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  • Uddannelse: STX
  • Karakter: 10 tal
  • Ord: 1035

Indledning
Macbeth is a Shakespearian tragedy, written by William Shakespeare over 400 years ago. The play takes place in Scotland in the 11th century. The play shows a man trying to seize power and the fatal consequences he faces. Macbeth and Banquo, two generals in the army of King Duncan of Scotland, meet three witches that makes a prophecy.

They tell Macbeth that he will become Thane of Cawdor and later on king of Scotland, and they tell Banquo that he will be the father of kings.

Macbeth learns that he has actually been made Thane of Cawdor, and that leads him to believe that he will also become king. King Duncan visits Macbeth at his castle at Inverness and Macbeth and his wife, Lady Macbeth, decides that the time is right to execute their plan to kill king Duncan; so that Macbeth can become king. Encouraged by his ambitious wife, Macbeth kills Duncan.

Duncan’s two sons, Malcolm and Donalbain, flee the country but their hasty departure makes them seem guilty, and Macbeth is crowned king. But Macbeth suffers from the consequences of his decisions, and the play follows his evolution from a loyal general and a loving husband, to a viscous, greedy man.

Indholdsfortegnelse
Is Macbeth a victim?
Is Macbeth a villain?
The Great Chain of Being:

Optimer dit sprog - Læs vores guide og scor topkarakter

Uddrag
The Great Chain of Being is an Elizabethan concept defining the natural order of things. At the top is the king appointed by God, and then noblemen and so on.

The lowest “creature” is a murderer. By his act of regicide, Macbeth disturbs the natural order, in fact he reverses it, by being crowned king after murdering Duncan; the lowest creature is now the highest.

In the final scene of the Polanski version of Macbeth we see Macbeth and Macduff fighting. The fight ends with Macduff beheading Macbeth, as foretold by the witches. Macduff is not ”of woman born” as he is born by a caesarian section. Malcolm, the rightful heir to the throne, is crowned king, and this way The Great Chain of Being is back to normal.