Macbeth
Dates and sources
–This tragedy was probably written in 1605-1606
–Shakespeare took the material for this play from historical sources, in particular from the
“Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland”. So many characters of the play really existed:
Macbeth was a Scottish king who killed Duncan I to get the throne and who was then killed
by Duncan's son, Malcom, who avenged his father.
The story
–The play begins with Macbeth and Banquo, two generals of the Scottish king Duncan, who
are returning from a battle against Norwegians. They meet three witches who prophesy
that Macbeth will be king and that Banquo's heirs will be king. From now on Macbeth's
ambition starts to increase.
–Despite his fears, Macbeth is convinced by his wife Lady Macbeth to kill the king Duncan. So
he becomes king.
–However Macbeth is worried that the prophecy of Banquo's heirs becoming kings may
come true so he decides to kill him too, but Banquo's ghost begins to hunt him.
–Macbeth visits the witches again who tell him he has to beware of Macduff, a friend of the
murdered Duncan. Moreover they say he will be safe until Birnam Wood comes to his castle
and that no man born of woman will do him any harm.
–Lady Macbeth, tortured by guilt, goes insane and kills herself. Malcom, Duncan's son, wants
to avenge his father and marches into Scotland with an army. He and his army cut branches
from the trees of Birnam Wood to advance on Macbeth's castle hidden by the leaves.
Macduff manages to kill Macbeth who has realized before that he was born of a Ceasarian
birth. So all the witches' prophecies fulfill. Malcom, Duncan's son, is made King of Scotland.
The most important themes
–Violence. It is an integral part of the story. Violent are both actions and feelings, the play is
full of murders described in every detail. The image of blood is very frequent.
–Ambition. Like in Julius Caesar also in Macbeth the struggle for power brings the
protagonist to death and self-destruction. Ambition changes Macbeth from a good person
to a cruel and evil one. In fact, at the beginning of the play he appears as a heroic warrior
who has won a battle for his country but, from the Witches' prophecy that he will become
king, he starts to change and he completely transforms with his wife's instigation in killing
the rightful king Duncan. When Macbeth becomes a murderer his life becomes a nightmare
because he is tormented by his conscience and his sense of guilt. He suffers from imsonia
and he has frequent visions and allucinations.
–Disorder and chaos. Macbeth's regicide disturbs natural order. Duncan symbolizes social
harmony, order, justice and honesty and when he is killed everything precipitates: the sky is
troubled, earth trembles, it is always dark even during the day.
–Fate or free will. It seems that whatever action we perform with the intention of changing
the future can only be a step in arriving exactly at that future, so we are all guided by fate,
and so thinks Macbeth before killing Duncan: he thinks that events will happen without him
doing nothing. But in some cases it seems also that future is not inevitable and that it can
be changed by action, like Lady Macbeth's determination in killing Duncan, or Banquo's
