A Deeper Look:

Macbeth
ENGLISH 20-2
 01
Character
Development
How do the characters change from the
beginning to the end?
Character Development
● In texts, some characters will undergo big changes that
are important to the plot
○ Characters will go from point A to point B, usually
after some sort of key event(s)
● Looking at development helps us as readers/viewers to
understand a character's motives better
● Think about yourself for a moment. Even we undergo
character development after something important
happens to us!
○ Exploring character development might help you
relate to characters!
Character Development (cont.)
● Looking at characters in Macbeth closely will help us
better understand the bigger picture about power and
corruption that Shakespeare explores
○ We can’t understand how power corrupts people
without looking at how Macbeth started as a
character and how he ended
● Shakespeare might make Macbeth look extremely
violent and obsessive over power, but this is not far from
reality
What are we doing? (PART ONE)
Today, we will explore different characters in the play. You
will work in partners to create either a written or visual
representation of one characters development in the play.

1. Choose a slip and find the person with the matching

slip of paper. You will be partners.
2. Spend some time discussing the character
development of said character. Consider the
questions on your assignment sheet. What events
made them change? Why?
3. Create a visual or written representation of this
development.
What are we doing? (PART TWO)

Now, each pairing will share their findings. Walk us

through the development of the character. Make sure to
highlight any key events that contributed to major
changes.

After each group has shared, we will have an informal

debate! I will ask a few questions. Your job is to answer the
question from the perspective of your character! How
would they feel? What evidence would they use?
 To what extent is Lady
Macbeth responsible for
Macbeth’s actions and moral
decline?
 Is Macduff’s determination to
overthrow Macbeth motivated by
personal revenge or a sense of duty
to Scotland?
 Do the witches predict Macbeth's fate, or do
they actively influence his decisions? How
responsible are they for the events of the play?
Was Macbeth’s downfall a result of
his own ambition, or were external
factors more influential in shaping
his character?
 02
Thematic
Treasure Hunt
What connections can we find today to major
themes in Shakespeare’s play?
 Themes in Macbeth

Appearance vs. Reality Ambition

● “Fair is foul, foul is fair” ● The lust for more
● Everything is not what it ● Does absolute power
seems corrupt absolutely?

Fate/Free Will Guilt

● Does choice influence ● Tortured consciences
fate? ● Battling guilt
● Macbeth’s journey
Appearance VS Reality
● In the beginning of the play, the witches warn us by
saying that not everything is as it seems!
● “Fair is foul, and foul is fair” (1.1, 12)
● What we perceive with our eyes and own biases
might not always be the truth.
● “To beguile the time, Look like the time. Look like
th’ innocent flower but be the serpent under’t” (1.5,
74-78)
Ambition
● The ambition for more power and a higher title
drives Lady Macbeth and Macbeth down violent
spirals
● They no longer care how they will fulfill the
prophecies, as long as they are fulfilled
● Macbeth starts the play reluctant to kill Duncan for
power, but once he gets a taste of kingship, the
ambition and greed overpower him
● Remember: Macbeth ordered to have his own friend
(Banquo) killed in order to protect his title
Fate VS Free Will
● The idea of fate and free will work side-by-side
throughout the play
● Does the fact that the witches prophesied that
Macbeth will be king mean he HAS to kill Duncan?
Or did he use his free will to make it happen?
● “If chance will have me king, why, chance may
crown me without my stir” (1.3, 157-159)
● Macbeth’s mindset changes drastically from this
original quotation. Does he truly let chance crown
him?
Guilt
● The guilt of committing such terrible crimes eats
away at Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, driving them
into a spiral of paranoia
● Macbeth loses his grasp on reality and goes on a
killing spree, unable to cope with what he has done
while also trying to keep his power
● Lady Macbeth tries to physically clean her conscious
(sleep walking and washing her hands), driven to
insanity by the weight of her choices
● “Out, damned spot! Out I say” (5.1, 37)
What are we doing?
Today, we are going on a thematic treasure hunt. We’ve
now explored some key themes from the play. To get a
better understanding, we are going to find modern events
that connect to those themes!

1. In pairs, you will choose 2-3 themes we explored

today
2. Find one event for each theme that relates to the
ideas presented in the play (e.g., fate vs free will and
a natural disaster)
3. Each of you will fill out the assignment sheet as you
do this research
4. Share at least one event you researched and its
connections with the class!