Macbeth: Characters
Macbeth: Characters
This note covers the key characters in Shakespeare's Macbeth and how they are presented throughout the play. Understanding character development is essential for the AQA Literature exam.
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Macbeth
Initial Presentation
At the start of the play, Macbeth is presented as a brave and loyal warrior. The Captain describes him as "brave Macbeth" and "Bellona's bridegroom" (the husband of the goddess of war), establishing him as a fearless soldier. King Duncan rewards his loyalty with the title Thane of Cawdor.
The Transformation
Macbeth's character undergoes a dramatic transformation driven by ambition and external influence:
| Stage | Key Moment | Character Trait |
|---|---|---|
| Act 1 | Hears the witches' prophecy | Curious but conflicted — "horrid image" |
| Act 1 | Lady Macbeth persuades him | Weak-willed, susceptible to manipulation |
| Act 2 | Murders Duncan | Guilt-ridden — "Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?" |
| Act 3 | Orders Banquo's murder | Increasingly ruthless — acts alone, without Lady Macbeth |
| Act 4 | Murders Macduff's family | Tyrannical — kills without hesitation or moral struggle |
| Act 5 | Faces defeat | Nihilistic — "Life's but a walking shadow" |
Key Characteristics
- Ambition — his fatal flaw (hamartia); the witches ignite it, Lady Macbeth fuels it
- Guilt — tormented by visions (the dagger, Banquo's ghost) showing his conscience
- Masculinity — constantly challenged; he equates manhood with violence
- Isolation — becomes increasingly alone as the play progresses
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Lady Macbeth
Initial Presentation
Lady Macbeth is introduced as ambitious, ruthless, and manipulative. She reads Macbeth's letter and immediately begins planning Duncan's murder. She calls on dark spirits to "unsex me here" — asking them to remove her feminine compassion so she can act without remorse.
Manipulation of Macbeth
She uses several strategies to persuade Macbeth to kill Duncan:
| Strategy | Quotation | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Questioning his masculinity | "When you durst do it, then you were a man" | Attacks his sense of manhood |
| Questioning his love | "From this time such I account thy love" | Emotional manipulation |
| Showing her own resolve | "I would... have dashed the brains out" | Shames him by appearing braver |
| Practical planning | Plans the drugging of the guards | Makes murder seem achievable |
Her Decline
Lady Macbeth's confidence crumbles as the play progresses:
- Act 1–2: In control, commanding, orchestrates the murder
- Act 3: Sidelined — Macbeth plans Banquo's murder without consulting her; "Naught's had, all's spent"
- Act 5: Sleepwalking, obsessively washing imaginary blood — "Out, damned spot!"
- Act 5: Dies offstage (implied suicide) — "The Queen, my lord, is dead"
Her breakdown shows that guilt cannot be suppressed and that the natural order reasserts itself.
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Banquo
Banquo serves as a foil (contrast) to Macbeth:
| Feature | Banquo | Macbeth |
|---|---|---|
| Response to prophecy | Cautious, sceptical | Fascinated, tempted |
| Moral compass | Resists temptation | Gives in to ambition |
| Loyalty | Remains loyal to Duncan | Commits regicide |
| Legacy | His descendants will be kings (fulfilled through James I) | No lasting legacy — line ends |
Key Qualities
- Wisdom — warns that "instruments of darkness tell us truths... to betray us"
- Integrity — despite suspecting Macbeth, he does not act treacherously
- Symbolic role — his ghost represents Macbeth's guilt and the impossibility of escaping consequences
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The Witches (Weird Sisters)
Role in the Play
The witches are catalysts — they do not force Macbeth to act but ignite his existing ambition. Their prophecies create the conditions for Macbeth's downfall.
Key Characteristics
- Ambiguity — they speak in paradoxes: "Fair is foul, and foul is fair"
- Equivocation — their prophecies are deliberately misleading (e.g. "none of woman born" — Macduff was born by Caesarean section)
- Supernatural power — they represent forces beyond human control
- Disruption of order — associated with storms, darkness, and chaos
Their Prophecies
| Prophecy | Outcome |
|---|---|
| Macbeth will be Thane of Cawdor | Comes true immediately — fuels his belief |
| Macbeth will be King | Comes true through murder |
| Banquo's descendants will be kings | Fulfilled through the Stuart line (James I) |
| "None of woman born shall harm Macbeth" | Macduff was born by C-section — loophole |
| Macbeth is safe until Birnam Wood moves | Malcolm's army uses branches as camouflage |
Jacobean Context
- James I (who was king when Shakespeare wrote the play) was fascinated by witchcraft and wrote a book about it (Daemonologie)
- Witches were genuinely feared — thousands were executed in the 16th–17th centuries
- Shakespeare uses the witches to explore themes of evil, temptation, and fate
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Other Important Characters
Duncan
- Represents the ideal king — generous, trusting, honourable
- His murder is the ultimate crime: regicide (killing a king appointed by God — the Divine Right of Kings)
- His goodness makes Macbeth's crime even more horrifying
Macduff
- Represents justice and loyalty
- His family's murder makes the audience sympathise with him
- He is the instrument of Macbeth's downfall — "Macduff was from his mother's womb untimely ripped"
- Represents the restoration of moral order
Malcolm
- Duncan's son; the rightful heir to the throne
- Tests Macduff's loyalty in Act 4 by pretending to be unfit to rule
- His coronation at the end restores the natural order
- Represents hope and legitimate kingship
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Exam Tips
- Always link characters to themes — Macbeth is not just ambitious; he embodies the play's exploration of unchecked ambition
- Track character development across the play — show how they change
- Use the term foil when comparing Banquo to Macbeth — this is impressive terminology
- Remember that Lady Macbeth and Macbeth's roles reverse — she starts strong and weakens; he starts weak and becomes tyrannical
- The witches are ambiguous — never state definitively that they control Macbeth. They present temptation; he chooses to act
- Consider Jacobean context: Divine Right of Kings, witchcraft beliefs, and James I's ancestry (Banquo)