Macbeth CHARACTERS, THEMES, ACT SUMMARY'S NEW GCSE WJEC spec
- Created by: 18LawsonC
- Created on: 23-05-18 16:41
The Characters:
Macbeth- ambitious, Scottish Nobleman, Tragic Hero
Lady Macbeth- Macbeths Wife. Persuades MB to kill Duncan, eventually goes mad and kills herself
Duncan- King of Scotland at start, Macbeth murders him
Malcolm- Duncan’s son, flees after father’s murder, becomes king at end of play
Macduff- noble soldier, doesn’t trust MB, decapitates MB
Lady Macduff- MD wife, MB has her and children murdered
Banquo- brave soldier and nobleman, friends with MB, MB has him Killed as he threatens his line of succession, No Flaws
Three Witches- supernatural beings who can predict future, leader is call Hecate
ACT ONE SUMMARY:
- Three Witches plan to meet MB
“When shall we three meet again…”
- MB and BQ meet with the witches, who tell MB he will be Thane of Cawdor, then King. The tell BQ his descendants will be king
(First witch) “all hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Glamis”, (Second witch) “All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor”, (Third witch) “all hail Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter”.
- Duncan makes MB TOC, MB starts to believe in the prophecy about him being king will come true to
- LDMB receives a letter from MB
“too full o’th’milk of human kindness…” speech
“Unsex me here….” speech
- MB tells LDMB about prophecy, she plans to persuade him to murder Duncan
“that my keen knife sees not the wound it makes” – guilt, wants to kill Duncan but doesn’t want the pain that comes with it
- Duncan comes to stay at MB’s. MB is reluctant to kill him, LDMB convinces him that they can frame Duncan’s servants for the murder. Macbeth agrees to the plan.
“my dearest love, Duncan comes here tonight”
ACT TWO AND THREE SUMMARY:
- MB murders DUNC, LDMB plants blood stained daggers on Duncan’s servants
“Hark! I laid their daggers ready, he could not miss ’em” (LDMB Scene 2 Act 2)
“give me the daggers. The sleeping and the dead are but as pictures…” (LDMB)
- MD arrives, discovers Kings body. Kings sons, MALC and DONB, leave Scot as they fear for their lives which them makes them look guilty for DUNCs murder
“O horror, horror, horror” (Act 2 Scene 3, MD)
“I’ll to England” (Act 2 Scene 3 MALC)
“To Ireland, I…” (Act 2 Scene 3 DONB)
- ROSS and OLDM discuss the Strange and unnatural things that have been happening since DUNCS murder. MB is about to be crowned, not all noble men support him
“Tis said, they ate each other” (Act 2 Scene 4 OLDM, about the DUNCs horses)
“Suspicion of the deed…” (Act 2 Scene 4 MD, suspects MB of murder)
- MB is now king, worried witches’ prophecy about BQs descendants will be kings. Orders some murderers to kill BQ and his son Fleance
“Thou hast it now, King, Cawdor, Glamis, All…” (Act 3 Scene 1, BQ to MB)
“To be thus is nothing but to…
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