MACBETHTHEMES.

Themesarethefundamentalandoftenuniversalideasexploredina
literarywork.

TheCorruptingPowerofUncheckedAmbition
ThemainthemeofMacbeththedestructionwroughtwhen
ambitiongoesuncheckedbymoralconstraintsfindsitsmost
powerfulexpressionintheplaystwomaincharacters.Macbeth
isacourageousScottishgeneralwhoisnotnaturallyinclinedto
commitevildeeds,yethedeeplydesirespowerand
advancement.HekillsDuncanagainsthisbetterjudgmentand
afterwardstewsinguiltandparanoia.Towardtheendofthe
playhedescendsintoakindoffrantic,boastfulmadness.Lady
Macbeth,ontheotherhand,pursueshergoalswithgreater
determination,yetsheislesscapableofwithstandingthe
repercussionsofherimmoralacts.OneofShakespearesmost
forcefullydrawnfemalecharacters,shespursherhusband
mercilesslytokillDuncanandurgeshimtobestronginthe
murdersaftermath,butsheiseventuallydriventodistractionby
theeffectofMacbethsrepeatedbloodshedonherconscience.
Ineachcase,ambitionhelped,ofcourse,bythemalign
propheciesofthewitchesiswhatdrivesthecoupletoever
moreterribleatrocities.Theproblem,theplaysuggests,isthat
onceonedecidestouseviolencetofurtheronesquestfor
power,itisdifficulttostop.Therearealwayspotentialthreatsto
thethroneBanquo,Fleance,Macduffanditisalways
temptingtouseviolentmeanstodisposeofthem.
TheRelationshipBetweenCrueltyandMasculinity
CharactersinMacbethfrequentlydwellonissuesofgender.
LadyMacbethmanipulatesherhusbandbyquestioninghis
manhood,wishesthatsheherselfcouldbeunsexed,anddoes
notcontradictMacbethwhenhesaysthatawomanlikeher
shouldgivebirthonlytoboys.InthesamemannerthatLady
Macbethgoadsherhusbandontomurder,Macbethprovokes1.
0

321themurderershehirestokillBanquobyquestioningtheir
manhood.SuchactsshowthatbothMacbethandLadyMacbeth
equatemasculinitywithnakedaggression,andwheneverthey
converseaboutmanhood,violencesoonfollows.Their
understandingofmanhoodallowsthepoliticalorderdepictedin
theplaytodescendintochaos.
Atthesametime,however,theaudiencecannothelpnoticing
thatwomenarealsosourcesofviolenceandevil.Thewitches
propheciessparkMacbethsambitionsandthenencouragehis
violentbehavior;LadyMacbethprovidesthebrainsandthewill
behindherhusbandsplotting;andtheonlydivinebeingto
appearisHecate,thegoddessofwitchcraft.Arguably,Macbeth
tracestherootofchaosandeviltowomen,whichhasledsome
criticstoarguethatthisisShakespearesmostmisogynistic
play.Whilethemalecharactersarejustasviolentandproneto
evilasthewomen,theaggressionofthefemalecharactersis
morestrikingbecauseitgoesagainstprevailingexpectationsof
howwomenoughttobehave.LadyMacbethsbehavior
certainlyshowsthatwomencanbeasambitiousandcruelas
men.Whetherbecauseoftheconstraintsofhersocietyor
becausesheisnotfearlessenoughtokill,LadyMacbethrelies
ondeceptionandmanipulationratherthanviolencetoachieve
herends.
Ultimately,theplaydoesputfortharevisedandlessdestructive
definitionofmanhood.InthescenewhereMacdufflearnsofthe
murdersofhiswifeandchild,Malcolmconsoleshimby
encouraginghimtotakethenewsinmanlyfashion,by
seekingrevengeuponMacbeth.Macduffshowstheyoungheir
apparentthathehasamistakenunderstandingofmasculinity.
ToMalcolmssuggestion,Disputeitlikeaman,Macduff
replies,Ishalldoso.ButImustalsofeelitasaman(4.3.221
223).Attheendoftheplay,Siwardreceivesnewsofhissons
deathrathercomplacently.Malcolmresponds:Hesworth
moresorrow[thanyouhaveexpressed]/AndthatIllspendfor
him(5.11.1617).Malcolmscommentshowsthathehas

learnedthelessonMacduffgavehimonthesentientnatureof
truemasculinity.Italsosuggeststhat,withMalcolms
coronation,orderwillberestoredtotheKingdomofScotland.

TheDifferenceBetweenKingshipandTyranny
Intheplay,Duncanisalwaysreferredtoasaking,while
Macbethsoonbecomesknownasthetyrant.Thedifference
betweenthetwotypesofrulersseemstobeexpressedina
conversationthatoccursinAct4,scene3,whenMacduffmeets
MalcolminEngland.InordertotestMacduffsloyaltyto
Scotland,Malcolmpretendsthathewouldmakeanevenworse
kingthanMacbeth.HetellsMacduffofhisreproachable
qualitiesamongthemathirstforpersonalpowerandaviolent
temperament,bothofwhichseemtocharacterizeMacbeth
perfectly.Ontheotherhand,Malcolmsays,Theking
becominggraces/[are]justice,verity,temprance,stableness,/
Bounty,perseverance,mercy,[and]lowliness(4.3.9293).The
modelking,then,offersthekingdomanembodimentoforder
andjustice,butalsocomfortandaffection.Underhim,subjects
arerewardedaccordingtotheirmerits,aswhenDuncanmakes
MacbeththaneofCawdorafterMacbethsvictoryoverthe
invaders.Mostimportant,thekingmustbeloyaltoScotland
abovehisowninterests.Macbeth,bycontrast,bringsonlychaos
toScotlandsymbolizedinthebadweatherandbizarre
supernaturaleventsandoffersnorealjustice,onlyahabitof
capriciouslymurderingthoseheseesasathreat.Asthe
embodimentoftyranny,hemustbeovercomebyMalcolmso
thatScotlandcanhaveatruekingoncemore.

MACBETHMOTIFS.
Motifsarerecurringstructures,contrasts,andliterarydevicesthatcan
helptodevelopandinformthetextsmajorthemes.

Hallucinations
Visionsandhallucinationsrecurthroughouttheplayandserve

asremindersofMacbethandLadyMacbethsjointculpability
forthegrowingbodycount.WhenheisabouttokillDuncan,
Macbethseesadaggerfloatingintheair.Coveredwithblood
andpointedtowardthekingschamber,thedaggerrepresents
thebloodycourseonwhichMacbethisabouttoembark.Later,
heseesBanquosghostsittinginachairatafeast,prickinghis
consciencebymutelyremindinghimthathemurderedhis
formerfriend.TheseeminglyhardheadedLadyMacbethalso
eventuallygiveswaytovisions,asshesleepwalksandbelieves
thatherhandsarestainedwithbloodthatcannotbewashed
awaybyanyamountofwater.Ineachcase,itisambiguous
whetherthevisionisrealorpurelyhallucinatory;but,inboth
cases,theMacbethsreadthemuniformlyassupernaturalsigns
oftheirguilt.
Violence
Macbethisafamouslyviolentplay.Interestingly,mostofthe
killingstakeplaceoffstage,butthroughouttheplaythe
charactersprovidetheaudiencewithgorydescriptionsofthe
carnage,fromtheopeningscenewherethecaptaindescribes
MacbethandBanquowadinginbloodonthebattlefield,tothe
endlessreferencestothebloodstainedhandsofMacbethandhis
wife.Theactionisbookendedbyapairofbloodybattles:inthe
first,Macbethdefeatstheinvaders;inthesecond,heisslainand
beheadedbyMacduff.Inbetweenisaseriesofmurders:
Duncan,Duncanschamberlains,Banquo,LadyMacduff,and
Macduffssonallcometobloodyends.Bytheendoftheaction,
bloodseemstobeeverywhere.
Prophecy
ProphecysetsMacbethsplotinmotionnamely,thewitches
prophecythatMacbethwillbecomefirstthaneofCawdorand
thenking.Theweirdsistersmakeanumberofotherprophecies:
theytellusthatBanquosheirswillbekings,thatMacbeth
shouldbewareMacduff,thatMacbethissafetillBirnamWood
comestoDunsinane,andthatnomanbornofwomancanharm
Macbeth.SavefortheprophecyaboutBanquosheirs,allof

thesepredictionsarefulfilledwithinthecourseoftheplay.Still,
itisleftdeliberatelyambiguouswhethersomeofthemareself
fulfillingforexample,whetherMacbethwillshimselftobe
kingorisfatedtobeking.Additionally,astheBirnamWood
andbornofwomanpropheciesmakeclear,theprophecies
mustbeinterpretedasriddles,sincetheydonotalwaysmean
whattheyseemtomean.

MACBETHSYMBOLS.
Symbolsareobjects,characters,figures,andcolorsusedtorepresent
abstractideasorconcepts.

Blood
BloodiseverywhereinMacbeth,beginningwiththeopening
battlebetweentheScotsandtheNorwegianinvaders,whichis
describedinharrowingtermsbythewoundedcaptaininAct1,
scene2.OnceMacbethandLadyMacbethembarkupontheir
murderousjourney,bloodcomestosymbolizetheirguilt,and
theybegintofeelthattheircrimeshavestainedtheminaway
thatcannotbewashedclean.WillallgreatNeptunesocean
washthisblood/Cleanfrommyhand?Macbethcriesafterhe
haskilledDuncan,evenashiswifescoldshimandsaysthata
littlewaterwilldothejob(2.2.5859).
TheWeatherLater,though,shecomestosharehishorrified
senseofbeingstained:Out,damnedspot;out,Isay...who
wouldhavethoughttheoldmantohavehadsomuchbloodin
him?sheasksasshewandersthroughthehallsoftheircastle
nearthecloseoftheplay(5.1.3034).Bloodsymbolizesthe
guiltthatsitslikeapermanentstainontheconsciencesofboth
MacbethandLadyMacbeth,onethathoundsthemtotheir
graves.
AsinotherShakespeareantragedies,Macbethsgrotesque
murderspreeisaccompaniedbyanumberofunnatural

occurrencesinthenaturalrealm.Fromthethunderandlightning
thataccompanythewitchesappearancestotheterriblestorms
thatrageonthenightofDuncansmurder,theseviolationsof
thenaturalorderreflectcorruptioninthemoralandpolitical
orders.Later,though,shecomestosharehishorrifiedsenseof
beingstained:Out,damnedspot;out,Isay...whowouldhave
thoughttheoldmantohavehadsomuchbloodinhim?she
asksasshewandersthroughthehallsoftheircastlenearthe
closeoftheplay(5.1.3034).Bloodsymbolizestheguiltthat
sitslikeapermanentstainontheconsciencesofbothMacbeth
andLadyMacbeth,onethathoundsthemtotheirgraves.
Visionsandhallucinationsrecurthroughouttheplayandserve
asremindersofMacbethandLadyMacbethsjointculpability
forthegrowingbodycount.WhenheisabouttokillDuncan,
Macbethseesadaggerfloatingintheair.Coveredwithblood
andpointedtowardthekingschamber,thedaggerrepresents
thebloodycourseonwhichMacbethisabouttoembark.Later,
heseesBanquosghostsittinginachairatafeast,prickinghis
consciencebymutelyremindinghimthathemurderedhis
formerfriend.TheseeminglyhardheadedLadyMacbethalso
eventuallygiveswaytovisions,asshesleepwalksandbelieves
thatherhandsarestainedwithbloodthatcannotbewashed
awaybyanyamountofwater.Ineachcase,itisambiguous
whetherthevisionisrealorpurelyhallucinatory;but,inboth
cases,theMacbethsreadthemuniformlyassupernaturalsigns
oftheirguilt.Additionally,