Critical Appreciation Of Macbeth

Background: William Shakespeare, born on April 23 of 1564, was a very well known playwright of English literature. William was born into a family of glove-makers and attended grammar school, after grammar school he did not go further with his education. He married at age 18 to a woman named Anne Hathaway. With Anne he had three children and around 1590 he left his family to go to London to work as an actor and start as a playwright. Shakespeare’s plays are known by many and many have their ‘best pick’. Though one of Shakespeare’s best is Macbeth, composed in either late 1606 or early 1607, is a tragedy that is extremely bloody and also short. Macbeth tells the story of a Scottish general that is told prophecies by three witches. One of the

We know that he is noble due to King Duncan stating this in Act 1 Scene 4, “noble Banquo”. Banquo’s philosophy is to just wait for fate to take place because the only way at that time for his sons to be king was if he were to do something foul. For Banquo there is no physical description though we do know that he has a son and was a soldier.

Summary/ Commentary:

Act Ⅰ

Summary:

Macbeth had just helped with a battle and on his return, while riding with Banquo, they come upon three weird sisters. The sisters tell them prophecies and then disappear. Macbeth earns another title and tells his wife of what the sisters told him. Lady Macbeth makes a plan to help the prophecy along, but Macbeth is hesitant and refusing to take part with it.

Commentary: “No more that thane of Cawdor shall deceive our bosom interest: go pronounce his present death, and with his former title greet Macbeth.”

The king has just found out that the thane of Cawdor was being traitorous and has decided to have him executed and is going to give the title ‘thane of Cawdor’ to Macbeth for what he had done at the

Macbeth decides to go along with Lady Macbeth’s plan and afterwards kills Duncan’s two guards ‘out of rage for what they had done’ all the while he was actually just covering for himself. Duncan’s two sons runaway leaving suspicion and a empty throne meaning Macbeth earns the title of King.

Commentary: “These deeds must not be thought after these ways; so, it will make us