Macbeth Discussion Questions

To what extent do the witches’ prophecies determine Macbeth’s destiny? Was his fate predetermined, or were the prophecies an act of self-fulfillment?

The witches appear twice in the play—first to proclaim that Macbeth will become the king of Scotland; and then to show him vague apparitions concerning his future. Fate in Macbeth, as is the case with Greek tragedies, too, is unalterable. In a fatalistic universe, the length and outcome of one’s life are predetermined by external forces. In Macbeth, the witches serve to highlight this aspect of fate, and also urge the audience to consider the age old “destiny-freewill” dichotomy.

It is in this context that the play makes an important distinction between the two: though fate may dictate the final outcome, humans still have control over their choices. In other words, Macbeth seems to suggest that humans can exert freewill to reach their destiny. Banquo is an apt example in this regard: though his fate is ultimately sealed, he does not opt to tread a path of violence and treachery. Banquo’s example shows that one need not actively embrace chaos and violence merely because one’s fate might be sealed.

How would you characterize the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth?

The Macbeths are an unusual couple, especially considering the time period in which the play is based. Lady Macbeth’s exceptional resolve makes the Macbeths powerful and frightening. Most Shakespearean plays depict troubled marriages, whereas unmarried lovers are typically depicted as romantic characters. Macbeth is unusual in that the protagonists share a strong relationship; their marriage is not troubled. Though Lady Macbeth is initially the more decisive partner (she even chastises her husband often), they are united in their common objective.

Ironically, however, their happy marriage has its foundation in their crimes, their mutual madness, and their growing alienation from the people surrounding them. These aspects eventually lead to their demise, and Lady Macbeth, torn apart by guilt, commits suicide toward the end of the play.

An important theme of the play is the association of masculinity with power. How is this depicted, and how do the characters interpret masculinity?

The play explores the notions of masculinity and femininity primarily through the character of Lady Macbeth. Manhood is typically associated with courage, valor, violence, and ambition. Women, on the other hand, are expected to be subordinate, restricted to the domestic, and far removed from public life. This, however, is not the case with Lady Macbeth. It is her resolve that quickens the fulfillment of the witches’ prophecies. “Unsex me here,” one of Lady Macbeth’s most famous declarations, represents the yearning of a woman who doesn’t want to be limited by her gender. She finds it unfair that men can kill, destroy, terrorize, and do whatever it takes to achieve their ambition, whereas women are expected to keep ambition at bay.

When Macbeth hesitates to kill the king, she chastises him; she says he is not being man enough. By doing so, she, too, reaffirms the notion that it takes a man to spill blood. Nonetheless, it is also telling that Macbeth is spurred on by female figures: first, by the three witches and their prophecies, and later by Lady Macbeth and her resolve. Some critics argue that Lady Macbeth and the three witches are presented in poor light in the play. The witches are presented as agents of evil, whereas Lady Macbeth is cruel and ruthless in pursuing her ambition. In effect, the play only seems to reinforce the notion that women should not harbor ambitions. For this reason, Macbeth is regarded as Shakespeare’s most misogynistic play.

Macbeth also echoes Lady Macbeth’s idea of masculinity when he questions the manhood of the murderers he hires to kill Banquo. The same idea emerges once again when Malcolm urges Macduff to avenge the murder of his family “like a man.” Throughout the play, manhood is associated with cruelty and violence. However, Macduff’s character represents a different, more acceptable version of masculinity: he is ambitious, but also reasonable and considerate.

Kingship is one of the major themes explored in the play. How does the play explore kingship in relation to tyranny?

Macbeth is set in a time period that greatly valued honor. One had to be extremely loyal and honest to be considered honorable. These expectations applied to personal and public life. In other words, one was expected to be loyal toward one’s comrade, subjects, family, and one’s land. The king, who was seen as God’s agent on Earth, was at the top of the social hierarchy.

The play depicts the consequences of disloyalty—Macbeth betrays and kills the king, usurps the throne, and treats his subjects cruelly. He also kills his comrades, and his reign is marked by bloodshed. His transgressions disrupt the natural order, and the supernatural elements in the play symbolize this disruption. For example, the witches’ appearance is always accompanied by ominous, bad weather. Similarly, the conversation between Lennox and the old man reveals that the kingdom has been ravaged by tempests, earthquakes, and darkness since Macbeth’s ascent to the throne. In other words, benevolent kingship represents the natural order, whereas tyranny distorts it.

The concept of kingship is also explored in Act 4, Scene 3—in particular, in the conversation between Malcolm and Macduff. To test Macduff’s loyalty to Scotland, Malcolm pretends that he would make an even worse king than Macbeth: he tells Macduff that he (Malcolm) has a violent temperament and that he often finds himself driven by lust and greed. Macduff, however, tells him that his loyalty is for Scotland, and that it would be his duty to oppose any unfit ruler.

In the play, Duncan embodies good kingship; he was a widely appreciated king, and his reign was marked by kindness, generosity, and harmony. Macbeth’s reign, on the other hand, is tyrannous. The benevolent king must foster order and peace. He must also reward his subjects for their achievements. For example, Duncan makes Macbeth the Thane of Cawdor when Macbeth defeats the invading army. Macbeth desires the throne only to advance his ambitions, not to serve his kingdom. Malcolm and Macduff, on the other hand, seize power to reinstate the natural order.

Blood is a powerful motif in Macbeth. Discuss.

Blood is a dominant motif in Macbeth; it signifies the severity of the sin of regicide. It also symbolizes guilt and the Macbeths’ descent into insanity. Blood emerges as a powerful motif in the play upon Duncan’s murder. In Act 2, Scene 2, Macbeth says, “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood / Clean from my hand?” These words represent Macbeth’s growing guilt and his inability to come to terms with himself for having killed the king.

In Act 3, Scene 4, when Macbeth is terrified to see Banquo’s ghost, he says, “I am in blood / Stepped in so far,” admitting to his wife that he has killed too many people, and that he feels entirely disassociated from his former self. By killing Duncan, Macbeth may have ascended the throne, but he has also set forth a vicious cycle of killing. He is entirely unprepared to deal with this vicious cycle, and each murder drastically and adversely impacts his mental state, thereby leading him to moral ruin.

Lady Macbeth also succumbs to guilt in Act 5, Scene 1, when she starts imagining that her hands are bloodstained. When she is unable to wash the blood off her hands, she remarks with great despair, “Out, damned spot! … who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him.” Visions of blood now haunt the Macbeths, and their grip on reality weakens. Their guilt is all consuming and inescapable.