![]() Macduff, Thane of FifeĪ Scottish nobleman who questions Macbeth's tyrannical rule and refuses to recognize him as king. He alone escapes from the ambush set by Macbeth for him and his father. ![]() Banquo is also important in that his ghost returns to haunt Macbeth, thus instilling a strong sense of uneasiness among Macbeth's servants. And true to the witches' words, his son Fleance escapes Macbeth's murderers to become a future king. He instead relies on his better judgement and morals. Unlike Macbeth, however, Banquo does not act to fulfill these prophecies. Banquo, Thane of LochaberĪ general in Duncan's army along with Macbeth, Banquo is also the subject of one of the witches' prophesies. ![]() Provides comic relief with his account of "hell-portering". Since only two murderers are explicitly hired by Macbeth, commentators speculate on the identity of the third murderer. Hired by Macbeth to kill Banquo, Fleance, Lady Macduff, and Macduff's son. Although most famous for her cruelty and lines such as "unsex me here," the decline of Lady Macbeth is also of great interest and certainly a mysterious aspect of Macbeth. In this regard, Lady Macbeth appears to switch characters with Macbeth midway through the play. And yet, her firmness disintegrates gradually as the play progresses, leading to nightmares that haunt her and ultimately drive her to suicide. After the act of regicide, it is Lady Macbeth who has the soundness of mind to plant the incriminating evidence on Duncan's guards. Swearing off her femininity at the beginning of the play, Lady Macbeth manipulates her husband powerfully to follow through with his plans to kill Duncan. What Macbeth lacks in decisiveness, Lady Macbeth makes up for in bloodthirsty lust for power and wealth. After Duncan's death and the flight of Malcolm and Donalbain, Macbeth reigns as king of Scotland until his death. Thereafter, he is compelled to commit further crimes in an attempt to cover his tracks and defy the three witches' prophecy. ![]() His initial crime is a product of opportunistic prophecies, a weakness of character, his "vaulting ambition," and certainly the influence of Lady Macbeth. But unlike Iago of Othello or Edmund of King Lear, Macbeth is not an explicitly malicious villain. At heart, Macbeth does not deserve the adjective "evil." To be sure, he commits regicide and eventually orders the death of women and children alike. Appropriately, the former Thane of Cawdor was a traitor to the crown who appeared loyal. As a reward for his valiant fighting, described in the opening scene, Macbeth is also named the Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth is a general in the king's army and originally the Thane of Glamis. Such cunning, or shrewdness, allows for their successful return to the crown of Scotland. Malcolm also tests Macduff's loyalty whilst abroad by putting on dishonorable and corrupt airs. After Duncan's death, they fear for their lives rightly and both flee Scotland. Malcolm and Donalbain, Duncan's sonsĪlthough Malcolm and Donalbain seem to have inherited Duncan's fairness, both display a cunning that far surpasses their father. The historic Duncan, incidentally, was a young man when he was betrayed by his general Macbeth. Both before and after the regicide, it is Duncan's particularly virtuous nature that enhances Macbeth's sense of guilt. A kindly and trusting older man, Duncan's unsuspecting nature leaves him open to Macbeth's betrayal.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |