Macbeth Super RRS

Ruth Chen

Shahar Syed

Jefferey Huang

Spencer Wu

Per. 3

4/29/15

Macbeth Super RRS

Title:Macbeth

Publication Date: 1623

Author: William Shakespeare

Nationality: English

Author’s Birth/Death Date: April 26, 1564 - April 23, 1616

Distinguishing Traits of William Shakespeare: William Shakespeare has written 154 sonnets and 37 plays throughout his career. Some of his most famous plays include Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, and Macbeth. He partook in some of his plays as he acted for certain characters. Many of his plays contained long soliloquies and were tragedies. Now in modern times, Shakespeare is considered one of the most prominent English writers in history and much of his work is still studied today.

Setting (Time and Place) of Work:Macbeth takes place in 11th century Scotland.

Scotland

At the beginning of the play, Scotland’s natural order is at peace and balanced under King Duncan’s rule. However, after Macbeth murders King Duncan and ascends the throne, the balance of life in Scotland is thrown into turmoil and everything becomes chaotic. The skies are an endless gray and strange behaviors exists throughout the country. Furthermore, unnatural occurrences begin to happen in Scotland such as famine, earthquakes, and violent storms. Through the setting, it reveals Macbeth’s vindictive and adverse behavior that has thrown the country into misery and anguish.

Scotland’s lack of primogeniture law allows Macbeth to find it reasonable for him to be king.

England

When Macbeth is in rule, Malcolm flees the country to England. As Macduff is suspicious of and against the newly crowned king, he leaves Scotland to persuade Malcolm to come back and help overthrow Macbeth. England acts as a foil ambience to Scotland’s chaotic atmosphere. Furthermore, England’s current king Edward is favored and loved by his people, unlike Macbeth who his people only listen to him in fear. The stark contrasts between both kings and environments accentuate how the disruption of order can lead to the demise of one’s country and character.

Brief Plot Synopsis:

The play begins with King Duncan receiving news that two of his generals, Macbeth and Banquo, have been valiant warriors in the midst of battle against Macdonwald. After their efforts are realized, three witches appear and give the two a prophecy. Macbeth is notified that he will become the Thane of Cawdor and Banquo will be a part of the Scottish nobility. This excites both of them, after their initial incredulity, of course, and foments the initial plots for power.

Shortly afterwards, he is invited to King Duncan’s palace for a banquet and notifies his wife, Lady Macbeth about the news. This leads to his ambitious wife urging him to take the throne in a manner that is violent and certain, applying Machiavellian tactics to achieve the desired result. She wants to assassinate Duncan so that her husband will have a direct line to the crown. Initially skeptical, Macbeth is persuaded by his wife and they proceed with the plan. Then, they drunken the guards so King Duncan will be defenseless and Macbeth proceeds to stab him in his sleep. This ensures his kingship and the fleeing of Malcolm and Donalbain, Duncan’s sons.

Remembering the prophecy, Macbeth orders the death of Banquo and his son, Fleance, out of fear that either one of them will ascend to power. The power is rushing to his head as Macbeth has grown paranoid and insecure. He seeks out comfort in the witches’ prophecies instead of taking them warily, and sees the apparition of Banquo’s ghost at the dinner table during the banquet. The witches then warn Macbeth about his future and how he must beware of Macduff, how he will be in power until the trees move and how he will not be uprooted by someone born of woman.

Macbeth reaches the tipping point when he is notified that Macduff has corresponded with Duncan’s child, Malcolm, and thinks that they are plotting vengeance against him. Macbeth sends assassins to kill Macduff’s family (his wife and boy), showing the extent to which the disease of power affects man. While Macduff and Malcolm plan their revenge, Lady Macbeth has assumed a weaker, secondary role in the marriage as she is reduced to sleepwalking dreams and she subsequently commits suicide.

Fueled by this anger, Macbeth releases all of his manpower on the fight in Dunsinane and realizes that Macduff is spearheading the charge. His English troops are protecting themselves with shields created from Birnam Wood. Also, Macbeth soon realizes that Macduff was birthed via C-Section, completing the trifecta of the witches’ prophecies. As Macbeth dies in battle, he does nothing to restore his dignity and Malcolm now claims the throne. With his power change, the natural order of things is restored and peace and calm are restored in England.

Brief Description of Characters:

Macbeth: Initially, Macbeth is known for his honor and loyalty to the king and his country, Scotland. This is evident when Duncan and all of his entourage credit Macbeth for his greatness in the battle. Following his appraised eminence, King Duncan entrusts him with the title Thane of Cawdor. Through this new entitlement, its conveys Macbeth’s previous righteousness and trustworthy nature. However, once Macbeth ascends the throne, he becomes obsessed with power; thus, he willingly sacrifices his honorable self for a misguided desire. His cruelty and vindictive nature manifest when he commits more murders to suffice his paranoia. Furthermore, the total degradation of Macbeth’s morals and ultimately, himself, occur when he orders the murder of Macduff’s innocent family. His motives were not for political reasons, but instead for his own vengeful needs. The alteration in Macbeth is further accentuated through the power shift in his relationship with Lady Macbeth. Previously, Macbeth was the weaker and more submissive partner; however, once he was crowned, he becomes extremely consumed with his ego that he perceives himself superior to his wife. At the beginning of the story, Macbeth’s wife seemed to have a large influence on what Macbeth would do, but by the end of the story, she was like any other subject to him. Thus, when his wife became sick, Macbeth was far more concerned with the throne than her safety. Overall, the demise of his character is due to his overly ambitious self. He admits that he has no hatred or anger towards King Duncan, but only a “vaulting ambition” which fuels his actions (I,VII,27). His uncontrollable desire to become king consumes his righteous and moral behavior. Thus, once he commits a crime against nature, the corruption of his character begins. He becomes bloodthirsty, selfish, and egoistic. Slowly as his desperation grows to stay in authority, his guilt and remorse diminishes and he becomes obsessed with power. Overall, he never redeems himself and dies without dignity.

Lady Macbeth: Initially Lady Macbeth is the harsh, cold blooded woman who instigates Macbeth’s desire to be king. Unlike most marriages during the eleventh century, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are very close and treat each other like equal partners. She is very manipulative and understands Macbeth and his insecurities. When she hears about Macbeth’s prophecy, she asks the spirits to “unsex [her]...and fill [her] from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty” (I,V,48-50). This conveys her apathetic, masculine and ambitious nature. She views kindness and compassion as forms of weakness and perceives them with disgust. After the murder, she acts with indifference and no remorse. However, her hidden guilt eventually eats away at her soul and leads her to commit suicide. Thus, by the end of the story, Lady Macbeth’s sleep is disturbed as she constantly sleepwalks and sleeptalks. Her actions imply the immense guilt she feels over King Duncan’s death. In the end, she alters roles with Macbeth as she becomes weakened by remorse whereas Macbeth simply rejects it.

Banquo: Banquo is a noble and valiant subject of Scotland and one of Macbeth’s closest companions. He is equally as ambitious as Macbeth, but does not allow it to consume his morals and ethics. Furthermore, he serves as a foil to Macbeth through his ability to remain steadfast by his morals and not allow desires dictate his character. Loyalty and righteousness are his core values as he does not allow the weird sisters’ prophecies sway his behavior. He comments on how the predictions attempt to “win [them] with honest trifles, [but in reality] betrays [them] in deepest consequence (I,III,136-137). This signifies his deep belief in the natural order and his suspicion of overly desirable wishes. Eventually Macbeth’s paranoid and desperate self assigns murderers to kill Banquo and his sons.

Malcolm: Malcolm is King Duncan’s son who flees the country once his father is murdered. He resides in England and completely distrusts everyone. However, when Macduff comes to persuade him to return, he regains his trust as Macduff speaks of truth. He agrees to ascend the throne and admits that he is “thine and [his] poor country to command” (IV,III,151). Malcolm is a noble character who is not greedy or a philander. Furthermore, he has a very strong understanding of virtue and moral righteousness. After Macduff slaughters Macbeth, Malcolm assumes the position as king and Scotland’s order is restored.

Duncan: King Duncan was Scotland’s king before Macbeth dethroned him. He is well-loved by his subjects and deem valiant and noble. However, his trusting and open nature leads him to death. As he puts his faith in Banquo and Macbeth, promises to “make [them] full of growing” (I.IV, 33). However, he is fatally betrayed by Macbeth when he is murdered in his sleep. After his death, Scotland falls into chaos and disruption.

Macduff: Macduff is one of the only characters that remains suspicious of Macbeth after Duncan’s death. He distances himself from Macbeth and serves as another example of a character working with the natural balance. Additionally, he is a valiant hero and noble subject to Scotland. His devotion to Scotland drives him to leave his family and persuade Malcolm to come back. He is a “child of integrity” and believes in the natural order of things (IV,III, 33-34).When Macduff receives notice of his family’s massacre, he becomes enraged with vengeance and eventually slaughters Macbeth.

Witch Sisters: The weird sisters are three witches that give half true prophecies. They present people with desirable predictions and instigate immoral behaviors. Additionally, all of these prophecies are only partly accurate and often come in paradoxes. Due to their prophecies, Macbeth allows his ambition to consume his righteous behavior, thus leading to his downfall. Furthermore, the weird sisters are “secret, black, and midnight hags” who cause mischief by provoking individual’s deep and dark desires (IV, I, 48-50).

King Edward: King Edward of England is the foil to King Macbeth. He is able to heal the sick and is widely loved throughout England. The foil between both characters convey the perfect embodiment of a king, and it creates further characterization of Macbeth.Furthermore, Malcolm praises King Edwards as “he hath a heavenly gift of prophecy, and sundry blessings hang about his throne that speak him full of grace,” (4, iv).

Symbols:

Dagger: The dagger represents Macbeth’s moral mindset. When he first kills King Duncan, he keeps the dagger almost as a way of mentally and physically taking the blame for the murder, but Lady Macbeth forces it into the hands of the servant. In the subsequent killings, he no longer wields the weapon, but others do, showing how he does not face or even deal with the moral conflict of killing others. When he finally hallucinates with the dagger in the air, with the blade facing him, he faces the brunt of the guilt he feels over killing King Duncan.

Fruitless crown/ barren scepter: The idea of the barren scepter and fruitless crown represents the unresolved ambition that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have. Because there is no happiness in their rule as king and queen, they wield no true power in their scepters. Also, they have no children, and thus the succession of Macbeth will not be of their own lineage, which is represented by the crown that means nothing; if Macbeth cannot enjoy the kingship, no one else related to him will enjoy it as he has no one to succeed him and thus they are all lacking fruit.

Three apparitions: The three apparitions reveal Macbeth’s dependency on the witches’ prophecies rather than his own self. After Fleance escapes the murderers, Macbeth seeks the witches for comfort and security. His reliance on the witches become greater as his paranoia and desperation grows. The majority of Macbeth’s actions are dictated by half true predictions; thus, the witches reveal to be a large influence in Macbeth’s downfall. Macbeth’s full faith in the apparition contributes to his lack of self-confidence and inability to depend on his own desired fate.

Motifs:

“Fair is foul and foul is fair”: This phrase is reiterated throughout the play to accentuate the theme of deception. The characters who were once seen as the most trusted and respected alter into beings of betrayal and corruption. Macbeth is a key character to this motif as he was previously king Duncan’s most trusted subject, but ends up betraying him. Furthermore, Lady Macbeth presents herself as a kind and faint hearted woman, but in reality, she is cold-hearted and vile. The witches’ prophecies play to what individuals want to hear; however, the truths of the predictions are only half truth and tend to lead them to their demise.

Clothing: The motif of clothing signifies how well a character fits a role. For Macbeth, many of his critics describe how he is a dwarf in a large robe. This signifies how Macbeth does not deserve the throne and that he is an unsuitable ruler. Furthermore, clothing represents the status of an individual. When a character is promoted to a new title, the motif of clothing reappears. Throughout the play, Macbeth ill fits the role he stole from Duncan; thus, the robe always appears too big. Overall, the size of the clothing represents how worthy or able the individual is for the position--if it is too large, then the character is undeserving and not well equipped.

Growth/ Planting: Throughout the play, there is a motif of growing and planting. Growth and the imagery of nature signifies the natural order and balance in life. Growing and planting contrast the unnatural occurrences and accentuate the dark and vindictive character of Macbeth. When Malcolm is crowned king, he references to planting a new reign of goodness. Here, planting signifies the restore to order and the natural succession of rightful kings, or a rebirth of these righteous virtues.

Sleeping & Waking: Sleeping and waking represent the immense guilt and disruption of natural order. After Macbeth murdered king Duncan, nearby sleepers exclaimed that he had just murdered sleep. Sleep is a natural action done by all individuals, thus for one to ruin such an innate act foreshadows the chaos and turmoil that will follow. Furthermore, waking obstructs an individual’s calm and balanced sleep. This disruption signifies how guilt eats away at an individual’s soul and drives his/her to mental instability. As Lady Macbeth sleepwalks and constantly washes her hands, it conveys how she is haunted by her guilt and can never be at peace.

Time:Time is constantly used as something that Macbeth tries to control. Time represents part of the natural order and as Macbeth continues to tinker with time, the natural order regulates itself as in the later chapters as time begins to shorten, despite Macbeth’s desires

Hallucinations: The hallucinations in the play show the overwhelming feeling of guilt. This is evident when, during the banquet, Macbeth imagines Banquo right after his murder. Macbeth grows distraught and has a panic attack. These hallucinations cause suffering for the beholder, and help illuminate the almost tangible effects of guilt.

Archetypes:
The Hero: Macduff is the key hero in the play as he sacrifices his family for the love of his country. When he leaves Scotland for England, Macbeth takes vengeance and slaughters Macduff’s innocent family. When he is noticed of Macbeth’s crime, he is fueled with anger and has the army of England and Malcolm help him defeat Macbeth. Through this, he overthrows and kills Macbeth and ultimately, reinstates order and peace in Scotland.

Good Vs Evil: Under Macbeth’s rule, Scotland falls in chaos and pandemonium. He is the symbol of evil as he continuously kills people in an attempt to secure his power as king. Macduff is the righteous man who overthrows Macbeth and restores Scotland back to its natural order. From the battle at the end of the play, it reveals the fight between good and evil and how good eventually dominates.