The document discusses William Shakespeare's tragedy 'Macbeth,' highlighting the themes of ambition, guilt, masculinity, and betrayal as it narrates the rise and fall of Macbeth, a Scottish general driven to murder King Duncan by ambition and his wife, Lady Macbeth. It details key characters like the witches, whom Macbeth consults for prophecies, and Macduff, who ultimately avenges his family and defeats Macbeth. The play symbolically uses elements like blood, daggers, and crowns to explore moral corruption and the consequences of unchecked ambition.

2. CONTENT
About the author
Characters
Summary
Themes
Symbols

3. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
Born : 26 April 1564
Death: 23 April 1616
Profession: English playwright, poet and actor
Known as: the greatest writer and dramatist in the English language
Works: Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, Twelfth night, As you like it
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

4. CHARACTERS
MACBETH
Protagonist
Scottish general
DUNCAN
King of Scotland
LADY MACBETH
Wife of Macbeth
encourage Macbeth to
commit murder
MALCOLM
Elder son of Duncan
THREE WITCHES
Gave prophecy
DONALBAIN
Younger
son of Duncan
BANQUO
general
friend of Macbeth
MACDUFF
Scottish nobleman and
Thane of Fife

5. SUMMARY
It is a tragedy play by William Shakespeare. It shows the damaging physical and psychological effect of
political ambition on those who seek power. The play starts with blood, winning a battle and end with
blood, defeat of Macbeth. This story shows the rise and downfall of protagonist.
The play starts with Macbeth and Banquo, two Scottish generals, winning a battle. They encounter a trio
of witches who gives them prophecies that Macbeth will be given the title of Thane of Cawdor and will
become king of Scotland, Banquo’s descendant will inherit the throne. They did not take those
prophecies seriously.
Former Thane of Cawdor deceives them, and king gave that title to Macbeth. Macbeth starts believing
those prophecies and told lady Macbeth about it. Consumed by ambition and motivated by his wife,
Macbeth murders king Duncun and blames the guard. King’s descendants run away. Macbeth takes the
Scottish throne. The guilt of killing king starts haunting him.
Fear of losing his power made him commit more crimes. He orders to kill Banquo’s son. So, he won’t
become next king but, instead of Flaence, Banquo dies. Macbeth starts experiencing paranormal
activities, he starts seeing Banquo’s ghost.

6. SUMMARY
Macbeth's tyranny continues as he tries to secure his position. The bloodbath and constant civil war
swiftly take Macbeth and lady Macbeth into realm of madness and death. Macduff becomes a threat to
Macbeth. Macduff become suspicious of him. Macbeth orders to kill Macduff’s family. Macduff decides
to take revenge.
Macbeth visit the witches and receives prophecy that he cannot be defeated until Birnam Wood moves
to castle and any man, born of woman can’t defeat him. He becomes overconfident and returns. Later
he gets the news that lady Macbeth has died.
Malcolm and Macduff team up to take revenge. Malcolm's army, as part of their strategy, cuts down
branches from Birnam Wood to use as camouflage as they approach castle, giving the appearance that
the forest is moving. Macbeth receives the news of forest coming towards the castle. Macbeth and
Macduff encounter each other. At last Macduff kills Macbeth and Malcolm inherits the throne.

7. THEMES
1.GUILT
Macbeth feels guilty just after killing king, starts experiences anxiety and later,
gets haunted by Banquo’s ghost.
Lady Macbeth consumed by guilt begins to show signs of inner uneasiness, her
sleepwalking and attempting to wash imaginary bloodstains from her hands.
Macduff feels guilty for not being there when his family was killed.
Malcolm, son of king, experiences guilt for running away from his responsibilities
and not being there to prevent the tragedy.

8. THEMES
2.MASCULINITY
The play associates masculinity with traits traditionally deemed "masculine,"
such as aggression and a willingness to use violence to achieve one's goals .
Macbeth's rise to power is marked by brutal acts, reflecting the association
between masculinity and strength.
Lady Macbeth challenges traditional gender roles by actively encouraging her
husband to embrace his ambition and pursue power. She makes plan and
ensures he follows it. she suppresses her femininity.
Macduff’s actions and qualities align more closely with traditional notions of
virtuous masculinity. Macduff's grief and anger motivate him to seek revenge
and not being afraid to confront Macbeth directly, exemplifying traditional
masculine virtues of bravery and fearlessness in the face of danger.

9. THEMES
3.BETRAYAL
- Political betrayal: former thane of Cowdor betrays and sidelines with enemies.
Macbeth and lady Macbeth betrays king Duncun by killing him.
-Betrayal of friendship: Macduff sends assassins to kill Banquo’s son, but
Banquo dies.
-Betrayal of trust: Murder of Macduff’s family and Banquo.
-Betrayal by witches: They give him false prophecies and deceive him and that
ultimately lead to his downfall.

10. SYMBOLS
Blood:
•Blood is a prevalent symbol in "Macbeth," representing guilt, violence, and the consequences of one's
actions. The recurring image of bloodstains on hands serves as a powerful visual representation of the
characters' moral corruption.
The Dagger:
•The dagger that Macbeth sees before murdering Duncan is a symbol of his inner conflict and the
temptation to commit crime.
The Three Witches:
•The witches symbolize fate, the supernatural, and the darker aspects of human nature , the forces that
drive individuals toward evil.
The Crown:
•The crown symbolizes power, authority, and kingship. The pursuit of the crown is a driving force for
Macbeth, leading him to commit murder and betrayal. The crown, in this context, becomes a symbol of
the corrupting influence of ambition.

11. THANK YOU
NAME: DIVYA KUMARI
ROLL NO: 2208180019
SEMESTER: III
COURSE: BA (H) ENGLISH
SUBJECT: BRITISH POETRY AND DRAMA (14TH – 17TH CENTURY)