Characters
Please click on a name for information about
the character.
Banquo
Donalbain
Duncan
Lady Macbeth
Lennox
Macbeth
Macduff
Malcolm
Ross
Witches
Banquo
- close friend of Macbeth, warrior in Duncan's army.
When the
three witches predict that Macbeth will be king of Scotland, they also
tell Banquo that his children will, someday, be kings of Scotland.
Banquo suspects that Macbeth murdered Duncan to become king. Worried about
the witches' prophecy that Banquo's children will become kings, Macbeth
arranges for the murder of both Banquo and his son, Fleance. Banquo
is killed in the attack.
Donalbain-
Son of Duncan and brother of Malcolm. Fearing that the murderer of his
father will also try to kill him, he flees to Ireland.
Duncan-
Good-hearted,
honest king of Scotland. He is murdered by Macbeth, one of his most
trusted generals.
Lady
Macbeth - wife
of Macbeth. When Macbeth tells her of the witchs' prediction that
he will be king, Lady Macbeth arranges for the murder of Duncan. Extremely
evil, she devises the entire murder and is able to convince her husband
to go along with the plan. She becomes obsessed with her ambition to make
Macbeth king, and does everything within her power to make sure that
it happens. Several times, Lady Macbeth bates Macbeth into going along
with evil deeds, and not feeling guilty about them. However, in the end,
Lady Macbeth's own conscience eats away at her, and she eventually goes
mad.
Lennox-
one of Duncan's
nobles. He grows increasingly more suspicious of Macbeth's intentions,
and makes sarcastic comments regarding Macbeth's responses to the vicious
murders of both Duncan and Banquo. Frightened for the fate of Scotland,
Lennox sends an unnamed messenger to Scotland to seek the aid of Macduff.
Macbeth-
originally
Thane of Glamis and a good and honest general in Duncan's army, Macbeth
is impressed with the witches ability to predict his appointment as Thane
of Cawdor. When the witches predict that Macbeth to become king, he begins
to wonder if, it too, will come true.
Convinced
by his wife, Lady Macbeth to put the witchs' prophecy into effect, Macbeth
brutally murders Duncan, the king. When Duncan's sons, in fear, flee to
Scotland, Macbeth becomes king.
Eventually,
the witches three other prophecies (see WITCHES) come true, and Macbeth
is overthrown when he is murdered my Macduff. Malcolm claims his rightful
place as king.
Macduff-
a Scottish
general, Thane of Fife. First to discover Duncan's murder. He grows
strongly suspicious of Macbeth. Because of the witches prophecy: "Macbeth!
Macbeth! Macbeth! Beware Macduff!" (Shakespeare 25), and the witches prediction
that Banquo's kin will be kings, Macbeth plans to kill Macduff. When
Macbeth learns that Macduff has fled to England, he vows to kills
Macduff's entire household. Macduff swears to kill Macbeth. He convinces
Malcolm to return to Scotland and helps to organize a rebel army to overthrow
Macbeth. Macduff eventually manages to kill Macbeth, as he is, technically
not "of woman born." (125). [He was cut out of his mother's wound by means
of a sea section]
Malcolm-
son of Duncan
and heir to the Scottish throne. After the murder of his father he
flees to England, but is later convinced by Macduff to return and take
the crown from Macbeth. At the end of the novel, he is proclaimed king.
Ross
-
seves as messenger in the story. He announces Macbeth's appointment
as Thane of Cawdor and tries to explain to Lady Macduff why Macduff fled
to England. He keeps Macduff informed as to happenings in Scotland.
Witches,
also referred to as "The Weird Sisters" -
When they see Macbeth for
the first time- predict that he will become Thane of Cawdor and later,
King. Also predict that Banquo's children will become kings.
When Macbeth confronts them
the 2nd time- they show him three apparitions:
1st apparition
warns Macbeth of Macduff.
2nd apparition
tells Macbeth that "none of women born shall harm Macbeth" (qtd. Shakespeare
125).
3rd apparition
tells Macbeth that he will be king until the Birnam Woods come to Dunsinane
Castle.
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