Macbeth Themes

Ambition

When Lady Macbeth emasculates her husband to push him to kill King Duncan; she wants them to have power and glory
When Macbeth decides to kill Duncan to gain the throne and frames the servants
When Macbeth hires murderers to kill Banquo and Fleance to make sure that he has no challengers (the Witches said that Duncan's sons would be kings)
When he plans to kill Macduff and says "blood will have blood"
When Macbeth sends killers to kill Macduff's army to try and assert power over Macduff and in the hopes that Macduff won't fight against him
When Macduff and Malcolm decide to raise an army to overthrow Macbeth and put Malcolm - the rightful heir - onto the throne
When the rebel army pushes on through the country to the Castle at Forres where Macbeth is to overthrow him
When Macbeth continues to fight against Macduff at the end of the play even though he knows that he has already lost and too many people are in support of Malcolm and Macduff

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"Fair is foul and foul is fair" - nothing is as it seems
"O worthiest cousin" - Duncan is too trusting of Macbeth and doesn't know what is going on inside of Macbeth's head. He is actually thinking of murdering him in hope of gaining power as King. "There's no art To find the mind's construction in the face"
"look like th'innocent flower, But be the serpent under't" - Lady Macbeth is domineering and is pushing Macbeth to murder Duncan
Lady Macbeth is seen by all the men, specifically Duncan, as a typical 11th Century Scottish woman, but in fact, she is ruthless as a man and is the one pushing Duncan's murder. Duncan calls her "honour'd hostess".
When Duncan arrives as Macbeth's castle, he says that the air "Nimbly and sweetly recommends itself Unto our gentle senses", everyone is unaware of the devestation which will go down here in a matter of hours
Lady Macbeth pretends that she doesn't know about the murder and faints when she 'finds out' about it
Macbeth pretends to be Banquo's ally when he is actually planning his murder
Lady Macbeth acts traitorous and evil early in the play, but later kills herself because of the guilt; facade

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Banquo and Fleance - "Fly, good Fleance, fly!" shows the selflessness of Banquo as he seeks to protect his son over himself
Macduff and his sons - Macduff leaves his children and his wife unprotected in Scotland while he goes to raise an army against Macbeth in England. Macbeth kills Macduff's family and when Macduff finds out, he is grief-stricken and says "all my pretty chickens"
Siward and Young Siward - they both help in overthrowing Macbeth with Malcolm and Young Siward is killed fighting for his country
Duncan and Malcolm and Donaldbain - Duncan named Malcolm as his heir. All three have similar characteristics in that they are kind and generous, but Malcolm and Donaldbain are a lot less trusting of the people around them and so run off separately, when Duncan is murdered, in fear that they are next

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When Macbeth and Banquo first meet the Witches and receive the first set of prophecies (e.g. Macbeth will be King and Thane of Cawdor and Banquo's sons will be kings)
When Macbeth sees a vision of a dagger pointing towards Duncan's chamber ("Is this a dagger which I see before me"). This is the last thing which tips him towards murdering Duncan and he actually does after this. It makes the audience wonder whether it is real or just a figment of his imagination.
When Macbeth sees Banquo's ghost after ordering people to murder him. This is a physical show of his guilty conscience. He has become king but risked too much to get there and so isn't enjoying it. It is also ironic that the ghost is sitting in Macbeth's throne (Banquo's sons will be kings)
When Macbeth goes back to see the Witches for a second time and receives more prophecies; they lead him into a false sense of security by telling him that he can't be killed by a man woman-born and won't be overthrown until Birnam Wood reaches Dunsinane.

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