The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act V by William Shakespeare

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The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act V by William
Shakespeare
Feature Menu
Reviewing the Play Introducing Act V The Mystery
of Evil
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The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act V by William
Shakespeare
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The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act V Reviewing the Play
The Play So Far
Macbeth has murdered King Duncan, pinned the
crime on Duncans two guards, and killed the
guards.

• Malcolm and Donalbain, Duncans sons, flee the
  country.

• Macbeth is crowned king, fulfilling the prophecy
  of the three witches.

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The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act V Reviewing the Play
The Play So Far

• Macbeth arranges to have Banquo and his son,
  Fleance, murdered.

• Banquo is killed, but Fleance escapes. The three
  witches prophecy can still come true.

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The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act V Reviewing the Play
The Play So Far
While hosting a banquet, Macbeth sees Banquos
ghost and speaks to it in front of his guests.
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The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act V Reviewing the Play
The Play So Far

• Macduff goes to England to talk to Malcolm about
  building an army to overthrow Macbeth.

• Macbeth visits the three witches and learns that

• he should fear Macduff

• no one of woman born will harm him

• he will be safe until Birnam Wood comes to his
  castle at Dunsinane

• Macbeth has Macduffs wife and son killed.

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The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act V Reviewing the Play
The Play So Far

• Macduff and Malcolm discuss Macbeths tyranny and
  the poor state of affairs in Scotland. They agree
  Malcolm will make a much better ruler.

• A large army gathers to help Macduff and Malcolm
  invade Scotland and take on Macbeth.

End of Section
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The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act V Introducing Act V
But the power of destiny is something awesome . .
. Sophocles (496406 B.C.)
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The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act V Introducing Act V
Early in Act V youll notice some famous lines
Out, damned spot! Out, I say! and What, will
these hands neer be clean?

• Talking in her sleep, Lady Macbeth is referring
  to an imagined bloodstain on her hand.

• What will become of the guilt-ridden Lady
  Macbeth?

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The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act V Introducing Act V
The witches prophecies seem to indicate that
Macbeth is safe. But his enemies approachwith
vast armies and with vengeance in their hearts.

• Is there someone not of woman born who can harm
  Macbeth?

• How could it be possible for Birnam Wood to come
  to Dunsinane?

End of Section
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The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act V The Mystery of Evil
Illuminating Evil?

• Are Macbeth and his wife pure evil, or is there a
  human, moral component to each of these
  characters?

• What is pure evil, anyway? How is it defined?

• What could drive an otherwise sensible, decent
  individual to commit acts of treachery?

Shakespeares Macbeth makes no attempt to explain
evil. Rather, it seems to point out that evil is
indeed a mystery.
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The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act V The Mystery of Evil
Shakespeare uses several techniques to explore
the nature of evil
CharacterDevelopment
Imagery
Poetry
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The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act V The Mystery of Evil
Character Development

• Until Macbeth hears the witches prophecies, he
  is a decent man and a loyal nobleman.

• He does not want to kill Duncan, but his wife
  pressures him into it.

• From that point on, he seems to be a victim of
  fear and of his own nerves.

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The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act V The Mystery of Evil
Character Development
Although Lady Macbeth is only an accomplice in
the murders, her desire for power is critical in
setting off a disastrous chain of events.
In her behavior she exhibits immense
self-control, but she eventually cracks under the
pressure of her guilty conscience.
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The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act V The Mystery of Evil
Imagery Darkness
The witches are called instruments of darkness.
They are linked to the thick gloom that pervades
the whole play and acts as a cover for evil.
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The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act V The Mystery of Evil
Imagery Night
Shakespeare sets many of the violent scenes at
night, amid fog and filthy air, and includes
the cries of owls.
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The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act V The Mystery of Evil
Imagery Blood
Heres the smell of the blood still.
What bloody man is that?
The blood imagery is designed to make us feel not
just physical disgust, but also moral revulsion.
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The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act V The Mystery of Evil
Poetry
Shakespeare wrote most of the play in unrhymed
iambic pentameter, or blank verse.

• In iambic pentameter there are five of these
  iambic units in each line.

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The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act V The Mystery of Evil
Poetry
In a tragedy the poetic sound of blank verse
elevates and enhances the emotional impact.
Macbeth is able to express his feelings in
eloquent, moving language.
Click to hear these lines.
End of Section
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Meet the Writer
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The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act V Meet the Writer
William Shakespeare (15641616) moved to London
sometime around 1590. Enjoying the patronage of
Lord Chamberlain and later of King James, he
prospered as an actor, as a playwright, and as a
shareholder in the Globe Theatre. This literary
great authored more than thirty-six timeless
plays.
More About the Writer