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- Seduced by the idea of power, Macbeth, spurred on by his ambitious wife Lady Macbeth, succumbs to a series of murderous deeds to secure the throne. As Macbeth ascends to power, the narrative unfolds with a gripping exploration of the psychological toll of guilt, paranoia, and moral decay.
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Macbeth Full Play Summary. The play begins with the brief appearance of a trio of witches and then moves to a military camp, where the Scottish King Duncan hears the news that his generals, Macbeth and Banquo, have defeated two separate invading armies—one from Ireland, led by the rebel Macdonwald, and one from Norway.
- Plot Analysis
Full Play Analysis. Macbeth is a tragedy that tells the...
- Character List
Unlike Shakespeare’s great villains, such as Iago in Othello...
- Themes
Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas...
- Lady Macbeth
Summary & Analysis Act 1: Scenes 1–4 Act 1: Scenes 5–7 Act...
- Macbeth Characters
Shakespeare uses Macbeth to show the terrible effects that...
- Macbeth Quotes
Macbeth’s soliloquy in Act 2, Scene 1 is important as it...
- Suggested Essay Topics
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- Setting
Macbeth is set during the 11th century in Scotland, in the...
- Important Quotes Explained
Explanation of the famous quotes in Macbeth, including all...
- Symbols
Symbols are objects, characters, figures, and colors used to...
- Plot Analysis
Get all the key plot points of William Shakespeare's Macbeth on one page. From the creators of SparkNotes.
Read a character analysis of Macbeth, the plot summary, and important quotes from Macbeth. From a general summary to chapter summaries to explanations of famous quotes, the SparkNotes Macbeth Study Guide has everything you need to ace quizzes, tests, and essays.
- Introduction
- Macbeth by William Shakespeare Summary
- Themes in Macbeth
- Macbeth Characters Analysis
- Macbeth Literary Analysis
Macbeth was written by William Shakespeare in either 1605 or 1606. Its full name is “The Tragedy of Macbeth”. It was first performed in around 1606. The drama revolves around a Villain named Macbeth who is ambitious and brave but because of his thirst for power, he begins to do evil. He receives a prophecy from three witches that he will become the...
This play portrays a tragic downfall of a brave warrior, Macbeth. After defeating the forces of Norway and Ireland, he receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that he will become the king of Scotland. The other part of the prophecy is that the children of Banquo, another Scottish general, will become the future kings. Macbeth is already made the...
Kingship vs. Tyranny:
In the play Duncan is always referred to as a “king” while Macbeth becomes known as “tyrant” when he comes to the throne. This is because of the qualities present in a good king and a tyrant. Macbeth starts doing evil for the thirst of power and throne which shows his violent temperament and disloyalty towards the country. He kills the king and other people who are a threat to his kingship. On the other hand, Duncan is kind-hearted and loyal towards his country. At the end, Macbeth faces down...
Relationship between Cruelty and Masculinity:
This theme shows that violence is not just a male’s attribute, females can also show violence. It is explored by the character of Lady Macbeth and the three witches in this play. As we can clearly see, how Lady Macbeth shows aggression, cruelty and violence. She plans to kill the king and forces Macbeth to follow her evil plan and to kill every person who she sees as a threat. On the other hand, we can see three witches who seem cruel and evil from their conversations throughout the play.
Fate vs. Freewill:
Another major theme of this play is fate vs. freewill. The character of Macbeth and three witches represent this theme. Although, Macbeth is told by the witches about his future that he will become the king but he is not told how to take the position of king. Prophecy of witches is fate but how to make it reality depends upon Macbeth’s freewill. Instead of waiting for the right time, he chooses a wrong path that leads him towards downfall.
Macbeth:
Macbeth is the villain of the play. His initial impression is of a brave and courageous warrior who has won the battle through his bravery and dedication. However, when he meets the three witches, his lack of strength of character and overly ambitious nature is revealed. Shakespeare tries to convey the effects of ambitious nature and self-doubt in a person with weak character. When Macbeth receives the prophecy from witches he becomes happy but later he is persuaded by his wife’s emotional ar...
Lady Macbeth:
Lady Macbeth is one of the Shakespeare’s most evil female characters. She is Macbeth’s wife and a deeply ambitious and cruel woman who lusts for power and position. Her first appearance in the play is when she is plotting Duncan’s murder. She is a cruel and ruthless woman who convinces her husband to commit a sin by challenging his manhood. She represents the relationship between femininity and violence in the play. Macbeth says that Lady Macbeth is a masculine soul residing in a female body...
The Three Witches:
The three witches are referred to as “weird sisters” in the play. They are the ones who give prophecy about Macbeth’s future and play upon him like puppeteers. Macbeth believes in their prophecies which lead him towards darkness and downfall. However, their true identity is unclear. Although, they are servants of Hecate but the play does not tell us whether they are independent agents playing with human lives or the agents of fate. Furthermore, some of their prophecies seem fulfilling and som...
The play “Macbeth” portrays a tragic downfall of a brave warrior, Macbeth. At first he appears as a brave and courageous Army General who has won the battle through his bravery but later we come to know about his real self when he receives the prophecies from the three witches. The prophecies are that Macbeth will become the king of Scotland soon a...
Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare. One of Shakespeare’s most famous tragedies, Macbeth tells a tale of greed and lust for power and how the pursuit of such things inevitably leads one to their ultimate downfall.
Get free homework help on William Shakespeare's Macbeth: play summary, scene summary and analysis and original text, quotes, essays, character analysis, and filmography courtesy of CliffsNotes.
