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.
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.
Before the vicious acts and insanity jumps in, Macbeth expresses his moral dilemma and how he is extremely confused. He tries to persuade himself that it is unethical and how he probably shouldn’t go through with it yet, Lady Macbeth encourages him otherwise. Even when Macbeth hallucinates a dagger floating towards him, he still shows that he has a conscience and can tell the difference between right and wrong. “There is no such thing:/ It is the bloodied business which informs/ Thus to mine eyes.” Exaggerating how it is murder which he is about to commit that is the catalyst for his
Shakespeare presents the flaws in Macbeth’s character using prophecies from the witches, juxtaposition in his soliloquys, and Lady Macbeth slowly manipulating him to do deeds that in the end lead to his demise. In Act 1 Scene 2 Shakespeare uses 2 characters talking about Macbeth to portray the idea that Macbeth is a loyal, brave and tenacious character and he uses imagery to show this. The sergeant tells us that Macbeth “with smok’d with bloody execution, like valour’s minion carv’d out his passage.” The imagery of “valour’s minion” is used to suggest that Macbeth is Valour’s favourite person and that he is the bravest person other than Valour himself. The imagery used to suggest that he is also a very violent person, able to commit acts that were perhaps disturbed is “smok’d with bloody execution.” This quote tells us that Macbeth is perhaps considered a violent person, but it is acceptable because it is for the King, therefore it is the right reason. In Act 2 Scene 1, just before Macbeth kills the King, we see signs of his psychological destruction when he hallucinates about the dagger.
Macbeth’s character shows both qualities of good and evil. What do you think Shakespeare is saying about the possibility for such different qualities in humans? Intro: Introduce topic * What is Shakespeare trying to say about the different qualities in humans * Different sides to humans – good and bad sides, various triggers to each sides, power brought the evil side out of Macbeth * Such desire and hope for power can be dangerous – Macbeth did everything that was necessary in order for him to become king * When in doubt, vulnerable to others opinion - Lady Macbeth took advantage of Macbeths confusion and doubt and made it clear to him that killing Duncan was the “right” thing to do. * Link to next paragraph Para 1: Different sides to humans * Humans both have good and evil qualities within them, its just the matter of which is the more dominant feeling of the two. * Often certain things trigger specific human behavior, for example, Macbeth’s reaction to the witch’s predictions triggered instant doubt, and left him vulnerable to his wife influence.
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.
(Mac 5.1. 38) The imaginary blood spots that behold Lady Macbeth's hands emphasize her intense feelings of remorse for the murder of Duncan. In the inception of the story, Lady Macbeth was dauntless and tranquil about the murder of Duncan. Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth, " tis safer to be that which we destroy than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy." (Mac 3.2.
She is the complete opposite of Macbeth. Macbeth is a weak minded character who has a strong sense of guilt, whereas Lady Macbeth seizes the opportunities and does what she thinks she desires. We can see this comparison in the scene after Duncan’s death where Macbeth appears in front of Lady Macbeth with daggers and his hands stained with blood. The only thing that saves the couple from being found out by others about their crime is Lady
With the predictions of the witches, there is an immediate shift of Macbeth’s character. Macbeth, soon after discovering the second prediction of the witches is correct, he begins contemplating the last prediction, his murder of Duncan. Macbeth while contemplating states, “My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, / Shakes so my single state of man that function / Is smother'd in surmise, and nothing is / But what is not”(Shakespeare 1.3.159-162). Macbeth’s aside begins his downfall, already starting to shift his character from a loyal nobleman to the ambitious tyrant, with this very acceptance of his “fate”. Additionally, soon after Macbeth’s return , Lady Macbeth, aware of the witches’ prediction, begins pressing Macbeth to murder
In the beginning, Macbeth seems to be against all the killings and violence, while Lady Macbeth pushes him to commit these acts. As the play progresses, the roles begin to shift when murder becomes easier for Macbeth, while Lady Macbeth begins to feel all the guilt. At the end of the play it is clear that Lady Macbeth has gone crazy over the guilt she bears, while Macbeth now kills without thinking.