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Macbeth

MACBETH - SIMPLIFYING THE PLOT

Macbeth is an ambitious man who wants to be King but who originally lacks the desire to act upon his ambitions, despite the fact that he is confronted by three witches who predict future glories, including the bestowal of titles and the Kingship. His wife however, is eager for him to achieve his potential, and she plays on his human weaknesses to encourage him to kill the King and usurp power for himself.

The involvement of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth in the murder of King Duncan at first seems to have achieved its objective. Macbeth and his wife rule Scotland as King and Queen. However, they are plagued by the belief that their reign might be ended in the same way they ended King Duncan's. With this in mind, Macbeth, often without his wife's approval, conspires to murder anyone who has the potential to destabilise his reign. This is the rationale behind his murder of Banquo and Lady Macduff, and his attempted murder of Fleance.

In the end however, the actions of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth set them on a path of self destruction. Lady Macbeth is driven insane by a conscience that cannot live with her past actions, but also by the indifference of her husband. Macbeth, likewise deals with mental anguish, and is ultimately defeated. He is the victim of his own human weakness and of his mistaken trust in the witches prophecies, which allowed him to arrogantly construct a notion of himself as invincible.

With his death order is again restored to Scotland.

QUESTIONS ON ROMAN POLANSKI’S ‘MACBETH’

1. How is Macbeth described early on in the film?
2. Who does Macbeth defeat in the film’s opening scenes?
3. What is the significance of the statement “never have I seen a day so fair and foul?”
4. What prophesies do the witches make for Macbeth?
5. What prophesies do the witches make for Banquo?
6. How does Lady Macbeth react...