Macbeth Key Theme: Corruption of Nature (Edexcel GCSE English Literature)

Corruption of nature timeline  

The corruption of nature theme in each act of Macbeth:

Which elements link to the corruption of nature in Macbeth?

• Descriptions of nature and the weather: Shakespeare uses descriptions of the weather to foreshadow the deaths to come:

  • For example, the witches meet in “thunder” and “lightning” and Macbeth pronounces the day as “foul” 

• Duncan’s murder: Macbeth has consciously and deliberately acted against nature and as the play progresses, he continues to destabilise ordered patterns:

  • He acknowledges the dead Duncan is happier than he is and admits how “uneasy lies the head that wears the crown”

  • In contrast, Shakespeare presents Duncan’s character as aligned with nature through pleasant descriptions (which Macbeth destroys): “the air/ nimbly and sweetly recommends itself/Unto our gentle senses”

• Unnatural events after Duncan’s murder: Duncan’s death occurs during a night Lennox describes as ”unruly”, with “strange screams of death”: 

  • This reflects the evil nature of Duncan’s death

• Lady Macbeth’s unnatural role: Lady Macbeth subverts the typical Jacobean gender roles, and demands the spirits to strip her of her femininity to achieve her ambition: “unsex me here”. 

The impact of the corruption of nature on characters

Why does Shakespeare use the theme of the corruption of nature in his play?

1.  Setting and atmosphere 

• Establishes a disrupted natural order from the beginning of the play 

• Creates an eerie and foreboding tone

2. Plot driver 

• Drives Macbeth’s downfall as his actions continue to corrupt nature

3. Audience appeal 

• Appeals to the audience’s interest as the play reflects the volatile nature of society during the Jacobean era and the social expectations that unlawfully killing another man would be justly punished 

• Challenges ideas about the role of women as Lady Macbeth’s ambitious nature and controlling influence over Macbeth could be perceived as unnatural and unfeminine

4. Dramatic device  

• Heightens the tension by using unnatural occurrences to signify the fundamental evil of the characters’ actions

Exam-style questions on the theme of corruption of nature

Try planning a response to the following essay questions as part of your revision of the theme of corruption of nature: 

• Explore how the murder of Duncan disrupts the natural order and leads to Macbeth’s downfall. (You could start with Act 2, Scene 4.) 

• How does Shakespeare use the theme of the corruption of nature to portray the character of Lady Macbeth? (You could start with Act 1, Scene 5.)