essay on the themes of macbeth

William Shakespeare

• Literature Notes
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• Act I: Scene 1
• Act I: Scene 2
• Act I: Scene 3
• Act I: Scene 4
• Act I: Scene 5
• Act I: Scene 6
• Act I: Scene 7
• Act II: Scene 1
• Act II: Scene 2
• Act II: Scene 3
• Act II: Scene 4
• Act III: Scene 1
• Act III: Scene 2
• Act III: Scene 3
• Act III: Scene 4
• Act III: Scene 5
• Act III: Scene 6
• Act IV: Scene 1
• Act IV: Scene 2
• Act IV: Scene 3
• Act V: Scene 1
• Act V: Scene 2
• Act V: Scene 3
• Act V: Scene 4
• Act V: Scene 5
• Act V: Scene 6
• Act V: Scene 7
• Act V: Scene 8
• Act V: Scene 9
• Character Analysis
• Lady Macbeth
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Critical Essays Major Themes

The Fall of Man

The ancient Greek notion of tragedy concerned the fall of a great man, such as a king, from a position of superiority to a position of humility on account of his ambitious pride, or hubris . To the Greeks, such arrogance in human behavior was punishable by terrible vengeance. The tragic hero was to be pitied in his fallen plight but not necessarily forgiven: Greek tragedy frequently has a bleak outcome. Christian drama, on the other hand, always offers a ray of hope; hence, Macbeth ends with the coronation of Malcolm , a new leader who exhibits all the correct virtues for a king.

Macbeth exhibits elements that reflect the greatest Christian tragedy of all: the Fall of Man. In the Genesis story, it is the weakness of Adam, persuaded by his wife (who has in turn been seduced by the devil) which leads him to the proud assumption that he can "play God." But both stories offer room for hope: Christ will come to save mankind precisely because mankind has made the wrong choice through his own free will. In Christian terms, although Macbeth has acted tyrannically, criminally, and sinfully, he is not entirely beyond redemption in heaven.

Fortune, Fate, and Free Will

Fortune is another word for chance. The ancient view of human affairs frequently referred to the "Wheel of Fortune," according to which human life was something of a lottery. One could rise to the top of the wheel and enjoy the benefits of superiority, but only for a while. With an unpredictable swing up or down, one could equally easily crash to the base of the wheel.

Fate, on the other hand, is fixed. In a fatalistic universe, the length and outcome of one's life (destiny) is predetermined by external forces. In Macbeth, the Witches represent this influence. The play makes an important distinction: Fate may dictate what will be, but how that destiny comes about is a matter of chance (and, in a Christian world such as Macbeth's) of man's own choice or free will.

Although Macbeth is told he will become king, he is not told how to achieve the position of king: that much is up to him. We cannot blame him for becoming king (it is his Destiny), but we can blame him for the way in which he chooses to get there (by his own free will).

Kingship and Natural Order

Macbeth is set in a society in which the notion of honor to one's word and loyalty to one's superiors is absolute. At the top of this hierarchy is the king, God's representative on Earth. Other relationships also depend on loyalty: comradeship in warfare, hospitality of host towards guest, and the loyalty between husband and wife. In this play, all these basic societal relationships are perverted or broken. Lady Macbeth's domination over her husband, Macbeth's treacherous act of regicide, and his destruction of comradely and family bonds, all go against the natural order of things.

The medieval and renaissance view of the world saw a relationship between order on earth, the so-called microcosm , and order on the larger scale of the universe, or macrocosm. Thus, when Lennox and the Old Man talk of the terrifying alteration in the natural order of the universe — tempests, earthquakes, darkness at noon, and so on — these are all reflections of the breakage of the natural order that Macbeth has brought about in his own microcosmic world.

Disruption of Nature

Violent disruptions in nature — tempests, earthquakes, darkness at noon, and so on — parallel the unnatural and disruptive death of the monarch Duncan.

The medieval and renaissance view of the world saw a relationship between order on earth, the so-called microcosm, and order on the larger scale of the universe, or macrocosm. Thus, when Lennox and the Old Man talk of the terrifying alteration in the natural order of the universe (nature), these are all reflections of the breakage of the natural order that Macbeth has brought about in his own microcosmic world (society).

Many critics see the parallel between Duncan's death and disorder in nature as an affirmation of the divine right theory of kingship. As we witness in the play, Macbeth's murder of Duncan and his continued tyranny extends the disorder of the entire country.

Gender Roles

Lady Macbeth is the focus of much of the exploration of gender roles in the play. As Lady Macbeth propels her husband toward committing Duncan's murder, she indicates that she must take on masculine characteristics. Her most famous speech — located in Act I, Scene 5 — addresses this issue.

Clearly, gender is out of its traditional order. This disruption of gender roles is also presented through Lady Macbeth's usurpation of the dominate role in the Macbeth's marriage; on many occasions, she rules her husband and dictates his actions.

Reason Versus Passion

During their debates over which course of action to take, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth use different persuasive strategies. Their differences can easily be seen as part of a thematic study of gender roles. However, in truth, the difference in ways Macbeth and Lady Macbeth rationalize their actions is essential to understanding the subtle nuances of the play as a whole.

Macbeth is very rational, contemplating the consequences and implications of his actions. He recognizes the political, ethical, and religious reason why he should not commit regicide. In addition to jeopardizing his afterlife, Macbeth notes that regicide is a violation of Duncan's "double trust" that stems from Macbeth's bonds as a kinsman and as a subject.

On the other hand, Lady Macbeth has a more passionate way of examining the pros and cons of killing Duncan. She is motivated by her feelings and uses emotional arguments to persuade her husband to commit the evil act.

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William Shakespeare

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Macbeth is a play about ambition run amok. The weird sisters ' prophecies spur both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to try to fulfill their ambitions, but the witches never make Macbeth or his wife do anything. Macbeth and his wife act on their own to fulfill their deepest desires. Macbeth, a good general and, by all accounts before the action of the play, a good man, allows his ambition to overwhelm him and becomes a…

From the moment the weird sisters tell Macbeth and Banquo their prophecies, both the characters and the audience are forced to wonder about fate. Is it real? Is action necessary to make it come to pass, or will the prophecy come true no matter what one does? Different characters answer these questions in different ways at different times, and the final answers are ambiguous—as fate always is.

Unlike Banquo, Macbeth acts: he kills Duncan …

To call Macbeth a violent play is an understatement. It begins in battle, contains the murder of men, women, and children, and ends not just with a climactic siege but the suicide of Lady Macbeth and the beheading of its main character, Macbeth . In the process of all this bloodshed, Macbeth makes an important point about the nature of violence: every violent act, even those done for selfless reasons, seems to lead inevitably to…

Nature and the Unnatural

In medieval times, it was believed that the health of a country was directly related to the goodness and moral legitimacy of its king. If the King was good and just, then the nation would have good harvests and good weather. If there was political order, then there would be natural order. Macbeth shows this connection between the political and natural world: when Macbeth disrupts the social and political order by murdering Duncan and usurping…

Over and over again in Macbeth , characters discuss or debate about manhood: Lady Macbeth challenges Macbeth when he decides not to kill Duncan, Banquo refuses to join Macbeth in his plot, Lady Macduff questions Macduff's decision to go to England, and on and on.

Through these challenges, Macbeth questions and examines manhood itself. Does a true man take what he wants no matter what it is, as Lady Macbeth believes? Or does a real…

Macbeth Themes

Macbeth is a favorite choice by teachers introducing teenagers to the Bard, often with a focus on examining the Macbeth themes. The play is a great theatrical triumph, offering audiences of all ages everything we could ask for in a drama. It has a strong supernatural element, something that is very much in fashion today, sex, revenge, lots of violence, and – the cream on top – it’s a thriller, a gripping murder story. It grips us in exactly the same way as it did our ancestors four centuries ago. And on top of all that it’s a great work of literature.

So let us get down to looking at the main themes in Macbeth. Macbeth explores several ideas or key themes throughout the play.  Here are four of the key themes in Macbeth:

1. Theme of Appearance and Reality in Macbeth

Something that preoccupies Shakespeare, and which he brings into every one of his plays, is the way that so many things in life are not what they seem. That is a very strong thematic strain in Macbeth … so much so that we’ve pulled together the most significant Macbeth ambition quotes with some commentary.

In the first moments of the play we see the witches chanting “Fair is foul and foul is fair.”  That’s the statement of this theme. Things that seem good will be bad and things that seem bad will be good. When Duncan arrives at Glamys he comments on how lovely it is. Banquo, who is traveling with him says, “the heaven’s breath smells wooingly here,” but it is far from a heaven. Lady Macbeth has just finished describing it as a hell, and indeed, that’s what it turns out to be, with conspiracy and murder. And those things from people who are regarded as good, faithful, loyal, trustworthy. As Lady Macbeth puts it, one should “look like the innocent flower but be the serpent under it.” It’s one of Shakespeare’s most striking images of this theme.

Macbeth is confused by the witches  – they seem to be women but they have beards. They are not what they seem. Then they set out something that seems quite simple, clear, and attractive – that he will be king. But it’s not simple and clear, and in fact, it’s chaotic, and he will have to be disloyal and commit several crimes to achieve it. Confusion is the tone throughout – confusion about what is right and what is wrong, what is fair and what is foul. Those things hover chaotically through the fog of understanding.

On his way to kill Duncan Macbeth sees a dagger, but it’s not real. The dagger is the thing that’s been in his mind since encountering the witches, even when he’s smiling at Duncan. As Donalbain puts it “there’s daggers in men’s smiles,” another striking image o the theme. Macbeth also sees Banquo’s ghost, which is not real.

This theme pervades the play and is evident in every scene – for example, Malcolm presenting himself as evil, a dangerous tyrant, who would terrorise his subjects if he became king. He is concealing his goodness and pretending to be bad to test Macduff. At the end of the play, we find that the witches have deceived Macbeth in a series of lies. Macbeth believes himself to be invincible – that no man of woman born can harm him – but he discovers that it’s a trick: his sense of invulnerability has been an illusion and the reality is that he is vulnerable, and he’s killed by Macduff.

2. Theme of Ambition in Macbeth

Macbeth is very much about ambition. It’s introduced at the beginning as part of the political setting. As the play opens we learn about some Scottish rebels who have been trying to wrest power away from the rightful king, Duncan, and elevate themselves into powerful positions. Their ambition backfires and they are defeated.

In the modern world, we rather admire ambition but Shakespeare saw it more as a corrupting force and his ambitious characters like Julius Caesar and Macbeth come to sticky ends while pursuing it. And in Macbeth’s case, once he gives way to ambition he is transformed from a good to an evil man. He recognises his ambition as being overwhelming – ‘vaulting ambition’ he calls it – but he knows that he doesn’t have the strength to resist it.

In Macbeth ambition is not straightforward. Who is the ambitious character? It is not only Macbeth. Lady Macbeth is just as ambitious as he is, and arguably more so. Macbeth seems to be an Aristotelian tragic hero but that is complicated by Lady Macbeth’s role in the play. In terms of classical tragedy, Macbeth seems to fit into the pattern. He’s a hero, highly regarded by the other feudal lords of Scotland. When the idea strikes him that he can become king he believes that all he has to do is kill Duncan, he will be elected king, and he will live happily ever after as king. The rest of the play works that idea through and throws up its various complications. In the end, the hero, by now regarded as a villain, is brought down by his fatal flaw – ambition. That is the Aristotelian tragic idea.

There’s far more than that to it though. What about Lady Macbeth? At the beginning of the play, Macbeth is still a good man and his naturally good qualities, which his wife sees as faults, stall him. This is where Lady Macbeth’s ambition becomes evident.   She uses all the tactics at her disposal – her sexuality, emotional blackmail, flattery – to ensure that he carries out the murder. Then she herself begins to resemble a classical tragic hero. So here we have two different models of ambition, and two different examples of a classical tragic hero.

Ambition, resulting in the murder of the divinely given king, entails a series of violations of the natural order, all of which return to haunt Macbeth relentlessly. These are the consequences of giving way to ambition. Killing one’s king is a violation of nature, and in violating nature Macbeth forfeits the benefits of its regenerative power. He becomes an insomniac unable to benefit from the regeneration that sleep brings. Lady Macbeth, as guilty as he is, goes mad and takes her own life.

3. Theme of Guilt in Macbeth

Macbeth could almost be seen as a dissertation on guilt. Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth suffer the most torturous guilt as a result of their regicide.

Modern English has an idiom to describe the state of someone who is guilty of great violence. We say that they have blood on their hands. Shakespeare has these two characters literally covered in blood then uses the blood on their hands to carve out his theme, equating blood with guilt. The word ‘blood’ appears 109 times in the text, and, using it, or referring to it, Shakespeare makes some of the most beautiful poetry in the English language. After the murder, Macbeth stares at his red hands in horror and says “What hands are here? Ha! They pluck out mine eyes/Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood/Clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather/The multitudinous seas incarnadine,/Making the green one red.” We see such images all the way through.

As his guilt grips him Macbeth begins to imagine things – the ghost of Banquo, the friend he murdered – those hallucinations begin even before the actual killing when he imagines a dagger hanging in the air in front of his eyes. His guilt is already evident. Lady Macbeth’s guilt expresses itself in nightmares, also featuring blood, in which she relives the killing of Duncan. The whole text is a dramatisation of guilt. The couple do not live to enjoy the fruits of their misdeed: from the moment of the murder until their deaths their lives are intolerable, made so by the anguish of guilt.

 4. Theme of Sin and Retribution in Macbeth

‘Sin and Retribution’ is an Old Testament way of describing Crime and Punishment . Sin has religious associations whereas crime does not. In the same way retribution goes beyond punishment. You can be punished by being imprisoned or executed but retribution suggests something nasty that may happen to you after your death. Shakespeare’s audience would all have believed that if you behaved yourself and went to church an eternity of bliss awaited you but if you sinned then you had an eternity of torture to look forward to.

That is one of the tensions in this play. Macbeth is worried about what he is about to do because of that fear of retribution, but his yearning to be king is so powerful that he’s willing to make the exchange.

There is a crime at the centre of this play: the murder of a king. Macbeth decides to kill the king and does. But this is more than a crime. It is a grave sin: he kills the king who has been chosen by God. But it is even worse. Duncan is his cousin. So there are two crimes – one against family and one against state. And there’s another – a crime against trust. Duncan is murdered by his host.  Macbeth contemplates this as he is churning it over in his mind: he should “against the murderer shut the door/Not bear the knife myself.” His responsibility as a host was to protect his guest, so murdering him is a massive betrayal.

All that amounts to a grave sin. Macbeth considers all that and concludes that it would be alright if it weren’t for the ‘life to come.’ If he could skip that… but he knows he can’t. If he murders Duncan the hereafter will be waiting for him. Retribution is certain and it will be in proportion to his sin – which is very serious. He almost gives up and, in fact, makes that decision but at that moment Lady Macbeth appears and makes him change his mind.

We are reminded of the presence of Hell all through the play, in the events and in the imagery. The evil sisters, the witches, are a constant presence, guiding Macbeth towards his destruction. Glamys, the castle of the Macbeths is a representation of Hell, its hellish atmosphere created by the language of Lady Macbeth – its “thick night,” its “murdering ministers,”  its “dunnest smoke of hell,” its blanket of darkness.

At the end of the play, Macbeth receives his punishment for the crime – he is decapitated by Macduff – but the divine retribution expresses itself in guilt, insomnia, paranoia and the fear of what is to come.

Shakespeare Themes by Play

Hamlet themes , Macbeth themes , Romeo and Juliet themes

Shakespeare Themes by Topic

Ambition, Appearance & Reality , Betrayal , Conflict , Corruption , Death , Deception , Good & Evil , Hatred , Order & Disorder , Revenge , Suffering , Transformation

Macbeth’s blood-covered face… with blook being one of the recurring Macbeth themes

What do you think of these Macbeth themes – any that you don’t agree with, or would add? Let us know in the comments section below!

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order and chaos

I think Good vs Evil should be added

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Macbeth Themes

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Analysis Pages

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• Quote Analysis

Themes in Macbeth

The Danger of Ambition : Ambition for power is foregrounded as the key theme within Shakespeare’s play. More specifically, Shakespeare uses his narrative to demonstrate the danger of unchecked ambition. Macbeth’s ruthless ambition and pride have disastrous, bloody consequences.

Fate vs. Free Will : While some readers may see Macbeth’s fate as predetermined by the witches’ prophecy, other readers view his actions as an exercise of free will. Shakespeare provides evidence for both interpretations, which suggests the real answers lies somewhere between, in the murky middle.

The Natural and the Supernatural : Shakespeare uses supernatural elements, such as witches, ghosts, prophecy, and hallucinations throughout the play to conflate reality with the uncanny. The supernatural also represents an inversion of the natural order. Macbeth’s and Lady Macbeth’s unnatural ambition and murderous plot turn the world of the play upside down so that “fair is foul and foul is fair.” Everything in the play becomes untrustworthy, especially characters’ appearance and claims to sanity.

Gender-Role Subversion : Shakespeare directly subverts early modern social expectations that women were supposed to be nurturing wives and mothers. Main female character Lady Macbeth is more concerned with power and tyranny than family and the domestic household. Lady Macbeth mocks Macbeth’s masculinity in order to manipulate him into murdering King Duncan. In this way, Lady Macbeth appears to embody a sense of self-assurance and strength more than her soldier husband.

Themes Examples in Macbeth:

Act i - scene i.

"Fair is foul, and foul is fair...."   See in text   (Act I - Scene I)

Shakespeare establishes a mysterious, chilling tone and conveys one of the main themes of the play: Things are not what they seem, and the witches suggest that perhaps what is good will be bad, and what is bad will be good.

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"Enter three Witches..."   See in text   (Act I - Scene I)

It should be remembered that "witches" were not just a feature of artistic works. In Shakespeare's time, witchcraft and witches were a part of the real world, with people being accused of (and punished for) activity in the occult. Women in particular were thought to be more likely to be in touch with the metaphysical world and therefore more likely to come under suspicion.

Act I - Scene II

"O valiant cousin! Worthy gentleman!..."   See in text   (Act I - Scene II)

Shakespeare portrays Macbeth in the early scenes of the play at the apex of his personal power and fame. While the accolades Macbeth receives might seem excessive at times, Shakespeare uses them for a purpose with Macbeth's character arc. Notice how this portrayal of Macbeth shifts throughout the play in order to establish the overall tragedy of Macbeth and the story.

Act I - Scene III

"My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical,(150) Shakes so my single state of man that function Is smother'd in surmise, and nothing is But what is not...."   See in text   (Act I - Scene III)

Macbeth's imagination turns immediately to murderous plots after the witches reveal their prophecy. Macbeth is frightened by his imagination as his ambitious fantasies begin to take over his reality. "Nothing is but what is not" touches on the major theme in Macbeth of inversion: that which is real becomes unreal when the lines between fantasy and reality are blurred. As he considers usurping the King, Macbeth converts the real world into his fantasy space and loses the ability to act as he should, as the Thane of Cawdor and a loyal subject to Duncan.

"Or have we eaten on the insane root..."   See in text   (Act I - Scene III)

The herb Banquo refers to is possibly a hemlock or henbane, both of which are deadly. He brings this up to Macbeth as a way to justify the witches sudden disappearance, suggesting that perhaps they have accidentally lost their reason.

"And yet your beards forbid me to interpret That you are so...."   See in text   (Act I - Scene III)

This quote speaks to the theme of appearance versus reality . To Macbeth and Banquo, the witches should be women, yet they see beards. This makes them question if they are women or men, based upon how they look. 

Act I - Scene VI

"This castle hath a pleasant seat..."   See in text   (Act I - Scene VI)

Duncan has never been to or seen Macbeth's castle before. He finds it very pleasant, which is ironic considering the fate that awaits him within. This deception of appearance is a good example of the theme the witches' established early on: Fair is foul and foul is fair. What looks so pretty and pleasant to the King is actually a death trap.

Act II - Scene I

"I see thee still, And on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood, Which was not so before...."   See in text   (Act II - Scene I)

The illusory dagger becomes covered in blood as Macbeth continues to watch it. This vision adds another supernatural element to the play with symbolic meaning: It represents Macbeth's inner turmoil and feelings of horror about the murder he is about to commit.

Act II - Scene IV

"’Tis said they eat each other...."   See in text   (Act II - Scene IV)

Shakespeare uses these signs and warnings to foreshadow that more unpleasantness will happen. The eclipse and the story of the owl and falcon to show how nature has become unbalanced as a result of Duncan's murder.

"Hath trifled former knowings...."   See in text   (Act II - Scene IV)

In all of his years, the Old Man has never experienced anything as dreadful or strange at the night after Duncan's murder. The use of the word trifle here as a noun means that his previous knowledge or experience seems unimpressive or not noteworthy. This opening statement and the continuing dialogue help to renew the feelings of horror, dread, and unnaturalness surrounding the death of Duncan.

Act III - Scene IV

"they say blood will have blood...."   See in text   (Act III - Scene IV)

Now that the guests have left, Macbeth relapses and begins to brood over the killing of Banquo. This line indicates that he is certain that the crime will be discoverer and that he will pay for it, that blood will be paid for with more blood. This idea is pervasive throughout the drama as Macbeth's bloody actions lead to bloodier consequences.

Act IV - Scene I

"Fillet of a fenny snake, In the cauldron boil and bake; Eye of newt and toe of frog, Wool of bat and tongue of dog,(15) Adder's fork and blind-worm's sting, Lizard's leg and howlet's wing, For a charm of powerful trouble, Like a hell-broth boil and bubble...."   See in text   (Act IV - Scene I)

This incantation is the most famous depiction of witchcraft in the Western canon. The three witches's spell emphasizes the play's theme of inversion. They fragment parts of the natural world in order to create an unnatural outcome; in other words, they use pieces of animals instead of whole parts in order to turn reality upside down. The rhyming couplets and lilting seven syllable lines also highlight the enchanting power of language, which can be used to create beauty, or in this case, to engender horrific deception and evil.

"Harpier..."   See in text   (Act IV - Scene I)

This word represents a non-standard spelling of "harpy." In Greek and Roman mythology, harpies are horrifying monsters that have women's faces and the bodies of birds. They are regarded as filthy and covetous, always preying on others and wanting more. While they sometimes supposedly administer divine vengeance, commonly their mention or presence contributes to a dangerous or evil atmosphere or theme, as in this case with the witches.

Act V - Scene I

"’tis her command...."   See in text   (Act V - Scene I)

Notice how Lady Macbeth's fear of darkness contrasts with her earlier invocation that night cover the bloody deeds surrounding Duncan's murder. Where once she welcomed the darkness for what it offered, now she can't be left alone in it. Considering that light and dark often coincide with good and evil, Lady Macbeth's actions further emphasize her fear and guilt of past sins.

"perturbation..."   See in text   (Act V - Scene I)

In this context, "perturbation" refers to a systematic imbalance or disorder with nature, which the Doctor uses to describe Lady Macbeth's natural sleep cycle. However, recall that since the death of Duncan, an imbalance in the natural world has symbolically coincided with Macbeth's reign.

"Out, damned spot!..."   See in text   (Act V - Scene I)

This phrase reveals one of the themes in Macbeth : The difficulty of washing away a sin from the soul, of redemption. After killing Duncan, Macbeth was told by his wife to simply wash away the blood (a visual metaphor for his sin). However, this line suggests that subconsciously she knows that cleansing oneself of sin is not possible by any physical means.

Act V - Scene V

"Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow Creeps in this petty pace from day to day To the last syllable of recorded time; And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!(25) Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage And then is heard no more. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing..."   See in text   (Act V - Scene V)

In a play in which ambition and power were the only goals of the main characters, Macbeth realizes that all of his decisions and actions are meaningless: life is a "brief candle" set to go out. Not only does Macbeth realize that life is meaningless, he begins to see his life as ruled by others. This is a take on the Shakespearian trope of "all the world's a stage;" but rather than highlighting the performed nature of identity or love, Macbeth uses this theater metaphor to show that our ambitions and actions are part of a badly scripted performance without meaning. In other words, life, ambition, achievement are all illusions that dissolve in death. This is one of the most famous speeches from this play and it has inspired multiple literary and artistic works, including William Faulkner's 1929 The Sound and The Fury.

"(30)..."   See in text   (Act V - Scene V)

Harold Bloom argues that Macbeth's response to his wife's death is nihilistic. In Macbeth's world, there is no life after death (541).

Bloom, Harold.  Shakespeare: Invention of the Human. New York:  Riverhead Books, 1998. Print.

William Faulkner borrowed the phrase "sound and fury" for the title of one of his best novels,  The Sound and the Fury . Faulkner had a pessimistic view of life and human nature himself. "When [Malcolm] Cowley, for example, wrote asking if it would be fair to call his work a 'myth or legend of the South,' Faulkner testily replied that the South 'is not very important to me,' adding, in a gratuitous discharge of bile, that in his opinion human life is 'the same frantic steeplechase toward nothing everywhere and man stinks the same stink no matter where in time.'" Frederick Crews, "Faulkner Methodized."

If motion pictures had existed in Shakespeare's time he might have said that life is like a black-and-white movie, because the actors we see on the screen really are "walking shadows." Shakespeare seems to be saying that we are all like actors on the stage but each of us is carrying a candle which casts a shadow on the floor. When our candle burns out, we cease to exist. We are as insubstantial as shadows.

Notice how the words "struts," "frets," "hour," "upon," etc., are stressed in the meter of the following lines to create the impression of a gigantic shadow pacing across a stage:

...a poor player  That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,  And then is heard no more.

With the last two words, “no more,” it is as if the sounds of the shadow’s pacing fade out. This is because of the strong “O” sounds in “no” and “more” and also because the word “no” is not naturally stressed. The metrical stress, if anywhere, would be on the word “more”—almost like an echo of the departed shadow’s footsteps. A huge shadow has paced across the stage and disappeared on the other side. These wonderful words can be much better appreciated if one reads them aloud. (But, for that matter, all of Shakespeare’s words can be better appreciated if one reads them aloud, because they were intended to be spoken aloud.)

Why does Macbeth use the word "fools" to describe all those who have died before him? They were fools because all their plans and activities were canceled by death.

'Macbeth': Themes and Symbols

• M.A., Classics, Catholic University of Milan
• M.A., Journalism, New York University.
• B.A., Classics, Catholic University of Milan

As a tragedy, Macbeth is a dramatization of the psychological repercussions of unbridled ambition. The play's main themes—loyalty, guilt, innocence, and fate—all deal with the central idea of ambition and its consequences. Similarly, Shakespeare uses imagery and symbolism to illustrate the concepts of innocence and guilt. 

Macbeth’s ambition is his tragic flaw. Devoid of any morality, it ultimately causes Macbeth’s downfall. Two factors stoke the flames of his ambition: the prophecy of the Three Witches, who claim that not only will he be thane of Cawdor, but also king, and even more so the attitude of his wife, who taunts his assertiveness and manhood and actually stage-directs her husband’s actions.

Macbeth’s ambition, however, soon spirals out of control. He feels that his power is threatened to a point where it can only be preserved through murdering his suspected enemies. Eventually, ambition causes both Macbeth’s and Lady Macbeth’s undoing. He is defeated in battle and decapitated by Macduff, while Lady Macbeth succumbs to insanity and commits suicide.

Loyalty plays out in many ways in Macbeth. At the beginning of the play, King Duncan rewards Macbeth with the title of thane of Cawdor, after the original thane betrayed him and joined forces with Norway, while Macbeth was a valiant general. However, when Duncan names Malcolm his heir, Macbeth comes to the conclusion that he must kill King Duncan in order to become king himself.

In another example of Shakespeare's loyalty and betrayal dynamic, Macbeth betrays Banquo out of paranoia. Although the pair were comrades in arms, after he becomes king, Macbeth remembers that the witches predicted that Banquo’s descendants would ultimately be crowned kings of Scotland. Macbeth then decides to have him killed.

Macduff, who suspects Macbeth once he sees the king’s corpse, flees to England to join Duncan’s son Malcolm, and together they plan Macbeth's downfall.

Appearance and Reality 

“False face must hide what the false heart doth know,” Macbeth tells Duncan, when he already has intentions to murder him near the end of act I.

Similarly, the witches utterances, such as “fair is foul and foul is fair”, subtly play with appearance and reality. Their prophecy, stating that Macbeth can’t be vanquished by any child “of woman born” is rendered vain when Macduff reveals that he was born via a caesarean section. In addition, the assurance that he would not be vanquished until “Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill Shall come against him” is at first deemed an unnatural phenomenon, as a forest would not walk up a hill, but in reality meant that soldiers were cutting up trees in Birnam Wood to get closer to Dunsinane Hill.

Fate and Free Will

Would Macbeth have become king had he not chosen his murderous path? This question brings into play the matters of fate and free will. The witches predict that he would become thane of Cawdor, and soon after he is anointed that title without any action required of him. The witches show Macbeth his future and his fate, but Duncan’s murder is a matter of Macbeth’s own free will, and, after Duncan's assassination, the further assassinations are a matter of his own planning. This also applies to the other visions the witches conjure for Macbeth: he sees them as a sign of his invincibility and acts accordingly, but they actually anticipate his demise.

Symbolism of Light and Darkness

Light and starlight symbolize what is good and noble, and the moral order brought by King Duncan announces that “signs of nobleness, like stars, shall shine / On all deservers" (I 4.41-42).”

By contrast, the three witches are known as “midnight hags,” and Lady Macbeth asks the night to cloak her actions from the heaven. Similarly, once Macbeth becomes king, day and night become indistinguishable from one another. When Lady Macbeth displays her insanity, she wants to carry a candle with her, as a form of protection.

Symbolism of Sleep

In Macbeth, sleep symbolizes innocence and purity. For instance, after murdering King Duncan, Macbeth is in such distress that he believes he heard a voice saying "Methought I heard a voice cry 'Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep,' the innocent sleep, Sleep that knits up the ravell'd sleave of care." He goes on to compare sleep to a soothing bath after a day of hard work, and to the main course of a feast, feeling that when he murdered his king in his sleep, he murdered sleep itself.

Similarly, after he sends killers to murder Banquo, Macbeth laments being constantly shaken by nightmares and by "restless ecstasy," where the word "ectsasy" loses any positive connotations.

When Macbeth sees Banquo’s ghost at the banquet, Lady Macbeth remarks that he lacks “the season of all natures, sleep.” Eventually, her sleep becomes disturbed as well. She becomes prone to sleepwalking, reliving the horrors of Duncan’s murder.

Symbolism of Blood

Blood symbolizes murder and guilt, and imagery of it pertains to both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. For example, before killing Duncan, Macbeth hallucinates a bloody dagger pointing towards the king’s room. After committing the murder, he is horrified, and says: “Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood Clean from my hand? No."

Banquo’s ghost, who appears during a banquet, exhibits “gory locks.” Blood also symbolizes Macbeth’s own acceptance of his guilt. He tells Lady Macbeth, “I am in blood / Step't in so far that, should I wade no more, / Returning were as tedious as go o'er”.

Blood eventually also affects Lady Macbeth, who, in her sleepwalking scene, wants to clean blood from her hands. For Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, blood shows that their guilt trajectory runs in opposite directions: Macbeth turns from being guilty into a ruthless murderer, whereas Lady Macbeth, who starts off as more assertive than her husband, becomes ridden with guilt and eventually kills herself.

• 'Macbeth' Overview
• 'Macbeth' Summary
• 'Macbeth' Characters
• The Theme of Guilt in "Macbeth"
• Famous Quotes From 'Macbeth'
• Understanding Macbeth's Ambition
• 'Macbeth' Quotes Explained
• Why the 'Macbeth' Witches Are Key to Shakespeare's Play
• Macbeth Character Analysis
• Everything You Need to Know About 'Macbeth'
• Lady Macbeth Character Analysis
• 128 Unforgettable Quotes From Shakespeare's Macbeth
• Top 5 Female Villains in Shakespeare Plays
• Tragic Flaw: Literary Definition and Examples
• Shakespeare Tragedies: 10 Plays With Common Features
• A Critical Review of 'Death of a Salesman'

Introduction

Macbeth by william shakespeare summary, themes in macbeth, kingship vs. tyranny:, relationship between cruelty and masculinity:, fate vs. freewill:, reason vs. passion:, macbeth characters analysis, lady macbeth:, the three witches:, king duncan:, macbeth literary analysis, more from william shakespeare.

Macbeth Essays

There are loads of ways you can approach writing an essay, but the two i favour are detailed below., the key thing to remember is that an essay should focus on the three aos:, ao1: plot and character development; ao2: language and technique; ao3: context, strategy 1 : extract / rest of play, the first strategy basically splits the essay into 3 paragraphs., the first paragraph focuses on the extract, the second focuses on the rest of the play, the third focuses on context. essentially, it's one ao per paragraph, for a really neatly organised essay., strategy 2 : a structured essay with an argument, this strategy allows you to get a much higher marks as it's structured to form an argument about the whole text. although you might think that's harder - and it's probably going to score more highly - i'd argue that it's actually easier to master. mainly because you do most of the work before the day of the exam., to see some examples of these, click on the links below:, lady macbeth as a powerful woman, macbeth as a heroic character, the key to this style is remembering this: you're going to get a question about a theme, and the extract will definitely relate to the theme., the strategy here is planning out your essays before the exam, knowing that the extract will fit into them somehow., below are some structured essays i've put together., macbeth and gender.

Macbeth Key Theme: Ambition ( AQA GCSE English Literature )

Revision note.

Ambition in Macbeth

Although it is important to stress that Shakespeare explores many other themes in Macbeth, and that you should aim to revise those other themes in some detail, it can be argued that, at heart, Macbeth as a play is an exploration of ambition and its consequences. On this page you will find a summary of how Shakespeare explores ambition in Macbeth, and also tips on how to answer an exam question on the theme of ambition.

Although understanding the theme of ambition is crucial in understanding Macbeth as a play, it is equally important to understand what other ideas Shakespeare is exploring, and how the theme of ambition relates to the principal characters in the play. See our Macbeth: Themes and Macbeth: Characters pages for more detailed revision notes on these.

How does Shakespeare present ambition in Macbeth? When we talk about “ambition” in Macbeth, we are not talking about a desire to do something or determination to succeed towards a set goal. Instead, we should understand ambition in the play as a negative character trait: not just a desire to achieve something, but an unnatural desire to achieve something at any cost .  Indeed, Shakespeare has Macbeth speak the lines “vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself” in Act I, Scene VII. “Vaulting” means jumping over, suggesting that Macbeth, in order to achieve his ambition (to become king), knows that he must overcome an obstacle that stands in his way. This obstacle is King Duncan, and the only way to remove this obstacle is to murder him. To murder a king was a shocking, unnatural act in Jacobean  England (for more on Jacobean society and its beliefs, see our Macbeth: Context page), but Macbeth is prepared to commit regicide  to realise his ambition. Ultimately, the cost he will pay for his ambition is his own life.

Below you will find a summary of the ways in which Shakespeare explores the theme of ambition in Macbeth. For more detailed revision notes on ambition, please see the Macbeth: Themes page.

• Ambition is Macbeth’s fatal character flaw, his hamartia:
• In tragedy , a tragic hero  must have a tragic flaw
• In Macbeth, as in most tragedy, the tragic hero’s hamartia is the cause of their own downfall:
• Macbeth’s ambition to gain, and retain, the throne leads to him committing more and more evil acts
• Other characters seek revenge for these acts of murder
• Macbeth’s own conscience also begins to terrorise him
• Ultimately, a combination of his own mental disintegration and avenging heroes sees him killed by the hand of Macduff
• At heart, Shakespeare is presenting a morality play to the audience:
• Allow yourself to be consumed by ambition, or hubris , and prepare to suffer dire consequences
• It can also be seen as a warning against those who seek to undermine – or overthrow – the rule of a rightful king:
• Shakespeare may also be suggesting that those unaccustomed and undeserving of power will be destroyed by it
• Shakespeare is suggesting that kings are legitimate rulers, but tyrants  are not

Answering an exam question on ambition in Macbeth

In order to get top marks for your essay, it is very important that you know the format and requirements of the exam paper, and the nature of the exam question. It is also vital that you know how to plan an answer in the Shakespeare exam, and are aware of what you need to include to get the highest grade. In this section you will find:

• an overview of the exam
• a plan for a question on ambition
• an ambition essay model paragraph

Overview of the Shakespeare Exam

• Your Shakespeare question would be part of Section A of Paper 1 of your GCSE
• The essay is worth 34 marks: 30 for the quality of your essay, and 4 for the level of your spelling, punctuation and grammar
• In your question paper, you will find an extract from the text of Macbeth and only one question
• You must answer the question that is set and refer to the extract, but also the rest of the play
• This is challenging because the exam is what’s called “closed-book”, meaning that you will not have access to a copy of the text (other than the printed extract) in your exam
• Therefore, in order to refer to the play as a whole, it is important to:
• revise the plot of the play 
• revise some selected quotations from different parts of the play

For a much more detailed guide on answering the Macbeth question, please see our revision notes on How to Answer the Shakespeare Essay Question .

Plan for a question on ambition in Macbeth

Below you will find a template for a plan for the following exemplar question on ambition. It is always worthwhile spending a good deal of time planning an answer at GCSE, with examiners repeatedly reporting that the highest marks are awarded to those students who have clearly set aside time to plan their essays. For more information on planning a response, and approaching the Shakespeare question in general, see our comprehensive revision notes here .

Exemplar question

‘Macbeth’s ambition proves to be his downfall’

Starting with this moment in the play, explore how far you agree with this view.

Write about:

• How Shakespeare presents Macbeth’s ambition in this extract
• How far Shakespeare presents Macbeth’s ambition as the reason for his downfall in the play as a whole

AO4 [4 marks]

Act I, Scene VII

Macbeth is contemplating whether or not to go through with the plan to murder King Duncan

    If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well

    It were done quickly: if the assassination

    Could trammel up the consequence, and catch

    With his surcease success; that but this blow

    Might be the be-all and the end-all here,

    But here, upon this bank and shoal of time,

    We'd jump the life to come. But in these cases

    We still have judgment here; that we but teach

    Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return

    To plague the inventor: this even-handed justice

    Commends the ingredients of our poison'd chalice

    To our own lips. He's here in double trust;

    First, as I am his kinsman and his subject,

    Strong both against the deed; then, as his host,

    Who should against his murderer shut the door,

    Not bear the knife myself. Besides, this Duncan

    Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been

    So clear in his great office, that his virtues

    Will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued, against

    The deep damnation of his taking-off;

    And pity, like a naked new-born babe,

    Striding the blast, or heaven's cherubim, horsed

    Upon the sightless couriers of the air,

    Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye,

    That tears shall drown the wind. I have no spur

    To prick the sides of my intent, but only

    Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself

    And falls on the other.

Ambition in Macbeth Essay Model Paragraph

Despite the fact that Macbeth is clearly aware of the dire religious consequences of regicide, his ambition means he proceeds with the murder of King Duncan anyway, indicating that his ambition overrides all other sensibilities. In this scene, Shakespeare uses the semantic fields of religion throughout Macbeth’s soliloquy: he refers to “Heaven”, “cherubin” and “angels”, as well as “damnation”. Ostensibly, this language is being used because Macbeth is discussing King Duncan’s prospective life after death. However, it could also be argued that this language betrays Macbeth’s own acknowledgement that committing the planned act of regicide (a mortal sin in the Jacobean era) will instead send him to eternal “damnation”. Indeed, later on in the play, Shakespeare has Macbeth speak the lines: “That summons thee to Heaven, or to Hell”, again, on the face of it referring to Duncan’s passage to the afterlife, but in reality speaking about his own fate. Indeed, both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth use the language of Heaven and Hell throughout Act I and the beginning of Act II, suggesting that they are both – on a subconscious level at least – mortally concerned for their future should they commit the sacrilegious act of murdering a sitting monarch. It can be argued that the regicide of King Duncan is the catalyst for Macbeth’s ultimate downfall. In terms of tragedy, this is the inciting incident, after which a tragic hero’s fate is sealed. Therefore, the language that Shakespeare has Macbeth use prior to the murder is very illuminating. Before the murder, Macbeth admits in this soliloquy that – despite the acknowledgement of his own eternal punishment – that it is “only vaulting ambition” which is tempting him to overthrow the king. This is indeed Macbeth himself identifying that his ambition is the “only” reason that he himself identifies to commit the murder, and by extension, it is his ambition that sets the wheels in motion for his ultimate demise.

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Author: Nick

Nick is a graduate of the University of Cambridge and King’s College London. He started his career in journalism and publishing, working as an editor on a political magazine and a number of books, before training as an English teacher. After nearly 10 years working in London schools, where he held leadership positions in English departments and within a Sixth Form, he moved on to become an examiner and education consultant. With more than a decade of experience as a tutor, Nick specialises in English, but has also taught Politics, Classical Civilisation and Religious Studies.

Notes on Kingship, Fate, Evil, & Blood in Macbeth by William Shakespeare

Back to: Macbeth by William Shakespeare

Table of Contents

Kingship in Macbeth

The play includes two characters i.e. Duncan, Edward who are kings and another two characters i.e. Macbeth and Malcolm who become kings. It means there are at least four kinds of the portrayal of kingship in the play. 

In the very beginning, Duncan is shown as a noble king whose loyal and thoughtful ruling of Scotland is obvious. We see him attending to the plights of his army sincerely. He rightfully acknowledges the achievements of his generals i.e. Macbeth and Banquo and rewards them timely.

Like a good king, he maintains the stable line of ascension and declares Malcolm as the heir to his throne. Once Macbeth comes to know the prophecies by the three witches, Duncan’s lack of judgment becomes obvious as he is unable to discern the true nature of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth and he is murdered by them. 

He is shown to us as “ fiend of Scotland .” The power he aims for finds no capacity in him to contain it morally. His kingship evokes no love, he operates through fear as we see characters fleeing from his kingdom. 

As a sharp judge of character, he tests Macduff’s loyalty before trusting him. Unlike Macbeth, he promotes order over chaos and violence. He is not naively passionate; he shows practical wisdom when he leads his army against Macbeth .

He inspires loyalty in the joining army of King Edward too. In the end, we see him inviting the exiled ones back into his kingdom. His kingship stands for order and moral values. 

Fate and Free Will in Macbeth

In his own words, “if chance will have me, king, why chance may crown me. Without my stir.” Slowly we understand that maybe the three witches are in close relation to what already lies inside Macbeth. Macbeth’s disintegration is shown through his attempts to shape his destiny by his own hands.

He challenges fate when he says, “ rather than so, come fate into the list, and champion me to the utterance. ” Whatever danger he senses in the prophecies of the three witches, he tries to get rid of that. He kills Duncan to shortcut his access to the throne. He deceptively kills Banquo.

Evil in Macbeth

The play has an intertwining of good and evil in a seamless way. The evil manifests itself on various levels. The play begins with evil in a supernatural form of the three witches. As the primary supplier of evil, functionally the three witches test the choices made my characters i.e. Macbeth, Lady Macbeth and Banquo.

The choices which they’ve are distinctively good and evil. When Macbeth chooses to take their prophecies as a confirmation of his ambition, Banquo clearly notices them as an agency of evil and discards what they try to provoke in him. 

She asks to fill her “ from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty .” Her evil is twofold because she disintegrates in guilt faster than Macbeth. Manipulation through words is her prime tool of evil. The overall theme of evil is maintained through violent and bloody images. 

Fundamentally, the play portrays evil through the evil atmosphere where the witches do their activities and reside, evil characters like Lady Macbeth who are evil by nature, evil supernatural beings which are the three witches .

Blood Theme in Macbeth

After this he murders Duncan and great imageries of blood begin. Shakespeare might be underlining the inevitability of blood in pursuit of power. Once Macbeth ascends to the throne and the chaos of violence and fear is set, Macduff cries, “ bleed, bleed, poor country. ”

It seems that not only the individuals rather the whole country is dealing with the misdeeds of Macbeth. Macbeth himself at the end shouts, “ make me bleed .” In a very melodramatic fashion, Shakespeare throughout the play displays the ways of blood and how it goes out of control beyond a certain point and results in the madness like that of Lady Macbeth and in the tragic fall like that of Macbeth.

Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Tragic Hero — Macbeth as a Tragic Hero: An Examination of Shakespeare’s Protagonist

Macbeth as a Tragic Hero: an Examination of Shakespeare's Protagonist

• Categories: Tragic Hero

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Published: Jun 13, 2024

Words: 701 | Pages: 2 | 4 min read

Table of contents

Introduction, body paragraph 1: macbeth's noble beginning, body paragraph 2: the tragic flaw: ambition and moral corruption, body paragraph 3: the inevitable downfall.

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