ust to keep up appearances. Macduff is not clever with words. He voices his disapproval of Macbeth not by statements but by his absence. Macduff's simple honesty is revealed when he is tested by Malcolm in Act IV, Scene iii. In a play like Macbeth, in which many people and things are not what they appear to be, Macduff is like a breath of fresh air. Maturity is another trait of Macduff's. He takes the news of his wife and children's murder like a blow squarely on the chin. By having the courage to feel his grief, he is able to convert his pain into a burning desire for righteous revenge. [Macbeth Contents] OTHER ELEMENTSSETTINGThe settings of Shakespeare's plays generally come more from the dramatic needs of the story than from any literal sense of the place. Macbeth is no exception. Most of the action takes place in Scotland. There are at least two reasons: 1. Shakespeare invented the plot of Macbeth by combining several stories out of Scottish history he found in Holinshed's Chronicles; and 2. James I, who was King of England when the play was written, was a Scot. But reading books about the Scottish landscape will not help you understand the setting of Macbeth. Instead, read the play. The Scotland of Macbeth seems rough and somewhat primitive. Each thane has his castle, and in between there are woods and fields. None of the action takes place in anything like a city. The play has a murky feeling, which is reflected in the setting. The action starts in the open fields, but the air is clouded by the smoke of battle. Lightning and thunder fill the sky. Most of the scenes in Macbeth's castle take place at night. Torches are needed to see anything at all. THEMESHere are some of the major themes in Macbeth. Notice that each is expressed through some combination of plot, character, and language. 1.AN ANATOMY OF EVIL A powerful sense of evil hangs over every scene in the play. Each character has to either fight or give in to it. The play mak...
