Macduff Monologue

Background:

When Shakespeare wrote Macbeth in 1606 James 1 had been King of England for three years. He had previously been James V1 of Scotland. King James symbolized the union of the Scottish and English crowns, a union to which Shakespeare refers in the play. It was well known that the new king was fascinated by witchcraft; Shakespeare might have been trying to win his approval by introducing the figures of the ‘three weird sisters’ into the play.

William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-Upon-Avon on April 23rd, 1564. In 1582 at age 18, William married an older woman named Anne Hathaway. They had children, Susanna, Hamnet, and Juilet. Their only son died at age 11. By early Seventeenth Century, Shakespeare had begun to write plays in the genre of tragedy which were his finest achievements.

Characters:

1.) Macduff is the archetype of the avenging hero, not simply out for revenge but with a good and holy purpose. Like Macbeth, Macduff is also shown as a human being. When he hears of death of his “pretty chickens,” he has to hold back his emotions. Even when Malcolm urges him to “Dispute it like a man,” Macduff’s reply “I will do so. But I must also feel it as a man” makes Macduff more like Macbeth. In the final combat between hero and anti-hero, this humanity is recalled once

Therefore, Macbeth sends out some thugs to murder Banquo and his son, Fleance. Banquo is murdered, but Fleance escapes. Macbeth, Lade Macbeth, Lennox, Ross, and other lords attend a banquet. The ghost of Banquo presents itself to Macbeth. Macbeth begins to rant and rave, making the other guests uneasy. Lady Macbeth tries to cover up the situation by saying Macbeth is prone to fits. By the end of this Act, we learn that Macduff has not attended the banquet because he has gone to England, looking for aid because he is suspicious of