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Exploring Good and Evil: the Case of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth by Joanna Johnson, M.A. Core Values Citizenship, Cooperation, Fairness, Honesty, Integrity, Kindness, Respect, Responsibility These core values are reflected in this module throughout the play and the play's characters. In fact, insofar as any great work of literature can be said to expose real-life moral dilemmas, all of these values can be found and examined in Macbeth. It's as well to note here that many of these core values are actually absent or few in Macbeth. The play is an example, primarily via its two main characters, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, of what happens to people who do not live by these core values. Examples of core values in the play: Macbeth does not begin the play as a tyrant. In fact, quite the reverse: he is hailed by Duncan as a valiant captain who is then rewarded with the title of Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth is, at first, an honoured general, one who is "honest," someone whom Macduff, himself a man of integrity, loved well. In other words, at the beginning of the play we can find a lot of evidence to suggest Macbeth acts with integrity. However, he then turns into a tyrant driven by greed and a thirst for power. In brutally murdering all those who stand in the way of his tyrannical reign, his character shows the lack of all the core values outlined above. Ultimately, of course, Macbeth is slain himself. So what can we, as readers of the play, then deduce about those people and the society which they govern, in terms of core values? Of course, Macbeth also exhibits these core values positively: there is a belief in citizenship (members of a society such as Macduff who behave responsibly); fairness (in the pursuit of law and order, as shown in the court of Edward the Confessor ); and cooperation (Macduff and his army) All the following activities will challenge students to consider these core values in relation to the text and the characters, and to make connections such as those outlined in the examples above.

Exploring Good and Evil: the Case of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth

by Joanna Johnson, M.A.

Core Values

Citizenship, Cooperation, Fairness, Honesty, Integrity, Kindness, Respect, Responsibility

These core values are reflected in this module throughout the play and the play's characters. In fact, insofar as any great work of literature can be said to expose real-life moral dilemmas, all of these values can be found and examined in Macbeth. It's as well to note here that many of these core values are actually absent or few in Macbeth. The play is an example, primarily via its two main characters, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, of what happens to people who do not live by these core values.

Examples of core values in the play:

Macbeth does not begin the play as a tyrant. In fact, quite the reverse: he is hailed by Duncan as a valiant captain who is then rewarded with the title of Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth is, at first, an honoured general, one who is "honest," someone whom Macduff, himself a man of integrity, loved well. In other words, at the beginning of the play we can find a lot of evidence to suggest Macbeth acts with integrity.

However, he then turns into a tyrant driven by greed and a thirst for power. In brutally murdering all those who stand in the way of his tyrannical reign, his character shows the lack of all the core values outlined above. Ultimately, of course, Macbeth is slain himself. So what can we, as readers of the play, then deduce about those people and the society which they govern, in terms of core values?

Of course, Macbeth also exhibits these core values positively: there is a belief in citizenship (members of a society such as Macduff who behave responsibly); fairness (in the pursuit of law and order, as shown in the court of Edward the Confessor ); and cooperation (Macduff and his army)

All the following activities will challenge students to consider these core values in relation to the text and the characters, and to make connections such as those outlined in the examples above.