A purely English story. Macbeth was an exemplary ruler

The main characters of the tragedy " Macbeth" occupy a high position in the hierarchy of the kingdom. The witches predict a great future for Macbeth and Banquo, two close associates of the king. Believing in the prophecy, Macbeth enters into a brutal struggle for power and truly becomes king. However, Macbeth is disturbed by the second half of the prediction, according to which it is not his children who will inherit the throne, but the descendants of Banquo.
The characters in the tragedy care about the safety of themselves and their loved ones. For example, Macbeth realizes that he must protect King Duncan's stay in his own castle:
“The king remains here under double guard. ... I am obliged as a relative and subject to protect him and as a master,” Macbeth’s duty is to protect his king.
By comparison, the king's heir, Malcolm, hopes that his country will once again be safe:
“The day is coming when we will once again secure our home,” the character wants to protect those close to him from Macbeth’s attacks.
Certain traditions have developed in Duncan's kingdom. Thus, among other things, the order of succession to the throne is established:
“All of you, whose place is next to the throne, know that from now on our first-born Malcolm is called to inherit us,” the king adheres to the existing order of transfer of the crown.
Macbeth wants to seize the throne against the law. To this end, with the help of his wife, he develops a plan to assassinate the king:
“You wanted to create an opportunity for yourself,” Lady Macbeth reminds her husband that it is necessary to organize an assassination attempt on Duncan.
As a rule, the characters in the play speak of each other with respect. Even the king himself addresses his subjects with emphatic respect:
“O valiant cousin! A worthy vassal,” Duncan shows respect to Macbeth.
Knowing the desire of the courtiers to achieve a respected position at court, Macbeth decides to use this to his advantage:
“Stick to me and you will gain honor,” Macbeth promises Banquo an honorary title if he helps him.
The plot line of the play is the struggle for power. Indeed, Macbeth strives to become king at any cost:
“You strive for greatness, you are no stranger to the love of power,” Lady Macbeth knows about her husband’s love of power.
Lady Macbeth in every possible way contributes to her husband’s rise to power, hoping to “enjoy power and a crown” with him.
Thus, the characters of the tragedy have organizational needs: security, order, respect and power. Meanwhile, the heroes are exposed to danger, creating chaos, being disrespected, and feeling powerless. The heroes of Pushkin’s works have similar features: “The History of the Village of Goryukhina”, “Scene from Knightly Times”, “The Tale of the Bear”.
For example, the characters in the play often find themselves in unsafe situations. Thus, having seized the throne through deceit, Macbeth constantly feels the threat of losing it.
“We cut the snake, but did not kill it, and the pieces will grow together to again threaten our powerless anger with the same tooth. ... I will eat my bread with trembling and sleep at night, trembling from terrible dreams,” the tyrant worries about the stability of his throne.
At the end of the tragedy, Macbeth takes a great risk when he goes out to fight Macduff:
“You are the only one among people whom I have avoided meeting,” the hero is afraid of fighting his opponent.
During his reign, Macbeth seeks to establish new orders in the kingdom, designed to strengthen his position. However, the persecution of his competitors organized by Macbeth only causes unrest in the state:
“It is clear to everyone that he will no longer subdue the confusion and turmoil with the reins of power,” the tyrant is not able to cope with the rising turmoil.
Macbeth's vassals rebel against the usurper:
“Old Siward was already preparing to move his army of ten thousand. We will join her, and may victory be for a just cause!” - Malcolm joins the rebels against the tyrant.
Macbeth manages to reach the very heights and become king. Having seized the throne, he began to treat people with disdain:
“May the devil smoke you, you slacker!” - the tyrant talks rudely to the servant.
At the same time, even his wife stopped respecting Macbeth:
“To tremble like that and turn pale like that, feigning horror, is only fitting for gossips at the fireside in winter. ...Shame on you!” Lady Macbeth speaks disrespectfully of her husband.
Macbeth became king, as the witches predicted. However, he is powerless to change fate, which promises him the loss of the throne. Macbeth also believes in the prophecy that states that ordinary person, who is “born of a woman,” is powerless to kill him:
“Whoever was born from a woman’s womb only makes me laugh with impotent malice,” the ruler is sure that a mortal cannot overcome him.
Meanwhile, Macbeth is powerless to overcome Macduff, who, as it turns out, was “cut out of his mother’s womb before his time with a knife”:
“My masculine valor is broken,” the tyrant realizes that he is unable to resist his rival.
Like Pushkin's heroes, the characters in the play are distinguished not only by a certain set of aspirations, but also by ways of achieving their goals.
For example, after the witches predicted to Macbeth that he would reach the heights of power in the kingdom, the character is confident in his omnipotence and stops at nothing:
“The defenseless king and I will do as we please,” Lady Macbeth convinces her husband that the king’s life is in their power.
Meanwhile, the Macbeth couple publicly demonstrates in every possible way their complete submission to the king:
“We, as your servants, consider ourselves, our goods and our servants to be your complete property and entrust them to you,” Lady Macbeth shows her obedience to Duncan.
Macbeth treated the prophecies of the witches with due respect when they began to come true. The hero begins to believe in the superiority of witches over mere mortals:
“Their knowledge surpasses man’s,” Macbeth acknowledges the superiority of the prophetesses.
Playing a significant role at court and dreaming of the future greatness of their family, the Macbeths, nevertheless, in the presence of the king, in every possible way emphasize their own insignificance:
“Our services... are nothing compared to the great honor that the monarch bestowed upon us by entering our house,” Lady Macbeth notes the insignificance of the vassals in comparison with the greatness of the king.
Having initially doubts about the truth of the prophecies and wanting to thoroughly understand everything, Macbeth intends to establish control over the veracity of the predictions:
“Prophecies, you haven’t said everything yet... Answer. ...You will give an answer, or I will curse you forever!” - Macbeth expects to control the witches.
However, the prophets, neglecting Macbeth’s calls, disappear from sight:
“Don’t try to find out about this,” the sorceress ignores the desire of the questioner.
Note that witches cover up their insidious plans with truthful predictions:
“The instruments of darkness predict the truth and deceive with honesty in trifles, so that it is all the easier to deceive in important matters.”
For comparison, trying to protect himself from suspicion, Macbeth takes it out on Banquo, shifting responsibility for his atrocities onto him:
“He is to blame for your past misfortunes, not me,” the tyrant frames his former friend.
Thus, the analysis indicates the similarity of the characters of the heroes of the tragedy “Macbeth” and the characters of Pushkin’s works “The History of the Village of Goryukhin”, “A Scene from Knightly Times”, “The Tale of the Bear”. All of them have organizational needs. Like Pushkin's characters, Shakespeare's heroes differ in the types of aspirations, as well as in the ways of achieving their goals, associated with character traits.
The heroes of the tragedy are often in danger, and therefore care about the safety of themselves and their loved ones. Including, characters sometimes hide behind something, and sometimes take it out on someone else.
The kingdom has developed certain order succession to the throne. The illegal seizure of the throne caused unrest in the state. The usurper's desire to establish strict control over everything
only led to the fact that his subjects began to carelessly carry out the instructions given to them.
The work pays a lot of attention to issues of respect. As a rule, vassals recognize the superiority of the sovereigns over themselves, while simultaneously emphasizing their own insignificance. Meanwhile, the heroes show their disrespect to those who, in their opinion, are not worthy of anything else.
The central theme of the work is the struggle for power. Main character strives to gain power, wanting to subordinate everything to his will. However, in the end the tyrant finds himself powerless to resist his fate.

Scottish lord Macbeth and his wife attend the funeral ritual, their only child has died. The parents are heartbroken.

The three witches discuss when they will meet again, deciding to gather “as soon as the battle ends with the victory of one side.” On the heath, where the massacre is supposed to take place, the witches are going to lie in wait for Macbeth.

It's raging in Scotland civil war. The traitor Macdonald led an army of mercenaries to overthrow King Duncan. The ranks of supporters of the crown are thinning. Macbeth, Thane of Glamis, led the exhausted royal army. The king sent his last reserves to help him. The outcome of the war will be decided by the Battle of Ellon.

Opponents are preparing for a decisive battle. Macbeth admonishes the young squire for battle. A brutal bloody battle begins. In the midst of the battle, the squire's throat is cut. Macbeth overtakes the scoundrel MacDonald, rips him open with a sword, blows off his head, and impales it on a spear.

In a military camp near Forres, King Duncan listens good news: Macbeth defeated the troops of MacDonald and the Irish, and killed him in single combat. Duncan's eldest son, Prince Malcolm, informs the king that the Scottish army has come under a new attack - the king of Norway and his ally, the Thane of Cawdor, who betrayed Duncan, have moved fresh forces against it. But the enemy was defeated, the traitor was brought to the king. Duncan orders his execution and the title of Thane of Cawdor to be given to Macbeth.

Macbeth and the leader of the royal army, Banquo, bury the dead soldiers after the battle. In their conversation, they discuss the victory they won, which came at such a high price: “I don’t remember a harsher and more beautiful day,” says Banquo. Witches appear from the fog. The first praises Macbeth as Thane of Glamis (his hereditary title), the second as Thane of Cawdor, and the third prophesies that he will be the new king. While Macbeth stands thoughtfully, the witches three times proclaim Banquo’s praise - he “will not be a king, but he will become the ancestor of a whole dynasty of kings.” The prophets disappear. Honest Banquo is not at all embarrassed by the prediction, witches are just “bubbles of the earth.” Royal envoys appear, they urge the commanders to appear before Duncan and congratulate Macbeth on his new title - Thane of Cawdor. The witches' predictions begin to come true. Banquo advises Macbeth not to attach importance to this: the spirits of evil lure people into their networks with the semblance of truth.

In Forres, Duncan greets his military leaders and thanks them for their loyalty. Macbeth brings Macdonald's head to the king. To give Macbeth a special look, Duncan plans to stay overnight at his castle in Inverness. Macbeth goes ahead to notify his wife of the king's arrival.

In Macbeth's castle, his wife reads a letter from her husband. She is experiencing strong excitement upon learning of his predicted fate. A vain woman calls on the forces of darkness for help. Her husband is worthy of any honor, but he lacks the determination to commit a crime for the sake of power. He is not afraid of evil itself, but only of the necessity of committing it. with my own hand. Well, she is ready to inspire her husband with a daring idea. Having preceded the royal cortege, Macbeth appears at the castle, and his wife immediately announces to him: Duncan should be killed on the only night that he will spend visiting them. When the king appears in the castle, the husband must give him a warm welcome. And she will come up with a plan for an insidious murder herself.

Macbeth is overwhelmed by obsessive dreams of the throne. At a feast held in his honor, the king bestows the title of Prince of Cumberland on his eldest son, Malcolm, and declares him heir to the throne. The rest will also be showered with honors. Macbeth is angry: another obstacle has appeared between him and the throne - Malcolm. He is increasingly inclined to think that the king who showered him with favors needs to be killed. But you will have to do this under your own roof. Macbeth experiences disgust and fear, he is ashamed and afraid of retribution for such an unheard-of crime, but the thirst for power has already taken possession of him. The wife reproaches her husband for cowardice. There can be no failure: the king is tired, he will quickly fall asleep, and she will make his squires drunk with wine. Duncan should be stabbed with daggers, this will divert suspicion from the true culprits.

At night, images of a fierce battle again appear before Macbeth’s eyes. It seems to him that the ghost of a young man killed in battle is handing him a bloody dagger. Macbeth enters the royal tent and commits a villainous murder. He's too shocked to run away right away. Malcolm finds Macbeth at the bedside of his murdered father. The owner of the castle does not openly admit his guilt, he turns to crown prince with a question that conveys a threat: is he ready to avenge his father? Malcolm runs away in tears, he hastily leaves Inverness. Macbeth tells his wife that he has carried out his daring plan. She notices that her husband forgot to leave the daggers in the hands of the sleeping squires. Lady Macbeth has to cover up the traces of the crime. A ruthless woman finds her husband's sensitivity inappropriate when he looks in horror at his bloody hands, trying in vain to wash them.

The next morning, Macduff, Thane of Fife, arrives. The king ordered him to appear at first light, but he was late. Macbeth has already changed his clothes and, with the air of a kind host, accompanies Macduff to the royal chambers. The picture he finds is terrible - Duncan is stabbed to death, and the drunken servants are smeared with the master's blood. Allegedly, in a fit of righteous anger, Macbeth kills the squires who did not have time to recover. The alarm sounds and funeral rites are performed over Duncan's body. The king's associates discuss who is really guilty of his murder. Opinions are divided. Suspicion also falls on Malcolm, who disappeared without a trace that night. Macbeth is elected the new king.

Macbeth, his wife and the entire royal retinue go to Scone so that the new king of Scotland can accept the crown there. Despite this success, Macbeth reflects on the prophecy given to Banquo. Macbeth and his wife have no children, and Banquo is accompanied by his young son Fleance. Is the throne destined for Banquo's descendants? Macbeth cannot come to terms with this thought. Macbeth's coronation takes place at the royal castle. The new ruler is haunted by memories of the bloody atrocity committed for the sake of the throne. They honor him, everyone kisses the king’s hand, and only Banquo puts it to his forehead. Macbeth sees this as a sign of disobedience; he understands how precarious his high position is. He begins to fear Banquo. The brave and at the same time judicious military leader is now the most dangerous person for him. In a conversation with his wife, Macbeth says that they only “wounded the snake, and did not kill it.” If we believe the witches, whose predictions have so far come true, the childless Macbeth has stained himself with a heinous crime, because of which he is now hated by himself, so that Banquo’s grandchildren reign after him. For their sake, he committed evil, killing the good and just Duncan and thereby ruining his soul. A new plan is brewing in his head.

In the evening, the royal couple arranges a gala banquet. Macbeth invites Banquo to be his guest of honor. He must leave on urgent business, but will have time to return to the feast. As if by chance, Macbeth finds out that Banquo is taking his son Fleance with him. Macbeth hires assassins. The king explains to them that Banquo is the culprit of all their misfortunes, and the simpletons are ready to take revenge, even if they have to die. Macbeth demands that they kill Banquo's son as well. “He who began with evil will wallow in it.” In the forest, the killers lie in wait for Banquo and Fleance. Together they defeat the commander, but Banquo manages to warn his son. The boy manages to escape.

For festive table the king gathers his entourage, and the circular cup has already been poured. At this time, one of the murderers appears at the feast, but his news does not make Macbeth too happy. “The serpent is slain, but the little serpent lives,” says Macbeth. His wife calls him to spend time with the guests. But what is it? Macbeth sees the bloodied Banquo join the feast. The ghost is visible only to Macbeth, and the guests do not understand to whom their master is addressing his angry speeches. Lady Macbeth hastens to explain her husband's strange behavior as illness. The king drives the ghost away. Macduff and his wife leave the hall; the noble nobleman has long had suspicions that Macbeth took the throne illegally. The rest of the guests also leave.

The next morning, Macbeth goes to the witches to look into the future again, but no matter what they predict, he does not intend to retreat, for him any means are good. The prophecy of the prophets is as follows: “From all enemies, we protect Macbeth by fate until Birnam Forest goes into battle on Dunsinane Hill.” The ghosts of those killed in the Battle of Ellon wander in the thick fog, they admonish Macbeth to beware of Macduff. The young man, who had appeared to him before, urges him to be bold and daring, since “None of those born of a woman are terrible for Macbeth.”

Macduff says goodbye to his wife and children and leaves for England. Macbeth is informed of his flight. The king is determined to nip high treason in the bud, to deal with Macduff's family and all his associates. The wife tries to restrain her husband, who is obsessed with bloodlust, but he no longer listens to anyone’s advice. Macbeth kills everyone without exception in Macduff's castle, and he burns the traitor's wife and three sons at the stake. Before execution, a woman showers curses on the tyrant.

In England, Macduff meets with Malcolm, who tells him terrible news: his entire family has died. Macduff is inconsolable. Malcolm proposes to take revenge on the tyrant and save Scotland, suffering under unbearable oppression. He himself is ready to oppose the usurper: the King of England gives him a large army.

Lady Macbeth has lost her mind, her conscience gnaws at her, she tries to wash off the imaginary blood from the dagger, talks about terrible things, talks with her deceased child. She imagines witches, from whom she wants to hide in bed. Macbeth has already become so hardened in soul that the news of his wife’s death only causes him annoyance - at the wrong time! He is preparing to defend the castle - this is his last stronghold, the country no longer recognizes the tyrant, many of the thanes have left him. Malcolm and Macduff surround Dunsinane Castle. Their warriors collect tree branches to disguise their location in Birnam Forest. The servant, in a panic, tells Macbeth that the forest has begun to move. The second prophecy was fulfilled. Macbeth is furious - he believed in ambiguous predictions. But if he is destined to die, he will die as a warrior, in battle. Macbeth orders the trumpet to be sounded to muster the troops. In the thick of the battle, Macbeth wants to avoid meeting Macduff, however, he is not afraid of him, like anyone else born of a woman. But a clash between irreconcilable enemies is inevitable. Macduff meets Macbeth. During the decisive duel, Macbeth learns that Macduff “was torn from his mother’s womb with a knife.” Macbeth finally understands the meaning of the last prophecy. The outcome of the battle is predetermined, but he is not going to give up. Enemies fight to the death. Macduff kills Macbeth. The royal sword, left on the battlefield, is picked up by Fleance. The boy remembers whose fault his father died, and what the future holds for Banquo’s descendants. In the meantime, Malcolm should become king of Scotland.

D. Verdi opera "Macbeth"

Verdi's tenth opera became a milestone for him and, at that time, his main one. An atypical plot for an Italian opera, a baritone in the title role, new principles of singing in individual arias, intensity of passions, but not love ones, as the public is accustomed to, but the deepest and most devilish ones that exist in a person - the thirst for power, revenge, envy, hatred. All this, coupled with the beautiful music, made Macbeth stand out from the many operas written by the composer in the 1840s.

Characters		Description
	baritone	Thane of Glamis, Scottish general
Banquo	bass	general in Duncan's army
Lady Macbeth	soprano	Macbeth's wife
Macduff	tenor	Thane of Fayre, Scottish nobleman
Duncan	party without words	king of scotland
Malcolm	tenor	his son

Summary

The story takes place in Scotland and the Anglo-Scottish border in the mid-11th century. Macbeth is King Duncan's favorite and has great influence over him. The witches, met by Macbeth and Banquo returning from battle, predict that Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor and king, and Banquo's descendants will also become kings. Soon news comes from Duncan that for his victory in the battle Macbeth has been given the title of Thane of Cawdor - the prophecy begins to come true. Macbeth's thoughts were captured by the second part of the prediction - about coming to power. He writes about this to Lady Macbeth, who is plotting the murder of the king, to which she persuades her husband. This plan is carried out as soon as Duncan spends the night in the Macbeths' castle - in the morning Macduff finds his torn body.

Macbeth becomes the Scottish king, but he is haunted by the words of the witches that the descendants of Banquo should ascend to the throne. He and his wife decide to kill Banquo along with the heir at the hands of mercenaries. The killers wait for their victim in the park, where he appears with his son. Banquo dies, and the boy manages to escape. At this time, Macbeth, as the new king of Scotland, organizes a reception for the aristocracy, to which the ghost of Banquo appears. The nobles begin to suspect that the new king gained power illegally. Macduff supports them.

Macbeth again turns to the witches for a prediction. They warn him that he must fear Macduff, but need not fear anyone who born of a woman, and will also be invulnerable until Birnam Forest approaches the castle. Macbeth mercilessly deals with Macduff's family. Beside himself with grief, he stands under the banner of Malcolm, the son of the murdered King Duncan, who comes from England to battle the bloody Scottish ruler, covering his troops with tree branches. Lady Macbeth, under the weight of what she has done, goes crazy and dies. Macduff pursues Macbeth and kills him - this is how it is done the last prophecy, because he really was not born, but cut out from his mother’s womb.

   

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Interesting facts

• Verdi spent his entire life creatively looking at various plays by Shakespeare. In the early 40s, he closely studied the plots of Hamlet and The Tempest, and in the 60s he hatched the idea of ​​King Lear. In the 50s, he even planned to write operas on all of Shakespeare's major tragedies. But it turned out that “Macbeth” was born, and only many years later, at the end of his career - “ Othello" And " Falstaff"(based on the plays "Henry IV" and "The Merry Wives of Windsor").
• Together with F.M. Piave Verdi created 7 more operas: Ernani, The Two Foscari, Stiffelio, Rigoletto», « Traviata», « Simon Boccanegra», « The power of destiny».
• One of the superbly thought out scenes of the opera is the arrival of King Duncan at the Macbeths' castle. It passes in complete silence to the sounds of a leisurely march, which the composer noted in the score as “village music.”
• "The third leading role"Opera after Macbeth and his wife, Verdi called the witch roles, written for three choruses of 6 female voices - 2 from each register. Such an ensemble allowed the composer to express the demonic nature of music.
• First Lady Macbeth M. Barbieri-Nini, in addition to The Two Foscari and Macbeth, participated in another world premiere of Verdi's opera. In 1848, she sang Gulnara in “The Corsair”.
• After the Paris premiere, some of the press attacked Verdi - both for the non-musical plot and for the fact that he did not understand the meaning of Shakespeare's tragedy. The composer was determined to speak publicly in the same newspapers justifying his position. “I may not have been able to express everything in Macbeth, but it is unfair to say that I do not understand or feel Shakespeare,” he wrote to the French publisher and publicist Léon Escudier. “I love it very much and constantly re-read it, not letting it out of my hands since my early youth.”
• On December 7, 1952, La Scala opened the season with Macbeth, where Maria Callas performed the role of Lady Macbeth for the first time. Exactly 45 years later, in this role, Milan conquered Russian singer Maria Guleghina.

• The premiere of the opera came at a time when Italy was gaining momentum liberation movement. The final chorus of Scottish exiles in Macbeth was often perceived by the public as a manifesto against tyranny; it became a direct successor to the choruses from Nabucco and The Lombards, full of regrets about the lost homeland. In the 1865 version, as the events of the Risorgimento were drawing to a close, the new chorus had already addressed human suffering in a broader sense.
• Verdi compared his intense work in the 1840s to the work of a galley slave - during this decade, 13 of his operas were written and staged - exactly half of those that he wrote during his 54 years of work. Among some rather mediocre and even unsuccessful works for Verdi, there are undoubted achievements, the main of which are “ Nabucco" and "Macbeth".

Popular arias

“Pieta, rispetto, amore” - Macbeth's aria (listen)

“Vieni t’affretta” - Lady Macbeth’s aria (listen)

“Ah, la paterna mano” – Macduff’s aria (listen)

History of creation and productions

Creating an opera based on Shakespeare's tragedy was Verdi's long-standing desire, and by 1846 he was increasingly thinking about Macbeth. The maestro rewrote the plot outline of the future opera in prose and invited Francesco Maria Piave to write poetry. They were not just acquainted with the librettist, but understood each other well, having behind them the experience of creating two joint operas. Piave knew the high demands of the maestro and sometimes rewrote scenes many times, ensuring that they corresponded to the composer’s plan. In September 1846, Verdi sent his co-author his adaptation of Macbeth, writing that this tragedy is the greatest tragedy created by people. He asks Piave to be concise - poems must express what is happening as briefly as possible to achieve the greatest effect. Verdi also notes that in the speech of the witches he would like to see strange and original nuances that distinguish them from other heroes.

Verdi entrusted the performance of the title role to one of the best baritones of those years - Felice Varese. The surviving letters testify to how thoroughly the composer explained to the singer not only the nuances of the music, but also all the psychological movements of the hero, working with him almost like a director.

If in Shakespeare Lady Macbeth is merely a catalyst for her husband's evil intentions, then in Verdi she is a direct instigator and equally a full participant. Her brilliantly written role for dramatic soprano is as important as the title role.

“Macbeth” opened a new page in Italian opera - it was it that made the final transition from the era of bel canto to the era of realism. The composer made many key arias not vocal, but recitative with orchestral accompaniment - such as Macbeth’s monologue before the murder of Duncan, such as the scene of his wife’s somnambulism. It is no coincidence that Verdi considered these two scenes to be the key ones in the entire opera. Such a presentation indicates the author’s intention to focus not on the music as such, but on the authenticity of the characters and the accurate transmission of the plot.

The premiere took place at the Florentine La Pergola theater on March 14, 1847. The role of Lady Macbeth was performed by Marianna Barbieri-Nini, this was her second work at the Verdi premiere - three years earlier she sang the main female role in The Two Foscari. After the first performance, despite the warm reception, the opera was criticized by both experts and the public - how could it be, not a single decent tenor part and no love affair. At that time, both of these elements were mandatory in opera. However, Verdi ignored this tradition - he was not interested in love story, but the study of the psychology of power.

That is why, before the 1848 production in Naples, he rejected the idea of ​​inviting the outstanding singer E. Tadolini to play the role of Lady Macbeth - beautiful woman with a great voice. The composer needed an artist who could not so much sing as bring to life an unpleasant and evil heroine with a dull, harsh and gloomy timbre. Verdi was looking for the devil, not an angel. Barbieri-Nini was like that, but not Tadolini.

Shakespeare's Macbeth was written in 1606, three years after the death of Queen Elizabeth. The work, based on one of the plots of Scottish history, became a unique response of the writer to the political situation in England.

For reader's diary and preparing for a literature lesson, we recommend reading online a summary of “Macbeth” chapter by chapter. You can test your knowledge using a test on our website.

Main characters

Duncan- King of Scotland, a wise and fair ruler.

Malcolm, Donalbain- sons of Duncan, direct heirs to the throne.

Macbeth- Duncan's cousin, a brave commander.

Banquo – true friend Macbeth, also a general.

Lady Macbeth- Macbeth's wife, an ambitious and cruel woman.

Other characters

Flience- son of Banquo.

Siward- English commander.

Macduff, Lenox, Ross, Angus- Scottish nobles.

Hecate- mistress of dark forces.

Three witches- evil creatures through whose fault the tragedy occurred.

Act I

Scene 1

On the heath, “with lightning and thunder,” three witches agree to meet at the end of the battle in the heather, where they plan to meet Macbeth “before the dawn of evening.”

Scene 2

A bloodied sergeant arrives at the camp near Forres, which serves as the residence of the Scottish King Duncan. He brings good news - the king’s cousin and one of his experienced commanders, “the pet of battle glory, the brave Macbeth,” defeated the opponents, and their leader MacDonald “cut his torso in half and stuck his head on a pole above the tower.”

However, the joy from Macbeth's brilliant victory did not last long. King of Norway, former ally Duncan and his vile traitor, taking advantage of the opportunity, moved their numerous regiments against the Scots.

However, Macbeth and the second commander Banquo "responded to the enemy with a double blow" and defeated the enemy.

The sergeant becomes weak from loss of blood and is taken to the doctor. The nobleman Ross appears at the king's and reports unconditional surrender Norwegians: King Svenon begs for a truce and offers to “hand over ten thousand dollars.” Impressed by Macbeth's courage, Duncan rewards him with the title of the defeated traitor - Thane of Cawdor.

Scene 3

Three witches flock to a heather field and brag to each other about the evil deeds they have committed. Hearing the drums, they close the magic circle three times, thereby casting a spell on Macbeth.

On the way to Forres, these “withered and wild creatures” come across the eyes of Banquo and Macbeth. The witches greet the commanders and predict Macbeth's upcoming coronation. Banquo also wants to know his future. The witches answer him: “You are not a king, but you will give birth to kings.” The friends are quite surprised at what the old women predicted for them.

Royal envoys Angus and Ross gallop towards the commanders to announce royal favor to the victors. The witches' predictions begin to come true - Macbeth learns about the assignment of new titles. In his dreams, he already sees himself as a king, but Banquo warns his friend against such thoughts, which could serve him badly.

Scene 4

At the palace in Farres, Malcolm informs his father about the execution of the Thane of Cawdor. The king thanks Macbeth for his courage, but he modestly replies that the duty of all subjects is to “earn the love and honor of the sovereign.”

Duncan informs the crowd that he is elevating Malcolm's son to the "rank of Prince of Cumberland" and officially appointing him as his successor. Macbeth understands that Malcolm is now standing in his way to the coveted throne.

Scene 5

In Inverness, in Macbeth's castle, his wife receives a letter from which she learns about the witches' prediction. Realizing that her husband could become king and she could become queen, Lady Macbeth calls on evil spirits so that they fill her “from head to toe with villainy.”

Macbeth arrives at the castle, and the king should follow him. The wife of the brave commander asks him to rely on her in everything, and to “look like an innocent flower” when communicating with Duncan.

Scene 6

Lady Macbeth politely greets the King of Scotland and his retinue. Duncan asks to quickly take him to Macbeth.

Scene 7

In honor of important guests, Macbeth throws a luxurious feast at his castle. His wife regrets that it is impossible to commit an atrocity “with one blow” and thereby confirm the prophecy. She assures her husband that their plan will work. It is only necessary to get Duncan and his retinue properly drunk, and blame all the blame on the stupid servants.

Act II

Scene 1

After the feast, Banquo and his son Fliens retire. Having met Macbeth in the corridor of the castle, he gives him a diamond - a gift from the king for the “best of mistresses.”

When Banquo and Flience leave, a bloody dagger appears before Macbeth’s eyes - an “ominous ghost” that is “accessible only to the eye, and not to the hand.”

Scene 2

Having thoroughly drunk all the guests, Lady Macbeth waits outside the gates of the hall for her husband, who must commit the crime of killing Duncan. He soon emerges, shocked by what he has just done.

Lady Macbeth demands that her husband immediately return to the hall and throw the bloody blades to the sleeping servants, but he refuses. Then the determined woman herself plants the instruments of crime on innocent people and smears them with blood, “so that evil can be read on them.”

A knock is heard at the south gate. The couple rush to their bedchamber to wash off the blood stains from their hands and take on the appearance of people who have just woken up.

Scene 3

The gatekeeper lets the royal nobles Lenox and Macduff into the castle. Lenox tells the owner of the castle about a terrible storm that raged all night, and Macduff, meanwhile, goes to wake up the king. Soon he runs out and reports the terrible news - the king has been killed!

Macbeth and his wife play horror perfectly. Under the pretext of fierce hatred for the “killers” of the king, Macbeth stabs the servants who were found with bloody daggers. In fact, he simply eliminates unnecessary witnesses.

The sons of the murdered Duncan - Donalbain and Malcolm - do not trust anyone present. They are sure that “feigned sadness comes easily to some liars.” For their own safety, the brothers decide to “share destinies”: Malcolm goes to England, and Donalbain goes to Ireland.

Scene 4

Ross discusses the events of the previous night with a 70-year-old man. Seeing Macduff, he asks who the king's killer was. He says that the crime was committed by the servants stabbed to death by Macbeth, who were bribed by the brothers Malcolm and Donalbain, who fled in a hurry from the castle.

No one doubts that now “Macbeth will be king.” Without hesitation, he goes to Scone, “to receive the crown there.”

Act III

Scene 1

Banquo suspects that Macbeth became king through unclean means. He is reassured only by the fact that, according to the witches' prophecy, he himself will become "the father and root of many kings."

Macbeth shares rumors in Banquo “about the bloody nephews”, which sow confusion in the minds of people. Left alone with himself, the newly-minted king begins to reason. He admits that he has a “deep fear of Banquo” in his soul, which suppresses him. Macbeth hires two assassins to destroy his main opponents in the struggle for the throne - Banquo and his son Fleance.

Scene 2

Seeing her saddened husband, Lady Macbeth tries to cheer him up, because “victory is worthless” if it does not bring joy. The commander hints to her that a new crime is expected soon.

Scene 3

The two assassins tasked with killing Banquo and his son are joined by a third villain. He admits that he was also sent by Macbeth. They manage to kill Banquo, but he warns Fliens about the danger in time, and the young man hides from the killers.

Scene 4

At a feast in honor of the new king, Lady Macbeth meets distinguished guests. Meanwhile, the killers will inform Macbeth of the completed task: Banquo has “twenty wounds on his head,” but Fleance managed to escape.

Suddenly, the bloody ghost of Banquo appears in front of Macbeth, and he begins to talk to him, thereby frightening his guests. Lady Macbeth tries to explain her husband's strange behavior by fits that have tormented him since childhood.

The ghost either disappears or appears again, and Macbeth “with his strange malaise” spoils the whole feast. The guests leave. Macbeth notices that Macduff was not at the feast.

Seine V

In the steppe, Hecate, the mistress of dark forces, scolds three witches for daring to “secretly introduce Macbeth” to the secrets of death. The king does evil for his own selfish interests, and “does not want to be a servant” of darkness. Hecate decides to correct the mistake of her subjects and prepare a terrible fate for Macbeth.

Scene VI

Lenox makes “insolent speeches” with the lord: the nobleman has no doubt that Macbeth was involved in the deaths of Duncan and Banquo. The lord says that Malcolm settled at the court of the English king Edward. Soon the faithful Macduff joined him.

Act IV

Scene 1

Thunder rumbles, a storm rages. There are three witches in the cave and they are brewing a potion in a large cauldron, throwing a wide variety of ingredients into it: “the eye of a copperhead, the tail of a supper, the wool of a leathern, a dog’s tooth along with a frog’s metacarpus.” Hecate thanks the witches for their efforts and advises them to quickly finish their preparations - Macbeth is approaching the cave.

The king wants to get answers to his questions, not from the witches, but from the “elders.” The soothsayers begin to cast witchcraft, and soon a ghost in a helmet appears before Macbeth. He advises the king to be wary of Macduff.

The second ghost in the guise of a bloody baby assures that Macbeth can safely shed blood and trample on any laws, since he is invulnerable “to those born of woman.”

The third ghost - "a child in a crown, with a branch in his hand" - predicts Macbeth great success, but only until “until Birnam Forest sends trees to Dunsinane Hill on a campaign.”

Macbeth asks the witches whether the Banquo family will “sit on the throne of the empire”? But they do not give the king a precise answer.

Scene 2

In Macduff's castle, the nobleman's wife is killed by the absence of her husband, who abandoned her and their children. little son Macduff asks his mother whether his father was a traitor, and what he deserves for betraying the king.

Suddenly, a messenger appears in the castle, asking the lady to immediately flee, “taking the children with her.” Following the messenger, killers appear in the hall, one of whom stabs the boy to death. Lady Macduff is trying to hide from her pursuers.

Scene 3

In the palace English king Malcolm invites Macduff to mourn his father, but he wants only one thing - to draw his swords and “stand up for his fallen fatherland.” However, the battle for the throne is not included in the plans of the rightful heir, since he considers himself too unworthy to take his father's place.

Malcolm lists all his vices to Macduff, and the honest nobleman is unable to come to terms with them. Then Malcolm admits that he deliberately denigrated himself in order to test the servant's loyalty. He is ready to return to Scotland and fight for the throne.

Ross comes to England and tells how “the tyrant’s troops are gathering” - Macbeth is preparing for war. He tells Macduff the sad news - his wife, children and all the servants are brutally killed.

Act V

Scene 1

At Dunsinane, a lady-in-waiting tells the doctor that Lady Macbeth is sleepwalking. Together they watch how a woman with open but sightless eyes rubs her hands with a habitual movement - “it seems to her that she is washing them.”

Hearing Lady Macbeth mutter, the doctor takes up his pen “to hold more firmly” in his memory everything she says. So the doctor and the court lady will know terrible secret Lady Macbeth.

Scene 2

Scottish nobles are discussing the imminent approach of English troops led by Macduff, Malcolm and Siward to Birnam Forest. In the conversation they touch upon Macbeth: some consider him crazy, and others consider him a “crazy daredevil.”

Scene 3

Upon learning of the flight of his soldiers, Macbeth becomes furious. However, this does not diminish his confidence in own strength– the king believes in the prophecy of ghosts.

A chalk-white servant enters and reports that ten thousand well-armed Englishmen are standing near Dunsinane. Macbeth understands that the coming battle will “either exalt or crush” him. He orders the doctor to quickly cure his sick wife, but he assures that medicine is powerless in her case.

Scene 4

The British army is located near Birnam Forest. Malcolm gives the order for the soldiers to pick branches and cover themselves with them in order to confuse the “scouts” and prevent them from finding out the exact number of troops.

Scene 5

Macbeth is not worried about the upcoming siege of the castle. Hearing a woman scream, he orders to find out what happened. The servant brings sad news: “The queen has died, sir.” However, Macbeth is annoyed - the death of his wife is completely out of place.

A messenger comes running to the king and reports that “the forest is coming to the castle.”

Scene 6

Just before the castle, the English warriors throw off branches and go into open battle with Macbeth's army.

Scene 7

Macbeth compares himself to a bear, “that is tied to a post, but must fight.” He fights with the son of the commander Siward and kills him in the battle. Meanwhile, Macduff is looking for his terrible enemy, Macbeth, to avenge the death of his family.

Scene 8

Seeing Macduff, Macbeth asks him to leave because he feels guilty for the death of his wife and children. In anger, Macduff attacks him, but the king only laughs and says that he will never be killed by “one born of woman.” To which the nobleman gloatingly announces that he was “cut out of his mother’s womb before his term with a knife,” and kills the king.

Macduff brings Macbeth's head to Malcolm and praises the new king.

Conclusion

Shakespeare's tragedy was intended to emphasize the historical friendship between England and Scotland, and thereby strengthen the union of the two states. To give the work a special mysticism, the writer introduced the theme of witches and witchcraft, which was very popular in those days.

After familiarizing yourself with a brief retelling"Macbeth" we recommend reading Shakespeare's play in its entirety.

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Retelling rating

Average rating: 3.9. Total ratings received: 122.

If we try to make an objective assessment of the recognition of plays William Shakespeare , then “Macbeth” will give way in the case of Russian-speaking readers and viewers. She is not part school curriculum and does not evoke lasting associations, like the same “Hamlet” or “Othello”. At the same time, after purchasing the gift edition of the author’s tragedies, I personally waited with great longing for the moment when, in the order of the table of contents, taking breaks, I would reach the story famous commander. Ask yourself whether you are strongly susceptible to someone else’s, albeit authoritative, opinion. So in the case of Macbeth, society does not press with the edifying thought that this is a work that everyone should know educated person. Nevertheless, I was deeply impressed by this small but emotionally absorbing tragedy.

William Shakespeare is known, among his other merits, for his ability to intriguingly borrow ideas from historical events and give your heroes traits real prototypes. The play Macbeth is based on the story of a Scottish king who lived and reigned six centuries before the actors Globus Theater for the first time they performed a dramatic epic on stage. Even from the available sources, it becomes clear that the author, as usual, did not set out to follow the letter of the story, focusing the attention of readers and viewers on the content. This is a case of artistic license, which only gives the story being told a reason for emotional response. Although life is often stranger than fiction, storyline Shakespeare can hardly be left indifferent.

It is not surprising that in the UK opera Macbeth is still considered almost the pinnacle of theatrical art. What is wonderful about literature is its ability to recreate in the mind the whole world, with its characters, surroundings, and plenty of action. This play makes you think about variety in your head every now and then bright images, including fierce battles. Not to say that Shakespeare meticulously describes everything that happens, but he provides a wide field for imagination. As I have already noted in reviews of other plays by the author, he provides a very flexible creative template that adapts, individually, to each individual reader or contemplator. The very idea that the world of “Macbeth”, for example, will be different for me and for you, is captivating. After reading, I had a strong desire to get acquainted with the most worthy film adaptations that exist today and to go to a good production in the theater.