macbeth essay study guide

Introduction to Macbeth

Summary of macbeth, major themes in macbeth, major characters in macbeth, writing style of macbeth, analysis of literary devices in macbeth.

In the first example, the king plays upon the word “grave” while in the second, the murderer plays upon “strike.”

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Study Guide Prepared by Michael J. Cummings . © . 2003 Revised in 2010 . ©

....... Macbeth is a stage play in the form of a tragedy. It is one of several Shakespeare plays in which the protagonist commits murder. Other such plays are Richard III , Othello , and Julius Caesar (Brutus). Macbeth is the shortest of Shakespeare's tragedies. It has no subplots. 

Date Written : Probably by 1605 but no later than 1607. First Performance of Play : Probably between 1605 and 1607 at the Globe Theatre.  Publication : 1623 as part of the First Folio, the first authorized collection of Shakespeare's play..

....... Shakespeare based Macbeth primarily on accounts in The Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland ( Holinshed’s Chronicles ), by Raphael Holinshed (?-1580?), who began work on this history under the royal printer Reginald Wolfe. The first edition of the chronicles was published in 1577 in two volumes. Shakespeare may also have used Declaration of Egregious Popishe Impostures (1603), by Samuel Harsnett; Rerum Scoticarum Historia (1582), by George Buchanan; and published reports of witch trials in Scotland.

....... Macbeth takes place in northern Scotland and in England. The scenes in Scotland are set at or near King Duncan’s castle at Forres, at Macbeth’s castle on Dunsinane Hill in the county of Inverness, and in countryside locales where the three witches meet. A scene is also set at a castle in England.

....... After Macbeth presents himself before Duncan, the king heaps praises on the general for his battlefield prowess and announces that he will visit Macbeth at his castle at Inverness. Macbeth is in his glory, but his jubilation is tempered by the fact that the king’s son–Malcolm, Prince of Cumberland–is heir to the Scottish throne. In a whisper, he says to himself:

....... The Prince of Cumberland! That is a step ....... On which I must fall down or else o’erleap, ....... For in my way it lies. Stars hide your fires, ....... Let not light see my black and deep desires. (1.4.58-61)

Thus his appetite is further whetted for murder. Bursting with pride and ambition, Macbeth sends a letter home to his wife, Lady Macbeth, informing her of the prediction of the witches, who “have more in them than mortal knowledge” (1. 5. 3), that he will one day become king. Lady Macbeth immediately wonders why he should wait for that “one day.” He could murder Duncan and gain the throne now. But she fears he lacks what it takes to do the deed. She says that his nature “is too full ‘o the milk of human kindness / To catch the nearest way [murder]. . .” (1.5.6-7). A messenger arrives to tell Lady Macbeth that King Duncan will visit her and Macbeth that very night. Excited by the prospect of the king’s visit–and the murderous reception he will receive–Lady Macbeth recites some of the most chilling and cold-hearted lines in all of Shakespeare: . ....... A messenger arrives to tell Lady Macbeth that King Duncan will visit her and Macbeth that very night. Excited by the prospect of the king’s visit–and his death–Lady Macbeth recites some of the most chilling and cold-hearted lines in all of Shakespeare:

............................ The raven himself is hoarse .............. That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan .............. Under my battlements. Come, you spirits .............. That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, .............. And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full .............. Of direst cruelty! make thick my blood; .............. Stop up the access and passage to remorse, .............. That no compunctious visitings of nature .............. Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between .............. The effect and it! Come to my woman's breasts, .............. And take my milk for gall, you murdering ministers, .............. Wherever in your sightless substances .............. You wait on nature's mischief! Come, thick night, .............. And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell, .............. That my keen knife see not the wound it makes, .............. Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark,               To cry 'Hold, hold!' (1.5.31-46) . ....... When Macbeth arrives home, he and his wife read murder in each other’s eyes. In anticipation of Duncan’s visit, she tells her husband to 

.............. look like the innocent flower, .............. But be the serpent under ’t. He that’s coming .............. Must be provided for; and you shall put .............. This night’s great business into my dispatch. (1.5.63)

....... After Duncan arrives at Macbeth's castle with his sons and his entourage, Lady Macbeth greets the king while Macbeth broods elsewhere in the castle. He is having second thoughts about the murder plot. After the feast begins, Macbeth enters the dining hall, still ruminating about his sinister plans. To kill a king is a terrible thing. His wife, who has been looking for him, follows not far behind him. Macbeth speaks his mind to her: . .............. We will proceed no further in this business .............. He [Duncan] hath honour'd me of late; and I have bought .............. Golden opinions from all sorts of people,  .............. Which would be worn now in their newest gloss .............. Not cast aside so soon. (1.7.36-40) . ....... But Lady Macbeth holds him to his vow to kill Duncan, telling him that

.......       I have given suck, and know ....... How tender ‘tis to love the babe that milks me:  ....... I would, while it was smiling in my face,  ....... Have pluck’d my nipple from his boneless gums,  ....... And dash’d the brains out, had I so sworn as you  ....... Have done to this.” (1.7.62-67) . ....... Macbeth, swayed, asks her: “If we should fail–?” (1.7.68) She answers, “But screw your courage to the sticking-place, / And we’ll not fail” (1.7.70-71).  She then lays out the plan. While the king sleeps, she will ply his guards with “wine and wassail " 3 (1.7.74), enough to make them fall into deep repose. Macbeth will then kill the king with the guards’ daggers and stain their clothing with blood to cast suspicion on them. ....... After midnight, while King Duncan sleeps, Lady Macbeth gives the guards a nightcap of milk and ale (called a posset) spiked with a drug. She then rings a bell signaling Macbeth that all is ready. Before going into the king’s chamber, Macbeth hallucinates, seeing a dagger in mid-air that leads him to the king’s bedside. After committing the murder, he tells Lady Macbeth that he thought he heard a voice saying, “Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep” (2. 2. 46-47) and that he “shall sleep no more” (2.2.47). Lady Macbeth attempts to hearten him, telling him not to dwell on “brainsickly” things (2.2.58). When she notices that Macbeth is still carrying the bloodied daggers, she tells him to return them to the king’s chamber and plant them on the guards as they had planned. But Macbeth, guilt-stricken, cannot bring himself to return to the room. Lady Macbeth, still bold with resolve, scolds him, then plants the daggers herself, smearing blood on the guards.  ....... Early in the morning, two noblemen, Macduff and Lennox, call at the castle to visit Duncan. “O horror, horror, horror!” (2.3.42), Madcuff exclaims upon entering Duncan’s chamber and discovering the body. Macbeth and Lennox, standing outside, ask what the matter is. Macduff says,   

.............. Approach the chamber, and destroy your sight .............. With a new Gorgon 4 . Do not bid me speak.  .............. See, and then speak yourselves. (2.3.51-53)

....... Great ambition, or inordinate lust for power, ultimately brings ruin. For ignoring this ancient rule of living, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth pay with their lives. 

....... In Macbeth , evil frequently wears a pretty cloak. Early in the play, the three witches declare that  “fair is foul,” a paradox suggesting that whatever appears good is really bad. For example, murdering Duncan appears to be a “fair” idea to Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, for Macbeth would accede to the throne. But the Macbeths soon discover that only bad has come of their deed, and their very lives–and immortal souls–are in jeopardy. Macbeth also perceives the prophecies made by the “armed head” and the “bloody child” as good omens; in fact, these prophecies are deceptive wordplays that foretell Macbeth’s downfall. In a further exposition of the theme of deceptive appearances, King Duncan speaks the following lines when arriving at Macbeth’s castle: “This castle hath a pleasant seat; the air / Nimbly and sweetly recommends itself / Unto our gentle senses” (1. 6.3-5).  ....... Other quotations that buttress this theme are the following:

Look like the innocent flower,  But be the serpent under ’t. (1.5.63-64) Away, and mock the time with fairest show:  False face must hide what the false heart doth know. (1.7.94-95) To show an unfelt sorrow is an office  Which the false man does easy. (2.3.135-136)

....... Temptation can defeat even the strongest human beings. On the battlefield, Macbeth is a lion and a leader of men. But when the witches tempt him by prophesying that he will become king of Scotland, he succumbs to the lure of power. When his resolve weakens, Lady Macbeth fortifies it with strong words. 

....... Guilt haunts the evildoer. Whether from prick of conscience or fear of discovery, Macbeth’s guilt begins to manifest itself immediately after he murders Duncan and the guards (Act II, Scene II). “This is a sorry sight” (2.2.29), he tells Lady Macbeth, looking at the blood on his hands. When he speaks further of the guilt he feels, Lady Macbeth–foreshadowing her descent into insanity–says, “These deeds must not be thought / After these ways; so, it will make us mad” (2.2.44-45). Macbeth then says he thought he heard a voice saying, “Sleep no more! / Macbeth does murder sleep” (2.2.46-47). When they hear knocking moments later at the castle door, it is the sound of their guilt as much as the sound of the knocker, Macduff..

Climax  . ....... The climax of a play or another literary work, such as a short story or a novel, can be defined as (1) the turning point at which the conflict begins to resolve itself for better or worse, or as (2) the final and most exciting event in a series of events. The climax of Macbeth occurs, according to the first definition, when Macbeth murders Duncan and becomes king. According to the second definition, the climax occurs in the final act when Macduff corners and kills Macbeth.  

....... Shakespeare casts a pall of darkness over the play to call attention to the evil deeds unfolding and the foul atmosphere in which they are taking place. At the very beginning of the play, Shakespeare introduces an image of dark clouds suggested in the words spoken by the First Witch:

When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning, or in rain? (1.1.3-4)

      [O]ftentimes, to win us to our harm, The instruments of darkness tell us truths, Win us with honest trifles, to betray ’s [betray us] In deepest consequence. (1.3.133-137) 

  Come, thick night, And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell, That my keen knife see not the wound it makes, Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark. (1.5.43-46)

BANQUO   How goes the night, boy? FLEANCE   The moon is down; I have not heard the clock. BANQUO   And she goes down at twelve. FLEANCE   I take’t, ’tis later, sir. BANQUO   Hold, take my sword. There’s husbandry in heaven; Their candles are all out. Take thee that too. A heavy summons lies like lead upon me, And yet I would not sleep: merciful powers, Restrain in me the cursed thoughts that nature Gives way to in repose!

....... Shakespeare frequently presents images of blood in Macbeth . Sometimes it is the hot blood of the Macbeths as they plot murder; sometimes it is the spilled, innocent blood of their victims. It is also blood of guilt that does not wash away and the blood of kinship that drives enemies of Macbeth to action. In general, the images of blood–like the images of darkness–bathe the play in a macabre, netherworldly atmosphere. Here are examples from the play:

Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee. I have thee not, and yet I see thee still. .............................[ellipsis of seven lines] And on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood, Which was not so before. There's no such thing: It is the bloody business which informs Thus to mine eyes (Speaker, Macbeth: 2.1.44-46, 57-60)

MACBETH ... Will all great Neptune 's 7 ocean wash this blood Clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather The multitudinous seas in incarnadine 8 , Making the green one red. LADY MACBETH ... My hands are of your colour; but I shame To wear a heart so white. (2.2.75-80)

To Ireland, I; our separated fortune Shall keep us both the safer: where we are, There's daggers in men's smiles: the near in blood, The nearer bloody. (Donalbain: 2.3.137-140)

....... Critic Maynard Mack and psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud both noticed that Lady Macbeth resembles Eve in her eagerness to tempt Macbeth to eat of forbidden fruit (in this case, murder) and that Macbeth resembles Adam in his early passivity. Supporting their views are these two passages in Act 1, Scene VII, in which Lady Macbeth goads her wavering husband: 

First Passage : Lady Macbeth tells her husband it is cowardly to hesitate like a scared cat. . Art thou afeard To be the same in thine own act and valour As thou art in desire? Wouldst thou have that Which thou esteem'st the ornament of life, And live a coward in thine own esteem, Letting "I dare not" wait upon "I would," Like the poor cat i' the adage? (1.7.45-51) . Second Passage : Lady Macbeth challenges her husband to be a man. . What beast was't, then, That made you break this enterprise to me? When you durst do it, then you were a man; And, to be more than what you were, you would Be so much more the man. Nor time nor place Did then adhere, and yet you would make both: They have made themselves, and that their fitness now Does unmake you. I have given suck, and know How tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me: I would, while it was smiling in my face, Have pluck'd my nipple from his boneless gums, And dash'd the brains out, had I so sworn as you Have done to this. (1.7 55-67)

....... Raging ambition drives Macbeth to murder. After the witches play to his ambition with a prophecy that he will become king, he cannot keep this desire under control. He realizes that Duncan is a good king–humble, noble, virtuous. But he rationalizes that a terrible evil grips him that he cannot overcome.

                I have no spur To prick the sides of my intent, but only Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself And falls on the other. (1.7.27-30)

....... Macbeth was an eleventh-century Scot who took the throne in 1040 after killing King Duncan I, his cousin, in a battle near Elgin in the Moray district of Scotland. Of his reign, Fitzroy MacLean has written the following: "Macbeth appears, contrary to popular belief, to have been a wise monarch and to have ruled Scotland successfully and well for seventeen prosperous years. In 1050 we hear that he went on a pilgrimage to Rome and there [lavished money to the poor]." (Work cited: MacLean, Fitzroy. A Concise History of Scotland . New York: Beekman House, 1970, Page 23.) In 1057, Duncan's oldest son, Malcolm, ended Macbeth's reign by killing him in battle and later assuming the throne as Malcolm III.

The Real Banquo

....... In Holinshed's Chronicles , the historical work on which Shakespeare based his play, the real Banquo is depicted as a conniver who took part in the plot to assassinate King Duncan. Why did Shakespeare portray Banquo as one of Macbeth's innocent victims? Perhaps because James I, the King of England when the play debuted, was a descendant of Banquo. It would not do to suggest that His Royal Majesty's ancestor was a murderer. 

Influence of Seneca

....... The Roman dramatist Seneca (AD 4-65), a tutor to Emperor Nero, wrote plays that described in elaborate detail the grisly horror of murder and revenge. After Elizabethans began translating Seneca's works in 1559, writers read and relished them, then wrote plays imitating them. Shakespeare appears to have seasoned Macbeth and an earlier play, Titus Andronicus , with some of Seneca's ghoulish condiments.  .

Questions and Essay Topics

• Murdering a king was considered an especially heinous crime in the aftermath of the Gunpowder Plot in England in November 1605. What was the Gunpowder Plot? 
• Did Shakespeare intend the witches to be symbols of something everyone faces–temptation? 
• The word fear occurs 48 times in Macbeth in noun and verb forms and as a root in words such as afeard and fearful . Which characters exhibit the most fear? What causes their fear? How does fear differ from guilt? 
• Julius Caesar, the title character of a Shakespeare play set in ancient Rome, was also a military commander, like Macbeth, who was consumed by ambition and died because of it. What other great leaders in history or fiction fell to ruin, or death, because of their ambition? 
• Lady Macbeth repeatedly washes her hands to expiate her guilt. In modern psychology, what is the term used to describe Lady Macbeth's disorder? If you were a psychologist–or a priest–what would you advise Lady Macbeth to do to unburden her conscience?
• Read the information under Theme 2 (above). Then write an essay about persons, places, things or ideas that appear "fair" when they are really "foul"–or appear "foul" when they are really "fair." 
• Lady Macbeth advises her husband to “Look like the innocent flower, / But be the serpent under it” (Act I, Scene V, Lines 66-67). Write an essay about things in the modern world that present themselves as "innocent flowers" even though they are really "serpents."

....... The words blood and night (or forms of them, such as bloody and tonight ) occur more than 40 times each in Macbeth . Other commonly occurring words that help maintain the mood of the play are terrible , horrible , black , devil , and evil . .

....... The world of Macbeth is a world of contradiction. Good is bad. True is false. Light is dark. ....... In the opening scene of the play, the three witches introduce the contrary nature of this world with two paradoxes. First, while ending a meeting, they agree to reconvene “when the battle’s lost and won” (1. 1. 7). Then they warn the audience that “fair is foul, and foul is fair” (1. 1. 14). In Scene II, the nobleman Ross informs King Duncan that a trusted lord, the thane of Cawdor, is a traitor who conspired with the enemy. In other words, the fair Cawdor is foul. After ordering Cawdor executed, the king confers his title on Macbeth, the hero of the battle. Macbeth, of course, goes on to commit an even more heinous crime, murder. ....... Why is the world of Macbeth topsy-turvy? Because it reflects the world at large as it really is–not a monolith of white or black but an amalgam of both. It is good and evil, innocent and guilty, honest and treacherous. It is a world of sun and clouds, of calm and storm, of cold and warmth. In Macbeth , Shakespeare holds up a mirror that reflects not only the outward substance of man but also his conflicting inner essence. This mirror reveals glory as blood-stained, safety as dangerous, friends as inimical. ....... In our own age, we can see the truth of Shakespeare’s thesis. For example, critics of the Iraq War say the U.S. won it but lost it, echoing the words of the witches. Clinton’s second term as U.S. president was fair (in terms of the economy) and foul (in terms of the sex scandal that led to his impeachment). And consider that it is sometimes the “upright” clergyman who swindles his TV viewers, the “caring mother” who drowns her children, the “harmless neighbor” who takes a gun to work and opens fire, and the “respected politician” who, though personally opposed to abortion, votes in favor of it. Fair is foul, and foul is fair. ....... When the witches predict that Macbeth will become king and that Banquo will beget a line of kings, both men react by speaking contradictions reflecting caution and confusion. Banquo says that 

           oftentimes, to win us to our harm, The instruments of darkness tell us truths, Win us with honest trifles, to betray ’s [betray us] In deepest consequence. (1.3.134-137)

What Was a Castle?

....... Many of the scenes in Macbeth are set in a castle. A castle was a walled fortress of a king or lord. The word castle is derived from the Latin castellum , meaning a fortified place . Generally, a castle was situated on an eminence (a piece of high ground) that had formed naturally or was constructed by laborers. High ground constructed by laborers was called a motte (French for mound ); the motte may have been 100 to 200 feet wide and 40 to 80 feet high. The area inside the castle wall was called the bailey .  ....... Some castles had several walls, with smaller circles within a larger circle or smaller squares within a larger square. The outer wall of a castle was usually topped with a battlement , a protective barrier with spaced openings through which defenders could shoot arrows at attackers. This wall sometimes was surrounded by a water-filled ditch called a moat , a defensive barrier to prevent the advance of soldiers, horses and war machines. At the main entrance was a drawbridge , which could be raised to prevent entry. Behind the drawbridge was a portcullis [port KUL is], or iron gate, which could be lowered to further secure the castle. Within the castle was a tower, or keep , to which castle residents could withdraw if an enemy breached the portcullis and other defenses. Over the entrance of many castles was a projecting gallery with machicolations [muh CHIK uh LAY shuns], openings in the floor through which defenders could drop hot liquids or stones on attackers. In the living quarters of a castle, the king and his family dined in a great hall on an elevated platform called a dais [DAY is], and they slept in a chamber called a solar . The age of castles ended after the development of gunpowder and artillery fire enabled armies to breach thick castle walls instead of climbing over them.

Glossary of Animals and Animal Parts in Witches' Brew (Act IV, Scene I)

Adder’s Fork : Forked tongue of an adder, a poisonous snake. Baboon’s Blood : Blood of a fierce monkey (genus, Papio ) with long teeth. Blindworm : Legless lizard common in Great Britain. When fully grown, it is usually about a foot long.  Eye of Newt : Eye of a type of salamander (an amphibian with a tail) that spends part of its time in the water and part of its time on land. The young newt (larval stage) is called an eft. It is bright red with black spots. The adult newt is generally olive green with red spots circumscribed with black spots. In mythological tales, the salamander was a creature that was said to be able to live in fire. Fillet of Fenny : Slice of a snake that inhabits fens (swamps, bogs). Gall of Goat : Gallbladder of a goat. Lizard : Reptile with four legs. Examples are the iguana, the chameleon, and the gecko. Maw and Gulf of Ravined Salt-Sea Shark : Stomach of a hungry (ravined) shark. Owlet’s Wing : Wing of a baby owl.  Scale of Dragon : Scales (overlapping plates covering the body) of a dragon, a mythological flying reptile of gigantic size. Tiger’s Chaudron : Tiger’s intestines or guts. Toad : Hopping amphibian, resembling a frog, with short legs and rough skin. Unlike a frog, which has moist skin, a toad has dry skin.  Toe of Frog : Toe of an amphibian with webbed feet and strong hind legs for leaping. Unlike a toad, a frog has moist skin.  Tooth of Wolf : Fang of a wolf, a canine that lives in the wilds. Wool of Bat : Fur or hair of a bat, the world’s only flying mammal. A bat can weigh up to three pounds and fly at speeds up to 60 miles an hour. Although literature often portrays bats as sinister, evil creatures, they are beneficial to humankind because their insect diet eliminates many annoying–and dangerous–pests. .

1. Cawdor: Village in the Highlands of Scotland, near Inverness. 2. Glamis: Village in the Tayside region of Scotland. 3. Wassail: Spiced ale. 4. Gorgon: Snake-headed monster in Greek mythology. Looking upon it turned the viewer to stone. 5. Avaunt: Go away; begone; get out of here. 6. Speculation: Ability to see. 7. Neptune: Roman name for the Greek sea god, Poseidon. 8. Incarnadine: Verb meaning to make something blood red.

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by William Shakespeare

Macbeth essay questions.

Macbeth is often cited as a famous example of what the American sociologist Robert Merton called a “self-fulfilling prophecy.” Discuss how the mechanism of the witches’ prophecy works in terms of its self-fulfillment.

Suggested Answer

The question may be approached by examining the psychology behind Macbeth’s character and his relationship with Lady Macbeth (e.g. his easily-tempted character becomes his fate). It may also be fruitful to perform a close reading of the passage around Banquo’s famous lines “If you can look into the seeds of time / And say which grain will grow and which will not, / Speak then to me, who neither beg nor fear / Your favours nor your hate” (1.3.55-59). An ambitious essay might also consider a comparison to Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex or another play containing a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Imagine a staging of Macbeth. Who would play the third murderer who appears unannounced? Who would play the anonymous messenger who warns Lady Macduff about her imminent doom? Why?

Consider current and past productions of Macbeth. There is a certain logic to staging Macbeth as the third murderer, for example, and Ross as the messenger. How would a different staging change the dynamics of the play?

Some critics have considered the porter scene out of place in an otherwise cruel and compact play. Does it really provide comic really relief? How do you imagine the scene to be staged?

Suggest Answer

Compare and contrast a lighter, comic staging to a darker, hellish staging. Here, the issue is simply tone, as the text supports either interpretation. If the porter's comic relief is properly juxtaposed against the violent circumstances, he comes across more as pitiable than a discordant jester.

Macbeth is the one to express doubts over murdering Duncan but it is Lady Macbeth on whom the burden of crime takes its toll. How do the characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth develop differently over the course of the play?

Macbeth and Lady Macbeth can be considered to have switched characters, in a broad sense, over the course of the play. Lady Macbeth goes from proclaiming “unsex me here” to “All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand” (I v 39; V i 42-43), Macbeth becomes more resolute and tyrannical as the play progresses. And yet Lady Macbeth also shows a morsel of humanity early on in the play. After she has intoxicated Duncan’s two guards, she remarks: “I laid their daggers ready; / He could not miss’em. Had he [Duncan] not resembled / My father as he slept, I had done’t” (2.2.11-13). The question lies in the judgment of whether a coherent psychological picture underlies the two characters, or whether they serve to illustrate some more or less formulaic “meaning.”

Perform a close reading of Macbeth’s soliloquy beginning “She should have died hereafter” and ending “It is a tale / Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, / Signifying nothing” (5.5.7-27). Why does Macbeth believe that Lady Macbeth should have died on a future date? What does he think lies in the future? What does this say about his character?

There are many possible interpretations of the passage—in particular of his comment about Lady Macbeth’s death. One answer will draw on Macbeth’s lines immediately preceding the soliloquy in question. In the past, he claims, a sound such as Lady Macbeth’s shriek of death would have shocked him deeply, but at present he has become unmoved and apathetic. Macbeth still seems to believe that the future holds peace for his reign. At the same time, he seems to have already accepted Lady Macbeth’s death as inevitable. What does this calm acceptance say about how his character has changed?

What is the significance of Macbeth’s vision of the dagger and of Banquo’s ghost in the play?

Macbeth’s visions seem to be indicative of his guilty conscience. At the same time, they also seem to interact with the supernatural order that the witches have brought about - the three apparitions and their specific prophecies. It would also be interesting to consider different stagings of such visions.

Discuss the exchange between Malcolm and Macduff in Act V Scene iii. Is Malcolm really testing Macduff—and if so, why does he do it? What is the dramatic significance of the testing?

The scene immediately proceeds the murder of Lady Macduff and Macduff’s son. Given the dramatic irony that Macduff has yet to hear the news, the scene seems to heighten the sense of cruelty that pervades the play. It may also be worthwhile to consider a counterfactual alternative: what would have happened if Macduff had responded differently? Could he have responded differently?

Discuss the dramatic conclusion of Macbeth. The resolution to the problems presented by the later prophecies relies on a play of words. Macduff was not technically “born” of a woman, so to speak, and Birnam Wood only “comes” to Dunsinane Hill in a manner of speaking. For a play as grave as Macbeth , does not such a resolution seem strangely lacking in gravity?

The resolution of the play may attest to the power of words. The plot of the play—in all its terrible events of regicide and murders—are after all driven by nothing but a few words uttered by three weird sisters. These same words, of course, are powerful enough to overthrow a kingdom twice.

Why can Macbeth not bring himself to pronounce one “Amen” when Duncan’s guards say “God bless us” on their deathbeds (2.2.26-27)? Does this paint a coherent psychological picture? If not, what dramatic purpose does the scene serve?

Although Macbeth does not always act rationally, he is by no means an unintelligent character. On the contrary, his famous soliloquy beginning “She should have died hereafter” in Act V Scene v is testament to his perceptive worldview—if not his poetic sensibility. His inability to pronounce “Amen” may attest to the fact that he finds such a pronouncement overwhelmingly hypocritical.

The account of Duncan and Macbeth differs significantly between Macbeth and its primary source, Raphael Holinshed's Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland . Compare the two accounts and discuss the effects of Shakespeare’s changes.

In Holinshed's account, Macbeth is a ruthless and valiant leader who rules competently after killing Duncan, whereas Duncan is portrayed as a young and soft-willed man. Shakespeare draws out certain aspects of the two characters in order to create a stronger sense of polarity. Whereas Duncan is made out to be a venerable and kindly older king, Macbeth is transformed into an indecisive and troubled young man who cannot possibly rule well.

Macbeth Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Macbeth is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Of what importance are the bleeding Sergeant and Ross? Why does Shakespeare introduce two messengers?

There are two pieces of information here, hence the two messengers. The bleeding sergeant is meant to inform Duncan, and the audience, of Macbeth's valor in battle. Ross is meant to inform about the Thane of Cawdor being a traitor. Both pieces of...

The third which says that Banquo's sons shall be kings, Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none. So all hail, Macbeth and Banquo!

Macbeth Act 1 Scene 3 questions

What is significant about the first words that Macbeth speaks in the play?

A motif or recurring idea in the play is equivocation. There is the balance of the dark and the light, the good and the bad. Macbeth's first line reflects this. It...

Study Guide for Macbeth

Macbeth study guide contains a biography of William Shakespeare, literature essays, a complete e-text, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About Macbeth
• Macbeth Summary
• Macbeth Video
• Character List

Essays for Macbeth

Macbeth essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Macbeth by William Shakespeare.

• Serpentine Imagery in Shakespeare's Macbeth
• Macbeth's Evolution
• Jumping the Life to Come
• Deceptive Appearances in Macbeth
• Unity in Shakespeare's Tragedies

Lesson Plan for Macbeth

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to Macbeth
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• Macbeth Bibliography

E-Text of Macbeth

Macbeth e-text contains the full text of Macbeth by William Shakespeare.

• Persons Represented
• Act I, Scene I
• Act I, Scene II
• Act I, Scene III
• Act I, Scene IV

Wikipedia Entries for Macbeth

• Introduction

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Macbeth - Essay Planning - Study Guide

Subject: English

Age range: 14-16

Resource type: Assessment and revision

Last updated

7 June 2024

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Here is a list of practice plans and notes that students have completed for a range of essays on “Macbeth”. Some are focused on ideas, and others on structuring. To get the best out of your plans, you should try to keep a balance between both of these from this document.

Suitable for GCSE, iGCSE, and A Level students!

Need more Macbeth help? Grab our free resources here:

Introduction to Macbeth

Macbeth Character Analysis

View our COMPLETE MACBETH BUNDLE here!

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A bundle is a package of resources grouped together to teach a particular topic, or a series of lessons, in one place.

MACBETH: COMPLETE BUNDLE!

All hail to thee! This bundle contains everything you need to teach or study Shakespeare’s Macbeth in the form of digital and printable PDF documents. It’s perfect for students aged 14+. **Preview two of our documents for free, to check whether it’s right for you!** [Macbeth Complete Character Analysis](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-macbeth-character-analysis-12766603) [Introduction to Macbeth - Comprehensive Study Guide](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/introduction-to-macbeth-comprehensive-study-guide-12766594) [Watch Youtube videos of this bundle content here!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eC90hpWr8so&list=PLeLnxAMVPTM8UG0zuvt4dVEe7me7mmp19) **There are two levels to this bundle:** Core material for students aged 14-16 (GCSE and iGCSE) Extension material for students aged 16-18 (AS, A Level + IB) **With this bundle, students will be able to:** * Understand the structural elements and key moments of plot * Deepen their knowledge of characters, including understanding the deeper messages behind each one * Integrate the significance of the setting into their analyses and interpretations of the play as a whole * Gain confidence with understanding the dramatic form, with a focus on Shakespearean drama * Memorise a range of carefully chosen key quotations for use in essays and analysis * Develop their language, structure and form analysis skills, with guided support and examples * Identify and analyse the thematic and contextual details * Learn approaches to a range of essay question types: discursive, argumentative, close reading * Become confident with extract interpretation and analysis * Develop their knowledge of tragic conventions and apply them to the play * Expand their critical aptitude via exposure to key critical frameworks and critics’ quotations (for higher level students) * Write their own essays on Macbeth, after support with planning help and example A* / top grade model answers **Reasons to love this bundle:** * Downloadable pdfs documents, graphically designed to a high level * Visual aids (photographs and drawings) to support learning * Clearly organised categories that simplify the text for students * Print and digital versions - perfect for any learning environment * The unit has everything you need to start teaching or learning - starting with the basic story summary, going right up to deep contextual and critical wider readings. * Lots of tasks and opportunities to practice literary analysis skills - students will be guided through writing a literary analysis response to the play. **This is what you'll get with this digital and printable resource:** THE COMPLETE MACBETH COURSE * Introduction to Macbeth - Comprehensive Study Guide * Macbeth - Plot Summary + Structural Breakdown * Setting in Macbeth * Macbeth - Character Study Guide * Macbeth - Key Quotations * Macbeth - Complete Context Revision * Macbeth Key Themes Study Guide * Macbeth and Tragedy * Macbeth - Critical Interpretations + Critics' Quotations WORKSHEETS + LESSONS * Macbeth Text and Study Questions - ACT 1.1 * Macbeth Text and Study Questions - ACT 1.6 * Full Lesson: Religion in Macbeth ESSAY WRITING, QUESTIONS + EXAMPLE ANSWERS * Macbeth - How to Write Higher Level Essays * Macbeth - How to Plan Essays * Macbeth - GCSE + iGCSE Essay Questions * Example A-Level Essays, A*-C Grades * Macbeth - GCSE + iGCSE Model Essays, A*-C Grades (L9-L5) **Ready to print and teach, or start studying straight away! Please be sure to take a look at the preview images to see all the documents in this resource! Looking for other texts? Here are two more: [An Inspector Calls](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/an-inspector-calls-revision-bundle-12611113) [AQA GCSE Power and Conflict Poetry](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/aqa-power-and-conflict-poetry-bundle-12462323) You might also be interested in: [AQA GCSE English Paper 1 Complete Bundle](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/aqa-english-language-paper-1-complete-bundle-12542887) [Cambridge IGCSE Poetry Anthology 2023-2025, Songs of Ourselves Volume 2, Part 4](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/caie-cambridge-igcse-poetry-anthology-2023-2025-songs-of-ourselves-volume-2-part-4-12722377) [Cambridge A Level Poetry for 2023](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/cie-cambridge-a-level-poetry-for-2023-bundle-part-1-12735444) **Please review our content! We always value feedback and are looking for ways to improve our resources, so all reviews are more than welcome. Check out our full [shop](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/ntabani) here

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