Analyse Macbeth Tragic Degeneration From A Brave, Loyal Subject To A Murderous Tyrant The play focuses on the changing character of Macbeth and his increasing greed for power. Many factors contribute to the changes to Macbeth throughout the play which cause the character to deteriorate from a man with nobility and good intentions to one who is ruled by ambition and greed. The play begins with the scene of three witches who prophesise that three events will occur to Macbeth. The Elizabethans believed strongly in the supernatural, and associated the devil and witches with this.
It was thought that witches were enemies of mankind, causing bad weather, crops to fail and bringing death upon families. As shown in act 1; scene 3, it was also thought that witches could see into the future. Having just seven the King (Duncan), gaining victory in battle against rebels and the Scottish traitor the Thane of Cawdor, Macbeth and his companion Banque meet with the three witches on a lonely moor. The witches go on to tell Macbeth that he will have three changes of title; All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor All hail Macbeth! That shalt be King hereafter Macbeth receives this information with disbelief he reminds the witches that he is already Thane of Glamis and unaware at this point of the Thane of Cawdor treachery he tells them that their prophecies are wrong. However, when shortly after he is appointed Thane of Cawdor, the change of character begins as his ambition is triggered. Having previously been seen as loyal and honourable to his King and country, he quite instantly becomes untrustworthy and deceitful as he thinks of the third prophecy.
Macbeth Essay Thane Of Cawdor
Macbeth was ultimately responsible for all of his actions, and therefore he must be held to blame for his downfall. Although he was facing pressure from many forces, including his wife, the witches and his own "vaulting ambition", in the end it was his choice to go ahead with the regicide and his following actions. Macbeth would never have even considered murdering Duncan, if not for the trickery ...
Before reaching home and Lady Macbeth, his desire for powe begins to overwhelm him. The prince of Cumberland: that is a step on which I must not fall down, or else overleap for in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires, let not light see my black and deep desires, the eye wink at the hand. Yet let that be, which the eye fears when it is done to see.
This implies that Macbeth already has plans of evil towards Duncan whom is obviously the obstacle preventing him from taking the throne, he is in the way his statement also.
