However, our opinion of him quickly changes in Act I Scene III when his true ambitions are revealed after an encounter with three witches and he soon learns that he himself will become king one day. During this key scene we see a seed planted into Macbeth’s mind which leads him into taking a murderous path. Through analysis and evaluation of these key scenes and in particular the characterisation of Macbeth, I will show how our view of him significantly changes throughout the entire play. In Act I Scene II we are led to believe that Macbeth’s character is a noble and loyal servant to his king as we hear of his courageous action on the battlefield: “For brave Macbeth – well he deserves that name…” This is the first time we get a true in site into Macbeth’s character and we are told of his courageousness in battle. Shakespeare’s use of the word “brave” is used to give us a false impression of Macbeth’s true self.
Macbeth further condones this in his action to the witches’ prophecy that he will become king. Once made Thane of Cawdor, Macbeth realizes the truth in the witches’ predictions, and immediately begins to contemplate the other part of their prophecy. “My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical,” (Act 1, sc. 3, line 151-152) he thinks, bringing murder to the front of his mind almost as soon as the witches are proven correct. Later in the play, Macbeth’s yearning for power, encouraged by the weird sisters, convinces him to kill the king and assume the throne.
A hero, a soldier, a noble man - we are first introduced to Macbeth at the start of the play and it becomes apparent that he is these three things. As the play advances he begins to shine through as revenge seeking, devious and an evil murderer? But why; what makes Macbeth change character and to perform lifes most gruesome act, murder? Of course Macbeth himself had reasons and influences that allowed him to become this way, including his wife Lady Macbeth, the witches prophecies, his need for power and of course his 'fatal flaw'. Lady Macbeth - cold hearted, power, witch-like - is the most reasonable for turning Macbeth into an evil murderer.
In Macbeth, ambition is presented as a dangerous quality, and can tarnish even the purest of souls. The destruction wrought when ambition goes unchecked by moral constraints is arguably expressed strongest through interaction between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, and is the main foundation of Macbeth’s inevitable downfall, and triggers a series of deaths. Lady Macbeth encourages her husband mercilessly to kill Duncan, helped by the malign prophecies of the witches, and urges him to be strong in the murder’s aftermath, but he is said to be too kind, 'Yet do I fear thy nature it is to full o' the milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way.' (I, v, 14-16). Although a courageous general who holds Duncan in high regard, ‘he hath honoured me of late’ (I, vii, 32) and isnot naturally inclined to commit evil deeds, he deeply desires power and advancement; he kills Duncan against his better judgment.
After the act of regicide, it is Lady Macbeth who has the soundness of mind to plant the incriminating evidence on Duncan's guards. And yet, her firmness disintegrates gradually as the play progresses, leading to nightmares that haunt her and ultimately drive her to suicide. In this regard, Lady Macbeth appears to switch characters with Macbeth midway through the play. Although most famous for her cruelty and lines such as "unsex me here," the decline of Lady Macbeth is also of great interest and certainly a mysterious aspect of Macbeth. 1.
Macbeth Essay The play Macbeth revolves around the events that occur once Macbeth hears the witch’s predictions. These predictions were told to both Macbeth and his beloved cousin Banquo; this will play a major role in the future. Macbeth was told that he would be Thane of Cawdor as well as being Thane of Glamis and later on would be King, while Banquo was told that his children would be kings. Later on, when Banquo dies, Macbeth is told three new prophecies that would further influence him. These change Macbeth and start to make him do actions that would normally be out of the ordinary.
In Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth, Shakespeare uses the events of the tragic downfall of a man to demonstrate the significance of external influences and forces on the mindset and decision-making of an individual. There are many factors that caused the deterioration of Macbeth including the manipulation of his character by his ambitious wife, the three witches as well as his own internal desires. Lady Macbeth can be seen as the most influential character, manipulating Macbeth into committing unspoken acts to become king that would satisfy her lust for power. Macbeth did not personally have enough ambition to take the throne or plot to take action to personally give himself an opportunity to take the throne. However, once Lady Macbeth heard that her husband had been fortuned to be king in the future, her lust for greed, and selfishness drove her to insist that her husband take action immediately to seize the opportunity to become King of Scotland.
Justin Williams Mrs. Haworth English IV 1 December 2011 Macbeth’s Dramatic Character Changes Leading to His Downfall In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, a tragic hero is shown in the main character of Macbeth. As in many of Shakespeare’s works, he uses a tragic hero to tell a story. The character of Macbeth changes dramatically as the play goes on. In the beginning he has a great social status and is a liked character by his peers. However, in a chain of events that status is quickly removed.
Lady Macbeth is convincing Macbeth about her plan to kill Duncan when he sleeps. She is trying to convince him about not failing the mission. She will drug the guards and then Macbeth could just go in and stab Duncan to death. Lady Macbeth is very ambitious and wants to seize the throne. "Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be what thou art promised.
The author demonstrates his opinions and concepts of the Jacobean times through the difficulties in which Lady Macbeth and Macbeth endure. Lady Macbeth’s input is very significant as her manipulative nature drives Macbeths actions in the play of the Macbeth. Lady Macbeth is a strong, ambitious woman who implants a temptation in Macbeth’s head for him to carry it through. Shakespeare contrasts the relationship of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to the traditional male dominate partner of the 11th centaury. Lady Macbeth questions the meaning of manhood, as she believes masculinity is measured in committing murder rather than being noble.