1. By William Shakespeare
Macbeth
By William Shakespeare

2. Background Info Written by William Shakespeare in 1605/1606
James I (part of the Stuart lineage) took Elizabeth I’s place as monarch
Witchcraft is prominent in Macbeth
James I loved witchcraft; in fact, he found it so fascinating that he’d written a book entitled Demonology.
Many people, mostly the uneducated, believed in witchcraft.

3. Background Info 1605: James was the target of the Gunpowder Plot
Group of rebel Catholics tried to blow up the king and Parliament
This is where the Guy Fawkes mask from V for Vendetta comes from.
Coincidentally, Macbeth shows the murder of a king and alludes to the Catholic priest who encouraged Catholics to be deceptive and treasonous.
This would have struck a sensitive chord with the play’s audience at the time in the same way that mentioning the September 11 attacks shortly after they had occurred would affect a modern-day audience.

4. Some Things to Keep in Mind
In short, Macbeth is about a man who hears a prophecy about his future and decides to take fate into his own hands by killing his king. Mayhem ensues.
There are a lot of themes in Macbeth, but the biggest one is ambition. How far would you go to get what you want?
At some point, I will want you to be able to analyze Macbeth’s actions; what could possibly be some reasons for his declining behavior?

5. Literary Terms and Other Stuff
Soliloquys and asides give the audience more information on the characters.
A soliloquy is a speech that a character makes while alone on stage to reveal his or her thoughts to an audience.
An aside is a remark that a character makes in an undertone to the audience or another character but that others on stage are not supposed to hear.
You’ll know when you’re reading an aside because it is in the stage directions inside the brackets. Ex.) [aside]; [to insert character(s)]
Irony is based on a contrast between appearance or expectation and reality.
Dramatic irony is what appears true to one or more characters in a play is seen as false to the audience, who knows more details.

6. Literary Terms and Other Stuff
Foreshadowing consists of hits or clues to the reader/audience that something is going to happen in the future to the character(s).
Themes
Remember that a theme is the central idea conveyed by a work of literature. It is the general perception about life and human nature, NOT the work’s subject in a literal sense. So, even though there is murder in Macbeth, murder is not considered a theme.
Some themes to consider are the following:
ambition, impulses and desires, marriage, fate and our efforts to control it
appearance versus reality, loyalty, the supernatural, reason and mental stability

7. Characters
Macbeth: Scottish general and Thane of Glamis; led to wicked thoughts due to the witches’ prophecy that he’ll be Thane of Cawdor; brave and powerful, but not virtuous; easily tempted to murder the king of Scotland and commit further atrocities; despite his flawed nature, Macbeth is never comfortable as the role of the villain; eventually driven mad from guilt
Lady Macbeth: wife; deeply ambitious for power and position; seems stronger and more ruthless than Macbeth because she urges him to kill; she is plagued by guilt, however, and is so affected by her conscience that she commits suicide; uses sexual hold over Macbeth; even though they plot together, the Macbeths are not brought closer together as a husband and wife

8. Characters
Three Witches: mysterious hags who plot mischief against Macbeth using charms, spells, and prophecies; prompt him to murder and to believe in his own immortality; we don’t know much else about them except that they resemble the mythological fates who weave the threads of human destiny; the witches delight in wreaking havoc
Banquo: brave, noble general whose children, according to the prophecy, will inherit the throne; ambitious like Macbeth, but doesn’t put the thoughts into action; his ghost haunts Macbeth and embodies Macbeth’s guilt

9. Characters
Duncan: king of Scotland; murdered; good and virtuous man; his death symbolizes a destruction of order that can be restored when Malcolm becomes king
Macduff: nobleman hostile to Macbeth’s kingship; leader of a crusade to unseat Macbeth to put Malcolm back on the throne and to avenge Macduff’s wife and son’s murder
Malcolm: Duncan’s son; threat to Macbeth; appears weak and uncertain of his own power as he and his brother flee Scotland after their father’s murder

10. Characters Hecate: goddess of witchcraft; helps the three witches
Fleance: Banquo’s son; survives murder attempt
Lennox and Ross: Scottish noblemen
The Murderers: Do I really need to explain what these people do?
Porter: drunken doorman of Macbeth’s castle
Lady Macduff: wife; contrast to Lady Macbeth
Donalbain: Duncan’s son and Malcolm’s younger brother