Macbeth is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It was originally titled The Tragedy of Macbeth and first performed in 1606. Macbeth is a brave Scottish general, and the play follows his rise and fall, highlighting the destructive effects of political ambition and power.
Shakespeare builds this play around a small group of characters whose choices drive the tragedy. Each character draws attention to the play's themes, including power, fate, ambition, and morality - for example, Macbeth's rise to the throne and ultimate descent into paranoia and madness.
This article explores the key characters and supporting cast in the play Macbeth, including Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, King Duncan and Banquo. This includes their role in the story, quotations to remember, and plot examples. It is suitable for GCSE revision across all major exam boards, including AQA.
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Macbeth
Macbeth is introduced as a respected Scottish general, having defeated a rebellion by the Thane of Cawdor, with forces from Norway and Ireland. He is loyal to King Duncan, who appoints him the new Thane of Cawdor.
Macbeth and Banquo meet three witches wandering on a heath. This encounter awakens his ambition when they prophesy his rise to the kingdom, which ultimately leads to his downfall.
Macbeth is defined by internal conflict. He knows that the murder of King Duncan is morally wrong early in the play. He knows that the only motivation is his dangerous ambition, which he struggles to control:
"I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition."
Macbeth kills King Duncan while he is staying at his castle. Lady Macbeth encourages Macbeth, who kills Duncan himself. Macbeth then takes the throne, becoming increasingly paranoid. He decides killing Banquo will secure his position, as he is uneasy about his friend's role in the prophecy, which says he will father a line of kings. However, his son Fleance escapes during the ambush.
During the rest of the play, Macbeth descends into a tyrant, ruling through fear and violence. He finally realises the witches' prophecies have misled him when Malcolm, the former King Duncan's eldest son, is reported to be advancing on Dunsinane as moving trees. Despite this, Macbeth continues to fight in the face of sure defeat, showing his courage and tragic blindness. His character arcs from loyal subject to ruthless king, making him crucial to the Scottish play and its exploration of ambition and power. He reflects on the emptiness of his achievements at the climax of the play, realising that his ambition had led to nothing:
"Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more."
Lady Macbeth
Lady Macbeth greatly influences her husband in the actions he takes to pursue greater power. She is determined and ambitious from the outset, encouraging him to kill Duncan when he sends her a letter telling of his encounter with the witches. She is ruthless and fears that Macbeth won't act decisively on his own.
The following excerpt is from a famous speech, where she tries to remove any feelings that could stop her from committing evil acts. Lady Macbeth says supernatural forces should remove her compassion so she is capable of greater cruelty. She is unusual in her rejection of traditional views of femininity, so she can pursue power:
"Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here."
Macbeth has a close relationship with Lady Macbeth and is pressured into murdering King Duncan when she questions his courage and masculinity. She also frames Duncan's servants by placing the bloody daggers next to them as they sleep.
The guilt of this crime leads Lady Macbeth to gradually deteriorate physically and mentally as the play continues. She starts to sleepwalk when she tries to wash imagined blood from her hands. This shows the guilt has overwhelmed her, leading her to collapse psychologically under the weight of what she has done:
"Out, damned spot! Out, I say!"
Banquo
Banquo is a brave general in King Duncan's army and Macbeth's friend. He is at Macbeth's side when they encounter the witch. However, unlike his friend's ambition, Banquo is cautious, showing him moral strength.
He warns Macbeth not to trust the supernatural promises, warning that fulfilling the witches' prophecy may cause harm later, particularly due to the half-truth of these evil forces. The quote below reflects his wisdom and suspicion:
"And oftentimes, to win us to our harm, the instruments of darkness tell us truths."
Macbeth starts to fear Banquo's role in the prophecy after he becomes king. The witches suggest that his songs will rule Scotland, threatening his rule. Banquo is murdered by Macbeth when he arranges an ambition for himself and his son, Fleance. However, Fleance managed to escape.
Banquo's ghost haunts Macbeth at the banquet. He is only visible to Macbeth, causing him to panic in front of his guests. It shows Macbeth's guilt and growing instability, reflecting the consequences of his crimes:
"Thou canst not say I did it: never shake thy gory locks at me!"
Macduff
Macduff is the Thane of Fife. He is a Scottish nobleman who values justice and loyalty to Scotland. He is the main opponent of Macbeth, working to remove him from the throne.
Macduff is immediately suspicious of Macbeth. When King Duncan is found murdered, he reacts with horror. This shows his honesty and morality, being deeply disturbed by the crime rather than the ambitious possibilities it opens up:
"O horror, horror, horror! Tongue nor heart cannot conceive nor name thee!"
He refuses to attend Macbeth's coronation and travels to England, looking for support from allies to take back the Scottish throne. This includes Duncan's son, Malcolm. Macbeth sees this as betrayal and orders the murder of Macduff's wife and children, making the conflict seem personal.
Devastated about the death of his family, Macduff is determined to avenge them with Malcolm's help, who has raised an army with the help of the English King Edward:
"Front to front bring thou this fiend of Scotland and myself."
He confronts Macbeth during the battle at the climax of the play. He ultimately kills Macbeth, restoring justice and helping Malcolm reclaim the throne. In doing so, he shows the folly of the witches' prophecy, as he was born by Caesarean section ("from his mother's womb untimely ripped"), as Macbeth believed he could not be killed by "one of woman born".
King Duncan
King Duncan is the ruler of Scotland. He represents lawful authority, stability, and moral order. He is depicted as a generous, trusting king. This heightens the shock when he is murdered.
Duncan praises Macbeth for his bravery in defeating the traitorous Thane of Cawdor. He grants him the same thaneship, recognises his loyalty and service:
"What he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won."
When Duncan visits Macbeth's castle at Inverness, Lady Macbeth welcomes him warmly. However, she and her husband are already plotting to murder Duncan. His comments on the castle create a dramatic irony, as the reader knows he is about to be betrayed where he feels safe:
"This castle hath a pleasant seat."
His death is a turning point in the play. The natural, political order of Scotland is replaced with fear and instability as Macbeth seizes the throne, until his eventual defeat.
Malcolm
Malcolm is King Duncan's eldest son and the heir to Scotland. He becomes increasingly important during the play. Malcolm represents the restoration of lawful leadership after the tyranny of Macbeth.
Duncan anncounes he will be the next Scottish king in Act 1. This adds an extra obstacle for Macbeth, as he now stands in the way of the throne:
"We will establish our estate upon uur eldest, Malcolm, whom we name hereafter the Prince of Cumberland."
Malcolm and his brother Donalbain flee Scotland when their father is killed in Act 2, fearing they will also be murdered. This inadvertently makes them prime suspects in his murder. He travels to England and gathers support to overthrow Macbeth with the help of the king of England.
In Act 4, he tests Macduff's loyalty before trusting him. Pretending that he would be a terrible leader, Macduff is honest, showing his loyalty to Scotland. Malcolm then reveals the truth and leads an army against the tyrant king:
"Macduff, this noble passion, child of integrity, hath from my soul wiped the black scruples."
When Macbeth is killed by Macduff, Malcolm is crowned king of Scotland. He promises to restore peace and order.
Supporting Characters
The Three Witches
The witches introduce the supernatural prophecy, which sets the tragedy in motion. They appear on a stormy battlefield, chanting in riddles. The line below suggests that appearances are deceiving, and suggests moral confusion that dominates the play:
"Fair is foul, and foul is fair."
They deliver their prophecy when they meet Macbeth and Banquo after the battle. They tell Macbeth he will become Thane and ultimately king of Scotland. The first prophecy becomes true quickly, leading Macbeth to believe the rest. They never force Macbeth to act, but their predictions influence his ambition and decisions.
When Macbeth returns to the witches for more prophecies, their visions and half-truths give him false security, contributing to his downfall.
Fleance
Fleance is Banquo’s son. He represents the continuity of the family line. The witches predict Banquo's children will become kings, making Fleance an important character in the future of Scotland.
When Banquo and Fleance are ambushed by murdered arranged by Macbeth, his father is killed. However, Fleance is able to escape into the dark:
"Fly, good Fleance, fly, fly, fly!"
He doesn't appear again in the play. His survival is important, as it suggests the witches' prophecy about Banquo's descendants may come true.
Donalbain
King Duncan's younger son is Donalbain. He flees with Malcolm, recognising the danger they are in and warning Malcolm of the danger. This quote shows the theme of deception in the play. People who seem friendly may be dangerous:
"There’s daggers in men’s smiles."
When he flees Scotland after his father's death, Donalbain travels to Ireland while his brother goes to England. This escape protects them from Macbeth, although it makes them both prime suspects in the murder of their father.
Lady Macduff
Lady Macduff represents the human cost of Macbeth's tyranny. She is shown as a caring, innocent mother who is moral, criticising her husband for leaving the family behind.
When Macduff flees to England, she feels abandoned. The quote shows her frustration and vulnerability. She can't understand why her husband would leave his family unprotected:
"His flight was madness."
Macbeth later sends murderers to Macduff's castle. They brutally kill Lady Macduff and her son. The death of innocents reinforces the depths Macbeth has fallen to protect his power.
Lennox
Lennox is a Scottish nobleman. He supports Macbeth initially, but becomes increasingly suspicious and begins to see his is responsible for the violence in Scotland. He is sarcastic about the recent murder of Duncan, heavily implying he doesn't believe the official explanation for Duncan's death:
"The gracious Duncan was pitied of Macbeth."
He decides to support Malcolm and Macduff when they rebel against Macbeth. This growing opposition reflects how many Scottish nobles have turned against the king of Scotland.
Conclusion - Characters in Macbeth, Shakespeare
Shakespeare shows that ambition, power, and moral choices affect each character in his tragedy. Macbeth is introduced as a brave soldier, but descends into a tyrannical king through his desire for power. Lady Macbeth becomes consumed by guilt due to her ambition. Other characters show the consequences of the protagonist's actions and the eventual restoration of Scottish rule.
It's important to understand the role of each character, key quotes, and how they link to major themes. For further reading, you can read key quotes to memorise in Macbeth by SaveMyExams. You can also learn about the historical context of Macbeth in this article by Pearson Schools and FE Colleges.
If you need extra support, TeachTutti has experienced English Literature GCSE tutors who can provide bespoke tutoring, such as preparing revision cards of key quotes and plot examples for each character.
