Summary And Character Analysis Of William Shakespeare's Macbeth

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Caitlin’s Notes
Background:
William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-on-Avon on 23rd April 1564.
His father William was a local businessman and his mother Mary was the daughter of a landowner. It is likely the family paid for Williams education, although there is no evidence he attended university. In 1582 when William was 18 he married a woman named Anne Hathaway. After he married, information about his life got sketchy but it seems he spent most of his time in London, writing and acting in his plays. Shakespeare was able to secure a firm financial background, leaving time for writing and acting. Some of these investments was buying some real estate near Stratford in 1605, which soon doubled in value.William Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets
Prophecy, violence, and blood seep through the play, making it one of the most brutal plays that Shakespeare has ever wrote. This story combines many historical facts, such as 11th century kingship of Duncan and Macbeth. Scholars date the play in 1606, after Shakespeare’s famous tragedies Hamlet and Othello. The play is set in Scotland. Ideas of honor, lineage, and position are key elements in the story.
Character:
Banquo’s main part in Macbeth is that he is Macbeth’s coconspirator. He is open to human yearnings and desires. For example, he is just as interested in hearing about what the witches have to say. He says often that he can’t sleep because he can’t stop thinking about the witches. Banquo is a sympathetic figure for several reasons. At first he is not very smart in figuring out the murder of Duncan. He is killed by convicted felons that Macbeth had hired, and his son Fleance gets away.
Malcolm is one of the sons of Duncan, along with Donalbain. After Duncan is killed he flees to Ireland because he is afraid that he will be killed. Later in the play when he reappears he has won the support of King of England and he has troops. Many said he is “every bit of king”. His testing of Macduff, is psychologically accurate. By pretending to be what he is not, he hopes to coax from Macduff a confession of his
Macbeth is Thane of Glamis and him and some other people had defeated Macdonwald. After that, Duncan found out that the Thane of Cawdor was a traitor, so he gave the honor to Macbeth after killing the other guy. Then, Banquo and Macbeth run into the three weird sisters and they tell them what their futures will consist of and what they will become. Then, when they return home after the prophecy about him becoming Thane of Cawdor, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth wanted to make Macbeth king faster so they killed Duncan.
Commentary: “Fair is foul, and foul is fair, Hover through the fog and filthy air.” This is pretty much saying that no matter who is good or who is bad, people make mistakes and people can turn evil.

Act II: In this act after Macbeth kills Duncan, he says to Banquo that he hasn’t even been thinking about the three weird sisters. When they are planning to kill Duncan Lady Macbeth says she will do the deed, but when the time comes she can’t kill him because he reminds her of her dad. So she kills the guards and Macbeth kills Duncan. Then Macduff and Lennox show up and they found Duncan dead. Macbeth makes up a story as to why the guards are dead too so it doesn’t come back on them. After a long conversation Malcolm and Donalbain flee from the castle to Ireland and England because they don’t want to be killed

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