Character Analysis: Macbeth & Lady Macbeth

The characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are at the heart of the play. Understanding their individual arcs, their relationship, and how Shakespeare uses them to explore key themes is essential for GCSE success. This lesson traces both characters from beginning to end, with key quotes and analysis.

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Macbeth's Tragic Arc

Macbeth's journey can be mapped across five stages:

  Brave Warrior → Tempted Hero → Guilty Murderer → Paranoid Tyrant → Nihilistic Villain
     (Act 1)        (Act 1)         (Act 2)           (Acts 3-4)         (Act 5)

Stage 1: The Brave Warrior (Act 1, Scenes 1–2)

Before we meet Macbeth, we hear about his extraordinary courage on the battlefield:

"brave Macbeth — well he deserves that name — / Disdaining fortune, with his brandished steel, / Which smoked with bloody execution" (1.2)

Shakespeare establishes Macbeth as a loyal subject and a fearsome warrior. Duncan calls him "O valiant cousin! Worthy gentleman!" (1.2). This makes his fall all the more tragic.

Stage 2: The Tempted Hero (Act 1, Scenes 3–7)

After hearing the Witches' prophecy, Macbeth is torn between ambition and morality: