James I was a very superstitious monarch, he hated the idea of witches and paranormal activity. Shakespeare took this into account to make the play more enjoyable for the king. The play also related to James I as it showed a man killing the king; earlier that year King James was a target of an attack on parliament, this is seen as defying god as a king was placed on the throne by god giving it the name “Divine right.” Attacking the king was equivalent to attacking god. Shakespeare shows a change in Macbeth and Lady Macbeth within their relationship throughout acts 1, 2 and 3. In the Elizabethan era, the would be the dominant figure in a traditional relationship, but in Lady Macbeth and Macbeths relationship, lady Macbeth is seen as the dominant figure and would bully, tease and mock Macbeth into committing things he didn’t wanted to do, but she thought was the best way to go.
“(1.3.47-49) These three lines are extremely crucial to the play because it gives Macbeth his beginning thoughts toward receiving the throne. Shakespeare made the witches deceive Macbeth and Banquo who begin to believe they are invincible and have much to look forward to. This proves misogyny in Shakespeare because it ultimately put the witches to blame for all the horrible events in the play. Shakespeare also portrays his misogyny through Macbeth as he belittles the witches by saying, “How now, you secret, black and midnight hags.” (4.1.47) In Shakespeare’s era, chivalry and respect toward women was big. By having a character in his play say this to three so called women, seems
He commits murder and puts his entire kingdom in danger. Still, many of his evil acts are committed while he is under the influence of the Weird Sisters and Lady Macbeth, who are often considered to be the true villains of the play. At the end of the play, Macbeth realizes the evil he has committed and seems to feel sorrow for such. Because of this realization Macbeth is often viewed as a tragic hero, for tragic heroes almost always recognize the errors they have committed by the end of their stories and seek, in some manner, to atone for them. Macbeth is indeed a bit too complex to be categorised as a villain or a hero.
Shakespeare uses the persona of Polonius, as a satirical figure and as a foil, to show what is wrong with the court of the time. Polonius is also the father of Laertes and Ophelia who are integral to the final downfall of the Danish kingdom. The tensions that arise from the death of Polonius is prevalent throughout the remainder of the play, and his passing sets the tone for the rest of the piece. The diction that is used by Polonius in the play “hamlet” is really what defines him as a character. His use of complex language to increase his intelligence is both farcical and comical in nature.
Throughout Macbeth, Shakespeare shocks audiences with violent language, the supernatural witches and evilness. The nature of evil, in the context of this question, means ‘profoundly immoral and wicked’ which is true to most of the play especially after King Duncan’s murder. The nature of ambition in this context portends ‘a strong desire to achieve successes’. Based on these definitions, I agree with said view of this play to some extent. Evil is first inferred in Macbeth when we first meet the Weyward Sisters (witches) and they cantillate something: ‘Fair is foul and foul is fair.’ This juxtaposition of words indicates an unnatural feel which creates the feel of imminent evil from a possibly supernatural perpetrator.
Macbeth’s own ambition and inner desires are the internal forces he battles and they act as the deciding power in bringing him to his downfall. The witches played an undoubtedly large role in Macbeth, being the instigators of Macbeth’s actions. In act one scene three, the witches say “All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, thane of Cawdor! ... All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!” These prophecies throw into his mind the possibility that he could perhaps become King of Scotland.
It is quite interesting to note that the words of the witches will have an echo in Macbeth’s “So foul and fair a day I have not seen”. Macbeth utters these words at the very first time he enters the stage. This shows the evil connection between Macbeth and the witches. This is suggestive of the psychological depravity of Macbeth who means that the day is foul because it is stormy and fair because he has won the battle against King of Norway and Thane of Cawdor. In the use of the language of witches, Shakespeare shows a great mastery.
How does William Shakespeare present Macbeth and Lady Macbeth in Act 1 of the play? Macbeth, arguably one of Shakespeare’s most twisted plays, shows us how having too much ambition can have disastrous consequences especially if there is someone there to keep pushing and encouraging you do to do things you wouldn’t normally do. Macbeth we first see as a courageous and valiant man who slowly slips into a dark character with the help from Lady Macbeth, who we see as a ruthless, heartless person from when she is first introduced. The supernatural, blind ambitions (greed) and equivocation are just some of the main themes introduced to us in Act 1. At the start of the play, we were introduced to our Macbeth by the injured captain's recount about his war-time battlefield valour and heroics, therefore we were given an impression that the male protagonist was theoretically meant to be a courageous, brave and capable warrior who would risk anything to defend his country.
Starting from a victorious, respectable, glorified hero who was a ruthless killing machine, Macbeth then turns into a paranoid, merciless and unstable character which Shakespeare is able to shape, due to the various factors that would change Macbeth. We then get a sense that Shakespeare has perceived Macbeth as a fallen hero, one who was originally good however after being manipulated and wrapped up in delusions, he then turns into what we would call a villain. I have three main points that will support my line of argument. First of all, Macbeth is indecisive and weak willed which means that he is easily manipulated and that is what leads to his fall as a hero. When faced with the decision to kill Duncan the King, the audience can see Macbeth's indecisive nature as he battles with his mentality, taking up several scenes before finally deciding with the help of Lady Macbeth.
The use of the word “fatal” is often associated with deadly and disastrous events. Shakespeare deliberately used the word “fatal” to warn us of the many unfortunate events taking place through out the play. Macbeth is searching for good reasons as to why he should kill King Duncan, and with this dagger floating in front of him; Macbeth will pass the blame on to this “dagger” and “fatal vision” if he decides to kill King Duncan. Shakespeare also uses metaphors such as “Heat-oppressed brain” which informs us that Macbeth is under a lot of stress and pressure regarding his wife persuading him to kill the king and take the throne and whether or not to kill the king. Not only is this affecting his brain, but his ability to think and his sight, which is why he is imagining the floating “dagger”.