Macbeth, Act V
Macbeth murders his king and kinsman in order to gain the crown, but, in doing so, he loses all that humans seem to need in order to be happy - sleep, nourishment, friends, and love. The Tragedy of Macbeth teases us with huge questions.
Why do people commit evil knowing that it is evil?
Does Macbeth commit murder because fate tempts him, because his wife pushes him into it, or because he is overly ambitious?
After killing Duncan, why does Macbeth fall apart, unable to sleep, seeing ghosts, putting spies in everyone's home, killing his friends and innocent women and children?
Why does the success of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth turn so quickly to ashes, destroying them and everything around them?
Let's read the final Act of Macbeth to see if these questions are ever really answered.
Words to Know
Taper
Perturbation
Murky
Gentry
Fortify
Valiant
Sear
Arbitrate
Siege
Strut
Clamorous
Prowess
Snare
Harbinger
Macbeth. Act V
Read Macbeth Act V and complete your 4.06 Plot Guide as you read. If you would like to print out your play, you may open the Unit 4 PDF copy of Macbeth.
Scene i: Lady Macbeth is guilt ridden and can get no rest. The doctor and a servant watch as she walks and talks in her sleep.
Watch the 2011 performance of Macbeth. You have to scroll the time from 2:06:00 to 2:10:48.
How is Lady Macbeth a dynamic character?
Scene ii: An English army, led by Malcolm and Old Siward, has arrived in Scotland and is joining forces with Scottish forces.
Scene iii: Because of the witches' prophecies, Macbeth does not feel threatened when he hears that ten thousand English soldiers are approaching.
Macbeth speaks to the doctor and asks him to cure his wife of her sickness, but the doctor tells him that there is nothing he can do for her.
Scene iv: The English forces have arrived at Birnam Wood. Malcolm orders each soldier to cut down a branch from a tree and carry it as camouflage.
Scene v: Macbeth's world begins to crumble as he learns that his wife is dead. He then hears that Birnam Wood is coming to Dunsinane. He chooses to face his enemies in open battle.
Scene vi: After Malcolm's army arrives at Macbeth's castle, he orders Siward and his son to lead the attack.
Scene vii: Macbeth is concerned but knows that no one born of woman can harm him. He kills Young Siward in battle and exits. Macduff appears searching for Macbeth, and Siward tells him that the castle has been taken with very little resistance.
Scene viii: Macbeth and Macduff finally face each other in battle, and Macbeth finds out that Macduff was taken from his mother in a caesarian birth, so he was technically not born of woman. You know what that means!
You learned about theme in lesson 4.03. Now the themes should becoming apparent. Ask yourself these questions again: What message is the author trying to give me? What lesson am I supposed to glean?
The theme is revealed through the characters, plot, and setting that make up the story. What lessons should we have learned from the Macbeths?
Ambition destroys people.
Life and destiny are in the beholder's hands.
Lies and deceit will get you no where.
Bravery, confidence, and stupidity do not go together.
If you are feeling creative, you can write a poem based on the play or a theme from the play.
Read a few student samples of poems about Macbeth.
Motif
A motif is a distinctive feature or a dominant idea in literature. Macbeth is filled with recurring ideas that connect with the different themes. View the trailer of the Royal Shakespeare Company's 2011 performance of Macbeth.
What is the motif that keeps recurring in this piece?
Answer: Sleep