William

Shakespeare was born April 23, 1564. At the age of eighteen, Shakespeare married Ann Hathaway, a woman eight years older than he. Shakespeare made a break into the acting and play-writing world in 1592 with the first three parts of Henry VI, he became a success. Shakespeare also published two poems, Venus and Adonis (1593) and The Rape of Lucrece (1594), that made him known as a poet in addition to his mounting theatrical success. "Macbeth survives only in the Folio collection of Shakespeare's work," which suggests that it wasn't one of the more popular plays during Shakespeare's time.

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works include The Taming of the Shrew (1593-1594), Richard II (1595), A Midsummer Night's Dream (1595-1596), Romeo and Juliet (1595-1596), Julius Caesar (1599), Hamlet (1600-1601), Othello (1604), King Lear (1605), Antony and Cleopatra (1606-1607), as well as many other historical plays and other minor comedies. Shakespeare died on April 23, 1616 and is buried in the chancel of Trinity Church in Stratford.

The Witches: The witches are the instigators of the play because their prophecies prompt Macbeth to action. They are three sisters who trick Macbeth into believing that he is invincible, which leads to his downfall. Macbeth: Macbeth is a general of Duncan's army before he gets greedy and wants the crown for himself. He murders the king and Banquo, the other general, as well as having Macduff's entire family killed, all so that he can protect the crown. Despite his ruthlessness to keep his position, he is plagued by guilt for his crimes and as a result sees ghosts of his victims. Macbeth is killed by Macduff in battle.

Duncan: Duncan is the king of Scotland who is betrayed in the beginning of the play by the Thane of Cawdor. Duncan gives the traitor's title to Macbeth and foreshadows the general's betrayal. Macbeth murders Duncan and frames Duncan's guards for the murder. Malcolm: Malcolm is Duncan's oldest son and heir to the Scottish throne. When his father is murdered, Malcolm and his brother flee Macbeth's castle. Malcolm goes to England to seek English help to regain the throne that is rightfully his. In the end, he is pronounced king, and order is restored.

Banquo: Banquo is a general of Duncan's army, and the witches prophesy that his descendants will rule Scotland after Macbeth is king. This prophecy makes Banquo an enemy to Macbeth, so Macbeth has Banquo murdered. Banquo's ghost haunts Macbeth at a banquet, and this vision makes the Scottish lords suspicious of their new king. Lady Macbeth: Lady Macbeth is Macbeth's wife. She insists that he murder Duncan and take the throne for himself. She is the driving force behind Macbeth's plays for power, but in the end she drives herself mad because of her guilt over the murders. She kills herself.

 Macduff:

Macduff is a Scottish noble who suspects that Macbeth has murdered Duncan from the very beginning. When Macduff goes to England to support Malcolm, Macbeth has Macduff's entire family killed at their home. Macduff is the man who finally kills Macbeth in battle.

Summary: Macbeth, a Scottish baron, and his wife plot regicide after witches predict that Macbeth is to become king. Macbeth is of two minds about the whole affair, but does the deed with the help of Lady Macbeth. They frame the kings guards, who Macbeth then kills in his supposed outrage at the kings murder. The kings sons doubt that the guards are to blame and flee in the fear that they will be next on the murderers list. Macbeth uses their escape to spread the story that the kings sons paid the guard to murder their father and, thus, Macbeth takes over the throne.

Banquo, who was with Macbeth during the conversation with the witches, received a prediction as well: that it would be his progeny, not Macbeths that hold the throne in the future. Macbeth fears Banquos suspicion and realizes that if all the witches predictions come true, Macbeth has committed murder to benefit Banquos son.Macbeth kills Banquo but his son escapes Macbeth visits the witches again, with visions, they offer some advice (beware Macduff) and assurances (none of woman born shall harm Macbeth and Macbeth shall never vanquished be, until Great Birnam Wood to high Dunisnane hill shall come against him) but they also continue to predict that it will be Banquos descendants, not Macbeths, who inherit the throne.

Macbeth receives word that Macduff has gone to England to help Malcolm, King Duncans son, regain the throne. He sends troops to Macduffs home where they kill his wife and children. Lady Macbeth, attended by a maid and physician, is witnessed sleepwalking and obsessively rubbing her hands . Macduff and Malcolm, the prince, march toward Macbeths stronghold at Dunsinane with a force of English and Scottish soldiers. They gather in Birnam Wood and order everyone to cut down branches and use them to disguise their presence and number as they proceed across the field to Dunsinane, thus fulfilling the prophecy that Birnam Wood will move against Dunsinane.

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battle commences. The castle is lost, but Macbeth fights on, believing that he can not be killed because all men are of women born. Macduff, who demanded of his fellow fighters that he be allowed to kill Macbeth in retaliation for the deaths of his wife and children, seeks out Macbeth and fights him declaring, Macduff was from his mothers womb untimely ripped. Macbeth is slain, fulfilling the last of the witches prophecies about him. The battle ends. Macduff presents Macbeths head to Malcolm with the greeting Hail, King of Scotland, a cry that is taken up throughout the castle.

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Macbeth, ambition is presented as a dangerous quality. It causes the downfall of both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth and triggers a series of deaths in Macbeth. Ambition is therefore the driving force of the play.

Macbeth is the most understandable of all the Sharkespares I have read. However, reading this book is like watching a horror movie and tempted to turn off the television but can not do it, because you want to see what happens next. I believe the witches have all the influence in the book. They trigger the bad and confussing aspects of the book. The book speaks of man's attempt to aquire power by the most unfair ways,which do not work out in the end. It brings death, diseases, lies etc. It speaks of unfair competition for gain and the negative consequence of it : - you can lose your friends. Overall, Macbeth is a good book because it has ,in it a message of the importance of fairness, trusting in God and not familiar spirits as well as teachings of the results of chaos.

 PRESENTED BY:

ANIRUDH

MEHROTRA DIVISION:A B.B.A L.L.B