We continue our discussion this month with what I believe to be the most action-packed of Shakespeare's tragedies: Macbeth.
Most likely composed around 1605, the tragedy of Macbeth is the story of one man’s “vaulting ambition” (1.7.27) that leads him to commit a series of murders, not the least of which is the first: the murder of King Duncan. Incited by visions of future glory conjured by the three weird sisters, and goaded on by his equally ambitious wife, Macbeth decides to “catch the nearest way” (1.5.17) to the crown. What follows in the wake of Duncan's assassination is not only a spate of bloody deeds, but the slow disintegration of Macbeth’s character as he tries to retain his ill-gotten goods and prevent the future foretold by the witches: that Banquo would beget kings. As Lady Macbeth sinks into madness, Macbeth continues to act upon the questionable intelligence provided by the weird sisters--a mistake, as he soon learns. War breaks out, and all the forces set loose by Macbeth’s first murderous thoughts come together in the final act, where Macbeth at last meets his fate.
Since so much goes on in this first act that is essential to what happens in the rest of the play, I thought we might profit by discussing those events and the characters in detail before moving on. Thus, I have set up threads for Act I and each of its principal characters:
The Weird Sisters, or, the Three Witches
Duncan
Macbeth
Banquo
Lady Macbeth
I have also introduced threads for the exploration of witchcraft, and the historical Macbeth.
Threads any of you find appropriate and wish to add will also be most welcome!
