Characters

__Characters[[image:secretstmanofblood/Macbeth_witches.jpg width="134" height="91" align="left"]]__
This page is set aside to analyze the main characters of the play. Focus more on physical and personality traits, include quotations from the play to support the traits you describe. Do not simply explain what the characters DO - that is part of the plot analysis. Make this a deeper description. You may also include discussion on your beliefs about character motivation - with regards to their traits, and on ways in which certain scenes may be filmed or performed to demonstrate different qualities in certain characters. Who is the real hero? Who is the real villain? How do you know? If each character was to have a theme song, what would it be? Why? What colour, animal, flower, or other item might best represent each character, and why?

**__Macbeth__**

"For brave Macbeth--well he deserves that name-- Disdaining fortune, with his brandish'd steel, Which smoked with bloody execution, Like valour's minion carved out his passage Till he faced the slave; Which ne'er shook hands, nor bade farewell to him, Till he unseam'd him from the nave to the chaps, And fix'd his head upon our battlements." (1.2.16-23)
 * At the beginning of the play Macbeth is the "bravest" soldier and the honorable Thane of Glamis. His rank and nobility are of great value, and he seems to be fit for his status.
 * Macbeth is a Scottish General and thane of Glamis and Cawdor.
 * Macbeth is led to thoughts by the prophecies told by the three witches especially after their prophecy that he will be made thane of Cawdor.
 * In this last act Macbeth is being tempted to kill the king because of the chance of him becoming king.
 * Macbeth is loyal to his wife because he warned her about the predictions of the witches (woman did not usually get to know important information in Shakespeare's time).
 * After killing Duncan, Macbeth gets the title of being king, as some think Malcolm and Donalbain killed the former king.
 * He displays schizophrenic traits such as seeing people.

"By Sinel's death I know I am Thane Glamis; But how of Cawdor? the Thane of Cawdor lives, A prosperous gentleman; and to be king Stands not within the prospect of belief, No more than to be Cawdor." (1.3. 71-75)

Since Macbeth murdered Duncan and gave orders to kill Banquo, he is holding out on Lady Macbeth. This could mean that he has lost his trust in her. Instead of letting her know the plan in which he is going to kill Banquo, he tells her to look innocent and act friendly. __Lady Macbeth__- "What's to be done?" (3.2.49) __Macbeth__- "Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck" (3.2.50)
 * He cannot understand why the witches would say these things when he knows they cannot be true.
 * Macbeth is superstitious by him going to see the witches for a second time.
 * Macbeth believes that the witches were right the first time so they should be right the second time too.
 * Macbeth feels extremely guilty for what he has done and almost wishes he could take it back.
 * It seems like the only reason Macbeth even murdered Duncan was to please Lady Macbeth.
 * Macbeth does not trust anyone.
 * After Macbeth became king families started splinting up.
 * The people called him a tyrant which means terrible ruler.
 * He is slayed by Macduff.

At the end of act three Macbeth sees Banquo's ghost which may be a result of the guilt he feels. Also Macbeth is talking to lady Macbeth and he tells her that he feels that he's in so deep that it would be just as hard to turn back as to keep moving forward so he pretty much makes the decision to keep doing what he's doing. ( I am in blood stepped in so far that, should I wade no more, returning were as tedious as go o'er. (3.4.136-138) )

Macbeth has now decided that after seeing the witches that he must kill McDuff at the end of act 4 scene he decides he's going to go kill McDuff and his family. After seeing the witches Macbeth has become way to over confident and almost give off the vibe that he thinks he's immortal. He doesn't believe that anyone can kill him just because the witches told him he won't die until the forest comes to meet him which he thinks to be impossible.

Macbeth started as one of the most well respected solider in Scott-land. The witches told him his first prophecies and as the prophecies continued to come true we can see the change in Macbeth's personality. When he becomes thane of Glamis, he starts to see the advantage in believing what the witches told him. With Lady Macbeths help he took the prophecies into his own hands by killing Duncan and becoming king. though Macbeth seems to feel great sorrow and empathy towards Duncan's death, he still hires the 3 murderers to kill Banquo and his son Fleance. Macbeth becomes more corrupt as he spills more blood on his way to power, to the point where Lady Macbeth even believes Macbeth is not well. She tries to plead with him to relax and stop killing but he doesn't care (vice versa in act 2)

(The sleepwalking scene) (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7d/Johann_Heinrich_Füssli_030.jpg/220px-Johann_Heinrich_Füssli_030.jpg)
 * __Lady Macbeth__**


 * Lady Macbeth is extremely pushy towards Macbeth and even threatens to leave him if he does not kill King Duncan.
 * She can hide her emotions easily- she gives Duncan a warm welcome yet has the intentions of killing.

"Under my battlements. Come, you spirits That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, And fill me, form the crown to the toe, top-full Of direst cruelty! make thick my blood, Stop up the access and passage of remorse" (1.5.43-47)
 * Lady Macbeth says, come to me spirits, that prey on humans, change me here and fill me with cruelty, make my blood thick enough to stop the thoughts of guilt or remorse. Make me strong enough, mentally and physically to murder somebody.
 * She wants to be able to murder King Duncan, and calls on spirits of the dark to assist her because she thinks she is unable to murder on her own. She thinks she needs to be stronger to be able to do it and live with it afterward. She wants the spirits to take away all feelings of guilt and remorse so she doesn't feel bad about murdering King Duncan.

"I have given suck, and know How tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me: I would, while it was smiling in my face, Have pluck'd my nipple from his boneless gums, And dash'd the brains out, I had so sworn" (1.7.59-63) She really wants to have more power in her life and she really wants Macbeth to be King and would do whatever it takes. In my opinion it's really selfish to want something so badly you would kill even your own child you love and cherish.
 * Lady Macbeth is saying how she knows what and how its like to love a child of her own, and how she would kill her own baby in order for Macbeth to be King.

Lady Macbeth at the end of the story is so over come by guilt that she starts sleepwalking and eventually ends up committing suicide, this is a drastic character change from the beginning of the story when she was all for killing. If it hadn't been for her odds none of this would have ever happened.


 * __Duncan (got all of these out of the book itself)__**
 * The King of Scotland.
 * Father to the princes, Malcolm and Donelbain.
 * Generous and beloved king.
 * Goes into battle with subjects.
 * Old man.
 * A bit too trustworthy of his subjects.
 * Killed because he is in the way of Macbeth becoming king.


 * __Banquo__**
 * Banquo is noble and incorruptible.
 * He is loyal to the King.
 * Banquo's supposed to have "kings".
 * General in the King's army.
 * Great friend of Macbeth.
 * Fleance is his son.
 * Banquo seems to be very cautious (believes the witches are up to something).
 * Banquo is a very loyal guy (wants to keep his continence clean and stay loyal to Scotland and his King Macbeth).
 * Banquo is a very good guy (doesn't like to do bad things such as lie for his best friend Macbeth).
 * Macbeth asks Banquo that if anything were to happen that he would take Macbeth's side. he said he would stay loyal to Scotland. (2.1.32-35)
 * Banquo seems to be the only one that actually wants to find out who killed Duncan, he is still loyal to the king even in death. And is very suspicious of how the king died. (2.3147-153)
 * Banquo is very suspicious of Macbeth and believes that he has done something horrible to become king. (3.1.3)
 * Macbeth Foreshadowed that he is planning to kill Banquo on the day of the feast. (3.1.157-158)
 * Banquo was betrayed by Macbeth hired to three men to kill him. (3.3.24)
 * Banquo was killed by three murderers. (3.3)
 * Banquo's ghost appears and disappears constantly throughout the feast. (3.4)


 * __Macduff__**
 * Macduff is the Thane of Fife, who is a Scottish nobleman.
 * He, along with Lennox goes to the castle to awaken Duncan when they find him murdered.
 * Macduff is the one who announces to the castle and Duncan's sons that the King is dead.
 * Macduff is the first to suspect something suspicious with Macbeth becoming King.
 * Macduff never went to Macbeth's crowning ceremony or his banquet.
 * Macduffs wife and son were killed by Macbeth.
 * Macduff is the bloody child in the visions Macbeth had seen.
 * He kills Macbeth.
 * Not born of women.(born through a cesarean section)

The witches are referred to as the //Weird Sisters// and make predictions for Macbeth. The predictions, also known as prophecy's always eventually come true. Ex. Macbeth becoming king, the forest coming to the castle, becoming the thane of Cawdor, and to beware Macduff, are only some of them. The three Witches are the antagonists of the play because they create a lot of the problems. If the witches had kept the prophecy's to themselves, then hell itself wouldn't have been thrust upon the land.
 * __The Witches__**

For example, Macbeth becoming King. This interpretation of witches that we have today is based on Shakespeare's vision in this play (especially in 4.1.) It is hard to know whether their prophecies are really telling the future, or are simply just giving Macbeth more of a motive, for example, when he kills Duncan.


 * The //Macbeth// witches speak in rhymes which is different than other characters.
 * The //Macbeth// witches have beards, cauldrons, capes etc.
 * Are always bringing bad weather and storms.
 * Give prophecy's to Macbeth about his future on numerous occasions.

(http://shakespeare.about.com/od/macbeth/a/Macbeth_Witches.htm)