1.58-60)

Poetry
Shakespeare didn't consider himself a playwright but as a poet,
therefore it influenced his plays. He utilizes imagery by
using poetry through the characters of the story.
Blank Verse - Shakespeare uses black verses through
people of nobility such as Macbeth, King Duncan, Malcolm,
ETC., which is poetry written in unrhymed iambic pentameter

Trochaic tetrameter - The 3 witches speak in Trochaic
tetrameter which has a rhythmical pattern and rhymed
couplets. (It sounds similar to a nursery rhyme)
Examples of Poetry
Blank Verse
Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief
candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
(5.5.18-27)
Blank verses do not
rhyme but still have
a rhythmical pattern
This soliloquy is told
by Macbeth after
hearing of his wife's
death
Macbeth:
Examples of Poetry
Trochaic tetrameter
The 3 Witches: Round about the cauldron go;
in the poison'd entrails throw.
Toad, that under cold stone
Days and nights has thirty-one
Swelter'd venom sleeping got, boil thot
first i'th charmed pot
Double, double toil and trouble
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.
(4.1.4-11)
Notice that
the lines contain
rhymed couplets
such as "trouble"
and "bubble", much
like a nursery
rhyme.
The witches usually
chant during their
lines in Trochaic
Tetrameter.
Critical Analysis
The greatness of Lady Macbeth lies almost wholly in courage
and force of will. It is an error to regard her as remarkable on
the intellectual side., a scholar who studies Shakespearean
works, states: "Macbeth evokes a confused sympathy from the
reader which disrupts the continuity of the play. This is because
the tragedy of Macbeth's fall is diluted by his own moral
degeneracy."

Did Shakespeare intentionally portray Macbeth as less of a
tragic hero due to his lapses in moral judgment?
Although Macbeth murders many characters throughout
the tragedy, it is debatable whether his actions were
driven by fate or by free will. Therefore, the influence his
immorality holds on the tragedy of his demise is
questionable.
How We Relate
When someone or something important is taken away from
us, our anger pushes us towards revenge. Until we obtain it,
there will be resentment.

Pride often denies a person the choice of surrendering.
When we let our pride get in the way, the most rational
decision is usually out of the question and we tend to
persevere despite our common sense.

At times, a taste of power leaves people with a desire for
more. Consequently, people will go to any extreme to protect
theirs.
Media
Macbeth (1948) directed by Orson Welles
Joe Macbeth (1955) directed by Ken Hughes
Throne of Blood (1957) directed by Akira Kurosawa
Macbeth (1971) directed by Roman Polanski
Men of Respect (1990) directed by William Reilly
Macbeth (1998) directed by Michael Bogdanov
Scotland, PA (2001) directed by Billy Morrissette
Macbeth (2006) directed by Geoggrey Wright
Macbeth (2010) directed by Rupert Goold
The Simpsons: Four Great Women and a Manicure
Harry Potter series
Light Thickens written by Ngaio Marsh
Lady Macbeth's Daughter written by Lisa Klein
The Simpsons: Four Great
Women and a Manicure
Commentary
Lady Macbeth's role in "Macbeth" is similar to and can be
compared with Eve's role in the story of Adam and Eve in the
Garden of Eden. "Your hand, your tongue; look like th'
innocent flower, but be the serpent under't." (1.6.64) It is
ironic that in the beginning of the play, Macbeth is consumed
by guilt and Lady Macbeth is driven by greed, ambition, and
desire, but by the end of the play the roles have reversed.

Shakespeare allows readers to see two paths that could
have unfolded based upon what Macbeth chose to do with
his desire for power. Banquo and Macbeth are both given
prophecies destining them for greatness, but only Macbeth
acts on it. Banquo serves as "the other road" that could've
unfolded.

Commentary (cont.)
"Macbeth" fits the description of what Aristotle describes a
tragedy must be, but with Shakespeare's comedic touches.
In times of great stress/suspense, Shakespeare adds in light-
hearted scenes and grim puns.

"Macbeth" is similar to "Julius Caesar" in terms of murder
done in the name of power, ambition, and greed, as well as
the idea that no one can be trusted. "There's no art to find
the mind's construction in the face." (1.5.10) Also, symbolism
in terms of the weather to represent unnatural actions,
clothing, and a bird to represent characters are also present
in both "Macbeth" and "Julius Caesar."
Works Cited
Sommerville, Johann. "Elizabethan Catholics." Department of
History. University of Wisconsin-Madison. Web. 26 Nov. 2011.
Thompson, Edward H. "Macbeth, King James and the Witches."
University of Dundee, Scotland. Dec. 1993.
Conference Presentation.
Shakespeare Study Guide. "Imagery." Web. 28 Nov. 2011.
<http://www.shakespearestudyguide.com/Macbeth.
html#ambition>

The Internet Movie Database. Internet Movie. Database
Ltd. Web. 26 Nov. 2011. <http://us.imdb.com>.

Schwartz, Debora B. "Shakespearean Verse and Prose."
English department, California Polytechnic State
University. Web.