Transcript The Tragedy of Macbeth Main Characters

The Tragedy of Macbeth
Main Characters
 Duncan
– King of Scotland, evidently a
mild-mannered king, murdered by
Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.
 Malcolm- son of Duncan. When Duncan
is murdered, Malcolm, fearful of meeting
the same fate, flies to England. Macduff
urges Malcolm to retrun to Scotland and
claim his throne.
Character List Continued
 Macbeth
– General of the King’s army,
afterwards King of Scotland. He recoils at
first from the murder of Duncan even
though he is ambitious to become king.
Under the prodding of his wife, he
murders King Duncan.
 Banquo – General of the King’s army.
Macbeth murders Banquo because
Macbeth realizes that Banquo suspects
that Macbeth murdered Duncan.
Characters Continued


Macduff – Macbeth’s special nemesis. Since
Macduff has been born without the labor of
his mother, he can circumvent the prophecy
made to Macbeth by the witches.
Lady Macbeth – wife to Macbeth. She has
often been played as a villainess. She seems
more bloodthirsty than her husband in the
early stages of the play. Her sleepwalking
scene in Act V shows that she possesses a
conscience.
Supporting Characters
 Angus
– Scottish noble
 Caithness – Scottish noble
 Donalbain – younger son of Duncan
 Fleance – Banquo’s son, who manages to
escape his father’s fate
 Hecate
 Lennox – Scottish noble
 Lady MacDuff – killed by order of
Macbeth
Supporting Characters
Continued
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Menteith – Scottish noble
Ross – Scottish noble
Seyton – an officer attending Macbeth
Siward – Earl of Northumberland
Young Siward – Northumberland’s son
Three Witches – the weird sisters
Gentlewoman; an old man; an English doctor
and a Scotch doctor; Captain; a drunken
porter etc.
Background
 The
probable date of composition is 1606.
The only text is to be found in the First Folio
(1623), a version which many scholars
believe to be garbled.
 Duncan,
Act I
King of Scotland, has found it
necessary to meet two threats to his
kingdom. The first threat, a rebellion led by
Macdonald, has been put down by
Macbeth and Banquo. Then the
Norweigians launched an attack on
Scotland. When Macbeth and Banquo
meet three witches, they hail Macbeth first
as Thane of Glamis, next thane of Cawdor ,
and finally as one who shall be king
hereafter. Macbeth’s ambition begins to
grow. When King Duncan decides to stay
the night at Macbeth’s castle, Lady
Macbeth
Act I Continued
 Reinforces
Macbeth’s desire to kill King
Duncan while he sleeps at their home.
 Although Macbeth realizes there are many
reasons why he shouldn’t commit the crime,
he determines to proceed.
 Macbeth
Act II
and Lady Macbeth go ahead with
their plans for murder. Lady Macbeth
drugged the King’s servants whom she plans
to blame for the crime. Macbeth enters the
King’s chamber and stabs King Duncan.
Lady Macbeth smears the blood on the
King’s servants, so they will be blamed for
the murder. Macduff and Lennox have
traveled here to meet the King, and they
discover the murdered king. The servants
are immediately blamed and Macbeth then
kills them to avenge the death( to keep
them quiet). The King’s sons Malcolm and
Donalbain fear for their lives and
Act II Continued
 flee
to England and Ireland . Because of their
quick departure, they are believed to be
accomplices in the murder of their father.
Macbeth is then chosen to be king.
Act III Summary
 Scene
1
 At the king’s palace at Forres, Banquo
reveals that he suspects Macbeth of
having murdered Duncan. Macbeth
invites Banquo to a banquet that night
and learns that Banquo and his son
Fleance will come. Macbeth hires three
murderers to kill Banquo and Fleance.
Act III
 Scene
2
 Lady Macbeth expresses her discontent in a
brief soliloquy. She urges Macbeth to be
fearless and more cheerful. Macbeth says that
he envies Duncan, who is at peace, and says
that he fears Banquo and his children. He also
says that a dreadful deed will soon be
accomplished. He tells Lady Macbeth nothing
of his plans to have Banquo and Fleance
murdered.
Act III
 Scene
3
 Near the palace the murderers kill Banquo.
Fleance escapes.
 Scene 4
 The banquet at Forres is under way when one
of the murderers calls Macbeth aside to tell
him that Banquo is dead but Fleance is not.
Macbeth alone among the guests sees
Banquo’s ghost. He speaks to it, causing the
other guests to think he is mad.
 He and Lady Macbeth say that he is ill, and
Lady Macbeth dismisses the guests. Macbeth
says that he will send for Macduff and visit the
witches.
 Scene
Act III
5
 At a witches’ haunt, Hecate, the queen of the
witches, meets the weird sisters and berates
them for leaving her out of their dealings with
Macbeth.
 Scene 6
 A conversation in the palace brings
developments up-to-date. Lennox explains his
suspicions of Macbeth and asks a Scottish lord
where Macduff is in England, raising an army
against Macbeth. Macbeth, he reports
summoned Macduf but Macduff refused to
come.
Act IV
 Scene
1
 The weird sisters chant before a caldron.
Macbeth enters demanding to know the future.
The witches show him three apparitions (an
armed head, a bloody child, and a child
wearing a crown), and theses visions give him
advice and make predictions. The first tells
Macbeth to beware of Macduff; the second
says that no one born of woman will hurt
Macbeth; and the third tells him that he will not
be conquered until Birnam Wood comes to
Dunsinane.
Act IV Scene 1 Continued

When Macbeth demands to learn more, the
witches show him another apparition: eight
kings, including Banquo, who points to these
kings as his descendants and holds up a mirror
to indicate the continuation of his line. The
witches vanish, and Lennox appears and tells
Macbeth that Macduff has fled to England.
As the scene ends Macbeth is planning to
murder Lady Macduff, her children, and
anyone else of Macduff’s lineage.
Act IV
 Scene
2
 At Macduff’s castle, Ross tells Lady Macduff that
Macduff has gone to England. Ross leaves and
as Macduff has gone to England. Ross leaves,
and as Lady Macduff and her young son talk, a
messenger arrives and warns them to flee. The
murderers arrive immediately and kill first her son
and then her.
 Scene 3
 In England, Macduff attempts to secure
Malcolm’s aid in fighting Macbeth. Malcolm first
tests Macduff’s loyalty to Scotland.
Act IV Scene 3 Continued
 After
Macduff proves his integrity,
Malcolm tells him that an army is ready to
attack Macbeth. Ross then tells Macduff
that his wife, children, and servants have
been murdered. Macduff prays to meet
Macbeth in battle.
Act V
 Scene
 At
1
the castle at Dunsinane, Lady Macbeth’s
lady-in-waiting and doctor discuss Lady
Macbeth’s sleepwalking. As they talk, Lady
Macbeth enters, walking in her sleep. She
rubs her hands repeatedly as if to rid them of
the blood that she imagines stains them.
From Lady Macbeth’s words the onlookers
infer that the Mabeths murdered Duncan.
The doctor will not speak of his suspicions.
Act V
 Scene
2
 In Birnam Wood, near Dunsinane, Malcolm,
Macduff, and their forces gather. The Scottish
lords discuss their plans and Macbeth’s
reported state of mind.
 Scene3
 Inside the castle at Dunsinane, Macbeth,
because of the witches’ prophecies, feels
confident that he is invincible. A servant brings
news of the approaching army.
Act V
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Scene 4
The troops have gathered near Birnam Wood to
attack Macbeth. Malcolm orders the soldiers to
carry branches from the woods as camouflage.
Scene 5
In the castle at Dunisnane , as Macbeth awaits the
approaching army, an offstage cry is heard.
Seyton, Macbeth’s attendant, enters with news that
lady Macbeth is dead. Macbeth delivers his
famous soliloquy(“tomorrow, and tomorrow, and
tomorrow…”). A messenger brings the news that
Birnam Wood is approaching the castle.
Act V
 Scene
6
 On the field near the castle, Malcolm orders
his troops to throw down their camouflage
and attack.
 Scene 7
 Elsewhere on the field, Macbeth kills Young
Siward, son of Siward, the earl of
Northumberland. Macbeth exits with Macduff
in pursuit.
Act V
 Scene
8
 Elsewhere on the field, Macduff confronts
Macbeth, who at first refuses to fight him,
warning him that no one born of a woman can
harm him. Macduff explains that he was not
born of a woman but by Caesarean section.
Macbeth still refuses to fight, but Macduff goads
him by vowing to place him in a cage and
display him as a fallen tyrant. Their fight begins
and continues offstage. Ross reports to Siward
that Young Siward has died bravely. Macduff
returns with the head of Macbeth and acclaims
Malcolm king of Scotland. Malcolm promises to
restore peace and order to Scotland.