Macbeth Character Analysis

In many great pieces of literature, secondary characters play important roles in developing the main character and the story’s themes. In William Shakespeare's famous play Macbeth, the author uses many different secondary characters to develop Macbeth’s and the play’s themes. This will be shown through the analysis of three secondary characters: Duncan, Macduff and the Weird Sisters.

Duncan is a very influential character when he is alive and after his death. He helped develop the theme of loyalty and patriotism by making Macbeth think twice about his assassination. Macbeth's loyalty towards Duncan is expressed in his famous soliloquy when he says, “ He is here in double trust:/ First, as I am his kinsman and his subject.”(1.7 12-13)
Macduff helps develop the theme of evil and supernatural. His actions towards Macbeth and his name being mentioned as a threat in the second set of prophecies make Macbeth commit one of his darkest deeds. This action shows evil because Macbeth sends assassins to an unguarded castle to kill many innocent people including Macduff’s family. Macduff helps to develop the theme of loyalty and patriotism. He does so by going to England to get the true heir Malcolm and military allies to free Scotland of Macbeth. Finally, Macduff shows guilt for leaving his family after finding out that Macbeth slaughtered his family. He
Not only to develop Macbeth’s character, but to develop multiple themes throughout the play. One of the main thing the Witches do in the play is to create the theme of evil and supernatural. They do this from the very first scene when come and talking about about meeting Macbeth and saying their famous chant, “Fair is foul,foul is fair,/Hover through the fog and filthy air.” (1.1 13-14) When they say these lines and mention meeting with Macbeth; they immediately create the theme of evil and supernatural and make the audience wonder what they are planning to do to Macbeth. The Witches also help to create the theme of ambition They do this by giving Macbeth profecias and once one comes true, Macbeth says, “My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical.” (1.3 38) When Macbeth says this line; it can be seen that Macbeth is thinking ambitious thoughts of killing the king to have the second part come true. Later in the play Macbeth returns to the Witches for more prophecies; they gave him deceptive prophecies that gave him false hope. These prophecies made Macbeth think he was invulnerable which made him over confident. When he found out the prophecies tricked him he says, “ Accused be the tongue that tells me so,/ For it hath cow’d my better part of man.” (5.8 17-18)He says this because he finally realises that he was deceived by the Witches. Throughout the play, the witches help the theme of evil and supernatural,