AP Lang Reads: Macbeth Book Analysis – William Shakespeare

One of the great Shakespearean tragedies, Macbeth is a dark and bloody drama of ambition, murder, guilt, and revenge. Prompted by the prophecies of three mysterious witches and goaded by his ambitious wife, the Scottish thane Macbeth murders Duncan, King of Scotland, in order to succeed him on the throne. This foul deed soon entangles the conscience-stricken nobleman in a web of treachery, deceit, and more murders, which ultimately spells his doom. Set amid the gloomy castles and lonely heaths of medieval Scotland, Macbeth paints a striking dramatic portrait of a man of honor and integrity destroyed by a fatal character flaw and the tortures of a guilty imagination.

Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a timeless exploration of human nature, ambition, and the consequences of choice. In this blog post, I delve into key themes and character analyses from our AP Lang seminar, focusing on fate, agency, and the psychological unraveling of its protagonists.

“Fair is foul, and foul is fair, hover through fog and filthy air.” ~ Willam Shakesphere, Macbeth

Fate vs. Free Will: Who Controls Macbeth’s Destiny?

While the witches plant the idea of Macbeth’s rise to power through their prophecy, they don’t say how he achieves it. It’s Macbeth’s choices and his free will that ultimately lead him down a dark and destructive path. Lady Macbeth’s manipulation plays a role, but even then, Macbeth deliberately decides to act on his ambition. The witches set the stage, but what Macbeth does with their prophecy is entirely up to him. He isn’t a victim of fate but someone who lets his ambition override his moral compass.

• The witches’ prophecy: “All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!” (Act 1, Scene 3) is an example of how Macbeth’s ambition was ignited, but it does not dictate action.

• Macbeth’s soliloquy in Act 1, Scene 7: (“If it were done when ’tis done…”) reveals his conscious, deliberate, and aware choice to murder Duncan, despite knowing the moral consequences because of his vaulting ambition.

Macbeth’s Complexity

Shakespeare develops Macbeth’s character by highlighting how deeply flawed and complex he is. At the start, Macbeth is portrayed as a brave and loyal warrior, respected for his battlefield prowess. But as the play progresses, we see how easily his fragile ego and rampant ambition destroy him. His soliloquies reveal his inner struggle, like when he debates murdering Duncan in Act 1, Scene 7. His change from a reluctant and guilt-ridden man to a paranoid tyrant shows how ambition can sometimes corrupt a person.

• The paradox of Macbeth’s character is evident in his transformation from “brave Macbeth” (Act 1, Scene 2) to a man who “succumbs to despair” after Lady Macbeth’s death (Act 5, Scene 5).

• His soliloquies—such as his hallucination of a “dagger of the mind” (Act 2, Scene 1): reflect his psychological unraveling. Scholars note his “moral compass” clashes with his “deflated ego,” creating tragic tension.

Responsibility for Duncan’s Murder

While Lady Macbeth plays a major role in convincing Macbeth to kill Duncan, the ultimate responsibility lies with Macbeth. Lady Macbeth manipulates him, but she doesn’t use the knife—he does. Macbeth has multiple chances to back out, but his ambition drives him forward. Even after Duncan’s murder, Macbeth makes the decision to continue down a bloody path, killing Banquo and others to secure his power. Lady Macbeth may have ignited the rage, but Macbeth is the one who chooses to stay on this destructive course.

• Lady Macbeth challenges Macbeth’s masculinity (“When you durst do it, then you were a man” – Act 1, Scene 7), but Macbeth admits, “I am settled, and bend up / Each corporal agent to this terrible feat” (Act 1, Scene 7), confirming his agency.

• His subsequent murders (Banquo, Macduff’s family) stem from his own paranoia, illustrating his “hubris” and belief in being “immune to fate”.

Symbolism of Blood

Blood symbolizes guilt and the weight of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s crimes. After Duncan’s murder, Macbeth obsesses over the blood on his hands, asking, “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?” (Act 2, Scene 2). This moment shows how deeply guilt affects him. For Lady Macbeth, blood becomes an inescapable reminder of their deeds. Over time, blood transforms from a literal mark of violence to a metaphorical symbol of guilt, haunting both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.

• Lady Macbeth’s sleepwalking scene (“Out, damned spot!” – Act 5, Scene 1): mirrors Macbeth’s earlier guilt, symbolizing their shared psychological collapse and regret.

• Blood is a “metaphorical symbol of guilt,” reflecting how ultimately no one can escape the consequences of their actions.

Hallucinations and Character Development

Macbeth’s hallucinations give us a window into his mind. The floating dagger he sees before killing Duncan in Act 2, Scene 1 shows how conflicted he is. Later, Banquo’s ghost in Act 3, Scene 4 reveals how paranoid and consumed he’s become. These visions aren’t just supernatural, they’re physical images of his guilt and fear. As the play progresses, the hallucinations show how ambition and regret eat away at him, turning him into someone unrecognizable from the loyal soldier we meet at the beginning.

• The dagger hallucination (“Is this a dagger which I see before me?” – Act 2, Scene 1): foreshadows his moral decay, while Banquo’s ghost (“Thy bones are marrowless” – Act 3, Scene 4) exposes his unraveling sanity.

• These visions align with his “inner struggle” and “fragile sense of masculinity,” illustrating Shakespeare’s focus on psychological realism, and because of how Macbeth’s ego was so fragile, he was easily manipulated.

Macbeth as an Aristotelian Tragedy

Macbeth fits the idea of an Aristotelian tragedy because it’s the story of a good man who’s destroyed by his own flaws. At the start, Macbeth is brave, loyal, and respected, but his ambition is his undoing. Once the witches tell him he’ll be king, he can’t let go of the idea, even when it means betraying everything he stands for. His moral weakness—how easily he’s influenced by Lady Macbeth and his own greed—leads him to murder Duncan, setting off a chain reaction of violence and paranoia. While he’s clearly flawed, he’s also human. He feels guilt and wrestles with his decisions, which makes him more relatable. By the end, though, he’s so consumed by power that he’s beyond redemption. That complexity, his mix of good and bad, makes him a true tragic hero.

• Aristotle’s tragic hero requires a “fatal flaw” aka hamartia, which Macbeth embodies through his unchecked ambition.

• His “redeeming qualities” like initial loyalty, guilt over Duncan’s murder started to fade as he became an overly dark “tyrant” who “exploits his power” because of greed and a hunger for power.

The Role of Guilt

Guilt is one of the driving forces behind both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s downfalls. For Macbeth, guilt initially shows up as hesitation—he’s plagued by visions like the floating dagger before Duncan’s murder and later Banquo’s ghost, both reminders of the weight of his crimes. While he tries to bury his guilt under more violence, it never really leaves him, turning him into a paranoid, isolated tyrant. Lady Macbeth, on the other hand, starts off as the more ruthless one, but guilt creeps in and consumes her entirely. Her sleepwalking scene, where she obsessively tries to wash away imaginary blood, shows how the guilt she tried to suppress has taken over her mind. Shakespeare uses guilt to show how no one can escape the consequences of their actions—it’s what ultimately destroys both characters.

• Lady Macbeth’s psychological destruction (“Here’s the smell of the blood still” – Act 5, Scene 1) contrasts with Macbeth’s descent into nihilism (“Life’s but a walking shadow” – Act 5, Scene 5).

• Guilt “haunts both characters,” serving as Shakespeare’s moral indictment of unchecked ambition.

Final Thoughts
Shakespeare’s Macbeth remains a masterclass in exploring human ambition, moral decay, and the inescapable consequences of choice. The play’s enduring relevance lies in its ability to mirror the darkest corners of the human psyche, where fate and free will collide, and guilt is used as a judge and also an executioner.