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Macbeth Key Themes (Kingship (Duncan is presented as a just and a fair…
Macbeth Key Themes
Bravery
Macbeth and Banquo are both presented as heroic warriors. It could be argued that both remain brave and throughout the play, through the course of many of Macbeth's later actions are wicked and cowardly. Notice how appeals to courage always tempt Macbeth - for Macbeth bravery is the essence of being a man.
Kingship
Duncan is presented as a just and a fair king. He rewards his men with honours and makes Macbeth Thane of Cawdor.
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When Duncan is fair, Macbeth is tyrnnical and becomes murderous. His rule is a brutal dictatorship.
Edward is King of England and, in contrast to Macbeth, is portrayed as a good king, well-liked and by his people.
Malcom, Duncan's son is crowned King at the end of the play.
Revenge
When Duncan asks whether the traitorous Cawdor has been executed, he is asking for justice.
Macbeth's execution of Duncan's guards is not an example of justice, even though Macbeth claims to act in revenge for Duncan's murder. When Banquo's ghost appears, apparently seeking revenge for his death, Macbeth notes that "Blood will have blood".
Later, when Macbeth summons the witches, the ghost of Banquo 'smiles' at him, implying that his revenge is complete and that his descendants will be kings.
Ambition
Macbeth
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Although both Lady Macbeth and the witches influence Macbeth, their power over Macbeth is only possible because his ambition is already there.
On our first meeting of Macbeth we find him startled and fearful of something that sounds "so fair". This seems to be because his ambition has already triggered his trenous thoughts.
Macbeth, then, is a hero but one who is fatally undermined by his ambition.
The supernatural
The witches
Witchcraft has four functions in the play: it exposes the evil hiding within Macbeth; it directs his evil to particular deeds; it bighlights the forces of evil at work in the world; and it creates a powerful atmosphere in the play.
They are the first characters that we meet and therefore they set the scene of evil. Thunder and lighting suggest the havoc that Scotland is about to experience. The witches know that they will tell Macbeth something that will prey on his mind. The witches' knowledge is like a drug to Macbeth. He is hooked on them from the start - "would have stayed" - and continually wants more. This lead him to seek the witches out later. Banquo warns Macbeth against trusting the supernatural knowledge, but Macbeth will not listen.
Macbeth
He is affected by the supernatural, with his visions of the dagger and Banquo's ghost at the dinner.
Lady Macbeth
When she calls on the dark forces she is asking demonic spirits to possess her mind and body so that all her human pity can be removed.
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