Macbeth Characters

Macbeth

Macbeth, the eponymous protagonist of the play, is a Scottish general and the Thane of Glamis, who is tempted by the three witches into believing that he would be made the king of Scotland one day. He comes to believe this after their prophecy that he will be made the Thane of Cawdor comes true. In his bid to capture the throne, he resorts to treachery and kills King Duncan. However, unlike Shakespeare’s other villains, such as Iago in Othello or Shylock in The Merchant of Venice who relish the idea of evil, Macbeth is not comfortable with his crimes. His crimes adversely affect his mental state.

Though he is a powerful noble and skilled on the battlefield, Macbeth is not suited for kingship. When he ascends the throne, he resorts to tyranny. As a ruler, he sees violence as the answer to most problems, an outlook that plunges his kingdom into chaos. His bloody reign finally culminates in a battle against Malcolm and the English forces.

Lady Macbeth

Lady Macbeth is perhaps Shakespeare’s most infamous female character. She is ambitious for her husband and wishes to see him become the King of Scotland. She is more ruthless, single-minded, and shrewd than Macbeth, and she is able to manipulate him into killing King Duncan. She relies on her remarkable will and clarity of thought to plot the murder. She also plants the incriminating evidence of Duncan’s murder on his guards. However, as the play progresses, her determination gives way to crippling guilt. She is reduced to sleepwalking at night, frantically trying to wash away an imagined bloodstain. Unable to cope with the crime of regicide, she is driven insane and finally kills herself.

The Three Witches

They are the three agents of Fate whom Macbeth and Banquo confront when they cross the moor. The witches prophesize that Macbeth will be made the Thane of Cawdor and will eventually become the King of Scotland. They also tell Banquo that he will never become king himself, but will nonetheless beget a line of Scottish kings. Though their speech is full of paradoxes and ambiguities, their prophecy propels Macbeth toward his tragic destiny. Though it is revealed that the witches are servants of Hecate, the goddess of witchcraft, their true identity is unclear.

Banquo

Banquo, the Thane of Lochaber, is a general in Duncan’s army and Macbeth’s close comrade. Like Macbeth, he, too, is a subject of the witches’ prophecy. However, unlike Macbeth, Banquo does not try to actively bring the prophecy to fruition. Banquo is as reasonable as he is ambitious: he does not let his ambitions cloud his sense of judgment and morality. However, Banquo is later killed by Macbeth, who, in his insecurity, regards Banquo as a threat to the throne. True to the prophecy, Banquo’s son, Fleance, escapes unharmed. Later in the play, Banquo appears as a ghost and haunts Macbeth, which pushes him deeper into the throes of guilt.

King Duncan

King Duncan is the King of Scotland. He falls victim to Macbeth’s treachery. Duncan is the model of a virtuous, benevolent, and kind ruler. His ghastly death results in the disruption of natural order in Scotland, and gives way to Macbeth’s tyrannical and bloody reign.

Malcolm

Malcolm is King Duncan’s son, who, fearing that his life is also in danger, flees to England after his father is killed. His restoration to the throne at the end of the play signals the end of Macbeth’s reign of terror. It ushers in a new, more peaceful order.

Macduff

A Scottish nobleman, Macduff discovers the body of the murdered King Duncan. Suspecting Macbeth of the murder, he opposes Macbeth’s rule when he assumes power. Staying true to his country, he flees to England to join Malcolm, wishing to restore the rightful heir to the throne. Macbeth kills Macduff’s wife and children, and Macduff resolves to avenge their death. When Macbeth finally meets him in combat, Macduff reveals that he was “ripped” from his mother’s womb, that he was born by cesarean section. This is especially crucial since the witches’ prophecy held that Macbeth cannot be killed by any man given birth to naturally. Macduff beheads Macbeth, thereby fulfilling his pledge to bring the rightful heir—Malcolm—to the throne.

Hecate

Hecate is the goddess of witchcraft who helps the three witches enact their mischief on Macbeth.

Fleance

Fleance is Banquo’s son who escapes after surviving Macbeth’s attempt to kill him.

Lennox

Lennox is a Scottish nobleman who ultimately turns against Macbeth.

Ross

Ross, Macbeth’s cousin, is a Scottish nobleman who opposes Macbeth’s reign.

The Murderers

They are hired by Macbeth to kill Banquo and his wife and children. However, Fleance, Banquo’s son, manages to survive.

Porter

He is the drunken doorman at Macbeth’s castle. He mainly provides comic relief. He also alludes to the hell-like environment of his master’s home.

Lady Macduff

Macduff’s wife, Lady Macduff and her children are killed at Macbeth’s order after her husband flees Scotland. A kind woman and a loving mother, her character is in stark contrast to the scheming and murderous Lady Macbeth.

Donalbain

Donalbain is King Duncan’s younger son and Malcolm’s brother.

Siward

The Earl of Northumberland, Siward is Duncan’s brother who leads the English army against Macbeth. His army disguises itself with branches from Birnam Wood, thereby fulfilling the witches’ prophecy that Macbeth will fall only when “Birnam Wood remove to Dunsinane.”