Macbeth Group

Question:


readingbooks17
Student

Did the Macbeths have any children?

Rate question:

Posted by readingbooks17 on Friday January 26, 2007 at 2:05 PM and tagged with children, macbeth.

Answers:


  1. cmcqueeney Teacher
    High School - 11th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    No the Macbeths do not have any children, and this becomes a significant factor in the play.  The witches predict that Macbeth will be king, but they then predict that Banquo's children will be king.  Because of this, they say that Banquo will not be as great as Macbeth, but much greater.  After Macbeth follows through with killing King Duncan, he realizes that he has defiled himself for no reason - Banquo will get all the benefit, because Macbeth's line will end with himself.  This realization leads Macbeth to murder and attempt to murder Banquo and his son Fleance.  His failure to kill Fleance allows the witches prophecies to come true - Banquo's descendants will take the thrown, and Macbeth's line ends.

    It's also interesting to note that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth's inability to have children affects their relationship negatively.  Macbeth blames Lady Macbeth for not producing children.  It is one of the factors that plays a part in the decline of their relationship throughout the play.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/macbeth

    Rate answer:

    Posted by cmcqueeney on Sunday April 6, 2008 at 11:22 AM

  2. amberlestrange
    amberlestrange Student
    High School - 12th Grade

    actually , yes they did have children. lady macbeth reveals this when she says

    have given suck, and know How tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me: I would, while it was smiling in my face, Have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums And dashed the brains out, had I so sworn as you so she has had a child, presumidly it has died but these were normal circumstances. she is saying she would of rathered dashed her child's 'brains out' then lie. 

    Rate answer:

    Posted by amberlestrange on Wednesday June 4, 2008 at 6:56 AM

  3. revolution
    revolution Teacher
    Doctorate

    No, the Macbeths does not have any children, but some critics claimed by this sentence

    "I have given suck, and know/How tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me" (I, vii, ll.54-55),

    that the Macbeths have a child that was already dead by now. But, in the story, there was no mention of a dead child or even in their conversations, there was not a brief whisper of anything regarding of children matters.

    Rate answer:

    Posted by revolution on Thursday July 16, 2009 at 3:57 AM