Macbeth By William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616) Essays -

Macbeth by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616) Macbeth by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616) Type of Work: Tragic fatalistic drama Setting Eleventh-century Scotland Principal Characters Macbeth, a noble Scottish chieftain Lady Macbeth, his wife Batiquo, Macbeth's warrior-friend Fleatice, Banquo's son Duncan, King of Scotland, a gentle and perfect ruler Macduff, a rebel lord Three Witches Story Overveiw On a stormy night, Scottish armies managed to suppress a rebellion, largely through the valor of two noblemen Macbeth and Banquo. They had also frustrated a Viking invasion that had received assistance from a prominent Scotsman, the Thane of Cawdor' When news of these two events reached Duncan, King of Scotland, he was delighted with Macbeth's performance, but insisted that Cawdor's treason warranted his death. Accordingly, the king declared that Cawdor be executed and that Macbeth be named in his stead, Thane of Cawdor. Meanwhile, Macbeth and Banquo, on their way home from war, happened upon a trio of witches - hags stirring a blackened caldron and heralding Macbeth's arrival: "Double, Double, toil and trouble." The witches astonished the pair by prophesying that Macbeth would become first, the new Thane of Cawdor, and then, King of Scotland; and that Banquo would become the father of kings. Then the dark hags vanished, leaving Banque and Macbeth to speculate over these strange prophecies. No sooner had the witches departed than two of the king's messengers arrived with news that Macbeth had indeed been named to replace the deposed Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth was amazed to see the first of the witches' prophecies so quickly fulfilled, and began to believe in the ultimate fulfillment of the second. If he could be Thane of Cawdor, perhaps he could rule all of Scotland as well. This innocent belief quickly expanded into a deep-seated ambition, which began to taint Macbeth's mind with dark thoughts: Would the prophecy fulfill itself, or would he have to take action to usurp the throne? Since Duncan was king, would not one of his two sons follow him in ruling Scotland? All this time, Banquo resisted any thoughts of hastening the witches , prophecy that his children would be kings, but could sense the unrest stirrin inside the soul of his fellow officer. Banquo and Macbeth returned and reported to King Duncan, who warmly commended them both for their courage. But during the ensuing conversation he made two announcements which brought even more sinister ideas into Macbeth's mind: First, he declared his son, Malcolm, heir to the throne; and second, he expressed his intention to visit Macbeth for a night at Macbeth's castle. Macbeth felt he must somehow take advantage of Duncan's visit to advance his own ambitions - or, as he saw it, his own destiny. Hearing of her returning husband's success and of the prophecies pronounced upon him, Macbeth's wife was filled with a consuming desire to see him ascend to the throne. Vowing to stop at nothing in this quest, Lady Macbeth urged her husband to help her murder the king as he slept. She would undertake to induce the king's guards to drink, giving Macbeth the opportunity to slip into Duncan's quarters, slay him, and plant the murder weapons on the drunken guards. Macbeth hesitated at first, but his shrewd and aspiring wife eventually prevailed. As announced, Duncan did visit Macbeth, and after feasting there with Banquo and others, he prepared for bed. According to plan, Lady Macbeth arranged to intoxicate the guards, then sent her husband to do the deed. Presently, Macbeth returned to her, Duncan's murder accomplished. But now Macbeth was filled with guilt. Nonetheless, the conspiring spouses slipped, unseen, back to their chamber. Two visiting nobles, Lennox and Macduff, finding the king's lifeless body the next morning, sounded the alarm. Everyone rushed to the site, where Macbeth and his wife pretended to be shocked and heartbroken. Duncan's two sons, suspecting a similar conspiracy would be attempted upon their lives, fled separately to England and Ireland. After that, events moved swiftly. Everyone saw the flight of Duncan's sons as evidence that they had been the conspirators against their father. Macbeth was crowned as successor to the throne; he had fooled everyone _ except Banque, who was suspicious of Macbeth's sudden rise to power. In fact, Banquo, remembering the promises made by the witches regarding his own progeny, feared jealous attempts on both his life and the life of his son Fleance. Immediately he informed Macbeth that the two of them would be leaving the country. The tormented Macbeth, who also remembered the witches' ultimate prophecy, hired two assassins to kill Banquo and Fleance as they traveled. He could not allow Banquo's son to rule. Banquo was murdered, but Fleance managed to escape. Many days later,