1. Kingship
1.1. Malcolm vs. Macbeth
1.2. Macduff + Malcolm scene
1.2.1. Edward II
1.2.1.1. Cure by the laying on of hands
1.2.1.1.1. Believed that Kings had a divine power
1.2.1.1.2. Divine Power = Divine Right of Kings, appointed by God.
1.3. Concept of Kingship
1.3.1. There was a different moral and philosophical framework than today
1.3.1.1. Back then, they believed in witches, Heaven and Hell and Damnation
1.3.1.2. Believed that to a certain degree individuals were not responsible for their actions
1.3.1.2.1. All one was required to do was maintain their place in society
1.3.1.3. Ambition
1.3.1.3.1. Considered a sin as you were looking to change your place (GCOB)
2. Gender
2.1. Women
2.1.1. Have no function except to have children and shape the next generation
2.1.1.1. Lady Macbeth ha had babies, however, none survived. Perhaps because they died in infancy or were stillborn.
2.1.2. In society
2.1.2.1. Lady Macbeth has failed as a woman therefore she is not really a woman
2.1.2.1.1. She has influence through her husbands power
2.1.2.1.2. Her ambition and rejection of femininity come from this rejection
2.2. Witches
2.2.1. their gender is unclear like Lady Macbeth
2.2.2. They are seen as old and irrelevant, with no function or power like Lady Macbeth
3. Nature and Supernatural
3.1. Nature
3.1.1. Corruption of Lady Macbeth's nature
3.1.1.1. Unsex Me Speech
3.1.1.1.1. Like a satanic witches ceremony
3.1.1.1.2. She asks for her to become genderless
3.1.1.1.3. “Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty! Make thick my blood”
3.1.2. Macbeth talks about overturning nature
3.1.2.1. There is something wrong with his nature
3.1.3. Birnan Wood comes from Dunsinane
3.1.3.1. At the end of the play nature attacks Macbeth
3.1.4. Great Chain of Being
3.1.5. Divine Right of Kings
3.1.5.1. King James I believed in this
3.1.6. Natural order is disrupted when Duncan is killed by Macbeth
3.2. Supernatural
3.2.1. Demonologie
3.2.1.1. Book written by James I
3.2.1.1.1. Shakespeare's inclusion of the Supernatural is an example of Jacobean propaganda
3.2.2. Nothing the Witches say to Macbeth directly causes him to be violent, they are just saying what is already in his head
3.2.2.1. Macbeth has already thought about killing Duncan
3.2.2.1.1. And already discussed it with Lady Macbeth
3.2.3. Hollinshead Chronicle
3.2.3.1. Story of Macbeth
3.2.3.1.1. Banquo helps Macbeth kill Duncan
3.2.3.1.2. No sleepwalking scene for Lady Macbeth in the Hollinshead Chronicle
3.2.3.1.3. In Hollinshead Duncan is a bad King
3.2.3.1.4. Macbeth rules well for 10 years
4. Society
4.1. Macbeth puts rebels head of a stake
4.1.1. At the end of the play, stage direction shows that Macbeth's head is on a stake
4.1.1.1. Whilst Malcolm is talking about change
4.1.1.2. Shows that nothing has actually changed and the society still promotes violence
4.2. VIOLENT
4.2.1. “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”
5. Power
5.1. Macbeth splits
5.1.1. Imagery of splitting
5.1.2. Seeing is a metaphor for knowing
5.1.2.1. Let not the eye see the hand
5.1.3. Macbeth is trying to split the part of him that is a savage, ruthless man and the part of him that contains more gentler emotions
5.2. Macduff
5.2.1. Has a different view of masculinity
5.2.1.1. He allows an integrated personality
5.2.1.2. Feel and assimilates softer emotions
5.2.1.3. When his children and wife die, he asks Malcom if he could just feel it first
5.3. Lady Macbeth
5.3.1. Undermines Macbeth's sense of masculinity in order to get him to do what she wants
5.3.1.1. In order for her comments to get to him, he must feel that way himself
5.3.1.1.1. Macbeth must feel as if he is not a real man as he has no heir to the throne
6. Macbeth
6.1. He is trying to overthrow his human nature
6.2. Macbeth is trying to split his...
6.2.1. conscience
6.2.1.1. Banquo's ghost
6.2.1.1.1. supernatural
6.2.1.2. Dagger
6.2.1.2.1. Masculine symbol
6.2.2. conscious brain
6.3. He wants to die
6.3.1. He would be happy for all of certain to destroy himself
6.3.1.1. He aligns himself with Lucifer
6.4. "Macbeth doth murdered sleep"
6.4.1. He has tried to suppress everything
6.4.1.1. However, your unconscious comes out when you sleep
6.4.1.1.1. It is something he is not in control of
6.5. Lady Macbeth and Macbeth's relationship
6.5.1. Originally they were partners in crime
6.5.2. They planned the murder together
6.5.2.1. Stichomythia at the in the scene / the scene after Duncan's murder
6.5.2.1.1. shows that they are linguistically linked
6.5.2.1.2. They work as one, they are a unit
6.5.3. Act 5
6.5.3.1. Macbeth is numb and suicidally depressed
6.5.3.2. Lady Macbeth and Macbeth's relationship is completely destroyed
6.5.3.3. “Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more: it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing.”
6.5.3.3.1. Macbeth feels humans are nothing more than actors playing a part on a stage, and that they are not really in control of their lives.
7. Sleep Walking Scene
7.1. Lady Macbeth
7.1.1. She is reliving the murder and experiencing her guilt
7.1.1.1. One of the consequences, that Shakespeare uses to warn his audience against regicide
7.1.1.1.1. It causes mental anguish and eventually your mind will be tortured by your own guilt
7.1.2. Lady Macbeth is taking on his guilt for him
7.1.2.1. Like what Ophelia does for Hamlet (in Hamlet)
7.1.2.2. She goes mad "for him"
7.2. Psychoanalytic Point of View
7.2.1. Macbeth cannot kill himself so Lady Macbeth does it for him
7.3. "She would have died hereafter"
7.3.1. Macbeth is saying that it does not matter because Lady Macbeth would have died anyway
8. Who could be blamed for Macbeth's actions / demise?
8.1. Witches
8.1.1. Three witches provide Macbeth with a prophecy, saying that he will be Thane of Cawdor and eventually King of Scotland.
8.1.1.1. Plant a seed in Macbeth's mind
8.1.1.1.1. “All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Glamis, / hail to the Thane of Cawdor/, all hail Macbeth that shalt be King hereafter”
8.1.1.2. However, he is strangely receptive of the idea.
8.1.1.2.1. Almost as if he has thought about it before
8.1.2. they intended to meet with him from the beginning to start the destruction of Macbeth,
8.1.2.1. “When the hurly-burly’s done, when the battle’s lost and won. /There to meet with Macbeth”
8.2. Duncan
8.2.1. In a society that promotes violence
8.2.1.1. One could argue that Macbeth's deminse is Duncan's fault
8.2.1.1.1. Duncan promotes violence and creates soldiers that only have a purpose to kill
8.3. Lady Macbeth
8.3.1. Duncan pays a visit to Macbeth, Lady Macbeth sees an opportunity to kill King Duncan.
8.3.1.1. Macbeth informs her that he has changed his mind. He no longer wants to kill King Duncan.
8.3.1.1.1. However, Lady Macbeth will not take no for an answer
8.3.1.1.2. She is annoyed that Macbeth has changed her mind
8.3.1.2. He matter-of-factly states that he and his wife will not proceed in this murderous intent
8.3.1.2.1. "We will proceed no further in this business. He has recently honoured me and I now have the Golden opinions from all sorts of people"
8.3.2. During the banquet, Lady Macbeth seeks out her husband when he leaves the dining hall at the banquet.