Duncan tries to praise the people around him and honor them for the good that they instill. The two characters are symbols of lightness and darkness. Scotland is like Heaven (lightness), when Duncan is ruling and Hell (darkness), when Macbeth is trying to be the ruler. As the play opens Duncan, the former king of Scotland, is being told of the good men that conquered a battle, Macbeth and Banquo. Duncan is dismayed by their deed.
Shakespeare depicts Macbeth as a heroic figure, proudly serving his country through his courageous actions. However, after an encounter among three witches concerning his fortunes, Macbeth evolves into an obsessive character with a goal to obtain more power. In the beginning of the play, the King of Scotland, King Duncan encounters a bleeding sergeant that his noblemen, Macbeth and Banquo, had attacked. Duncan had exclaimed “What bloody man is that? He can report,/ As seemeth by his plight, of the revolt/ The newest state.” (1.2.1-3), to which blood indicates the open wounds Macbeth had caused to him.
The captain recalls Macbeth killing the apostate, Macdonald: ‘till he unseam’d him from the nave to th’chaps and fix’d his head upon our battlements’- Captain, (1.2.22-23). In this opening description of Macbeth we are told of his strength, physicality and courage on the battlefield. King Duncan is impressed by Macbeth’s dauntless actions and tells the Thane, Ross, to approach Macbeth and greet him with the newly merited title ‘Thane of Cawdor’, in reward for his duties. In Act 1, Scene 2, we are given the impression that he is renowned as a valiant fighter yet, also a loyal nobleman of the Scottish monarchy. Act 1, Scene 3 takes place upon the thundering heath, the residence of the ‘weird sisters’, the witches.
The authors portray them in two different manners, Macbeth as the main character and Kurtz as a sort of demi-god that is only learned about by word of mouth rather than first hand events. Through studying both of these characters, we can learn who is the greater of the two evils. Macbeth started out in Macbeth as the Thane of Glamis, fighting in battle for his homeland, Scotland. At the very beginning of the play, the reader gets a very positively lit view of Macbeth. He has become victorious in battle and is going to be rewarded with a promotion by King Duncan.
Macbeth is portrayed as a "good being" because he fought for his country and for his king. Shakespeare also describes Macbeth in such quotes as "for brave Macbeth-well he deserves that name" (pg. 38, line 16), and "What he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won."(pg. 40 line 67). However As the play progresses, Macbeth's personality and actions become more deceitful leading to his destruction.
In this quote Macbeth is saying why should he stop with just being the thane of Cawdor, why not achieve even more greatness; the greatness that the witches promised him. This quote gives us the first glimpse into Macbeth’s goals and thoughts. Macbeth doesn’t just stop with hearing the witch’s prophecies once; instead he seeks out their advice again and tries to learn more about his future. This helps to assure him that the goals he’s achieved will be safe and won’t be taken from him. When Macbeth is talking to Lady Macbeth he says, “I will, to the weird sisters: / More shall they speak,” (3.5.134-135).
However, in a chain of events that status is quickly removed. As the play progresses Macbeth goes from a loyal character to a dangerous on because of his rising ambition for power, and his wife’s influence on his actions. At the beginning of the play Macbeth is seen much differently than he is by the end of the play. His social status is high because he is the Thane of Glamis and Cowder, and people like him because he is trustworthy and proven in battle. The King of Scotland says, “What be hath lost, noble Macbeth hat won” (1.2.
The Captain spoke to King Duncan about the course and outcome of the battles. The Captain describe Macbeth threw himself into the middle of the fray, and came out the winner all across the board for his King and his country. The Captain said he was “like valor’s favourite, he slashed his way until he faced the villain”. Duncan described Macbeth as noble and worthy of the title Thane of Cawdor. 4.
To begin, with Shakespeare shows Macbeth as a valiant individual when the Sergeant says “brave Macbeth… with his brandished steel, which smoked with bloody execution, like valour’s minion” (Shakespeare-1.2.17-20). Because of his bravery and courageousness, Macbeth is able to take down Macdownwald by “unseamed him from the nave to the chops, and fixed his head upon our battlements” (1.2.24.25), as well as taking on the Norwegians. The victories ensures that Macbeth is respected by others including King Duncan, who calls him “O valiant cousin” and “Worthy gentlemen!” (1.2.26) Moreover, Macbeth’s valiant and braveness causes him being crowned the Thane of Cawdor by Kind Duncan. Consequently, Shakespeare portrays Macbeth’s exceptional characteristic of being rational and is seen when Macbeth questions the prophecies the three witches, he asks “But how of Cawdor? The Thane of Cawdor lives.
Whether noble or insidious, blood is always used to describe the character of Macbeth. In the opening of the play, the audience is greeted with the bloody battle between the forces of Macbeth and Banquo against the invading armies of Norway and the treacherous Macdownwald. "What bloody main is that?" (Act 1, Scene 2, line 1) Here, Shakespeare uses blood to symbolize the courage and valor of defending one's country. Though Macbeth's actions are bloody, they are inherently good; they are the result of putting down a rebellion.