Donalbain- He is the second son of Duncan, and flees to Ireland after his father’s death for safety, but he doesn’t come back and help his brother to overthrow Macbeth.
Fleance- Son to Banquo; Macbeth tries to kill him but he escapes.
Siward- Earl of Northumberland and general of the English forces; helps Malcolm regain the throne.
Son- to Macduff, brutally murdered under Macbeth’s orders.
Lady Macduff- Macduff’s wife, brutally murdered under Macbeth’s orders.
Witches- The weird sisters; predict that Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor and King of Scotland; also predict that Banquo’s sons will be heirs to the throne although Banquo himself will never be king. Because of their predictions, Macbeth murders many people. They also help Hecate devise a potion that will lead Macbeth to his ruin.
Why do audiences across the world still enjoy the play ‘Macbeth’?
Audiences across the world still enjoy the play Macbeth for a number of reasons. The first being that it involves a lot about witches and the supernatural. Throughout Shakespeare’s life, witches and witchcraft was the object of a morbid and fevered fascination. Between 1560 and 1603 hundreds of people (nearly all women), were convicted of being witches and executed. This time period was the reign of Elizabeth 1.
These witches were executed because people thought they were evil. They thought this because witches could predict the future, fly, sail in sieves, bring on night in daytime, cause fogs and storms and kill animals. They cursed enemies with fatal wasting diseases, induced nightmares and sterility, and could take demonic possession of any individual they chose. People thought that witches could raise evil spirits by concocting a horrible brew with nauseating ingredients. It was even believed that witches allowed the devil to suck their blood in exchange for a ‘familiar’: a bird, reptile or beats as an evil servant. Accused witches were examined for the ‘devils mark’; a red mark on their body from which Satan had sucked blood.
In 1604 an Act of Parliament decreed that anyone found guilty of practising witchcraft should be executed. Single, old women who kept cats were in constant danger of being accused of witchcraft. If they were convicted, they endured torture and death by hanging or burning at the stake.
In the play, the witches meet in foul weather - they speak of thunder, lightning, fog and filthy air. This introduces Macbeth as a dark, dangerous play, in which the theme of evil is central.
The witches prophesies have so much power over Macbeth, this might be because the witches have chosen the right moment to approach Macbeth - when he is full of the triumph of battle, and fresh from killing. Macbeth begs the witches to stay and tries to question them: 'Stay, you imperfect speakers, tell me more.' (Act one, scene 3). It makes you question whether he's already thought about what they are saying about being king. And those 'horrible imaginings' he then speaks of, they might be of Duncan's murder. The witches could only have so much power over Macbeth if he had these thoughts in his head. The three prophecies that the witches said were: that Macbeth will be Thane of Cawdor, Thane of Glamis and King. Then Ross and Angus arrive with the news - Duncan has made Macbeth Thane of Cawdor. “He bade me, from him, call thee Thane of Cawdor:” (Act one, scene three). The first prophecy has come true. Macbeth has immediate proof that the witches know the future.
Another reason that audiences enjoyed Macbeth so much is that there is conflict, battles, fighting and murder. It is an action packed play with a lot of fighting scenes and drama. Overall there are about eleven murders in the play:
- Duncan, King of Scotland
- A Guard that Macbeth set up for murdering the King
- Another Guard Macbeth set up for murdering the King
- Banquo
- Attempted murder of Fleance
- Macduffs wife
- Macduffs child
- Macduffs child
- Macduffs child
- Lady Macbeth
- Macbeth
Plus many hundreds more killed on the battlefield.
There were two battles in the play, one small one at the beginning, and a major one at the end. The major battle was between Macduff and Macbeth, because Macbeth had just murdered all of Macduffs family. Just before the battle, Macbeth went to get some advice off the three witches, which had already told him three things that come true, so he went and the witches gave him three warnings, 1) Beware Macduff, 2) None of women born shall harm Macbeth, and 3) Macbeth shall not be beaten until Birnam Woods comes to Dunsainne Hill.
Macbeth thought he was really safe, as everyone in the word was born of women, and Birnam woods is twelve miles away from Dunsainne Hill. But what Macbeth didn’t know is that Macduff was born by caesarean section.
When Macduff and his men marched to get Macbeth, they marched through Birnam woods, where they chopped down to trees and marched with them for camouflage, but as Macbeth was at Dunsainne Hill it appeared as though Birnam woods was coming to Dunsainne Hill.
Macduff approached Macbeth and then Macbeth realises that his life no longer has any meaning and calmly faces his own death at the hands of Macduff, He says 'Out, out, brief candle! Life’s but a walking shadow…’ (Act 5, scene 5) and the Macduff beheaded him there and then, and hence Macduff becomes king.
Macbeth and Lady Macbeth murdered nine people in all, just so he could become king, and it ended up that they were both killed, Macbeth because he was beheaded by Macduff and Lady Macbeth committed suicide because she thought she was going insane, after Macbeth had killed Duncan, she was the one who set up the two guards by placing the daggers by them, she got an awful lot of blood on her hand for doing this and it appeared to her that it wasn’t washing off but really she was going insane and imagining the blood, she knew she had done wrong, and felt guilty about it and couldn’t handle it, so she eventually killed herself.
Conclusion
Macbeth comes across to the audience, during Act one as a complex man. Also there are several dimensions to his character. Before the play begins he is recognized as a brave solider, an honest and loyal servant to his king. On the battlefield he has been described as an example to others, on how to fight bravely. Nonetheless, we see how through temptation and other forces (the supernatural and his wife) he is transformed from a loyal person to a deceiving and evil man.
In my opinion, I think the witches, Lady Macbeth and Macbeth himself are all equally to blame for the tragedy in the play, but if there was an order, Macbeth himself would be the least to blame and the witches being the most to blame, leaving Lady Macbeth in the middle. If the witches hadn't of made predictions and suggested that he would become king then Lady Macbeth would never of pushed him in to killing the king. The witches predicted that Macbeth would become king, but if he hadn’t seen the witches would he still try to become king? That is the question. If the witches hadn’t suggested it then he wouldn’t have done all the murders. Also I think if his wife hadn't of been so persuasive then he’d never of done it. I think it was fate that he met the witches, and they told him about becoming king, and it just so happened that the King would come and stay at his place that night, making the perfect opportunity for the killing. The tragedy is that Macbeth could have turned out into a really honourable person, and perhaps been made King one day, but made the mistake and couldn’t give in to his ambitions.
