List of Characters with References to Acts and Scenes
| Angus | A nobelman. With Ross, he brings news of Macbeth's new title of Thane of Cawdor (Act 1, scene 3, 10ß1-117). Later he marches against Macbeth (Act 5, scene 2, 16-22). |
| Banquo | Banquo, a captain in Duncan's army. He and Macbeth are victoriously returning from battle when they first meet the witches [Act 1. scene 3. 40-48]. They prophesy that Banquo's heirs will be kings, although he himself will not [Act 1. scene 3. 66-70]. Once he has murdered Duncan, Macbeth realises that he must then kill Banquo and his son. Fleance. He also acknowledges a 'royalty' in Banquo that makes him uncomfortably aware of his own lack of noble qualities [Act 3. scene 1. 48-68]. Macbeth's hired murderers kill Banquo. But Fleance escapes [Act 3. scene 3. 16-23]. At a feast that evening, Banquo's ghost appears to Macbeth, who is horrified [Act 3. scene 4. 93-107]. The witches then further torment Macbeth by showing him a vision of Banquo's heirs as kings [Act 4. scene 1. 111-123]. |
| Caithness | A nobleman. He joins Malcolm and marches against Macbeth [Act 5. scene 2. 25-29]. |
| Donalbein | Donalbain. Duncan's younger son, flees to Ireland after his father's murder [Act 2, scene 3, 138-141] and does not return [Act 5, scene 2, 7-8] |
| Duncan | King Duncan is first seen in conflict with the Norwegians and, significantly, he has just been betrayed by the the first Thane of Cawdor as he will be by the second. Macbeth [Act 1. scene 2. 54-67]. He rewards Macbeth for winning the battle, but makes his eldest son, Malcolm, his heir [Act 1. scene 4. 35-43]. Duncan thinks highly of Macbeth and there is dramatic irony in his gratitude to his hostess. Lady Macbeth [Act 1. scene 6. 10-13]. Even Macbeth realises Duncan's goodness [Act 1. scene 7. 16-20] and Lady Macbeth says that Duncan resembles her father as he sleeps [Act 2. scene 2. 12-13]. Later. while sleepwalking, Lady Macbeth recalls the brutal reality of Duncan's murder [Act 5. scene 1. 35-36]. After his death, Duncan is remembered by Macduff as a saintly king [Act 4. scene 3. 108-111 ]. |
| Fleance | Banquo's son. Fleance, has a close relationship with his father [Act 2. scene 1. 1-4]. When Banquo is murdered. Fleance escapes [Act 3. scene 3. 17-18]. |
| Hecate | Hecate is the Greek goddess of witchcraft. It is generally thought that Shakespeare did not write the scene where she reproaches the witches for misusing their power {Act 3, scene 5, 2-5] so the scene is often cut in modern productions. |
| Lennox | A nobleman. With Macduff, Lennox arrives at Macbeth's castle in Inverness on the night of Duncan's murder [Act 2. scene 3. 51-72]. He is present at the feast when Banquo's ghost appears to Macbeth [Act 3. scene 4. 46-48]. Later, in a speech full of irony, he discusses Macduff's flight with the Lord [Act 3. scene 6. 1-23]. He continues to serve Macbeth [Act 4. scene 1. 134-142]. although he later joins Malcolm's army [Act 5. scene 2. 25-31 ]. |
| Macbeth | Macbeth, Thane of Glamis, is returning victoriously from battle when he first meets the witches [Act 1. scene 3. 4851 ]. Almost immediately one of the witches' prophecies comes true and Macbeth's thoughts turn to murder and evil [Act 1. scene 3. 131-143]. Goaded by his wife [Act 1. scene 7. 41-62] he resolves to kill Duncan [Act 1, scene 7, 80-84]. Haring become king, Macbeth realises that he must also kill Banquo [Act 3. scene 1. 47-68]. Banquo's ghost then appears to Macbeth at a feast [Act 3. scene 4. 93-107]. Nevertheless, Macbeth feels that, having chosen an evil course, he cannot go back [Act 3. scene 4. 136138]. He returns to consult the witches [Act 4. scene 1. 70-85] and as a result he decides to have Macduff's wife and child murdered. When he hears of Lady Macbeth's death he feels that life has become completely pointless [Act 5. scene 5. 15-28]. Nevertheless, when his castle is beseiged, he refuses to surrender [Act 5. scene 5. 46-52]. Even when confronted by Macduff, he chooses to fight on and is killed [Act 5. scene 8. 27-34]. |
| Lady Macbeth | When she hears of the witches' prophecies Lady Macbeth resolves to do all in her power to make Macbeth king [Act 1. scene 5. 15-30]. She calls on spirits to fill her with cruelty [Act 1. scene 5. 40-54]. She alternately cajoles and taunts Macbeth until he agrees to the murder [Act 1. scene 7. 3159]. However. she reveals a less fierce side to her character when she says that she could not murder Duncan because he looks too much like her father [Act 2. scene 2. 12-13]. After the murder, she takes charge [Act 2. scene 2. 53-57], yet she later faints [Act 2. scene 3. 118-125]. Lady Macbeth becomes queen. But Macbeth no longer takes her into his confidence [Act 3. scene 2. 45-46]. and she covers up for him at the feast without knowing the reason for his strange behaviour [Act 3. scene 4. 53-58]. While Macbeth goes on to further evil, she sleepwalks [Act 5. scene 1. 32-47], her earlier words about washing off Duncan's blood [Act 2. scene 2. 67-68] coming back to haunt her [Act 5. scene 1. 32-37]. Later, Malcolm says that she was thought to have committed suicide [Act 5. scene 8. 69-71 ]. |
| Macduff | Macduff, the Thane of Fife, arrives at Macbeth's castle in Inverness and discovers Duncan's murder [Act 2. scene 3. 63-68]. Very soon he suspects Macbeth [Act 2. scene 4. 38-39]. Hearing that Malcolm and Edward, King of England, are preparing for war, Macduff goes to England, ignoring Macbeth's summons to join him (Act 3, scene 6. 29-49) . The witches tell Macbeth not only to fear Macduff, but also that he cannot be killed by a man born of woman [Act 4. scene 1. 70-80]. Macbeth decides to kill Macduff nevertheless and, finding that he has left Scotland, has his wife and children murdered. Ross brings the news to Macduff [Act 4. scene 3. 204212]. Because of this, in the final battle Macduff is determined to kill Macbeth and, when Macbeth taunts him with the witches' promise. announces that he was taken prematurely from his mother's womb [Act 5. scene 8. 13-16]. They fight and Macduff kills Macheth. Macduff then proclaims Malcolm king [Act 5. scene 8. 54-59]. |
| Son of the Macduffs | The son of Madduff and Lady Macduff questions his mother, with precocious insight, on the nature of treachery [Act 4, scene 2, 44-62], and is then murdered on Macbeth's orders [Act4, scene 2, 82-84] |
| Lady Macduff | Lady Macduff feels that Macduff has abandoned her [Act 4. scene 2. 1-14] by going to join Malcolm in England. After a touching conversation with thier son [Act 4, scene 2, scene 2. 30-43] she is murdered on Macbeth's orders [Act 4. scene 2. 79-84]. |
| Malcolm | Duncan makes his eldest son, Malcom, Prince of Cumberland and therefore his heir [Act 1. scene 4. 35-39]. After Duncan's murder, Malcolm flees to England [Act 2. scene 3. 135-137]. With the English king's help, he raises an army against Macbeth. When Macduff joins him, Malcom tests his loyalty with a series of bizarre lies [Act 4. scene 3. 76-102]. The play ends with Malcolm declared King of Scotland (Act 5, scene 8, 54-59]. His final speech reminds us of Duncan and provides hope that he will be a good king [Act 5, scene 8, 60-75]. |
| Menteith | A nobleman. Menteith encourages the other thanes to join the English and march against Macbeth [Act 5, scene 2, 1-5] |
| Murderers |
Macbeth persuades the first and second murderers to murder Banquo and Fleance [Act 3, scene 1, 109 - 125] First Murderer After the murder [Act 3, scene 3, 15-18] the first murderer brings Macbeth the news of Banquo's death and Fleances's escape [Act 3, scene 4, 14 -20]. Second Murderer He joins in the murder [Act 3, scene 3, 9-18], but realises that they have failed by letting Fleance escape [Act 3, scene 3, 20-21] Third Murderer A mysterious character who joins in the murder of Banquo [Act 3, scene 3, 1- 14], telling the other murderers that Macbeth sent him. Murderers also arrive at Macduff's castle in Fife to kill Lady Macduff and her son [Act 4, scene 2, 78 - 84]. |
| Porter |
The Porter guards the gate at Macbeth's castel in Inverness. The porter's comic soliloquy [Act 2, scene 3, 1 -20] provides humour at an extremely important dramatic moment between Duncan's murder and Macduff's discovery of it. Although some critics, notably Coleridge, have felt that Shakespeare could not have written this soliloquy, the Porter's mention of 'hell-gate' echoes Macbeth's speeches in the previous act. The Porter lets in Lennox and Macduff and enters into a comic dialogue with Macduff [Act 2, scene 3, 21 - 40] |
| Ross |
A nobleman. Ross brings news of Macbeth's victory in battle (Act 1, scene 2. 49-59]: Macbeth's new title of Thane of Cawdor (Act 1. scene 3. 105-108]; Macduff's flight [Act 4, scene 2. 1-29];: the murder of Macduff's wife and children [Act 4. scene 3. 201-207]: and the death of Young Siward [Act 5. scene 8. 39-46]. |
| Seyton | Seyton is an officer serving Macbeth. He confirms reports of the approach of the English army [Act 5. scene 3, 29-33] and brings news of Lady Macbeth's death [Act 5, scene 5, 15 - 16] |
| Siward | Siward is the Earl of Northumberland and head of the English army. War is everything to him [Act 5. scene 6. 6-8] and he is content that his son, young Siward, dies a brave death [Act 5, scene 8. 39-50]. |
| Young Siward | When Siward's son is killed by Macbeth (Act 5, scene 7, 4-11], Siward asks only if he was stabbed on the front of his body and therefore was not running away [Act 5, scene 8, 46 - 47]. |
| The Witches | The three witches are also called the Weird Sisters [Act 1, scene 3, 33].They can see into the future and predict Macbeth's arrival on the heath [Act 1, scene 1, 1 - 8]. Banquo describes their unnatural appearance [Act 1, scene 3, 40 - 47]. They seem to be able to vanish at will [Act 1, scene 3, 80-81] and control the weather [Act 1, scene 3, 12-18]. They cast spells [Act 4, scene 1, 4-21] and conjure apparitions [Act 4, scene 1, 62 - 67]. It is in keeping with the equivocal nature of the play that their prophecies, which spur Macbeth to murder, also predict his downfall (compare Act 4, scene 1, 78-80) and Act 5, scene 8, 12-22; Act 4, scene 1, 91-93 and Act 5, scene 5, 33-46). |
| Other characters | Apparitions, English Doctor, Scottish Doctor, Gentlewoman, Lord, Messenger, Old Man, Sergeant, Servant |