Macbeth Analysis

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Recommended: Shakespeare's influence during the Elizabethan Era

In 1606 Shakespeare wrote Macbeth for King James VI of Scotland, following the death of Queen Elizabeth. Macbeth was set in various locations in Scotland; and also briefly in England. Shakespeare continues to capture the relevance to the Gunpowder Plot, the Elizabethan notions of kingship and the prominence of witchcraft. The Gunpowder Plot (1605) was a plot to destroy the houses of parliament and kill the King; luckily this attempt was somewhat unsuccessful, and so Macbeth portrays the fundamental mood of the time. King James so closely resembles to the portrait that Shakespeare paints for King Duncan, and so having a play with a very strong warning is useful as it discourages all the ambitious Macbeth’s out there not to overthrow the king, or else the same horrific fate will happen to you. King James was fascinated with witchcraft and so became engaged in writing his Demonology in 1597, hence the supernatural theme in the play which seems particularly tropical.

The three witches do not have much character per se; they are in many ways central to the plot and themes of the play. The first scene is set in thunder and lightening where the three witches plot mischief against Macbeth using charms, spells, and prophecies. Their predictions prompt Macbeth to murder Duncan; however they do not invite him to kill and neither do they suggest a thing. When Banquo says; “What! can the devil speak true?” (1, 3, 107), we do not really know whether they make their own prophecies come true, or where they get their knowledge from. Their speech is full of paradox and equivocation; as they represent malign and demonic intelligence.

As the entire play revolves around killing Duncan, I think he has a minor role but is a significant character...

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...36). Shakespeare uses blank verses for the dialogue between characters in order to elevate the poetry of drama and punctuation is added at the end of each line to strengthen the rhythm. In order to end many scenes, rhyming couplets are used to create suspense, e.g. when Macbeth murders Duncan and states, “Hear it not, Duncan; for it is a knell / That summons thee to heaven or to hell.” (2, 1, 63-64). In conclusion, Shakespeare's writing features extensive wordplay of double entendres and clever rhetorical flourishes.

Works Cited

Websites

www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize

Books

Kenneth Muir (2001) William Shakespeare: Macbeth (Arden Shakespeare), ISBN: 978-1903436486

James Sale (2002) York Notes on “Macbeth”, by William Shakespeare, ISBN: 978-0582505919

DVD

Macbeth (1971) John Finch, Francesca Annis

Directed by: Roman Polanski

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