Ambition is a common downfall for those who seek power. In literature, authors use characters to demonstrate the harmful effects of ambition. Shakespeare, in his play Macbeth, develops the character of Macbeth, who changes from a good-hearted person to evil because of his corrupting power and unchecked ambition. In Act I, Macbeth debates with himself on whether or not to kill Duncan. He considers that, even if Duncan’s murder could be completed without any negative consequences, like getting caught, he still would have to live with guilt.
“When you durst to do it, then you were a man,” (Macbeth, Act One Scene 7) When you reason things out by yourself you have a habit of knowing what is right and what is wrong, a conscience. But with the external influence from the witches, Macbeth thinks that the witches’ prophecies are his actual fate and feels that he must do all to fulfill it. One can wonder if Macbeth ever had a chance of doing what was right after he met with the witches. Macbeth had caused his own destruction and
Therefore, this essay will give evidence to show that trust is a vital element in Shakespeare’s Macbeth as well as an indispensable motif Shakespeare wants to reveal. Trust in Macbeth is a very important element to push forward the plot development. In other word, trust is an important reason for many deeds of different characters. For example, in Act I Scene VII, after Duncan sleeps in Macbeth’s castle, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth plot to murder the king. There is a long monologue of Macbeth: “… He's here in double trust; First, as I am his kinsman and his subject, Strong both against the deed; then, as his host, Who should against his murderer shut the door, Not bear the knife myself….” —1.7.15-19 Here, Macbeth tells us the double trust of Duncan.
In Macbeth, William Shakespeare explores the destruction of innocence demonstrated by a man’s need of power. Throughout the play, the need and want of supremacy takes over his characters and guides them towards their own obliteration of innocence. In order to get what he wants, the main character in Macbeth does whatever possible to achieve it. Lady Macbeth and Macbeth both strive for power, so when Macbeth is foretold that he will be king, Lady Macbeth sways him into killing King Duncan so that he, the honorable Macbeth, would become king while she would become queen. As the play goes on, Macbeth slowly looses his morality as he strives for more control whilst Lady Macbeth steps into a frantic stage of guilt.
“More is thy due than more than all can pay” (1.4.21). King Duncan says this to show how he is grateful of Macbeth for wining the war. As events unfold, Macbeth shows his true character when he kills Duncan to become king. This shows he has a false appearance because Duncan thought the two were friends and Macbeth would not kill a relative. Towards the end of the play Macbeth gets caught up in a killing spree by hiring people to murder Banquo and his son, and by having everybody in Macduff’s castle killed: The castle of Macduff I will surprise, Seize upon fife: give to th’ edge o’ th’ sword His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate
Throughout the play Lady Macbeth is the driving influence behind Macbeth and the immoral path that he chose to follow. To put it simply Lady Macbeth started the rot and persuaded the hesitant and indecisive Macbeth to “be a man” and do the deed of killing Duncan. Macbeth initially decided to “proceed no further” in the matter of killing Duncan because he had been kind to him of late bestowing the position of Thane of Cawdor on him. She responds to this by saying that if he can lose his ambition so readily, his love for her must also be changeable. Then she insults his masculinity and questions his courage.
Shakespeare uses Macbeth’s gain in status as a backhand compliment. What Shakespeare really means by making Macbeth Thane of Cawdor is that he gained the title of traitor as well as the rise in status. From this point on, Macbeth characterizes the trait of disloyalty. This is shown when he begins to go on a murderous streak of some of his superiors and close friends. As if Macbeth’s disloyalty wasn’t open enough for all spectators of the play to see, Shakespeare used the idea foiling to exaggerate Macbeth’s disloyalty even more.
This shows me that Macbeth is becoming a more vengeful person foreshadowing more bad deeds “We are yet but young in deed”. The survival of Fleance also adds significance to the play in a dramatic fashion. Fleance’s survival plays a trivial role on Macbeth’s future as king because of the prophecies of the witches. The fact that Fleance is still alive brings fear and sleepless nights to Macbeth. This makes us readers to believe that Fleance will revenge the death of his father in the future.
Motifs in Macbeth Motif is a recurring element that gains significance as a literary work continues. In the book Macbeth, by William Shakespeare there are numerous motifs such as blood, sleeplessness, and darkness. Blood is a sign of evil and wrongdoing. After Macbeth kills Duncan he says, “He can’t wash the blood off his hands.” Macbeth says this because he has this feeling that he will always have that blood stained knowing how he feels guilty for killing Duncan. Macbeth describes Duncan as having had "golden blood," which contrasts with his own.
Laica Clerge Mr. MCAlmount A.P. English December 19 2011 Rhetorical analysis on Shakespeare Macbeth Shakespeare’s Macbeth edited by Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine is a story of betrayal manipulation and greed. The story shows the reader an impact of the horror at the darkness in humans. Shakespeare use’s rhetorical devices such as imagery, irony, foreshadowing and aside. The devices make a suspenseful, shocking, spine-chilling play.