DOMINICAN COLLEGE OF TARLAC, INC.

Capas, Tarlac

COLLEGE of EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

MACBETH
by William Shakespeare

Submitted by:
Christel Alcantara
Irish Dela Cruz
Jia Aya Manalo
Erica Mae Gutierrez
Christel Ann Manalo
Roujin Christian Manalo
Catherine Tadeo
Rakinah Gale Soliman
Nyza Christine Tuazon

Submitted to:
Mrs. Angelita A. Sicat
LIT 5 Instructor
 DOMINICAN COLLEGE OF TARLAC
College of Education
PRELIM TERM

LIT 5- SURVEY ON ANGLO-SAXON LITERATURE

Second Semester A.Y. 2023-2024

Macbeth by William Shakespeare

I. SUMMARY

A brave Scottish general named Macbeth who receives a prophecy from a group
of witches that he will become the king of Scotland. Consumed by ambition and
encouraged by his wife, Lady Macbeth, Macbeth murders King Duncan and takes
the throne. However, his guilt and paranoia lead him to commit more murders,
including the killing of his friend Banquo and Banquo's son Fleance.

As Macbeth becomes increasingly tyrannical, he loses the support of his nobles

and descends into madness. Meanwhile, a nobleman named Macduff, whose family
was slaughtered on Macbeth's orders, joins forces with Duncan's son, Malcolm, to
overthrow Macbeth.

In the final battle, Macduff confronts and kills Macbeth, fulfilling the witches'
prophecy that he cannot be harmed by any man born of a woman. Macduff reveals
that he was born through a Caesarean section, technically not "born" of a woman in
the natural sense. With Macbeth's death, Malcolm is declared king, and Scotland is
restored to order.

II. PLOT

Macbeth is a tragic play written by William Shakespeare that tells the story of a
Scottish nobleman driven by ambition to become the king of Scotland. The
exposition of the play begins with the encounter between Macbeth and Banquo, two
generals of King Duncan, and three witches who prophesize that Macbeth will
become the king of Scotland. Driven by his ambition and encouraged by his wife,
Lady Macbeth, Macbeth murders King Duncan and takes the throne for himself. This
sets the stage for the tragic events that follow, as Macbeth becomes increasingly
ruthless and paranoid, ultimately leading to his downfall.

The climax of the play occurs when Macbeth orders the murder of Banquo and
his son, fearing that they pose a threat to his reign. This act cements Macbeth's
descent into madness and paranoia, as he becomes obsessed with the prophecies
of the witches and seeks their guidance at every turn. Meanwhile, Lady Macbeth
becomes consumed by guilt and eventually takes her own life, setting the stage for
Macbeth's tragic end.
 The resolution of the play occurs with the death of Macbeth in battle at the hands
of Macduff, a nobleman seeking revenge for the murder of his family. With
Macbeth's death, the rightful heir, Malcolm, is crowned king of Scotland, bringing an
end to Macbeth's tragic reign. Through the plot of Macbeth, Shakespeare explores
the themes of ambition, guilt, and the corrupting influence of power, making it one of
his most enduring and powerful plays.

III. Elements of the Story

Characters:

1. Macbeth: The protagonist turned antagonist, a Scottish general who

becomes consumed by ambition and turns to murder to achieve his goals.
2. Lady Macbeth: Macbeth's wife, a driving force behind his actions and
ambitions.
3. Duncan: The King of Scotland at the beginning of the play, whose murder
sets off a chain of events.
4. Macduff: A nobleman of Scotland who ultimately opposes Macbeth.
5. Banquo: A fellow general and friend of Macbeth, whose descendants are
prophesied to inherit the Scottish throne.
6. Three Witches (Weird Sisters): Supernatural beings who play a crucial role
in manipulating Macbeth's fate with their prophecies.
7. Malcolm: Duncan's son and the rightful heir to the throne of Scotland.
8. Hecate: The goddess of witchcraft, often associated with the supernatural
elements in the play.
9. Lennox, Ross, and Angus: Scottish nobles who play various roles in the
unfolding drama.
10. Fleance: Banquo's son, who escapes Macbeth's murder plot and is
significant for the prophecy.

Why is it entitled Macbeth?

The title "Macbeth" immediately informs the audience about the primary
character they should pay attention to and sets the stage for the exploration of
his character, actions, and the consequences of his choices.

Settings:

 Macbeth’s castle or Castle of Inverness

 The Heath
 Dunsinane
 England
 Themes:

"Macbeth" explores themes of ambition, power, guilt, and the corrupting

influence of unchecked ambition.

Form:

"Macbeth" is a theatrical work, originally written by William Shakespeare in

the form of a play. It is meant to be performed on stage with actors portraying the
characters and dialogue driving the narrative. It is written in verse, primarily
iambic pentameter, with occasional rhymed couplets and blank verse.

IV. Literary Devices:

1. Alliteration

- “That will be ere the set of the sun” (Act-I, Scene-I, Line, 05)
- “That seems to speak things strange” (Act-I, Scene-II, Line, 46)
- “She should have died hereafter” (Act-V, Scene V, Line, 16)

2. Allusion

- “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood Clean from my
hand?” (Act-II, Scene-II, Lines, 78, 79)
- “Approach the chamber and destroy your sight With a new Gorgon”
(Act-II, Scene-III, Lines, 82-83)

3. Simile

- “For brave Macbeth–well he deserves that name– disdaining

fortune, with his brandished steel, which smoked with bloody
execution, like valor’s minion carved out his passage.” (Act 1,
Scene 2)

4. Rhetorical Questions

- “What, will these hands ne’er be clean?” (Act-V, Scene-I, Line, 46)
- “as the hope drunk Wherein you dressed yourself. Hath, it slept
since? And wakes it now, to look so green and pale At what it did
so freely?” (Act-III, Scene-IV, Line, 106)

5. Metaphor

- “There’s nothing serious in mortality. All is but toys. (Act-II, Scene-

III, Lines, 92-93)
- “The wine of life is drawn, and the mere lees is left this vault to brag
of” (Act-I, Scene-II, Lines, 192-5)

6. Imagery

- “For brave Macbeth–well he deserves that name– Disdaining

fortune, with his brandished steel, Which smoked with bloody
execution.” (Act-I, Scene-II, Lines 16-19)
 - “Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and cauldron bubble”
(Act-IV, Scene -I, Line -I)
- “And yet dark night strangles the travelling lamp. Is ’t night’s
predominance or the day’s shame That darkness does the face of
Earth entomb When living light should kiss it?” (Act-II, Scene-IV,
Lines 8-11)

7. Allegory

- "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." (Act 5, Scene 5)
- "Out, out, brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow..." (Act 5, Scene
5)
- "All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand." (Act 5,
Scene 1)
- "By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes."
(Act 4, Scene 1)
- "What's done cannot be undone." (Act 5, Scene 1)

8. Irony

- "There's no art to find the mind's construction in the face." (Act 1,

Scene 4)
- "All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!"
- "All hail, Macbeth! That shalt be king hereafter!"
- "Yet do I fear thy nature; It is too full o' the milk of human
kindness..."
- "I dreamt last night of the three weird sisters: To you they have
show'd some truth."
- "Had I but died an hour before this chance, I had lived a blessed
time..."

9. Consonance

- “Outran the pauser, reason. Here lay Duncan, his silver skin lac’d
with his golden blood; and his gash’d stabs look’d like a breach in
nature for ruin’s wasteful entrance.” (Act-II, Scene-III, Lines, 114-
116)
- “Fair is foul, and foul is fair” (Act-I, Scene-I, Lines, 12)

V. Alternate Ending

If we were the ones creating an alternate ending for "Macbeth," we may

consider how Macbeth might improve. He may have recognized his mistakes and
tried to make apologies rather than delving even farther into his disastrous
choices in the final battle of the story. This can entail making amends for his
mistakes, trying to restore what is broken, and obtaining inner peace. Macbeth
could consequently be condemned to prison for his sins rather than killed in the
final battle. In the end of the story, we wanted Macbeth to realize that seeking
excessive power and being cruel to others is an undesirable way to spend one's
life. This new conclusion would so demonstrate that even after making significant
mistakes, people may change and grow.