Choose your Fate:

Background

Macbeth is another one of Shakespeare’s great tragedies, based on Holinshed’s Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland. It was written around 1605 but was not published in the first Folio until 1623. It tells about the fall of the ambitious couple, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Macbeth is the tragic hero, a character who has a fatal (tragic)flaw within himself that he cannot change. He is not a bad person; he is just too ambitious. Macbeth is a story about the murder of a king by his brother, the revenge of a son (Macbeth), three witches who plot against Macbeth, and Macbeth’s rise and fall.

Macbeth is an interesting character to follow. As you read, you can see how he has changed. We first meet Macbeth as a brave soldier and later find him as a murderer who kills everyone who is in his way of the throne. Lady Macbeth is also a well-developed character. She is conniving and ruthless, though she does seem to have some humane qualities.

As you read through the play, it would be helpful to keep a character’s list. You might also want to look at the essay questions before you start reading. The play opens in Scotland and remains there (except for one scene in England).

The play opens in Scotland. Macbeth and Banquo have defeated their enemies in battle, leading King Duncan to give the title of thane of Cawdor to Macbeth (who doesn’t know this yet). While Macbeth and Banquo are walking, they encounter three chanting witches. The witches speak to Macbeth as thane of Glamis, thane of Cawdor, and king hereafter. They also tell Banquo that though we will not be king, he will beget kings (i.e., his sons will be kings). Macbeth wonders about this prediction as the king’s messenger arrives. He tells him that he has been appointed thane of Cawdor. Macbeth is momentarily tempted to kill the king in order to fulfill the prophesy, but decides not to.

Lady Macbeth, however, urges her husband to kill the king. Since the king is staying at their castle overnight, that must be when they kill him. She plans the whole thing, making the king’s guards drunk. By using their daggers to kill the king and putting the king’s blood on them, Lady Macbeth will frame the guards. It is now time for Macbeth to stab the king. Though he has bad visions and feelings, Macbeth kills the king. Afterwards, he is troubled. "I am afraid to think what I have done; Look on ‘t again I dare not," he says.

The next morning, the murder is blamed on the guards. Macbeth kills them before they can protest, explaining that he killed them out of rage. The king’s sons, however, are still fearful for their lives and runaway. Macbeth is crowned king. Macbeth knows that Banquo is suspicious of him. When Macbeth learns that Banquo and his son are riding, he sends men out to kill them. They are only half successful in their job, and Banquo’s son escapes. Meanwhile, at Macbeth’s ball, the seat for Banquo is empty (because he’s dead). In the empty seat, the ghost of Banquo appears, frightening Macbeth to death.

Macbeth also learns that King Duncan’s son Malcolm and Lord Macduff are attempting to kill him. Unsure of what to do, Macbeth visits the three witches again. The witches, along with the moon goddess Hecate, have planned what they will tell Macbeth in order to destroy him. They prepare a brew, singing "Double, double, toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble." When Macbeth arrives, they give him a false hope, telling him three things. First, beware of Macduff. Second, "none of woman born shall harm Macbeth." Third, Macbeth will not be conquered until Birnam wood comes to the hill of Dunsinane. They also tell Macbeth that Banquo’s descendents will become kings.

Macduff has left for England, so Macbeth sends people to kill his wife and children. In England, Macduff befriends the dead king’s son, after they are sure of the other’s loyalty.

Lady Macbeth has begun sleepwalking because her conscience weighs too heavily on herself. She tells about her crimes and the murder of the king, unaware that her doctor and waiting woman are watching her. She later dies, possibly from suicide.

The invaders from England have come to defeat Macbeth. The soldiers carry boughs from Birnam Wood in order to camouflage themselves. So, the witch’s prophesy of defeat when "Birnam forest come to Dunsinane" starts to become true. Macbeth then faces Macduff, but isn’t really scared. He has been told that he will not die from anyone woman born. But then Macduff tells him that he was not woman born; he was "from his mother’s womb untimely ripp’d" (C-section). When Macbeth realizes that he has been tricked, he gives up and is killed. Macduff decapitates him and King Duncan’s son becomes the new king of Scotland.

Macbeth: brave general under Duncan who becomes too ambitious after three witches prophesy that he will be King of Scotland. He turns to evil, killing the King, the guards, Banquo, and others. Macbeth dies at the hands of Macduff.

Lady Macbeth: vicious wife of Macbeth, even more ambitious than Macbeth. She convinces Macbeth to murder the King. Later, she becomes insane from her wrongdoings and sleepwalks. She dies.

Macduff: general, believes that Macbeth killed the King. His family is murdered by Macbeth; he later kills Macbeth.

Banquo: Macbeth’s friend and general, suspected Macbeth of killing the King. He is killed by murderers sent by Macbeth, though his son escapes.

King Duncan: King of Scotland, murdered by Macbeth who was one of his generals whom he had just promoted.

Malcolm: Duncan’s eldest son, runs away to England after he learns of his father’s murder in order to escape the same fate. Becomes King of Scotland at the end of the play.

The three witches: They tell Macbeth that he is to become King, leading him to evil. They also tell him that he will be defeated, but they disguise it in a way as to give him false confidence.

Hecate: moon goddess and goddess of the witches, directs supernatural occurrences. Makes plan to give Macbeth false security.

Donalbain: Duncan’s youngest son, runs away to Ireland after he learns of his father’s murder in order to escape the same fate

Ross: Macduff’s cousin, messenger who carries news to people like Macbeth and Macduff throughout the play.

Lennox: nobleman, suspicious of the murder of the king.

Seyton: Macbeth’s lieutenant.

Porter: watches Macbeth’s castle; when drunk, thought that he was the keeper of Hell’s Gates and that sinners were knocking at the door to be admitted.

Old Siward: Earl of Northumberland, ally of Malcolm and Macduff against Macbeth.

Young Siward: Old Siward’s son, killed by Macbeth in an encounter at the end of the play.
 

How does Macbeth apply to us today? Well, first of all, the play is a good story. It talks about ambition, murders, spirits, witches, and other entertaining subjects. But the reason Macbeth is still loved today is that its themes are still applicable to us. Many people can identify with Macbeth.

Fate vs. Free Will

The three witches told Macbeth his fate. Did the events in Macbeth’s life occur because of the witches’ prophesy or because of the choices he made? Is it a bit of both? What caused Macbeth to fall: Fate or Free Will?

First, we can look at the first predictions of the witches (Act I, iii). They call him by the names of Thane of Glamis (his current position), Thane of Cawdor (he has been given this position though he does not know this yet), and "King hereafter." So, basically, the first two things the witches tell him aren’t prophesies. They have already occurred. Let’s look at the third, and most important, part. The witches tell Macbeth that he will become King of Scotland. We know this happens. Is it because of fate or did Macbeth make it happen? Macbeth was tempted by the witches’ prophesy to kill the King. But the witches’ didn’t actually do anything to make Macbeth kill the King. They tempted him, but it was his own ambition that led him to commit the crime. Macbeth, despite his uneasiness, chose to kill King Duncan and ascend to the throne of Scotland.

Let’s look at the second, disguised, set of prophesies (Act IV, i). The witches tell Macbeth to beware of Macduff. This is true. Macduff eventually kills Macbeth, so you can call this fate. Then, they tell him that "none of woman born shall harm Macbeth." The witches are being tricky here in order to give Macbeth a false confidence. Does Macduff, who is not woman born, kill Macbeth because of fate? Partially so. But, why does Macduff want to kill Macbeth anyway? Because Macbeth killed the King and took the throne. And that was Macbeth’s choice. Lastly, the witches tell him that he will not fall until Birnam Wood meets Dunsinane Hill. Well, Birnam Wood meets Dunsinane Hill and Macbeth is defeated. This again is partially Macbeth’s fault. If he hadn’t killed the King, Malcolm’s forces would never have attacked him and made the prophesy true.

So, we can conclude that Macbeth was not a hopeless victim of fate. We are not people guided by a God (or who/what you believe in) who tells us everything to do and controls every aspect of our lives. Though fate might play a part in our lives, we have choices that we make and we must take the consequences of these choices. We can’t just sit back and blame "fate;" your life is what you make it.

Macbeth: Hero or Villain?

Macbeth is an interesting character. Some say that Macbeth represents humankind. Do we consider Macbeth a hero or a villain? There has been much disagreement over this. Here is some information to help you make your decision. Sorry, but it is a little biased.

We first meet Macbeth as a brave, loyal general who is given the high title of Thane of Cawdor by King Duncan. He seems like a noble, good person. The question is: Does Macbeth get worse throughout the play? Macbeth becomes ambitious, wanting to become king. Though he has misgivings about killing the King, his wife tells him to. She plans the killing. Macbeth’s good conscience tells him not to kill the King. He goes through with it, however, feeling guilty after the crime. So right now, Macbeth isn’t as good as he was at the start, but he is no villain. Some of it was his wife’s fault. He still has a conscience even though he made a bad mistake. Macbeth is still our hero.

Next, Macbeth kills two guards so that they won’t speak about the murder. (OK, so he had to cover up for the murder.) But then, he does something horrendous. He sends men to kill Banquo and his son because they may be threats to his throne. Banquo is his dear friend. It seems that Macbeth’s conscience has disappeared, as he easily gets men to kill his friend. Macbeth is happy when the job is done. One can argue, though, that he had to do this in order to keep his throne. You can also say that Macbeth was shaken by the ghost of Banquo (conscience still there). Is our Macbeth still a hero? Maybe not. Villain? We could still say no. We can consider him an all right guy with a few flaws.

Next, Macbeth kills the family of Macduff. He does this because Macduff has left to England. The family is warned by a messenger, but is unable to escape in time. Macduff’s wife and son are killed. So, why did Macbeth do this? He had no motive in killing these innocent people; they were not a threat to him. Macbeth was so overconfident from the witches’ prophesies that he found himself invincible. It seems that Macbeth has lost his conscience completely; nothing can harm him. He has no reason to worry. So, our Macbeth is turning away from hero. We can consider him a villain.

Macbeth kills Young Siward and gets killed by Macduff in the end. Macbeth was a man with good qualities, but he had one bad flaw. It’s up to you to judge whether he is a hero or a villain. Obviously, I find Macbeth to be a villain.

Here is an essay on the evil in Macbeth by Brian Nix. Here is an essay on Macbeth as he progresses along the play from School Sucks. These essays are to be read ONLY and not copied.

Lady Macbeth

Lady Macbeth is a well-developed character in the play. She is very persuasive and convinces Macbeth to kill the King. It seems that she doesn’t have a conscience, planning the whole murder of the King. While Macbeth is uneasy, she tells him that there is nothing to worry about. Lady Macbeth is an evil person, but just how evil is she? Is she completely unfeeling? It seems that at times, Lady Macbeth can be kind. There is a love between her and her husband. She also sleepwalks later on in the play, and many believe that she has gone insane. So, perhaps she does have a conscience and all that she’s been hiding finally drives her crazy.

Essay Topics:

1. Evaluate Macbeth: was he a good or bad person? Support your answer. Check this essay or this one for some help.
2. Evaluate Lady Macbeth: was she completely evil? Support your answer. Here’s an essay to READ by Becky Van Ness on Lady Macbeth.
3. Some believe that Lady Macbeth acted as a man (according to what she thought a man was). Support or refute this statement with examples. The Student Study Guide provides some help.
4. Explain the role of fate in the play. What is the significance of supernatural events in Macbeth? If you need some help, here is an essay on the witches in the play from School Sucks--- NOT to be copied.
5. Explain the role of free will in the play. Did Macbeth suffer because of his decisions?
6. Describe and evaluate the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Use specific examples. Here’s a cute diary assignment from Shakespeare Alive that deals with the topic.
7. Blood plays a role in the play. Find three examples where blood is mentioned and analyze them. Here is an example of an essay on blood from School Sucks. It is to read NOT to copy.
8. Explain the line "Fair is foul, and foul is fair" that the witches chant. What role does this statement play in Macbeth? The Student Study guide provides some help.
9. Choose one of Macbeth’s soliloquies and discuss and explain the moral condition of Macbeth at the time. Here’s some questions on "Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow" from Shakespeare Alive.
10. Contrast and compare Macbeth to another one of Shakespeare’s famous tragedies, like Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, etc. Look at the heroes, characters, themes, etc.

These are only some of the vocabulary words that you may not be familiar with. As you read the play, the MIT version of Macbeth provides a helpful glossary. Just take it slow. Reading aloud and with other people helps. Language of Shakespeare and The Shakespeare Glossary are also useful sites on Shakespearean vocabulary. You can also look at vocabulary from Julius Caesar and Romeo and Juliet.
 
 

an’t: if it  approve: demonstrate  behind: to come, follow  choke their art: stop each other from doing their skill  clear: innocent  close: heal, secret  compt: trust  coz: cousin  drab: whore  dunnest: darkest  durst: dared  enow: enough  estate: throne

flout: defy  get: beget  grace: honor  hie: hurry  honest: honorable, noble  holp: helped  kerns: light-armed soldiers  lavish: not disciplined  marry: "by the Mary" like "Oh God"  meet: fit  mettle: spirit  missives: messengers  modern: ordinary

on: can mean "of"  on’s: on his  on’t: on it  present: immediate  rest: leisure  rubs: imperfections  shift: sneak  sooth: truth  sore: terrible  stay: wait  Thane: chief of a clan  Withal: with

• Macbeth Quiz, Test your knowledge about Macbeth
• Witches Puzzle This is one of those "rearrange the picture" things using a picture of witches.
• Hang Macbeth Play Hangman, with a picture of Macbeth

• Anagram game (see below)

1. Mt beach
2. call mom
3. can dunking
4. rt with cheese
5. I row and mob
6. Fan the road cow

These are reviews on different versions of Macbeth.

1948: Macbeth. Starring Orson Welles and Roddy McDowall, this is a black and white version of the film. Click here for a review. 112 min.

1960: Macbeth. Directed by George Schaefer, this color version stars Maurice Evans and Judith Anderson.

1971: Macbeth. Directed by Roman Polanski, this stars Jon Finch and Francesca Annis as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. If you’d like to read a review, click here. 140 min.

1988: Macbeth. This HBO production stars Michael Jayston and Barbara Leigh-Hunt. 114 min.

1992: Macbeth Animated. A short 30 minute summary of Macbeth.
 

Audio readings of some of the better known passages in Macbeth. To hear these files RealPlayer is required. If you use Windows 98, this software is built into media player.  If not you have to download the free Real Player from the Real Networks Homepage.

• Lady Macbeth: "Look like the innocent flower, But be the serpent under 't."
• Macbeth: "Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow…"
• Witches: "Fair is foul, and foul is fair."
• Witches: "Double, double, toil and trouble; Fire burn, and cauldron bubble."

Monarch’s Notes. Excellent book notes on Macbeth, good resource and study guide with essay questions and answers, character analysis, and more.

Macbeth Page. Words of the play with helpful notes on the side. A plus is the "Notes About the Play" section, filled with themes and famous quotes. There is also a body count.

Student Study Guide. This site is great, with themes and tests on each act.