How would a one react if “witch” like people told the person that they would be a future King of some country, even though they were not in the line of genealogy to become one? Well that’s what happened in the tragic play of “Macbeth” by William Shakespeare. William Shakespeare has written many well-known tragedies and comedies throughout his lifetime. One of his well-know tragedies that was written is “Macbeth”, a story about a tragic hero who met his downfall because of excessive pride. There are many unique characters throughout the play, but the most interesting character is Macbeth. In the play, Macbeth had to overcome and deal within himself, all of the greedy and terrible things that he had done. However, on the outside he did not allow his fear to be known. Macbeth had many qualities that separated him from others. He possessed both good and bad qualities, which eventually led him into trouble. The character of Macbeth changed greatly from the beginning to the end of the play, however the greatest change occurred in the middle of the play.
Macbeth is presented in the beginning of the play as a noble man that has a good established character. His character was one of good honor and bravery. This is obvious from the opening scene of the war, where Macbeth emerges on the scene and helps end the fighting, winning the war for Scotland. However, he is very ambitious, to be the next King. At the beginning of the play, he was loyal to his present King, and then later he forms an image of murder in his mind and said to himself:
The Essay on Macbeth – Written To Please King James
... Banquo, but Duncan, Malcolm, Siward and Fleance – all notably good characters in the play - were direct ancestors of the Stuart line of ... for long periods of time. Subsequently, Macbeth was the shortest of Shakespeare’s plays. This assured the King would not be in pain ... in his writing, by designing his plays to suit the new King. Macbeth was one such play. Performed just three years after James ...
If chance will have me king, why, chance may
crown me
Without my stir. (Act 1, Sc.3, p.25)
Macbeth is motivated in his conduct by a desire for honors. This desire drives his complex system of thoughts to change from what everybody knew him to be, to what he becomes later in the play. At the beginning of the play everyone knew Macbeth as a noble gentlemen and a brutal warrior at war, later in the play people began to think differently about him. They suspected that he had been doing wrong and evil things. Macbeth’s character in the end of the play was known as greedy, evil, and crazy.
Macbeth’s many qualities, had only a few that were unique to describe his character. One of his unique qualities was loyalty to his King, and kinsmen. Macbeth was loyal to Duncan, the King of Scotland, at the beginning of the play because he was not interested in being King. He did not have the ambition to become King, until he met the weird sisters (witches) that predicted he would be Thane of Cawdor and soon, King of Scotland. Another quality Macbeth displayed was his sense of pride. Macbeth flourished with pride wherever he went. However, that pride turned into hubris, excessive pride, which caused his downfall. Macbeth, was a tragic hero. Every characteristic William Shakespeare put into Macbeth, had the outcome of a tragic hero. When Macbeth puts together his qualities of ambition, courage, moral coward, and hubris, it makes the tragic hero that leads his death at the end of the play. Macbeth had many inner feelings that led him to his guilt-ridden fate. However, he did not want to show what he felt to anyone because he thought that he still might have a chance of getting out of the guilt that he had had, and if he showed his feelings that it would ruin that chance. Life is like riding a bicycle, one dose not fall off unless one stops peddling. Macbeth had to try to keep peddling, even though each he got slower and slower.
Macbeth’s qualities changed throughout the play, especially after Duncan’s death. After Duncan’s death, Macbeth’s nobleness and loyal aspects of his character vanished. His character now turned into an evil, greedy, mad man with excessive pride. This hubris eventually led him to his downfall. At the end Macbeth’s life had been shattered by bloodshed and hatred. He accepts the fact that he is going to be defeated in the end:
The Essay on Feminine Evil In Macbeth And King Lear
62414966 Feminine Evil in Macbeth and King Lear In Shakespeare's plays King Lear and Macbeth, evil is represented in both women and men. It is significant to the plots of both plays and to their impact through theme and character that evil actions are performed by women. The construction of evil female characters also gives insight into Shakespeare's view of women and their roles in society. The ...
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing. (Act 5, Sc.5, p.179)
Macbeth knew that he was not only going to be defeated, but killed as well. He realized all the struggles truly amount to nothing in the end. Macbeth a man of ambition, a man of lost nerve, is finally convinced that murder is the best way to achieve a very honorable goal. However, his remorse and guilt, two tragic characteristics, are enough to drive him mad and eventually to his death.
Through the development of this tragedy, Macbeth has turned from a fine natured person to an evil and crazy person. His ambition, strong belief in the witches, and his excessive pride, brought him to the tragic end of his life; which caused many people to lose their lives as well. One might learn that seeking self-center indulgence could twist ones mind to the demise of ones sole. As seen in Macbeth he thought he was right in what he was doing because he was so self-centered. But in the end the guilt had built up and destroyed his concise. Which in turn caused his eternal death.
