Macbeth - character development
Aspects of his character: Brave / Noble → Ambitious → Uncertain / Weak-willed → Insecure → Guilt-ridden → Paranoid → Evil → Ruthless / Cold-hearted → False Confidence → Self aware → Despair → Defiant
1. Brave / Noble
All’s too weak for brave Macbeth – well he deserves that name. [Captain] (A1,S1)
O valiant cousin! Worthy gentleman! [Duncan] (A1,S1)
Bellona’s Bridegroom. [Ross] (A1,S1)
2. Ambitious
This supernatural soliciting cannot be ill . . . if ill, why hath it given me earnest of success [...] against the use of nature? (A1,S2)
If chance will have me king, why chance may crown me, without my stir. (A1,S2)
Good sir, why do you start and seem to fear things that do sound so fair. [Banquo] (A1,S3)
The Prince of Cumberland! That is a step on which I must fall down, or else o’erleap, for in my way it lies. (A1,S4)
I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition which o’erleaps itself and falls on the other. (A1,S7)
3. Uncertain / Weak-willed
Present fears are less than horrible imaginings. (A1,S3)
Yet I do fear thy nature; it is too full o’ the milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way. [Lady Macbeth] (A1,S5)
This Duncan hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been so clear in his great office, that virtues will plead like angels. (A1,S7)
We will proceed no further in this business: he hath honoured me of late. (A1,S7)
If we should fail? (A1,S7)
Infirm of purpose! [Lady Macbeth] (A2,S2)
4. Insecure
I dare do all that become a man; who dares do more is none. (A1,S7)
To be thus is nothing, but to be safely thus. (A3,S1)
Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown, and put a barren scepter in my gripe. (A3,S1)
5. Guilt-ridden
This is a sorry sight. (A2,S2)
I could not say “Amen!” when they did say “God bless us!” (A2,S2)
Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand? (A2,S2)
To know my deed, ‘twere best not know myself. (A2,S2)
6. Paranoid
There is none but he whose being I do fear. (A3,S1)
We have scorched the snake, not killed it. (A3,S2)
Now I am cabined, cribbed, confined, bound in to saucy doubts and fears. (A3,S4)
There’s not a one of them but in his house I have a servant fee’d. (A3,S4)
7. Evil
Stars, hide your fires! Let not light see my black and deep desires. (A1,S4)
I am settled, and bend up each corporal agent to this terrible feat. (A1,S7)
O, full of scorpions is my mind. (A3,S2)
I am in blood stepped in so far that, should I wade no more, returning were as tedious as go o’er. (A3,S4)
Strange things I have in head that will to hand, which must be acted ere they may be scanned. (A3,S4)
A swift blessing may soon return to this country under a hand accursed. [Lennox] (A3, S6)
By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes. [Second Witch] (A4,S1)
Bleed, bleed, poor country! Great tyranny, lay thou thy basis sure, for goodness dare not check thee. (A4,S3)
The usurper’s cursed head [...] this dead butcher and his fiend-like queen. (A5,S2)
8. Ruthless / Cold-hearted
I could with barefaced power sweep him from my sight. (A3, S1)
Fleance [...] must embrace the fate of that dark hour. (A3,S1)
Things bad begun make strong themselves by ill. (A3,S2)
It will have blood, they say; blood will have blood. (A3,S4)
From this moment, the very firstlings of my heart shall be the firstlings of my hand. (A4,S2)
Some say he’s mad; others, that lesser hate him, do call it valiant fury. [Caithness] (A5,S1)
9. False Confidence
Then live, Macduff; what need I fear of thee? (A4,S1)
Till Birnam wood remove to Dunsinane, I cannot taint with fear [...] Fear not, Macbeth! (A5,S2)
I will not be afraid of death and bane till Birnam forest come to Dunsinane. (A5,S4)
Our castle’s strength will laugh a siege to scorn. (A5,S5)
10. Self-aware
My way of life has fallen into the sere, the yellow leaf; and that which should accompany old age, as honour, love, obedience, troops of friends, I must not look to have. (A5,S3)
I have almost forgot the taste of fears [...] I have supped full with horrors; direness, familiar to my slaughterous thoughts, cannot once start me. (A5,S5)
11. Despair
Out, out, brief candle! Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player who struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more. It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. (A5,S5)
I 'gin to be aweary of the sun, and wish th'estate o' the world were now undone. (A5,S5)
12. Defiant
I’ll fight, till from my bones my flesh be hacked. Give me my armour. (A5,S3)
They have tied me to a stake; I cannot fly, but bear-like I must fight the course. (A5,S7)
Why should I play the Roman fool, and die on my own sword? (A5,S7)
I will try the last. Before my body I throw my warlike shield. (A5,S7)
1. Brave / Noble
All’s too weak for brave Macbeth – well he deserves that name. [Captain] (A1,S1)
O valiant cousin! Worthy gentleman! [Duncan] (A1,S1)
Bellona’s Bridegroom. [Ross] (A1,S1)
2. Ambitious
This supernatural soliciting cannot be ill . . . if ill, why hath it given me earnest of success [...] against the use of nature? (A1,S2)
If chance will have me king, why chance may crown me, without my stir. (A1,S2)
Good sir, why do you start and seem to fear things that do sound so fair. [Banquo] (A1,S3)
The Prince of Cumberland! That is a step on which I must fall down, or else o’erleap, for in my way it lies. (A1,S4)
I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition which o’erleaps itself and falls on the other. (A1,S7)
3. Uncertain / Weak-willed
Present fears are less than horrible imaginings. (A1,S3)
Yet I do fear thy nature; it is too full o’ the milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way. [Lady Macbeth] (A1,S5)
This Duncan hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been so clear in his great office, that virtues will plead like angels. (A1,S7)
We will proceed no further in this business: he hath honoured me of late. (A1,S7)
If we should fail? (A1,S7)
Infirm of purpose! [Lady Macbeth] (A2,S2)
4. Insecure
I dare do all that become a man; who dares do more is none. (A1,S7)
To be thus is nothing, but to be safely thus. (A3,S1)
Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown, and put a barren scepter in my gripe. (A3,S1)
5. Guilt-ridden
This is a sorry sight. (A2,S2)
I could not say “Amen!” when they did say “God bless us!” (A2,S2)
Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand? (A2,S2)
To know my deed, ‘twere best not know myself. (A2,S2)
6. Paranoid
There is none but he whose being I do fear. (A3,S1)
We have scorched the snake, not killed it. (A3,S2)
Now I am cabined, cribbed, confined, bound in to saucy doubts and fears. (A3,S4)
There’s not a one of them but in his house I have a servant fee’d. (A3,S4)
7. Evil
Stars, hide your fires! Let not light see my black and deep desires. (A1,S4)
I am settled, and bend up each corporal agent to this terrible feat. (A1,S7)
O, full of scorpions is my mind. (A3,S2)
I am in blood stepped in so far that, should I wade no more, returning were as tedious as go o’er. (A3,S4)
Strange things I have in head that will to hand, which must be acted ere they may be scanned. (A3,S4)
A swift blessing may soon return to this country under a hand accursed. [Lennox] (A3, S6)
By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes. [Second Witch] (A4,S1)
Bleed, bleed, poor country! Great tyranny, lay thou thy basis sure, for goodness dare not check thee. (A4,S3)
The usurper’s cursed head [...] this dead butcher and his fiend-like queen. (A5,S2)
8. Ruthless / Cold-hearted
I could with barefaced power sweep him from my sight. (A3, S1)
Fleance [...] must embrace the fate of that dark hour. (A3,S1)
Things bad begun make strong themselves by ill. (A3,S2)
It will have blood, they say; blood will have blood. (A3,S4)
From this moment, the very firstlings of my heart shall be the firstlings of my hand. (A4,S2)
Some say he’s mad; others, that lesser hate him, do call it valiant fury. [Caithness] (A5,S1)
9. False Confidence
Then live, Macduff; what need I fear of thee? (A4,S1)
Till Birnam wood remove to Dunsinane, I cannot taint with fear [...] Fear not, Macbeth! (A5,S2)
I will not be afraid of death and bane till Birnam forest come to Dunsinane. (A5,S4)
Our castle’s strength will laugh a siege to scorn. (A5,S5)
10. Self-aware
My way of life has fallen into the sere, the yellow leaf; and that which should accompany old age, as honour, love, obedience, troops of friends, I must not look to have. (A5,S3)
I have almost forgot the taste of fears [...] I have supped full with horrors; direness, familiar to my slaughterous thoughts, cannot once start me. (A5,S5)
11. Despair
Out, out, brief candle! Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player who struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more. It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. (A5,S5)
I 'gin to be aweary of the sun, and wish th'estate o' the world were now undone. (A5,S5)
12. Defiant
I’ll fight, till from my bones my flesh be hacked. Give me my armour. (A5,S3)
They have tied me to a stake; I cannot fly, but bear-like I must fight the course. (A5,S7)
Why should I play the Roman fool, and die on my own sword? (A5,S7)
I will try the last. Before my body I throw my warlike shield. (A5,S7)