Shakespeare's Macbeth

Double double, toil and trouble!

28 Sep, 20246 min read

Macbeth is one of Shakespeare's most known, read and acted plays since his time and age. It is a play filled with prophecies, violence, bloodshed, psychological suspense and many more elements common in Shakespare's plays which brought him his fame and reputation. Of course, to gain the favor of king James VI, Shakespeare has used concepts of magic and witchcraft heavily.

Macbeth is considered to be one of the less favored plays both for the actors and the audience. This is due to the play's reputation as 'the unlucky play'. Whenever the play would be acted on stage or interacted with in some way, misfortune would follow closely. For example, fights would break out within the audience, fake promps such as knives would actually turn out to be real, and due to other rather unexpected circumstances violence and death would accompany the play itself. It is for this reason that people would refrain from breathing life into the play's name by speaking it. It was often referred to as 'the Scottish play' or as mentioned before 'the unlucky play'.

So let's delve deeper into the play to understand why it constantly revolves around violence. The play starts with a prophecy made by the three witches. The prophecy states that eventually Macbeth will beome king one day with a few other smaller details as well. These small steps actually do come true as one proceeds into the plot. However, can we really say that it is the power of the prophecy and fate alone? The prophecy only fuels Macbeth's ambition on the road to power. If it wasn't for the prophecy, maybe the story would end very differently. So Macbeth's case is actually a self-fulfilling prophecy.

But what leads Macbeth to do these and finally achieve his goal by becoming the king? When we first encounter Macbeth in the play he is a lot more purer when compared to the ending. He emerges victorious and becomes the Thane of Cawdor. Seeing that the prophecy is actually true, Macbeth starts plotting his schemes to become king. Another important character here is his wife, Lady Macbeth. These two characters can be classified as Machiavellian. These types of heroes believe that if they emerge victorious in the end the means to how this victory was achieved doesn't really matter.

Their first step is to kill the current king, Duncan. They invite him to their own castle to host a feast. In this glorious feast, everybody drinks and eats their fill. When everyone is asleep, Macbeth slips into the king's room and kills him. When morning comes around, the news of the king's death shakes everyone. However, no one suspects Macbeth and his wife. To make sure that Macbeth would easily slip into the king's room they made sure that the guards drank heavily in the feast. After the deed was done, Macbeth would leave the bloody dagger with the guards, blaming the murder onto them. When the murder is discovered, in a fit of rage, Macbeth kills the guards for treason.

Macbeth and his wife succeeds and with Duncan out of the way Macbeth becomes the new king. However all is not well and according to their plan. The guilt of Duncan's murder takes a psychological toll on them. Macbeth starts seeing a bloody dagger and remembers the prophecy that his descendants will not inherit the throne. Instead of him, it will be Banquo's descendants, another general whom Macbeth received the propehcy together will inherit the throne even if he will never wear the crown. Fear and suspicion takes control of Macbeth. He orders the deaths of Banquo and his son. Banquo is assasinated but his son manages to get away.

Just like the dagger before, Macbeth is now haunted by Banquo's ghost. Wherever he goes and whatever he does, he is followed by Banquo's phantom. This comes to a point that Macbeth can't keep himself composed before his subjects and soldiers and they start noticing that something is wrong with their king.

Macbeth consults the witches one last time, receiving yet another prophecy. He learns that he will be safe until the Birnam Woods start walking and that no man born of a woman will be able to kill him. Both of these seem to be impossible, so Macbeth is relieved to some extent. However, the witches warn him against Macduff, a Scottish nobleman. With rising tensions and suspicions, Macbeth becomes even more paranoid and continues his killing spree. While Macduff is on his way to retrieve Duncan's son Malcolm, Macbeth murders his wife and children. On hearing this, Macduff joins Prince Malcolm who has actually managed to fled to England and raise an army since his father's death.

While these are happening, Lady Macbeth is stricken with some kind of mental illness, causing her to rise from her sleep. In this unconscious state, she violently washes her hands, believing that they are stained with the blood of all those that they have murdered. It is later revealed to us that she has killed herself.

Meanwhile, Macduff makes his way with Malcolm and his army to Scotland. Macbeth, reassured by the prophecy doesn't see them as a threat until one soldier tells him that the Birnam Woods is actually moving towards the castle. To camouflage their advance, the soldiers have taken tree branches with them, causing the illusion that the woods are moving. Armies clash and Macbeth nears defeat. He is confronted by an angry and grieving Macduff. When Macbeth recites the prophecy that no man born of a woman would be able to kill him Macduff reveals that he wasn't actually 'born' from his mother. He was actually taken from his mother's womb by ripping her apart. Now realizing that the final prophecy has been completed, Macbeth accepts his defeat and with his death Malcolm becomes the rightful king of Scotland.