Macbeth By William Shakespeare Essay Example

Scene 2, his army Captain applauds him as "Brave Macbeth."

The audience is already aware of Macbeth's towering ambition before he even takes the stage. He earns the title of Thane of Cawdor through his courageous actions. Shakespeare highlights the witches' strength by cursing a woman's husband over a chestnut, demonstrating their formidable nature. In Act 1 Scene 3, Macbeth and Banquo encounter these powerful figures during their walk.

According to Macbeth, the three women known as "the Weird Sisters" foretell three prophecies about him. Firstly, that he will be Thane of Glamis, which is already true. Secondly, they say he will become Thane of Cawdor and thirdly, that he will be King. Although these prophecies greatly disturb Macbeth, his strong ambition drives him to pursue becoming King. Throughout the play, Macbeth's greatest weakness appears to be his ambition. To achieve his goal, Macbeth must kill the reigning King Duncan and banish his sons. The previous Thane of Cawdor was punished with a noble death for betraying the King.

Macbeth's belief is that even if he turns against the King, he will only receive a noble death. This is an example of dramatic irony since he meets a humiliating end in the play's finale. He informs his Lady of the witch's predictions, who was already influenced by their enchantment. Lady Macbeth, after Macbeth becomes hesitant about his desire, proposes that he kill the King. In the end, Macbeth succumbs to her plan.

In a speech to Lady Macbeth, he explains his reluctance towards the crime. He highlights that he is tasked with the noble duty of protecting the King, who has entrusted him with this responsibility. Additionally, Macbeth is

Duncan's cousin and faithful follower, implying the crime is unjustified. Furthermore, he points out that executing the murder would be an arduous task given the presence of guards.

It appears that Lady Macbeth is the more sinister of the pair, while these justifications demonstrate that Macbeth is both commendable and devoted. Despite this, at the conclusion of his soliloquy, Macbeth declares, "We will proceed no further with this business," expressing a firm refusal to commit regicide. Nevertheless, Lady Macbeth perceives a vulnerability in him and manipulates him through emotional coercion.

Macbeth's lack of determination led to his participation in the King's assassination. His weakness was evident in his submission to Lady Macbeth and his desire for power ultimately resulted in him being implicated in the murder. Nevertheless, it is crucial to acknowledge that Lady Macbeth cannot escape all culpability.

Although Lady Macbeth may have been influenced by external factors, she shared her spouse's craving for power and ambition. It was she who suggested killing the king and devised a scheme to drug his guards so that Macbeth could carry out the murder without detection. In act 2 Scene 1, Banquo suspected something was wrong but refrained from participating. Prior to committing the crime, Macbeth expressed uncertainty through a soliloquy and witnessed a floating dagger symbolizing his future guilt and remorse throughout the play.

Macbeth's early feelings of guilt indicate that he is not yet evil, even before he harms the King. Lady Macbeth confesses in Act 2 Scene 2 that she planned to kill Duncan herself but couldn't go through with it, even after drugging the guards and drinking. Her inability to harm him was due to Duncan reminding

her of her own father, which made her appear more innocent than previously thought. Lady Macbeth keeps watch outside the chamber while Macbeth commits the murder, indicating she is still partially involved in the scheme.

Upon his return after committing the murder, Macbeth is still holding onto the daggers and expresses his fear to Lady Macbeth, stating "I will not go back. I am scared of my actions. Take another look at it, I cannot do it."

After Lady Macbeth forces herself to return to the chamber and put the daggers in the guards' possession, she becomes stained with blood. Initially empowered by the witches, upon witnessing the deceased king, she begins to realize the gravity of her and Macbeth's actions in orchestrating Duncan's murder. Despite their shared guilt and Macbeth's upcoming coronation, they could have absented themselves from further involvement. Lady Macbeth chooses this path, yet her husband cannot find peace until he feels entirely secure.

Macbeth's ambition, drive, and evil side are becoming increasingly prominent as he discovers King Duncan's body the next morning. Malcolm, the King's son and heir, flees to England to secure his safety. Macbeth, in a state of panic, murders the King's guards and speaks poetically, revealing his guilt. In a final act of loyalty to her husband, Lady Macbeth faints to divert attention away from Macbeth.

She severs ties with the murders, but her guilt drives her towards insanity. Macbeth transforms from a fearful and remorseful man to a bloodthirsty and power-hungry individual, taking full responsibility for the tragedy. Macduff mistrusts Macbeth and abstains from attending his coronation, instead heading back home feeling disgusted. As the newly crowned King, Macbeth

seeks to eliminate Banquo after the Weird Sisters prophesied that Banquo's offspring would rule.

Banquo was aware of the plan to murder the King. Despite Macbeth's amicable behavior, he deceived Banquo through a friendly interaction and learned the whereabouts of Banquo and his son's temporary departure. Hence, Macbeth had acquired all essential details to execute Banquo's killing. This scheme was solely crafted by Macbeth, indicating his self-sufficient wickedness and no longer requiring Lady Macbeth's support.

Macbeth arranges for two of his former foes to kill Banquo and his son Fleance. However, Fleance is not harmed thanks to his father's aid, unbeknownst to Macbeth. Upon learning of Banquo's murder, Lady Macbeth becomes distressed as she realizes her husband was responsible. Her false facade as Macbeth's steadfast Lady begins to crack as guilt and regret take hold, expressed through her nightmares.

The person that Macbeth becomes while under the witches spell can be seen as an alter-ego. As she suffers mentally, Macbeth becomes more and more evil. Instead of the hallucinations that occurred prior to Duncan's murder, Macbeth now sees a "ghost" of Banquo at the feast. This implies that guilt is manifesting in the form of his victims, while his wickedness takes over. In this scene's conclusion, Macbeth comprehends that Macduff has become his enemy and needs to be eliminated.

Macduff is aware of Macbeth's evil plan to murder, and because he is a righteous man like Macbeth used to be, he could reveal Macbeth's treachery. As a result, in order to underscore the seriousness of his actions, Macbeth proclaims himself as being "soaked in blood."

Macduff escapes to England where the King's son is residing after becoming Macbeth's

foe. Meanwhile, Hecate devises a scheme to bolster Macbeth's confidence and encourage him to commit further atrocities as the head of the Weird Sisters. Nonetheless, Macbeth has already embraced his wicked tendencies and is prepared to do anything for dominance. Just as his spouse was swayed by the Witches during Duncan's assassination plot, he too has succumbed to their potent sway.

The unearthed power, given by the Witches, can be regarded as a manifestation of another persona within Macbeth, waiting for even the slightest persuasion to emerge. The trio of Weird sisters provide Macbeth with additional three prophecies: He should beware of Macduff (although, the prophecy is already known to him), no one born of a woman can harm him, and he will remain unvanquished until Dunsen wood reaches his castle. The last two revelations instill enough confidence in Macbeth's heart, leading him to decide that despite having missed his opportunity to assassinate Macduff, he can unabashedly dispatch murderers to kill Macduff's family and further decides not to delay his criminal activities any longer. Act 4, scene 2 offers a poignant family scene featuring Macduff's wife and children, which only adds to the audience's apprehension since they are aware of their impending doom.

By displaying this to the audience, Macbeth's true malevolent character is unveiled, causing them to perceive him as a genuine antagonist and harbor even more vehement hatred towards him. A messenger interrupts Macduff at home, informing his wife about the arrival of three men, which leads to an unfortunate delay in her departure, resulting in the murder of her family by Macbeth's hired killers. Henceforth, there is nothing that can alter the audience's outlook

towards Macbeth. In Act 4 Scene 3, Macduff acquaints Malcolm with Macbeth's brutal disposition.

Malcolm's desire to kill Macbeth is hindered by the fact that by doing so, he would be viewed as no better than Macbeth himself. Despite being advised by Macduff to seize the crown, Malcolm declines the offer and instead employs it as a means of testing Macduff's loyalty. If Macduff successfully convinces Malcolm to take the crown, it serves as proof of his allegiance. The portrayal of Malcolm as a virtuous and astute ruler further highlights Macbeth's inferiority in comparison to the legitimate King.

During Act 3 Scene 1, Lady Macbeth is depicted as unwell and visited by a doctor due to her mental state caused by guilt and remorse. She suggests obliquely to Duncan's and Banquo's deaths while pretending to wash her hands, which is a sign of shame. This portrayal elicits empathy from the audience and intensifies Macbeth's malevolent image. If he had carried out Duncan's murder flawlessly, leaving no clues behind, Lady Macbeth would not have succumbed to her declining condition. By the time Act 5 Scene 3 arrives, Macbeth is weary of his position as King.

Macbeth is remorseful for killing Duncan and longs to go back to his former life. Lady Macbeth's suicide in the next scene adds to his guilt and sadness, as he fears being blamed for another death. The loss of someone so beloved due to his ambition makes him realize that there is no turning back. However, Macbeth cannot mourn properly as he is consumed by the challenges of his present circumstances.

Macbeth's image in the eyes of the audience may have changed to admiration, especially

when he chooses to face his death with honor and dignity while staying within his stronghold. This resembles the bravery shown by captains who opt to sink with their vessel. Macbeth himself makes reference to this valorous act in Act 5 Scene 7, saying "They have tied me to a stake. I cannot fly."

The text reveals the despair in Macbeth's mind, indicating he is ready to embrace death. In spite of being a celebrated hero among people, his tragic flaw - ambition and bloodlust - changes him into a notorious villain. As per the tradition of Shakespearian tragedies, Macbeth also suffers a major downfall due to his imperfection. Therefore, Shakespeare's decision to kill off Macbeth is justifiable. Eventually, Malcolm and Macduff return to Scotland, dethrone Macbeth, and make Malcolm the new king.

They create a military force in Dunsen Wood and conceal themselves beneath leaves and branches as a disguise. Consequently, when they proceed towards the castle, it appears as if Dunsen Wood is advancing towards Macbeth, fulfilling the prophecy of The Weird Sisters. Observing this, Macbeth takes shelter in his castle, preparing to die valiantly. He eliminates numerous soldiers, proving that he is still willing to perpetrate violence to protect himself. Finally, he ventures out into the courtyard where he comes face to face with Macduff. Macbeth's genuine and authentic persona is resurfacing as he proclaims that he will not confront Macduff since he has already caused enough harm to his family.

Despite Macbeth's desire to stop, Macduff compels him to fight, revealing that even though he was completely evil, there remained some goodness in him, exhausted. The Weird Sisters had warned that no one born

of a woman could harm Macbeth, but Macduff reveals that he was born via caesarean section. Macbeth fights on but is defeated with ease by Macduff, ultimately resulting in a victory of good over evil.

At the end of the play, Macbeth's good side overcomes his evil side, which is also reflected in his own mind. When Malcolm is crowned, Macduff refers to Macbeth as a "dead butcher with a fiend-like wife". This raises the question of who is more responsible for the murders - Macbeth or Lady Macbeth. In my opinion, Lady Macbeth carries greater responsibility because she initiated the first murder by plotting against Duncan. Although she was under the influence of the Weird Sisters, it was she who influenced Macbeth. Without her emotional manipulation to force him into killing Duncan, the other murders could have been avoided. Ultimately, Macbeth was the most evil character.

Despite his eventual regret, the character rapidly transitioned into a ruthless killer during the course of the play. Sadly, the dreadful deeds he committed cannot be undone, no matter how remorseful and ashamed he may feel.