Macbeth

= = Macbeth Act I: · A messenger tells King Duncan of the bravery of Macbeth and Banquo during battle · The King tells him that Macbeth will be given the title Thane of Cawdor · Macbeth and Banquo meet three witches on their ride home, who give prophecies · The witches call Macbeth the Thane of Cawdor, and tell him he shall be king · The witches tell Banquo that his sons will one day be king · The messenger arrives and calls Macbeth the Thane of Cawdor, which seems to say that the other prophecies will come true · Lady Macbeth is ambitious, and she persuades Macbeth to kill Duncan when he visits their home · Macbeth loses courage, but Lady Macbeth succeeds in persuading him to commit the murder
 * =**Key Plot Events** =

Act 2: · Banquo and Macbeth discuss the witches’ prophecies · Macbeth hallucinates an image of a bloody dagger, and then goes to kill Duncan · Macbeth comes back and tells Lady Macbeth about how the servants were talking in their sleep, and he forgot to plant the daggers, so Lady Macbeth runs to do it · Macduff comes to visit Macbeth and he finds that Duncan has been murdered · Hysteria ensues within Macbeth’s home · A few days later, two men are talking about it and how people are blaming Duncan’s sons for his murder Act 3: <span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Macbeth has become King, but Banquo is still alive and knows of the witches’ prophecy <span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Macbeth tells Lady Macbeth that he plans to kill Banquo <span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Two murderers hired by Macbeth find Banquo and kill him, but his son escapes <span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Macbeth goes to a feast, but sees the ghost of Banquo sitting in his seat <span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Banquo’s murder was blamed on his son, like Duncan’s <span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· People are starting to suspect Macbeth, and Malcolm is brewing a rebellion

Act 4: <span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Macbeth goes back to the witches, and they give him three prophecies which make him think he’s invincible <span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Macbeth has Lady Macduff and her children killed <span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Macduff has gone to Malcolm to fight against Macbeth <span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Malcolm tests Macduff’s loyalty, and they conspire to overthrow Macbeth

Act 5: <span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Lady Macbeth has gone crazy, and she kills herself <span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Malcolm and Macduff have come to England and are preparing to attack Macbeth’s castle <span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· They fight <span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Macbeth fights Macduff, and Macduff kills him <span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Malcolm reclaims the throne =<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Key Characters** =
 * Macbeth: Scottish general and the Thane of Glamis. Believes in the Three Witches' prophecy, and consequently commits many a crimes. He is unable to deal with the psycological effects of his actions, and thus becomes paranoid.
 * Lady Macbeth: Macbeth's wife. The opposite of Macbeth, she is an ambitious women who wants both power and position. Later in the play she falls victim to her guilt, and becomes mad, and eventually commits sucide. Her and Macbeth have a strong relationship.
 * The Three Witches: Three ladies who manipulate Macbeth using their charms and spells. They make various predictions, which push Macbeth into commiting various actions. Little is known about the witches themselves, except that they are servants of Hectate.
 * Banquo: The witches make a prediction that he will inherit the Scottish throne. Banquo is ambitious, however chooses not to act on his wants. He is killed in the play by Macbeth's men. His ghost haunts Macbeth throughout the play, suggesting Macbeth's underlying guilt.
 * King Duncan: The current King of Scotland who Macbeth murders. His death signified the end of an era of order in Scotland.
 * Macduff: A man who indicates his hatred toward Macbeth's bid for kingship. He leads the fight against Macbeth's rule, especially after both his wife and son are killed by Macbeth. Further, he wishes that Malcolm become king of Scotland.
 * Malcolm: The son of King Duncan. He receives the support of Macduff and the English army to continue his fight against Macbeth and regain his family's throne.

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 * =<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Setting (Time & Place)** =
 * Time: The middle ages, approximately the 11th century
 * Place: Scotland and England (briefly)
 * =<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Key Symbol(s)** =
 * The bloody spot that Lady Macbeth sees on her arm his a symbol of her increasing guilt for the bloody act she helped her husband to commit. She cries, "Out damned spot!," highlighting the fact that the bloody stain of the murder is impossible for her to remove and can be compared to the mark of Cain in the Bible, a symbol of the heinous crime of murder and its evil effects upon the conscience and upon the mind. Clearly, Lady Macbeth in her walking nightmares is beginning to lose hold of her grip on reality, and fear of repercussions, symbolized by the perceived blood on her arm, and guilt about the murder of Duncan have eaten away at her conscience to the point where they have become her only emotions as she descends into madness.
 * The apparitions shown to Macbeth in Act 4, Scene 1, each symbolize a piece of Macbeth's future. The armored head, symbolizes Macduff's fighting spirit, the bloody child symbolizes Macduff being not of woman born, and the crowned child represents Prince Malcolm, future ruler of Scotland.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">**Key Image(s)**
 * =<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Key Theme(s) =
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 25px;">The corruption of too much ambition: It is the main theme of Macbeth. Macbeth desires power and great achievement, and it was shown through his actions after the witches told him their prophecies. He kills King Duncan against his own will, being pushed by his wife and the prophecies. The murders that he commit drive him into maddness and eventually brings about his own demise. The amibition that he obtains in the play drives him to his death.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 25px;">The role of fate in determining the tragic fall of others vs. the choices actively made by the hero and the tragic consequences that arise thereafter: Arguably both sides are presented in the story; the Witches set out from the very first scene to trick and manipulate Macbeth and bring about his downfall, but Macbeth is the one who choses to act upon the knowledge they give him, and his death is as much a result of the Witches' deception as it is a result in Macbeth's blind faith in his security. A common dynamic in Shakespearean plays, the question of the role of predetermined fate or personal choices in one's downfall is an important factor of Macbeth's tragic demise.
 * =<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Key Structural Element(s) =
 * =<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Key Structural Element(s) =