Macbeth Key Points
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Transcript Macbeth Key Points
Setting: Scotland
Mood: evil, foreboding, sinister, tense,
uncertain
Developed by imagery, three witches, and
weather
Witches are planning to meet Macbeth
Key Quote: “Fair is foul and foul is fair”
War between Scotland and Norway
King asking for report on how war is going
Macbeth unseamed Macdonwald “nave to
chops”
Macbeth - brave
King Duncan’s sons (Malcolm, Donalbain)
Scotland wins
King Duncan orders execution for Thane of
Cawdor
Gives title of “Thane” to Macbeth
Witches torture sailor because his wife doesn’t share her
chestnuts
Random pilot thumb
Characterization of witches
The witches tell Macbeth and Banquo the future and it
comes true.
The prophecies
Macbeth’s: (current Thane of Glamis) Thane of Cawdor, King
Banquo: Lesser than Macbeth and greater, not as happy as
Macbeth but happier, descendants will be though he will not be
Macbeth gets Thane of Cawdor title
Starts thinking horrid things
Original Thane of Cawdor “died well” even
though he was a traitor
Key Quote: There’s no art to find the mind’s
construction in the face…
King Duncan names his son Malcolm “The
Prince of Cumberland” – heir to the throne
Macbeth thinks Malcolm’s in the way to
becoming King
KQ: The Prince of Cumberland! That is a step…
Lady Macbeth reads a letter from Macbeth telling her
of the prophecies and the first one coming true
KQ: Yet I do fear thy nature…
She plans to persuade him to go after what he wants
Theme alert! Gender roles!
Macbeth coming home with King Duncan
“Fatal entrance”
KQ: Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts,
unsex me here!
Psyching herself up, rid herself of remorse so she can
commit the unthinkable
KQ: Look like th’ innocent flower, but be the serpent
under ‘t.
Lady Macbeth greets King Duncan as he
enters their home.
She hides her plans by being nice to him.
KQ: This castle hath a pleasant seat. The air
nimbly and sweetly recommends itself unto
our gentle senses.
Dramatic irony!
WHY???
Macbeth is having second thoughts about killing
the King.
Duncan a good king; Macbeth as subject and host
should protect him
Lady Macbeth questions his manhood
Shows her psycho side – bash baby’s brains out
Plan is to get guards drunk and frame it on them
KQ: Bring forth men-children only, for thy
undaunted mettle should compose nothing but
males.
Macbeth finally says he’ll do it
Macbeth asks Banquo for his loyalty; Banquo
says okay as long as it’s morally acceptable
KQ: Dagger Soliloquy!
Macbeth sees floating dagger pointing towards
Duncan’s room
Sees it first time clean, then notices blood on it
▪ What does that symbolize?
Macbeth sets off to murder Duncan
Lady Macbeth gets the servants drunk and Macbeth
kills Duncan.
Macbeth kills Duncan (offstage) and returns with the
bloody daggers (messing up the plan)
Macbeth can’t say “Amen” – what does this mean?
Macbeth is “murdering sleep”
KQ: The sleeping and the dead are but as pictures
KQ: Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood
clean from my hand?
KQ: A little water clears us of this deed. How easy is it,
then!
The Porter opens the gate
Porter serves as comedic relief and dramatic irony!
He’s pretending to guard the gates of hell when a hellish act was
committed inside
Lechery
Crazy weather the night prior
Macduff finds the king dead; they think the guards did it
Macbeth says anger drove him to kill the guards
Lady Macbeth “faints” to take the attention off Macbeth’s
excuse
Donalbain and Malcolm realize they’re in danger
Donalbain goes to Ireland
Malcolm goes to England
Unnatural events in nature reflecting
unnatural events in human world
A falcon was killed by an owl and the horses
ate each other.
Ross and Macduff suspect Duncan’s sons as
the killers who fled the country for their own
protection
Macduff doesn’t support Macbeth as King
Banquo starts to suspect Macbeth
KQ: I fear thou played’st most foully for ‘t.
KQ: To be thus…
Macbeth hires murderers to kill Banquo and
his son Fleance
Convinces them by blaming all their problems on
Banquo
KQ: Naught’s had, all’s spent, where our
desire is got without content
Macbeth almost jealous of the “peace”
Duncan has in death
Macbeth doesn’t tell Lady Macbeth about the
planned murders for Banquo and Fleance
The three murderers kill Banquo
Fleance escapes
Symbol alert! Light = ?
At the banquet
Murderer comes in, tells Macbeth they killed Banquo but
Fleance got away
Ghost of Banquo sits in Macbeth’s chair at the table
He flips out, screams at “empty” chair, no one else can see the
ghost
What do you think this means?
Lady Macbeth tries to cover it up, says he’s been sick a
while, that it’s normal
Ghost comes back; Macbeth freaks out again, starts giving
away details
Macbeth aware of Macduff’s disdain
Macbeth planning to go see witches again for more info
Hecate (head witch) mad at the 3 witches for
not including her in their mischief
Witches going to brew up misleading charms
and illusions that will make Macbeth overly
confident
Which theme is this?
The state of Scotland not great
People suffering
Macduff went to England to ask King Edward
for help
Macbeth angry
Macbeth now a “tyrant”
Witches give Macbeth the apparitions
1. Armed head – Beware Macduff
2. A bloody child – None of woman born shall harm
Macbeth
3. Crowned child with tree in hand – Macbeth safe
until Birnam Woods moves to Dunsinane Hill
4. Banquo’s line of kings
▪ The first three reinforce his first prophecies, but the last one
shows how it will all be taken away still
Macbeth hears Macduff has fled to England and
plans to murder his family
Lady Macduff feels like husband has
abandoned them
Questions if he’s a traitor
Ross assures her he’s not
Warned by messenger, but she says she’s not
going to run because she’s innocent
Murderers kill Lady Macduff and son
Symbolism! = the death of innocence
Malcolm and Macduff in England with King Edward
Tell how bad it is in Scotland
Malcolm questions Macduff why he got away so easy
Dramatic irony! Doesn’t know family just murdered
Malcolm tests Macduff
Paints picture that he’d be terrible king; Macduff says then
he doesn’t deserve it; Macduff passes test
King Edward blessed by God, heals sick people
Ross enters, hesitant to tell of murderers, finally tells
Macduff
Malcolm encourages Macduff to use grief for revenge
Going to start war
Lady Macbeth sleepwalking
Walks around with candle because doesn’t want
to be separated from light (symbol!)
Tries to wash imaginary blood off hands
▪ KQ: Out, damned spot! Out, I say!
Gives away murder details
Doctor and maid witnessed
Doctor says only God can save her
English army near with Siward and his son
Macbeth fortifying castle
People think Macbeth starting to lose it
Those who follow him only do so out of fear
Macbeth banking on apparitions, overly
confident
English has 10,000
Thanes have abandoned him and gone to the
other side
English army going to cut down branches and
small trees to hide their numbers and move
towards Macbeth’s castle
What will this look like?
Macbeth learns queen is dead
KQ: Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and
tomorrow…
BIG Quote
Messenger sees forest “moving” towards
castle
Macbeth less confident
The English throw down their branches and
charge the castle
Macbeth kills Young Siward
Macbeth mocks him in death saying he must
have been woman born
Macbeth’s men turning against him, fighting
with the English
Macbeth refuses to commit suicide, resolved to
fight
Reminiscent of earlier bravery
Macduff and Macbeth fight
Macduff reveals he was untimely ripped from
mother’s womb
Macduff kills Macbeth and takes head
Siward proud his son died nobly
We learn Lady Macbeth killed herself
Malcolm becomes king