Macbeth : Themes
Macbeth is a notable literary work by William Shakespeare. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, and various study materials of Macbeth.
Themes
Ambition and Power: Ambition is one of the main themes in Macbeth. Macbeth wants to become king, and Lady Macbeth wants him to have power, too. Their strong desire for power makes them do bad things, like killing King Duncan. Because of their ambition, both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth start doing more evil deeds. The play shows that too much ambition can make people lose their morals, become cruel, and destroy themselves in the end.
Guilt and Conscience: Guilt means feeling bad after doing something wrong. After killing Duncan, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth both feel very guilty. Macbeth sees visions and hears things that are not real, like the ghost of Banquo and a bloody dagger, because of his guilty mind. Lady Macbeth also suffers, and she starts sleepwalking and tries to wash invisible blood from her hands. Their guilty conscience makes them feel scared, sad, and mentally ill. The play shows how guilt can haunt people and ruin their peace.
Fate and Free Will: Fate means that events are meant to happen and no one can change them. In the play, the three witches give prophecies about Macbeth’s future. Macbeth believes these prophecies and starts to think he cannot control his life. But at the same time, he makes his own choices by killing people to become king. The play asks: Are our lives controlled by fate, or do we make our own destiny? Macbeth’s story shows that people’s choices have consequences, whether fate is real or not.
The Supernatural: The supernatural is a strong theme in Macbeth. Witches, ghosts, and strange visions appear throughout the play. The witches’ prophecies make Macbeth believe he is special and untouchable. The supernatural events confuse the characters and audiences about what is real and what is not. The play shows that believing in supernatural things can make people act in strange or dangerous ways.
Appearance vs Reality: Things are not always what they seem in Macbeth. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth both pretend to be kind and loyal on the outside, but inside they have evil plans. The witches give prophecies that sound good but mean something dangerous. People often lie and hide their true intentions. This theme tells us to be careful, because people and things are not always what they look like.