Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Definition: Macbeth |
MacbethNoun1. King of Scotland (died in 1057). Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "Macbeth" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1606. (references) |
| Domain | Definition |
Biographical Satire | MACBETH, Lady, a royal somnambulist. Source: Who was Who: 5000BC - 1914. |
Literature | Macbeth (Shakespeare). The story is taken from Holinshed, who copied it from the History of Scotland, by Hector Boece or Boyce, in seventeen volumes (1527). The history, written in Latin, was translated by John Bellenden (1531-1535). "History states that Macbeth slew Duncan at Bothgowan, near Elgin, in 1039, and not as Shakespeare says, at his castle of Inverness: the attack was made because Duncan had usurped the throne, to which Macbeth had the better claim. As a king Macbeth proved a very just and equitable prince, but the partisans of Malcolm got head, and succeeded in deposing Macbeth, who was slain in 1056, at Lumphanan. He was thane of Cromarty [Glamis], and afterwards of Moray [Cawdor].- Lardner: Cabinet Cyclopoedia Lady Macbeth. The wife of Macbeth. Ambition is her sin, and to gain the object of her ambition she hesitates at nothing. Her masterful mind sways the weaker Macbeth to "the mood of what she liked or loathed." She is a Mede'a, or Catherine de' Medici, or Cæsar Borgia in female form. (Shakespeare Macbeth.) The real name of Lady Macbeth was Graoch, and instead of being urged to the murder of Duncan through ambition, she was goaded by deadly injuries. She was, in fact, the granddaughter of Kenneth IV., killed in 1003, fighting against Malcolm II.- Lardner: Cabinet Cyclopoedia, vol. i. 17, etc. Source: Brewer's Dictionary. |
Slang | Noun. Source: Shakespeare's play. Definition: A dismally bad dance performance. Context: Only spoken after a bad performance, never before or during for superstitious reasons. Social Source: Eugene Youth Ballet Inter-Advanced Dancers. Source: Compiled by The University of Oregon. (additional references) |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare based loosely on the historical King Macbeth I of Scotland, in which the king is unflatteringly depicted.
Lady Macbeth is seen by many as one of the most challenging roles in Western theater for women. She is driven mad for her part in the king's murder and dies off stage in the final act.
Actors often consider this play to be 'unlucky', and usually refer to it as 'the Scottish play' rather than by name. To say the name of the play inside a theatre is considered to doom the production to failure.
The story of Shakespeare's play
Macbeth, Thane of Glamis and a general of the army of Duncan, King of Scotland, quickly rises through the ranks after a great victory over the rebel Macdonwald. In his lust for power, inspired by the witches' prediction that he would become king, he and his wife murder the king, and he becomes King of Scotland himself. The heir, Malcolm, flees to England, where he is joined by Macduff, the loyal Thane of Fife.
His friend Banquo, who, the witches have predicted, will be the ancestor of future kings, begins to suspect him, and Macbeth, becoming more evil every day, orders Banquo's murder in order to prevent the prediction from coming true. However, Banquo's son, Fleance, escapes the assassins. Macbeth is haunted by Banquo's ghost, whilst Lady Macbeth also suffers pangs of remorse, and constantly sleep-walks.
Urged on by Macbeth, the witches conjure spirits which tell him that he will not "vanquish'd be until Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill shall come" and that "none of woman born shall harm Macbeth," but also to "fear Macduff". Since Macduff is in exile, Macbeth orders the murder of his wife and children. Macduff, spurred into seeking revenge, leads an army camouflaged by boughs from Birnam wood to Dunsinane, where in a battle with Macbeth he reveals that he was ripped from his mother's body (ie, by Caesarean section) and therefore is not "of woman born."
Macduff vanquishes Macbeth and Duncan's son, Malcolm, takes the throne.
Concept of Evil
Macbeth explores the nature of evil through the gradual change in Macbeth and Lady Macbeth as the play progresses. Pathetic fallacy plays a major role in this. Macbeth explores the difference between innate evil and evil influenced by others. The contrast between different categories of evil is fully explored. The natural, clearly defined evil of the Three Witches contrasts with the heavily influenced evil of Macbeth himself. Initially, Macbeth is far from evil within: "Chance may crown me, without my stir", preferring to let fate lead his future. Later, he takes actions to remove those in his way, like Banquo, and "the very firstlings of my heart shall be the firstlings of my hand", not caring who he harms and how he harms them. This phrase is brutal in its simplicity; an earlier Macbeth would never have said this.
Their corrupting influence of the three sisters on Macbeth is clear, as they prophesy his forthcoming kingship. Their gruesome magic-making increases the feeling of evil. The witches appear as pure evil with wretched souls in wretched bodies. There is no doubt in the audience's mind that they mean no good to Macbeth. Their evil sows the seeds of treachery and murder in his mind. They seem the epitome of evil.
At the beginning of the play, Lady Macbeth appears a ruthless, merciless woman, willing to murder the King of Scotland within her own house. In Act 1 Scene 7, she mocks Macbeth for being uncertain at the prospect of murdering their king for the pursuit of power. She says that she would (of her child) "dashed the brains out, had I sworn as you have done to this." This symbolises the destruction of her tenderness, of her femininity through the murder of a child. Having made the decision, she calls upon the gods to crush her frailty and humanity: "Unsex me here. And fill me, from the crown to the toe, top full of the direst cruelty" further highlighting her willingness to destroy her feminine nature and emotions.
She mocks Macbeth for being unsure: "Infirm of purpose!" and questions his status as a man and a warrior. Her influence on Macbeth is seen in the hardening of his heart. However, she slowly goes mad later in the play, unable to cope with a tortured soul and a guilty mind. Now she appears a woman of purpose who can no longer cope with her conscience. This is in stark contrast to the beginning of the play. Just after the murder of the king, Macbeth states: "this my hand will rather the multitudinous seas incarnadine, Making the green one red." Lady Macbeth replies: "...a little water clears us of this deed." However, later, in her madness, she says: "Will these hands ne'er be clean" and "all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand" showing the change in her character.
The most difficult character to judge in the play is Macbeth, because he is so complex. This is the way Shakespeare wants us to feel, and our perspective of him changes throughout. At the beginning, he is true, loyal and honourable to his king. However, during battle we see what he may become, killing men in cold blood and revelling in the glory. Shakespeare intends us to ask questions: What is the difference between killing men in cold blood in battle, and murdering your best friend's family when he is away? There is a startling difference, and this is illustrated by the actions of Macbeth as the play progresses.
Initially, he is almost innocent and fails to see the evil of the witches and their lies, unlike Banquo who instantly sees the ill they promise for Macbeth. A distinct change in his actions is seen. From being an open man, Macbeth turns into a shady character unable to trust even the cheap murderers of Banquo, hiding in the shadows like a criminal as he watches paid men butcher his best friend. This is in contrast with Banquo's heroic last words, telling his son to flee. Macbeth is undoubtedly influenced by the Three Witches, and especially by his wife. The challenge to his worthiness of being a man is particularly powerful. However, all of his evil cannot be placed on the shoulders of others; Macbeth was driven by the promise of power and fame. At the beginning, Macbeth fears his own temptations and the retribution of his own soul: "So foul a fair a day I have not seen", "Stars, hide your fires!" and "Glamis hath murdered sleep" illustrate this particularly strongly. These phrases show that Macbeth is human and that there is uncertainty in his heart. His 'murder' of sleep tells us that he has a conscience at the beginning of the play, unlike Lady Macbeth. At the end of the play, Macbeth is described as a cruel, mirthless tyrant who has ruined the noble country Scotland. His actions of murdering families and their children seem to reinforce this. However, before and during the final battle he shows nobility and weariness at the world and the deed that he has performed. His mind varies from melancholy and sadness: "Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow" to bloodthirsty barbarianism: "I'll fight, till from my bones my flesh be hacked" and "cursed be the man that says 'Hold, enough!'"
However, at the last Macbeth seems to us as a honourable man, who will fight to the last, and Shakespeare makes us feel sadness for his fate. It is unfortunate that he would be remembered by most as a "dead butcher" with his "fiend-like wife".
In conclusion, Macbeth explores evil in many ways, in which all characters play a part. Shakespeare makes us think about how evil is manifested in greed, temptation and corruption, and how it is compared with other acts of revenge and justice. Evil is created and influenced by others; no one man can be Evil.
Shakespeare's sources
- Raphael Holinshed's Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland, based on Hector Boece's 1527 Scotorum Historiae.
- Reginald Scot's Discovery of Witchcraft
- King James I of England's 1599 Daemonologie
- Macbeth's words on dogs and men in Act 3, scene 1, (91-100), likely came from Erasmus' Colloquia
Film versions
- Macbeth, directed by Orson Welles
- Macbeth, directed by Roman Polanski
- Throne of Blood, directed by Akira Kurosawa
Opera versions
- Macbeth, Verdi's 1847 opera with a libretto by Francesco Maria Piave, with additions by Andrea Maffei, based on Shakespeare's play. Verdi substantially revised the opera in 1865.
See also
External link
- The Text of Shakespeare's Macbeth
- Macbeth - searchable, indexed version
Macbeth is also a Scottish clan.
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Macbeth."
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
Macbeth (c. 1005-August 15, 1057) was the king of Scotland from 1040-1057.
He was the son of Malcolm II's eldest daughter and in some eyes, including his own, had a better claim to the throne than Malcolm II's chosen successor Duncan I, who was the son of Malcolm II's second daughter.
Macbeth formed an alliance with Thorfinn, Earl of Orkney, son of Malcolm II's youngest daughter, and took up arms against Duncan. Duncan died fighting them in battle near Elgin on August 14, 1040.
Macbeth was a strong king and ruled over a kingdom stable enough for him to be able to leave for several months on a pilgrimage to Rome. He instituted a new form of law and order in Scotland. His reign was noted as a time of prosperity. However, in 1054, Malcolm Canmore, Duncan's son, began his campaign for the throne with the assistance of Siward, Earl of Northumbria, by capturing the south of Scotland. Macbeth was killed by Malcolm at a battle near Lumphanan and the throne passed to Macbeth's stepson, Lulach, in August, 1057.
Macbeth was buried on Iona, the traditional burial place of Scottish Royalty at that time. His wife was Gruoch--more known to history as Lady Macbeth. William Shakespeare's play Macbeth is loosely inspired by his life.
Preceded by:
Duncan IList of British monarchs Succeeded by:
LulachSource: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Macbeth of Scotland."
| The following table is compiled from various sources, across various languages. When English abbreviations or acronyms come from a non-English source, this is noted. | |||
| Entry | Source | Expression | Field |
MACBETH | English | Monitoring of Atmospheric Concentration of Benzene in European Towns and Homes | N/A |
Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |||
Crosswords: Macbeth |
| English words defined with "Macbeth": act ♦ play ♦ represent ♦ Weird sisters. (references) |
| Specialty definitions using "Macbeth": Alarum Bell ♦ Banquo ♦ Cat i' the Adage, Curse of Scotland ♦ DREAMER ♦ Fleance ♦ Golden Opinions ♦ Hell Broth ♦ Insane Root ♦ Judge's Black Cap ♦ King ♦ Macduff, Malcolm, Mental Hallucinations, Moon-drop, More one has, the More he Desires ♦ Or Ever ♦ Rooky Wood. (references) |
| Domain | Usage | |
Screenplays | As Lady Macbeth! As King Lear (Singin' in the Rain; writing credit: Betty Comden; Adolph Green) Kathy Selden as Juliet, as Lady Macbeth, as King Lear (Singin' in the Rain; writing credit: Betty Comden; Adolph Green) A wonderful Lady Macbeth. (Friends; writing credit: Jörn O. Jensen; Birger Larsen) Macbeth was a maggoty apple (Educating Rita; writing credit: Willy Russell) | |
Movie/TV Titles | Macbeth (1972) Joe MacBeth (1955) Macbeth (1955) When Macbeth Came to Snakeville (1914) Macbeth (1913) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
| Domain | Title | ||
Books |
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Theater & Movies | |||
Music |
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Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit | Thumbnail | Description & Credit |
 | Mrs. Pearl Caldwell operates the MacBeth densitometer photographed by Ralph Bredland. Credit: National Library of Medicine. |  | New edition of MacBeth. Bank-oh's! Ghost. Credit: Library of Congress. |
 | Julia Marlowe and Edward H. Southern in Macbeth. Credit: Library of Congress. |  | Macbeth Gallery, 11 E. 57th St., New York City. Copy of painting. Credit: Library of Congress. |
 | Modjeska assisted by Mr. John E. Kellerd and company of players presenting artistic scenic production of Mary Stuart, MacBeth, Much ado about nothing, Marie Antoinette. Credit: Library of Congress. |  | Thos. W. Keene. Macbeth. Credit: Library of Congress. |
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits. | |||
 |
| "Huntly Castle" by Jesse Adams Commentary: "This image is of the front of Huntly Castle in Scotland. It functioned as the main castle for the Gordon Clan. The lady of the castle employed three witches that Shakespeare may have based his three witches in Macbeth on. Note the photographer is hangi" |
Source: photographs selected by the editor, with permission from the photographers. |
| Title | Author | Quote |
Sylvie and Bruno | Carroll, Lewis | Macbeth had something twisted round him, that went over one shoulder and under the other arm, and was meant, I believe, for a Scotch plaid |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Lexicography | Devil's Dictionary | KING, n. A male person commonly known in America as a "crowned head," although he never wears a crown and has usually no head to speak of. A king, in times long, long gone by, Said to his lazy jester: "If I were you and you were I My moments merrily would fly -- Nor care nor grief to pester." "The reason, Sire, that you would thrive," The fool said -- "if you'll hear it -- Is that of all the fools alive Who own you for their sovereign, I've The most forgiving spirit." Oogum Bem KING'S :EVIL:, n. A malady that was formerly cured by the touch of the sovereign, but has now to be treated by the physicians. Thus 'the most pious Edward" of England used to lay his royal hand upon the ailing subjects and make them whole -- a crowd of wretched souls That stay his cure: their malady convinces The great essay of art; but at his touch, Such sanctity hath Heaven given his hand, They presently amend, as the "Doctor" in Macbeth hath it. This useful property of the royal hand could, it appears, be transmitted along with other crown properties; for according to "Malcolm," 'tis spoken To the succeeding royalty he leaves The healing benediction. But the gift somewhere dropped out of the line of succession: the later sovereigns of England have not been tactual healers, and the disease once honored with the name "king's evil" now bears the humbler one of "scrofula," from scrofa, a sow. The date and author of the following epigram are known only to the author of this dictionary, but it is old enough to show that the jest about Scotland's national disorder is not a thing of yesterday. Ye Kynge his evill in me laye, Wh. he of Scottlande charmed awaye. He layde his hand on mine and sayd: "Be gone!" Ye ill no longer stayd. But O ye wofull plyght in wh. I'm now y-pight: I have ye itche! The superstition that maladies can be cured by royal taction is dead, but like many a departed conviction it has left a monument of custom to keep its memory green. The practice of forming a line and shaking the President's hand had no other origin, and when that great dignitary bestows his healing salutation on strangely visited people, All swoln and ulcerous, pitiful to the eye, The mere despair of surgery, he and his patients are handing along an extinguished torch which once was kindled at the altar-fire of a faith long held by all classes of men. It is a beautiful and edifying "survival" -- one which brings the sainted past close home in our "business and bosoms." |
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
| "Macbeth" is generally used as a noun (proper) -- approximately 100.00% of the time. "Macbeth" is used about 362 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Noun (proper) | 100% | 362 | 14,906 |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
| The following table summarizes the usage of "Macbeth" based on a population census conducted in the United States. Ranks and frequencies are based on all names reported and classified. |
| Name | Usage/Gender | Usage per 100 million Persons | Rank in USA |
| Macbeth | Last name | 300 | 24,463 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits. | |||
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Expression | Frequency per Day | Expression | Frequency per Day |
macbeth | 1,532 | free essay macbeth | 17 |
verdi macbeth | 555 | quote from macbeth | 15 |
shakespeare macbeth | 137 | macbeth movie | 15 |
macbeth picture | 134 | macbeth costume | 15 |
macbeth summary | 119 | hamish macbeth | 14 |
macbeth essay | 114 | macbeth study guide | 13 |
macbeth quote | 89 | macbeth lesson plan | 13 |
macbeth shoes | 62 | macbeth pic | 13 |
lady macbeth | 61 | macbeth review | 13 |
macbeth theme | 50 | macbeth by shakespeare | 13 |
macbeth note | 41 | macbeth quiz | 13 |
macbeth character | 28 | macbeth text | 12 |
cliff note on macbeth | 24 | shakespeare macbeth picture | 11 |
macbeth the play | 22 | macbeth synopsis | 11 |
tragedy of macbeth | 22 | macbeth quotation | 10 |
gretag macbeth | 22 | macbeth imagery | 10 |
shakespeare william macbeth | 22 | macbeth image | 9 |
macbeth tragic hero | 19 | clothing macbeth | 9 |
macbeth script | 18 | macbeth test | 9 |
macbeth witch | 18 | macbeth study note | 9 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Language | Translations for "Macbeth"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | |
Hungarian | macbeth-et játsszák (to give macbeth), macbeth-et alakítja (to give macbeth), macbeth-et adják (to give macbeth), macbeth-et (to give macbeth), játssza (to give macbeth). (various references) | |
Japanese Kanji | マオリ族 (Macadam, macaroni, macaroni western, Machiavellism, macrame, macro, macrocosm, macroengineering, macrolens, macron, magazine, magazine rack, Maori, Maxell, maxi, maxim, maximum, McDonalds). (various references) | |
Japanese Katakana | マクベス . (various references) | |
Pig Latin | acbethmay.(various references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references. | ||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
| Words within the letters "a-b-c-e-h-m-t" | |
-2 letters: batch, bathe, beach, cheat, mache, match, tache, teach, theca. | |
-3 letters: abet, ache, acme, ahem, bach, baht, bate, bath, beam, beat, bema, beta, beth, came, cate, cham, chat, each, eath, etch, haem, haet, hame, hate, heat, mabe, mace, mach, mate, math, meat, meta, meth, tace, tach, tame, team, thae, them. | |
-4 letters: ace, act, ate. | |
| Words containing the letters "a-b-c-e-h-m-t" | |
+1 letter: hecatomb. | |
+2 letters: hecatombs, matchable. | |
+3 letters: bichromate, matchboxes. | |
+4 letters: antechamber, bathymetric, bichromated, bichromates, thumbtacked, unmatchable. | |
+5 letters: antechambers, merchantable. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
| 1. Definition 2. Crosswords 3. Usage: Modern 4. Usage: Commercial | 5. Images: Slideshow 6. Images: Photo Album 7. Images: Digital Art 8. Quotations: Fiction | 9. Quotations: Non-fiction 10. Usage Frequency 11. Names: Frequency 12. Expressions: Internet | 13. Translations: Modern 14. Abbreviations 15. Acronyms 16. Anagrams | 17. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
