Lady Macbeth, King Duncan and the Witches. Why are the characters of Shakespeare’s "Macbeth" still discussed today?

Résumé ou Introduction

The following study focuses on the characters of "Macbeth", Lady Macbeth, King Duncan and the Witches or Weïrd Sisters. The main focus being why they are still discussed today. What makes the conflicted characters of "Macbeth" and Lady Macbeth so interesting? What do the witches represent? Is King Duncan a weak or generous King? At the time Macbeth was enjoyed by rich and poor and still is appreciated today, but why?

If you type “William Shakespeare” into Google you will receive over 64 million results. And, although very little is known about his personal life the plays and poems he wrote have survived over four centuries and Shakespeare’s works are the second most quoted after the Bible. This research paper will be focusing on “one of Shakespeare’s most enduringly popular and globally influential plays”: the tragedy "Macbeth". The play was probably written around 1606. The play focuses on a Thane called Macbeth who is driven by witches and by his wife into the murder of King Duncan in order to take the throne for himself. Since 1606 Macbeth has been performed uncountable times in theatres and screened several times, the most recent one being "Macbeth" (UK, 2015) with Justin Kurzel directing and Michael Fassbender starring as Macbeth. Shakespeare’s plays are still addressed in schools around the world.