When Duncan arrives Lady Macbeth greets him. She is having doubts about the murder as when she sees the King she remembers her father. The King reminds her of her father. She has a soft spot for the King. Although she has a soft spot for the King she still wants Macbeth to murder the King. Lady Macbeth has to persuade Macbeth to do the deed as he is in two minds “We will proceed no further in this business”. Macbeth is worried about the consequences. Macbeth shows weakness and he doesn’t seem as strong as his wife
Macbeth is preparing for the murder. He doesn’t want to murder the King as the King trusts him. He knows it a great sin but Lady Macbeth forces him to do the deed. At this point, Lady Macbeth doesn’t seem very feminine. It would normally be a man’s idea to murder someone or plot something as bad as this. Macbeth seems to do whatever his wife tells him to do.
Lady Macbeth hasn’t really thought of the consequences of getting caught. In Act 1 scene 7 line 59, Macbeth brings up the subject of everything going wrong “If we should fail”. Lady Macbeth replies by saying “We fail? But screw your courage to the sticking – place, and we’ll not fail”. Macbeth is really frightened and doesn’t want to murder King Duncan. Lady Macbeth tells him to screw up his courage like a guitar string that is strong and man like. Lady Macbeth calls Macbeth a coward. He feels that by killing Duncan it will prove to her wrong.
Lady Macbeth is forcing Macbeth to do the deed because she might want Macbeth to become King. If Macbeth did become King, she would become Queen. She might want Duncan to be murdered because she wants to be powerful and respected by everyone.
Macbeth waits for the signal to murder King Duncan. While he is murdering the king, Lady Macbeth hears an owl scream. The owl screaming and crickets crying is a symbol of Duncan being murdered as someone lower has murdered him. It is a great sin for someone to kill the King because everyone is lower than the King except for God. Duncan is stabbed, the owl screams and the crickets cry. “I heard the owl scream and the crickets cry. Did you not speak” line 16.
After the murder of King Duncan Macbeth has changed a lot. King Duncan’s somn Malcolm has left the country as he is scared that he may be murdered too. Now that Malcolm has gone, Macbeth takes his place and becomes King of Scotland. Now that Macbeth is King, he doesn’t pay much attention to his wife. He has almost forgotten that it was her idea to get rid of Duncan. If she hadn’t brought up the idea, Macbeth wouldn’t be King. The witches second prophecy has happened.
As Banquo was with Macbeth when he first met the witches, he knows about the prophecies and what they were. Banquo thought it was a coincidence when the witches knew about Macbeth becoming the Thane of Cawdor, but now that the second prophecy has come true, he is becoming suspicious. Banquo wishes that his prophecy will also come true for him.
Macbeth feels that Banquo knows too much and he begins to plot the murder of Banquo. Macbeth has not discussed this with Lady Macbeth. He plans the murder and asks three murderers to do the deed. Until he has everything planned, this is when he tells Lady Macbeth. Macbeth has changed a lot as he has become very independent, confident and manly. He has started making his own decisions.
In Act 3 scene 4, Macbeth and his wife hold a banquet they have invited many guests. Everything is going well until Macbeth sees the ghost of Banquo. He is the only one who can see the ghost. Macbeth is seeing Banquo’s ghost as he feels guilty. His strange behaviour shocks the guests. Some of the guests think Macbeth is unwell “Gentlemen, rise; His Highness is not well” line 52. The guests seem to be worried about Macbeth. They are very concerned and they want to know what he sees. Macbeth seems to be showing signs of madness. Macbeth is hallucinating as he is guilty and he thinks Banquo is going to haunt him.
An Elizabethan audience would believe that Macbeth could see a ghost as they would be more superstitious than a modern day audience. They would fell sorry for Macbeth as he was being haunted. A modern day audience wouldn’t believe in ghosts coming back to haunt people as they wouldn’t be very superstitious or believe in ghosts and witches.
Lady Macbeth criticises Macbeth and says he is weak. She doesn’t seem to be very understanding or sympathetic. She is much more masculine and emotionless. She doesn’t have any feelings. She is cold blooded at times “Feed, and regard him not you a man?” line 59.
In Act 3 scene 5, the witches meet again. This time their Queen Hecate is present. She scolds them for speaking to Macbeth.
Later on in Act 4, Macbeth meets the witches on the moor. He makes them promise to answer his questions. The witches tell Macbeth to beware of Macduff “Macbeth! Beware Macduff. Beware the Thane of Fife” line 71. This is because they know something will happen and Macduff is a threat to Macbeth. They also tell Macbeth that everyone not born of a woman naturally can harm him “The power of man, for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth” line 80. The last of the prophecy is that “Macbeth shall never vanquish’d be until great birnam would to high Dunsinan Hill shall come against him” line 92 – 94. This means that he will only be destroyed when the woods move to the hill. He thinks the witches are talking rubbish. He thinks that he is invincible and cannot be destroyed. Macbeth has become very big headed. He is being driven by greed and power.
In Act 4 scene 2, Macbeth orders murderers to kill Macduff’s family. Macduff’s wife and children are innocent. They haven’t done anything wrong but are still murdered. Macbeth is heartless and cold blooded. The witches seem to control Macbeth as they give the prophecies. The prophecy was to beware of Macduff so Macbeth killed his family. Macbeth is a murderer because he has killed innocent children. He has also planned the murder. He is controlled by the witches and was under the influence of his wife so he could be a murderer.
Macbeth hasn’t discussed the murder of Macduff’s family with Lady Macbeth. She has not idea what has happened. Macbeth has turned from good to evil.
Meanwhile, Macduff is in England meeting Malcolm. He has abandoned his country but he wants to get justice. Malcolm and Macduff have talked about all the things that have happened in Scotland. Malcome has sent an army of 10,000 men to march up to Scotland. These men are led by Old Siward. England is a symbol of power, justice, growth and strength. England shows signs of strength and courage. Scotland is a symbol of evil and dying “O nation miserable”. Macduff tells Malcolm that Scotland is in a state and that Macbeth is not the true heir for the throne.
In Act 4 scene 3, Macduff finds out his family have been murdered “My children too?” line 211. He is shocked that someone could be so cold blooded and heartless enough to kill children.
In Act 5, Lady Macbeth is showing signs of illness. She is tormented by all that has happened. When she sleepwalks she rubs her hands as she can’t get the blood off them. Lady Macbeth cannot forget what has happened. The bloody hands connect with Macbeth’s bloody hands in Act 2 scene 2 “This is a sorry sight” line 22. As Macbeth looks at this hands he know he has done something terrible. Now that she has found out about the murder of Macduff’s family, she is very upset, line 41 “The Thane of Fife had a wife: where is she now?”. She is very upset and shocked how Macbeth could kill innocent people. Lady Macbeth is showing signs of becoming mentally ill. In the beginning she didn’t seem to care about the murders. Now she is extremely bothered and you can almost feel sorry for her. “This disease is beyond my practice” line 56. The doctor is shocked at Lady Macbeth’s illness. She has never seen anything like this before. She is now showing her feminine side and emotions. She has lost the control over Macbeth and is less powerful.
In Act 4 scene 3, Macbeth hears about Lady Macbeth’s illness. At first he shows concern. He wants her to be well. He doesn’t understand that Lady Macbeth could die. He feels powerless as he knows he cannot help her “I’ll have none of it” line 48. Macbeth wont have anything to do with it as he cannot do anything to help her.
When Macbeth hears about the death of his wife he doesn’t show any emotion. He is not surprised about her death. He feels that it would have happened sometime. Macbeth doesn’t see to show any emotion, but he could be hurting and crying inside. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have always been very close, so when he heard about her death, a little part of him dies inside.
He doesn’t seem to show any guilt about Lady Macbeth’s death. He is cold blooded. Macbeth hasn’t acknowledged that he himself is partly responsible for her illness. He killed Macduff’s innocent family which disturbed Lady Macbeth a lot. She might have made Macbeth into this monster as she called him a coward a lot of times. He might have been proving to her he wasn’t. Lady Macbeth only wanted him to murder Duncan. She didn’t ask him to murder any one else, that was his own decision. She wanted him to act as a real man, but she didn’t want him to turn into a cold blooded heartless murderer.
When Macbeth finds out that an army of men are marching to the castle he doesn’t seem to be worried “Give me my armour” line 33. Macbeth will fight to the every end. He is still courageous. Macbeth is a tragic hero. Macbeth will fight to the end no matter what his outcome will be. He believes in the prophecy and that he is protected. Macbeth is very strong and determined.
As Macbeth gets ready to fight, Seyton brings news to Macbeth that his wife has died. “The queen, my lord, is dead” line 17. Macbeth is not surprised at all. He feels that because the army is coming everything will be over in the end, everything will die. He doesn’t seem to care anymore. Now that Lady Macbeth has died, everything seems nothing to him. Its fate why Lady Macbeth died.
The soldiers decide to disguise themselves with trees and branches from Birnam Wood. This looks like the wood is moving. “The wood began to move” line 35. Macbeth is shocked by what his messenger has seen. He calls him a liar (line36). Macbeth is shocked at the prophecy coming true. The witches do seem to be controlling the events, but not in Macbeth’s favour. From the castle it would look like the wood was moving. This shows that the witches do have power.
Macbeth meets young Siward and they fight. Macbeth kills him. Macduff enters the room and sees young siward dead on the floor. Macbeth doesn’t seem to care. Macbeth and Macduff fight. While they are fighting, Macbeth is boasting about his knowledge. He has killed young Siward and believes that he had been born by a woman. “Brandish’d by man that’s not of a woman born” line 12. Macbeth remembers the prophecy that anyone not born from a woman can only kill him. Macbeth doesn’t know that Macduff is not a natural born child. He was born by caesarean. The prophecy is to be beware of Macduff and someone who was not born of a woman. Macduff can kill him and he does. The prophecy is fulfilled.
Although Macbeth carried on fighting he died in the end despite realising the prophecy will not protect him. He shows a lot of courage. “Yet I will try the last” line 61. He carried on fighting until the end. He was very strong and brave. Evil is finally defeated when Macbeth dies.
Macbeth was a cold blooded murderer because he killed Banquo and Macduff’s innocent family and wasn’t bothered at all. He didn’t show any emotional guilt. Macbeth was also influence by the witches as when he was given his prophecy of becoming King he became greedy. He wouldn’t have killed Duncan if he hadn’t had the witches. After the witches first prophecy had come true he thought they had real powers and met up with them again. This time the prophecy is to beware of Macduff, so he murders Macduff’s innocent family. Macbeth was influenced by the witches a lot as he did whatever he had to by murdering people who were in his way to get what he wanted. Macbeth really thought the prophecy was real and the witches had power.
Macbeth was also influenced by his wife too, but after becoming King of Scotland he became confident and decided things for himself.
Overall, I think that the witches influenced Macbeth as in Elizabethan times people believed in witches. Macbeth would have never believed that the witches had powers and that they knew what was going to happen in the future. As they believed in witches he would have been influenced by them.
A modern day audience wouldn’t believe in witches and would think witches are superficial. They wouldn’t be able to understand why Macbeth would think that witches had powers.
Humans that are very greedy and too ambitious can ruin their life like Macbeth did. He died in the end because of his greed and ambition. He was a tragic hero.
