Macbeth is Shakespeare’s shortest tragedy. It was written for the entertainment of, the recently crowned, James I. James had a well documented fascination with witchcraft and had himself written books on the subject of witches. Obviously, James' Scottish heritage is also being utilised. Shakespeare was appealing to things that he knew would please the King.
Interestingly Macbeth is based, at least in part, in fact. There was a real King of Scotland named Macbeth. He, however, ruled successfully for a comparatively long time in the context of the period. It could be that Shakespeare felt the need to have a grisly end for the regicidal Scotsman, in order to reinforce the notion of ‘divine right to rule’ and that any attempt on a king’s life will never end well for the perpetrator. This again could be said to be an attempt to flatter the new monarch.
Analysis of The Play
Macbeth is a fascinating play which deals with the notions of self-fulfilling prophecy, ambition, and the ever-increasing violence needed to retain the throne.
There is an inevitability about the play. From the first scene, in which the audience sees the witches discussing where they will meet Macbeth, there is a sense that the protagonist will meet an untimely end. Even when he is told that he can not be killed by any one “…born of woman” the audience recognises that Macbeth is not invincible and there is no way for him to escape his fate.
One of the most interesting facets of the play is the portrayal of women. The main female characters behave in a very ‘unfeminine’ way. The witches are obviously unnatural creatures and do not conform to the accepted bounds of womanliness. On the other hand we have one of Shakespeare’s most fascinating female characters: Lady Macbeth.
Lady Macbeth
Sigmund Freud claims that Lady Macbeth is “…ready to sacrifice even her womanliness to her murderous intention…” It is true that Lady Macbeth is sucked into the same dream of ambition as Macbeth. It is interesting to note, however, that Macbeth makes up his mind to kill Duncan before he sends word to his wife about the witches prediction. Although, it is undoubtedly Lady Macbeth who keeps him on his murderous path when he begins to falter.
It is very clear that Lady Macbeth loves her husband and when he begins to show signs of madness at the banquet, it is she that protects him. Ultimately, it appears that she is not as heartless as she first seems, because the guilt drives her completely mad and she subsequently commits suicide.
The Character of Macbeth
Macbeth, however, seems to be made of stronger stuff and he continues to cut down anybody who threatens to usurp his thrown. He therefore becomes increasingly isolated and paranoid. The witches further prophecies also deludes Macbeth into believing that he is unstoppable.
Although it appears that Macbeth’s actions are greatly influenced by the women of the play, it is ultimately his own lust for power which drives him forward. Therefore, it could be argued that the play is very much about self-fulfilling prophecy. Macbeth chose to believe what he had been told, and subsequently made it happen.
Macbeth is a wonderful play. It is complex, fascinating and entertaining. Because it is Shakespeare’s shortest plays it will maintain the interest of even the most reluctant playgoer. There is no extraneous information, or complicated subplots, unlike many of The Bard’s other great works.
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