Category: Macbeth

Introduction

Most people will agree that there is no better way to express emotions than through poems and plays. In fact, the best ridicules, satires and ironies are expressed through writing that does not attack their victims directly.

The finest humour is also expressed through writing and this explains why most comic movies must be scripted before being staged (Feagin 102). Othello is a true reflection of the above accounts on how tragic incidences make heroes to be villains as discussed in this essay.

Epistemological Dimensions

McGinn is persuaded that all plays written by Shakespeare have tragedies punctuated by death (McGinn 188). This becomes a resemblance factor in almost all Shakespeares plays. For instance, Macbeth and Othello have many occasions where death occurs either as planned or due to natural interventions. The above plays are named after the protagonists in them and coincidentally they both meet tragic ends.

Othello dies unexpectedly when he thinks he is almost conquering his emotions while Macbeth dies as soon as he ascends to the throne of power. In addition, almost all members of their families die shortly after or before the protagonist dies.

These expressions enable readers to realise that all human beings are mortal despite their wealth, fame or power (McGinn 188). Ironically, these deaths are caused by the victims since they contribute knowingly or unknowingly to its occurrence.

McGinn claims that the protagonists have a weak character that makes their life miserable at the end of the story. Othello is depicted as a racial and envious person despite his commitment and hard work. These weaknesses are to blame for the misfortunes that befall him later in the play. Therefore, a mismatch arises here when he tries to be modest yet his emotions betray him.

At last he is not able to hide it and decides to kill his girlfriend. These situations make it easy to predict the outcome of events; for instance, Othellos envy makes the audience to expect him to do something bad to any person who tries to snatch his lover.

These plays influenced by human desires to do what their minds tell them rather than what is good for their societies. There is no doubt that the lead character is out to accumulate as much wealth, fame and power as possible to protect his interests.

Othello, just like Macbeth, is a selfish character who wishes to be the only one recognised by the society. People have always excelled in various activities but due to selfish interests their fame and wealth have drastically dwindled (McGinn 92). It is evident that self interest overrides all other moral personalities in individuals.

Even though, human beings know what they are supposed to do they seldom consider this option when confronted with various challenges in life. In Othello, the commander appoints incompetent people to head various sections like when Cassio is appointed to the litigants position (Hume 48). Despite his young age the commander considers this young man suitable for this job.

Even though, there is no direct relationship between these two it is evident that the young man is inexperienced and unprepared to manage this office. Moreover, the lead character in this play has defied all odds and created his conveniences despite moral and religious regulations. He defies traditions and marries a young lady despite pressure from the girls father that the two should never get married.

Today, people, especially youths, think that they know more than their parents and do what they please rather than what should be done. Finally, they fail to complete their studies, contract diseases and start engaging in drug abuse.

They lead miserable lives due to their unplanned actions during their teenage years. This is always a path of destruction that invites young men and women without warning them about the consequences of their actions.

Betrayal is a common occurrence in normal lives and this play offers an excellent description of this case. Lago wants to make the Duke to pay for his negligence and persuades Roderigo to inform Brabantio that his daughter is married to the commander knowing very well the father never recognised their relationship (Hume 48).

This is an illustration of how people get involved in things that are not of importance to them. In addition, it is also an indication of the facts that human beings are always nosy and ready to participate in other peoples issues.

It should be understood that Othello is a good commandant and his ready to go to war to defend his people just like Macbeth. However, he is an opportunist who takes advantage of all circumstances to benefit him without considering what others will experience (Feagin 77).

There is a close similarity between Othello and Macbeth since they are destroyed by their selfish ambitions and blind courage. A king does not ease himself in the bush since he will be exposing his nakedness to the whole world. This saying is respected by neither Othello nor Macbeth and this leads to their failures.

Moreover, people always pretend to be good despite the truth that they know each other and understand their weaknesses. In most cases, main characters are usually brought down by the same people they have trusted many years. Othello thinks Desdemona is unfaithful since she is social and outgoing.

This becomes a burning issue whenever they confront each other and she is finally killed on claims that she is unfaithful. In both Macbeth and Othello suicide is inevitable since the main characters are confronted with tough situations.

Othello feels guilty for killing his girlfriend and later feels remorseful about his actions (Feagin 76). However, it is necessary to note that this action is motivated by selfish interests that override reasoning. His attempts to kill Lago become futile when the later overpowers him and instead kills his friends wife.

Craig argues that there are some metaphysical forces that cannot be overcome by human beings in trying to make life better (Craig 51). His illustration of the forces that drive Macbeth to desire to see his husband is strongly motivated by selfish interest rather than emotions. In Othello, similar illustrations occur when Othello is ordered to go to the sea to fight the invaders.

This was going to be one of his toughest assignments had it not been for the Duke commanding that he goes with Desdemona (Craig 57). The pair is lucky that the invaders changed their minds or were defeated by other people. They take this opportunity to bond oblivious of the danger facing them; however, selfish interests drive the pair to destruction at the end of the play.

In addition, Craig claims that fear and hope play significant role sin determining an individuals behaviour. Macbeth was a good soldier but as soon as the witches told him of the expected response after winning the battle his reasoning came to a stand still.

He started dreaming that one day he would be the king of Scotland and had the high hopes that he would attain this status (Craig 64). After confiding this information to his wife he was advised to kill his perceived competitors to eliminate opposition.

This was the beginning of hopes covered with fear and resulted in various misfortunes. In fact, his hopes and fears are to blame for exposing his weaknesses and leading to tragic deaths in the play.

Works Cited

Craig, L. H. Of Philosophers and Kings. Political Philosophy in Shakespeares Macbeth and King Lear. London: University of Toronto Press, 2001. Print.

Feagin, Susan. The Pleasure of Tragedy. American Philosophical Quarterly 20 Apr. 1983: 95-104. Print.

Hume, David. 1742. Of Tragedy in Essays, Moral, Political, and Literary. Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, 1987. Print.

McGinn, Collin: Shakespeares Philosophy: Discovering the Meaning behind the Plays. New York: Harper Collins, 2007. Print.

The witches chant in Macbeth is powerful poetry and powerful drama. It derives its power from several features. Among them are the rhymes, the rhythm of the words, the interpolation of a chorus, the increasing complexity of the lines as the poem progresses, and the vivid and horrifying imagery. Shakespeare may have had many aims in this play, some of them as deep as the Protestant/Catholic conflict that was roiling in Elizabethan England, but this particular piece of poetry stands on its own, apart from its historical context.

The most striking characteristic of the poem upon first reading is the rhyming. As Clugson points out, most of the personae of the play speak their parts in blank verse for most of the time (Clugston, 2010). The appearance of these definite, assertive, unsubtle rhymes in the midst of the heroic declamation sets it apart instantly.

The character of the rhymes is heavily constrained. Each line taps out a four-beatrhythm(Wilson, 2002, p. 126). Wilson describes the result as a drumming insistence with a musical effect which is irresistibly conspiratorial, hovering between a ritual and a threat (Wilson, 2002, p. 126). This wonderful description captures the feeling of a dance that this poem has evoked for many young people, even if they did not know what issues or events the play addresses.

These lines are largely monosyllabic, a feature which, as Kranz notes, makes the iambic pentameter very obvious (Kranz, 2003, p. 346), almost a caricature of itself. The words that Shakespeare chooses for these lines also display what Kranz accurately describes as fricative alliteration (Kranz, 2003, p. 346). This gives the poem a hissing sound, which reinforces the nearly inhuman nature of the speakers and the spectral activities they pursue. A poem of equivalent power in using rhythm might be Vachel Lindsays The Congo(Lindsay, 1917).

The chorus lines demarcate the verses, providing a welcome relief from the insistence of the ingredients list. The chorus also includes all the participants, transforming the poem from a recitation to an incantation, a shared, almost sacramental activity. This pattern is very reminiscent of the versicles/responses in the Christian mass, or the call-and-response of African music.

In light of Wilsons contention that the witches symbolized the Elizabethans suppressed and rebellious Catholic gentry (Wilson, 2002, p. 129), the chorus also seems more than a rhythmic change of pace. The altered rhythm makes the lines around the chorus stand out in greater relief.

The imagery is where the poem really packs a massive punch. Shakespeare has assembled a collection of ghastly items that retain their power to shock and make us squeamish. This is true even in an era when the reader is quite likely to have a poison tree frog or an endangered tiger on their t-shirt.

Shakespeare manages this by selecting animals that are not our cuddly barnyard friends. These creatures mostly hail from other taxonomic groups and distinctly different modes of life. There are examples of reptiles (adder, blindworm, snake, and lizard), amphibians (newts, toads, and frog), nocturnal mammals (bat), nocturnal birds (owl, or howlet), notochord (shark), and mythical (dragon).

The cat appears as a herald of mischief, and the dog appears in the form of its tongue. This latter is one of the most alien body parts of mans best friend; dogs, after all, only sweat through their tongues. The goat, perhaps the least sympathetic of domestic animals, is represented by its gall, a bitter and mysterious organ.

The reader moves from the more revolting portions of the animal kingdom to the misfits of the human world. The poem lists the offal of the witch, Jew, Tartar and Turk, all despised groups. Jews were discriminated against severely (Campos, 2002), scapegoated even more severely than Catholics (who were in active, violent rebellion (Wilson, 2002, p. 139), and ghettoized.

The Tartars were a name to evoke terror, for their ravages, all over Europe. The Turks had threatened Europeans in the Holy Land for centuries. These choices by Shakespeare for his poem, then, were among the most frightening boogeymen of Elizabethan England. Witches were another emerging fear, in an era of religious conflict.

The most disturbing image  that of the body parts of a poor, demoralized girls roadside infanticide being used in witches potions  is distressing on many levels. Just in this one image, the reader is reminded of the issue of sexual exploitation of women (Why is the girl pregnant out of wedlock in the first place?), class oppression (If the father was of the same social class, why did they not simply get married?

If the father is of a different social class, what gave him the right to victimize?), hypocrisy in attitudes about sexual behavior (Would a wealthy girl be consigned to this position?). Thus, Shakespeare caps off a gallery of horrors.

These imagesmake readers and viewers think of all the things that made people shudder and cringe, from slimy or predatory animals to the Elizabethan worlds version of terrorists. Shakespeare has woven together rhymes that pound, a rhythm that evokes the slow, foreboding dance of the witches, a chorus that brings everyone into the action, and images that retain their power to disturb after all these centuries. I am struck by all, but especially by his deeply upsetting imagery.

Reference List

Campos, E. V. ( 2002). Jews, Spaniards, and Portingales: Ambiguous Identities of Portuguese Marranos in Elizabethan England. Englis Literary History, 69(3), 599-616. Web.

Clugston, R. W. (2010). Journey into Literature. NY: Bridgepoint.

Kranz, D. (2003). Sounds of Supernatural Soliciting in Macbeth. Studies in Philology, 100(3). Web.

Lindsay, V. (1917). The Congo. In H. Monroe (Ed.), The New Poetry: An Anthology. Web.

Wilson, R. (2002). The Pilots Thumb: Macbeth and the Jesuits. In T. L. Stories, & R. Poole (Ed.), The Lancashire Witches (pp. 126-145). Manchester: Manchester Universiity Press.

William Shakespeare uses a variety of artistic techniques to enhance Macbeths background, paying attention to the weather as one of its strongest points, emphasizing the fate that dominates the characters. The weather setting opens the play, Shakespeare works to create a gloomy atmosphere. The witches gather to predict the main characters future and wonder, When shall we three meet again?/ In thunder, lightning, or in rain? (Shakespeare 1.1.1-2). The author focuses on the current weather  thunder and lightning  to underline the dark mood and inform the reader about an upcoming disaster. From the first lines, it is clear that the story may provoke negative attitudes toward the characters, their decisions, and their beliefs. Such detail as the background of the play is not always easy to recognize, but it has a strong subconscious influence on the readers, forcing them to get involved in the narration. Weather does not discern between men or women, children or adults, innocent or guilty. Without even noticing it, the reader develops a set of emotions to stay careful, mind safety, and think about the consequences. Therefore, the rainy weather in the background is a symbol of the line of disruptive events which Macbeths characters have to face.

Bhardwajs Maqbool is a great example of how the weather sets the tone for the story, it is not the backdrop in the film, but an active force expressing the psychological state of the characters. The film begins with a scene in the car: thunder, a misted glass because of rainy weather, darkness, and mud (Maqbool 00:01:25-00:01:45). It is difficult to recognize human faces because most of them are hidden by their shadows. This technique expresses the feelings of the characters: loneliness and fear of unpredictability. The rain stops in the next six minutes but does not clean the car or the roads. The weather neither hides the crime nor flushes evidence; it makes the blood on the glass more legible. Weather is a marker of what is happening throughout the action, emphasizing the cruelty and inevitability of events. At the end of the movie, bright and shiny weather is observed as a sign of peace obtained by the characters. Maqbool weather symbolism is strong to share the atmosphere of chaos and cruelty, the weather is one of the actors, designed to reflect the mood of the main characters.

Shakespeare and Bhardwaj underline the impact of the environment as a symbolic determinant: both authors use the weather description as a deep subtext that makes the viewers guess the intentions and reveal the hidden meaning. There is no need to expect an understanding from the characters who talk about death soon after the 40th day of mourning (Maqbool 00:03:38). It is hard to believe in sweet relationships in Macbeth when three witches predict the battles lost and won (Shakespeare 1.1.4). The focus of the stories is on the weather, which is inevitable and unpredictable. Despite peoples attempts to change their faith, there will always be unattainable factors. The idea of Macbeth is commonly used in modern works to prove the connection between people and the environment. Bhardwajs choice of rainy weather is more obvious in his desire to replace somber Scotland with the cruel Mumbai underworld. However, the outcome remains the same  the characters of Macbeth and Maqbool will not see happy endings, and thunder is one of the major predictors of their disappointment and failure. The authors use the weather as a sign of coming changes, forcing the audience to draw parallels between weather and the mood of the characters, making the weather the active force, unpredictable and inevitable.

Works Cited

Maqbool (2003)/ A Film by Vishal Bhardwaj/ 1080 Full HD. YouTube, uploaded by Neo Pav Studio, Web.

Shakespeare, William. Macbeth.The Folger of Shakespeare, Web.

Macbeth is one of the most popular Shakespeares plays that have different film adaptations. Comparing and contrasting the opening scene of the best-known adaptations by Roman Polanski and Orson Welles, it is possible to notice that although both directors use the same classical plot and effectively transform Shakespeares text, they see this story from the different points of view.

Thus, Polanski preserves the realistic description and tries to make film more shocking in order to demonstrate the evil part of Macbeth and emphasizes the appearance of the characters instead of their dialogues, while Welles involves witches as the characters that bring some sense with their words rather than their appearance, making film more impressionistic and picturesque.

The opening scene of The Tragedy of Macbeth starts with the words fair is foul and foul is fair that Polanski takes from the end of the Shakespeares scene (The Tragedy of Macbeth). On the other hand, Welles starts film using the last words of act four: Double double toil and trouble (Macbeth).

Due to the different understanding of Shakespeares intensions, both directors emphasize different ideas and elements of the story. Welles supposes that witches can be the agents of evil and, thereby, the audience can expect the forthcoming troubles. At the same time, the director does not indicate the names of those withes as it is mentioned in Shakespeares text, he just makes hints about the possible problems that the witches can make.

Perhaps, Orson Welles supposed that the audience of the XX century was not familiar with the certain spirits of the Elizabethan time and with their names, moreover, in this context, it was not important to mention the names, the director just wanted to emphasize the evil background of the events.

Roman Polanski shows the appearance of the witches trying to emphasize the different sides of the nature of the characters. As it was mentioned before, adaptation of Polanski seems shocking because of the bloody scenes and specific mood of the actions. His witches are grotesquely ugly; however, their characters are not opened well. The director wanted to emphasize their appearance instead of providing more psychological explanation.

The interior elements of the adaptation of Polanski distract an attention of the audience from the words of witches. The voices of the witches are screeching and difficult to understand.

It is impossible to comprehend the meaning of this scene in case if one is not familiar with Shakespeares text. Therefore, the opening scene of Polanski seems poorly done. The opening scene is the most important moment of the film and it is difficult to understand the whole plot without understanding of the beginning.

At the same time, Welles creates more tremendous picture using not only the visual elements of the withes appearance, but also demonstrating their evil character and intentions. The dialogues are clear and precise. The audience can easily comprehend the main idea of the film. Thereby, the opening scene of Welles seems more interesting and picturesque.

Analyzing the opening scenes of the of Macbeth by Orson Welles and The Tragedy of Macbeth by Roman Polanski, it is possible to conclude that, although both directors used the same classic plot, they demonstrated Shakespeares idea in the different ways. Welles provides more precise and picturesque description of the evil side of the characters, while Polanski emphasizes their appearance, making film more shocking and bloody.

Works Cited

Macbeth. Ex. Prod. Orson Welles. US: Republic Pictures, 1948. DVD.

The Tragedy of Macbeth. Ex. Prod. Roman Polanski. US: Columbia Pictures. 1971. DVD.

Use of imagery and Symbolism: This poem is full of symbolism and darkness. Whenever something awful is just about to happen, there is coverage of night to portray the negativity of the situation. For instance, Lady Macbeth uses phrases such as thick night&smoke of hell so that she can make sure that the knife does not see the wounds as it cuts the King who is peacefully sleeping (Shakespeare, 1848, P. 5).

Literally, the darkness that Lady Macbeth is referring to portrays evil operations she strategizes to undertake. Lady Macbeth also asks for prevention of Heaven from stealing a look at the blanket that belongs to the dark. She implies that the light which comes from the Heaven is associated with good things such as God, and that the light can protect people from evil. Indeed, she makes it clear that it is only such a thing-which is associated with goodness that can change her plans to kill Duncan.

As such, that is the reason why Lady Macbeth insists on having some source of light when she becomes mad (Shakespeare, 1848). Perhaps, she hopes that light can shield her against the evil. The torchlight that illuminates Banquo when he is being killed is taken away during the evil deed. This is done perhaps, because evil may not go well with light.

Use of superstition: Use of supernatural powers throughout the poem is very outstanding. For instance, witchcraft has been featured in many instances; in relation to Macbeth in particular. Strange sisters invoking on the Scottish health at the beginning of the play captures the interest of the audience. The witches have actually set the action of the play when they envisaged with accuracy that Macbeth will one day become a King. The witches appear to arguably posses some supernatural powers.

The strange sisters appear to stand for common apprehension about the mysterious happenings. They have also been used to portray worries of commanding traditional women who turn down the conventional gender roles. Despite their malicious plans, the witches have also been portrayed as harmless. As a result, the strange sister appears to play an ambiguous role which maintains the audience suspense (Auden, 1950).

Imagery which portrays the use of images to create imaginations has been widely applied in this play. The imagery of clothing is used to show how Macbeth is willing to disguise his shameful actions, not only to others but also to his own eyes. Perhaps, the author uses imagery to reflect ironically the manner in which Macbeth is a pitiful character and yet wishes to cover it up. The fact that Macbeth is presented as putting on robes that he does not own is symbolical.

Consequently, his evil deeds are depicted in an ironical manner, because it seems like he is putting on dignity which does not belong to him. Even the garments that she wears does not belonging to him, meaning that he does not deserve the dignity that she puts on. Indeed, he does not feel comfortable and that is why he continuously felt mindful because of wearing garments that belong to others (Auden, 1950).

The ironical representation of Macbeth through such imagery and symbolism drives the audience to develop a despicable attitude towards him because of his evils. This is how the author manages to present evil in the society as a key theme in the play, I a manner that involves the audience feelings and attitudes (Virendra, 1979). The use of imagery has particularly enhanced a deep understanding of the concepts that were originally intended by the author (Virendra, 1979). Furthermore, it arouses the audience critical analysis of the issues being discussed in the play. For instance, the audience will want to critically think why Macbeth uses garments that do not belong to him, and in the process get a better and enriched understanding of the themes being covered by the author.

Use of superstition arouses the audience interest to follow the play till it ends. The audience keeps on asking many questions on the mystery of the supernatural characters such as the weird sisters. More so, the supernatural powers leave more questions unanswered hence creating suspense and make the audience desire to know how the play will end. In addition, use of Symbolism imagery and symbolism creates a better picture in audience mind, concerning the themes that the play covers; such as where dark is used to represent evil.

According to Alden, A Symbol is felt to be much more before any possible meaning is consciously recognized, i.e. an object or event which is felt to be more important than reason can immediately explain (1950, 21). In essence, symbolic presentation of ideas such as evil in form of darkness elicits the unconscious or subconscious nervousness of ideas hence making them entrenched in the minds of the audience. Use of supernatural powers has been used to explain situations in a manner that cannot be experienced in reality, hence making the play more interesting and attractive to the audience so they can experience the intended theme in a fantastic way (Virendra, 1979).

References

Auden, W.H. (1950). The Enchafed Flood: The Romantic Iconography of the Sea. New York: Random.

Shakespeare, W. (1848). Macbeth: a tragedy in five acts. London: Harvard University.

Virendra, K., & Eliot, T. (1979). Quest for Belief: A Study of his Poetry and Drama. New Delhi: Atlantic Publications.

Macbeth is waiting on the castle wall for Macduff and Malcolm, who have invaded him and hopes they die of hunger before they are able to go through his barrier. However, Macbeths wife is murdered and the news is broken to him, and he is drifted into a life of futility and remorsefulness. Macbeth engages himself in a soliloquy where he describes life-trend based on his feeling. Macs response to this information is She should have died hereafter  the time of the death occurrence was not the right time. This implied his unreadiness of acceptance of the information based on the time of occurrence. Furthermore, it shows his view about the time of death was unfair and if only by then his wife could have been alive, any other time would be more appropriate for her death. This also shows Macs love towards his wife by yearning for at least some little time to with her. There would have been time for such a word  something went untold. This shows Macs wishes of having more time to talk to his wife and tell her something good before she dies. This shows how Macs sadness from the loss of his precious lady.

Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow,  shows how time in ones life is repetitious. It is a running clock that cannot be changed of how one starts a day, ends it and get into another similar day. This is like a mechanical procedure of ones way of living. This shows how tedious the life redundancy to the character is with a rhythmic repetitiveness that leads one to the grave. Creeps in  portrays how life is unpredictable or immeasurable. It is hard to know when it starts and when it will end. It comes in without any alarm and lives in the same manner. It enters gradually bringing with it harmfulness in a crafty manner. This also shows how life is dishonest as the promises it give are always futile. Life is like a hidden secret where you know what have happened but not what will happen. This enables it to catch-up people unaware and by-pass them unknowingly. Last syllable of recorded time,  this brings out life as a statement or a speech. As long as the speech is on progress, life is likened to exist but as there comes the last syllable at the speeches end, life in the same way comes to an end. As in speech every word said bring the speech closer to its end, every day lived leads us to our deaths.

And all our yesterdays  shows the past in mans life: history. This includes all the achievements, famous, glories and brightness of mankind collective past. Use of yesterday shows how life is short. Likening ones whole past to just a view of one gone day shows how short lived time has been. It also shows how little accomplishment in ones life was. One day-yesterday- give no much time to achieve or accomplish ones dreams and with it gone, unaccomplished wishes goes to the grave together with the wisher. Have lighted fools  shows how the past gives irrational minds expectations of dreams and magnificence of brighter future to come. This shows that basing ones future on his/her yesterdays glory is foolishness. The way to dusty death  the truth of what lies ahead is what one becomes after dying, that is, dust. This indicates that what ones yesterday does is only providing him/her with needed light that will lead them on their path toward the grave.

Out, out brief candle!  This shows how soon ones life can be over. The repetition shows none-stop the process towards ones life end is. As long as the candle keeps burning, there is nothing to stop its burning out. Likewise, as an individual keeps on living, the wink of life keeps on burning towards it base where the lifes light become extinguished. Lifes but a walking shadow  with no light anymore, the shadow is there no more. As the candle frame nears its burn out point, so the shadow nears its non-existence stage. Maybe, the flame is like the soul or the spirit of the person and the shadow casted by it is the persons life.

A poor player  men are actors on the world-stage. Everything that one does is nothing but acting, however when the play is over the ones reality is revealed. The alliteration here is used to bring out the humbleness of the actor. That struts and frets his hour upon the stage  indicates how this person becomes exited by his moment while in the stage. He is proud of the environment and he walks in a pompous manner like he is dominating the whole play. He carries himself out with an attitude of high importance in a very serious way. However, worry has its good hold on the person pertaining unimportant details and unnecessary worries. This brings out the true nature of man, concerning his egotism and pride. And then is heard no more  shows that no matter how famous the person becomes in life, no matter how important he carried himself out on the stage all these moment of glory are quickly forgotten and his fame is no more remembered. Lifes end marks the end of ones praises and a beginning of another, is like a candle, which goes off too soon. In addition, just like an actor on the stage full of fame and glory, and when the play is over, no one remember the actor is the life.

It is a tale  life turns out to be a story, not something to be seen or witnessed but something to be narrated of its once existence. However, Told by an idiot  the story becomes unpleasing as the teller lacks intelligence turning a once wonderful event to a boring narration. Full of sound and fury  involved in the story are unnecessary lots of action, noise and emotions incorporated by the uninformed teller. Signifying nothing  all these are worthless and the energy given to them is of waste since at the end, life still lacks meaning. This picture of Life being an idiotic story and meaningless brings out Macbeths feelings from the death of his beloved wife. His views show that life totally lacks meaning, implying that ones life does not have significant influence on the mankind. Malcolms, Siward, and Macduff troops finally succeed to penetrate into the castle waging their assault on the royal palace. Regarding every man as a woman-born, Macbeth had hope for winning possibilities. However, his soliloquy turns true to his life on scene 8 when he resigned himself to death.

Macbeth: Watching the World Collapse

Impulsiveness

Truly, a lot can be said about one of Shakespeares most complex villains and also one of the most complex and compelling villains of all time, infamously known as Macbeth. His character is a mixture of seemingly noble and disturbingly weird character traits; thus, Shakespeare managed to make this villain not only obviously unpleasant but also intriguingly mesmerizing. With all his nastiness and weakness, Macbeth has a few traits that are considered intrinsically characteristic of heroes, the good characters. Impulsiveness is one of those features; although being rather a neutral feature of character, which can turn ones personality either good or evil, it does not work for Macbeths benefit in the play.

Macbeth prefers thinking only after taking a certain step, which makes him especially easy to manipulate for his wife. Macbeths impulsiveness becomes especially evident as he talks to the murderers: In such bloody distance,/That every minute of his being thrusts/Against my nearst of life (I, vii, 11351137). In contrast to his wife, who is especially cold-blooded compared to him and seems to contemplate making every single step, Macbeth follows the lead without considering the consequences, which contributes to the tragedy of this character. Instead of thinking about the outcomes of his actions, Macbeth takes steps, with the bitter realization of what he has done coming afterward.

Straightforwardness

Unlike his wife, Macbeth is never shown as a cunning man and an intriguer  quite on the contrary, Shakespeare often portrays him as a stereotypical military man, who cannot possibly have any second thought about anything. The given characteristics of a military servant must have been recycled to death even before Shakespeare created his timeless classics; however, the poet manages to add a weird unique air to the given feature.

To be more exact, what other writers made silly and were used to poke fun at, Shakespeare made intimidating. Although Macbeth is never portrayed as a smart man who prefers to elaborate on his decisions and thinks every step through carefully, he still creates an impression of a very threatening villain instead of a dumb and, therefore, rather silly antagonist. At some points, his straightforwardness becomes even more terrifying than the most threatening hint: Here lays Duncan,/His silver skin laced with his golden blood (II, iii, 900).

It is very fascinating to hear a villain calling his deeds by their names and not shunning away from the fact that what he is doing is ethically wrong. Even though Macbeth can be considered morally bankrupt, his nearly enchanting ability to tell the truth straightforwardly does add another layer of complexity to his character.

Lady Macbeth: Ambitions and Remorse

Lust for power

Another compelling and unique, though definitely negative character, Lady Macbeth deserves a thorough analysis. Even though she is the key antagonist and by far the least appealing character in the entire novel, she is a very fascinating person in that she combines rather unexpected and seemingly incompatible qualities. The first feature of Lady Macbeth to be mentioned is her unbelievable thirst for power.

The extent to which she goes to make sure that she will finally be able to control others is incredible; not only does she dreams of becoming powerful, but she also manages to control every single action of her husband, which was unspeakable at the time. Like a true Shakespearean villain, she manifests her greed for control with every single word that she utters. No matter what person is captured into the focus of her attention, she wants to track down their actions and make sure that they follow her lead: When I burned in desire to question them further, they made themselves air, into which they vanished (I, v, 346349).

While Lady Macbeths lust for power has been discussed over and over, most discussions seem to focus on her need to obtain the money and the title; however, when taking a closer look at the given feature, one will be able to see that at some points, it reaches truly demonic proportions. Lady Macbeth does not need control over the state; nor does she want the privileges and perquisites that titles give. Instead, she wants people to be entirely in her command; basically, she wants to be omnipotent.

Emotionality

The second and admittedly unexpected trait of Lady Macbeths character concerns her emotionality. As weird as it might sound, Lady Macbeth is very emotional; as a matter of fact, the crimes that she committed can be attributed to her emotionality rather than her greed, though the latter has affected her actions. Lady Macbeth is madly in love with her husband, which only an emotional person is capable of. More to the point, her decision to commit suicide can also be seen as a result of her outburst of emotions, remorse being the key one.

Whenever Lady Macbeth speaks, one can hear the passion in her voice: Infirm of purpose! Give me the daggers (II, ii, 714). One of the most memorable character traits of the most compelling Shakespearean character, Lady Macbeths emotionality cannot be doubted.

Works Cited

Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. 1603. Web.

Introduction

Anybody who has gone through the works of Shakespeare, or even a little bit of it, can never forget the immortal characters created by him. The focal point of this Essay is about Shakespeare and his view on kingship displayed throughout his plays, Macbeth, King Lear and Othello. It is interesting to note that in these plays, the protagonists are extremely proud and confident but are juxtaposed with specific vices.

Discussion

In Macbeth, we observe a transition of character. This would also include the appearance of the witches when he was pure and loyal to the point of near insanity when he found himself nearing the ultimate stage of becoming evil himself. The text reveals in the opening phase of the drama that Macbeth is an extremely capable warrior in accordance with the account of the captain, thus making him an important aspect of the drama.

It is here through the captains point we come to know that Macbeth is one of the most loyal subjects of King Duncan. Next, we see that Macbeth is interacting with three witches who help us understand the three major attributes of Macbeth i.e. self-doubt, ambition and physical bravery. At the same time, it is beyond doubt in the basement Macbeths character is clean and as a soldier, he is true to his job and his king.

The transition of Macbeth from being a positive character to a negative character came in various phases and aspects of circumstances and political developments. It was not a justification from Macbeths point in the act of killing King Duncan. The only justification for Macbeth was his ambition. He was not pleased with his possession of Glamis and Cawdor, he wanted more. He wanted to be the king himself. It is true that he was instigated by the witches. The witches stated 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 thereafter! (Shakespeare, I.3)

This leads to the assassination of Duncan with ample moral and physical support from Lady Macbeth and all this time Macbeth tries to be brave and just to himself but deep inside his morality is broken although Lady Macbeth tried her heart out to justify each evil act of Macbeth. Macbeth knows that he is on the wrong side. For Macbeth, as he mentions time and again, Duncan is more than a king to Macbeth and is like a father to him. Thus with this act of treachery and treason he was, at a sphere, murder his father. This was a huge leap towards being a negative character though he is true to his pride.

At this part, Macbeth becomes an extension of evil spirits such as the witches themselves. At this point whatever Macbeth acts or represents becomes a manifestation of ill fate and unholy intentions. He orders assassinations and tries to kill any and every heir to the throne like a true negative character and this plays an impact on his mind. One major part of this follow-through was Macbeths misapprehension of blood. He saw blood everywhere and it appeared to him that this blood was of Duncans and that it could not be rinsed away.

It would be relevant to mention that the playwright William Shakespeare depicted the character of Macbeth as a metaphor of human ambition gone wrong. This makes a character that starts as a brave and powerful warrior who is completely loyal to his abilities and more so to his king. He is well-loved by his men and friends and the King himself and there is no reason to accept him as a positive hero but gradually we find him rolling into the abyss of evil procedures and ultimately becomes a hated negative character.

This one vision or illusion appears as a striking note to Macbeths morality and thus exposes the inner contradiction of Macbeths ambition, morality, justification and self-doubt. There were his vices but he maintained his pride all through the play, much like the other noble characters in King Lear as Edmund. He is fit to the pattern of Shakespearean notation of King or noble more than King Lear himself.

The character Edmund, as depicted in William Shakespeares The Tragedy of King Lear, epitomizes the Shakespearean insight of dramatization and complexity of character where the issues of kingship or nobility are explored. The characters Edmund and Edgar are bonded by the same bloodline but kept apart socially due to the legitimacy of identity. They searched for their true place in the world. The entire play is directed towards this search for identity through a complex pattern of the human soul.

Edmund is a very fascinating character as he is a sympathetic and complex villain at the same time. He appears to be Machiavellian in nature. He can be stated as an accomplished schemer who is opportunistic and extremely goal-oriented at the same time. He is a bastard by birth. As a result, along with his thirst for power and land one element he really craves is recognition and social status. It appears that the manner he induces himself in serial treachery actually refers to his mode of rebellion against the status of social principles. He always tries to achieve the equal status of Edgar, the lawful or recognized son of Gloucester.

He is a capable and cold villain but there is no denial that he is a complete self-made personality. However, at the end of the play, he is found repenting for his deeds thus it may appear that his actions all though the play was more of a misdirected desire and revenge on the society rather than the work of a true Satan.

Edmund appears to be full-bodied at times, particularly during the end before being defeated, and a huge amount of vanity is incorporated. He states that To both these sisters have I sworn my love; / &. not to debate. (Shakespeare, 79)

However, at the end of the play, we see him regretting his deeds. Yet Edmund was belovd. / &/ That she fordid herself. (Shakespeare, 92) It is to be noted that even in his last notes he tries to prove himself to be beloved and this is his last attempt to gain his identity that was denied. He calls for good deeds and he is ashamed for his evils works as, in a way, he feels that his mission of attaining his identity is completed.

Edger, too, at this point recognizes the fact of his birth. I am no less in blood than thou art, Edmund; / &. The dark and vicious place where thee he got / Cost him his eyes. (Shakespeare, 90) This same Edger challenged Edmund in his last fight. Here too we find a man seeking the justification and true nature of identity. Only this time it was Edger searching for his position from Edmund. Draw thy sword, /That, if my speech offend a noble heart, To prove upon thy heart, whereto I speak, / Thou liest. (Shakespeare, 89)

There are many elements held within William Shakespeares work of King Lear that is consistent with drama, and support themes of justice, loyalty and love. Apart from these, there are other aspects of the character too. In this context, Edmund is also an expression of compassion and understanding, a profession of honor and faith in the existence of friendship, camaraderie, love and justice. Edmund reveals that friendship exists in the idea that regardless of whether or not they all would believe what one would say, they all believe that the experience affected the comrade in some form and would prove sympathetic toward their emotional state. However, the most profound element that comes out of character is pride no matter how much it is eclipsed by the frustration of recognition.

However, before analyzing Othello, we must observe the society where this play was written. The Shakespearean era was a very significant one regarding its bringing about a supreme change in the moral values of people dwelling there. It was distinct in terms of imposing a strict moral code of conduct on society. The moral values however were more prominent on women than on men. It is an interesting observation that the manner Victorian people wished to be perceived as respectable, high moral values and family orientated. However, firstly the upper class were anything but moral behind closed doors (use of prostitutes, etc) and did not look after their children themselves (nannies, wet nurses and boarding schools) and the lower classes were too busy just trying to survive to get involved.

Under such conditions racial inequalities were obvious and skin color was the main objective as seen in the play, Othello. Othello possesses a distinct underlying touch of racism revolving around the play. First of all, Othello, the main character, has been described as a Moor, a term used to refer to the dark-skinned people by the European people in general. The term was often confused with Arab people also.

The term reflects hatred for dark or black skin irrespective of the country to which the owner of the skin belongs. That could refer to any part of the world which was different from Europe and to any people who did not have snow-white skin. Othello himself has been made to comment on his dark skin in the play such as Haply for I am black (Shakespeare 837). Thus, he is proud to be what he is. He found no other comparison to make with Desdemonas imaginary adultery to express the immense depth of her sin except black as mine own face.

Desdemonas beauty and her white skin have been described in the play to contrast Othellos black skin such that it appeared darker, that whiter skin of hers than snow (Shakespeare 852). Thus, it is clear that his authority is unchallenged even by his skin tone and he is extremely proud of it even though he possessed a vise of jealousy.

In his plays, the kings, or authoritative characters like Othello, possess a divinity in the sense that their words are more than command, more of a sermon. As in Macbeth, I am in blood / Stepped in so far, that, should I wade no more, / Returning were as tedious as go oer (Shakespeare, III. 4. 135137). On the other hand, they are often portrayed as fools in Othello, for believing Yargo. The same is true when we find Macbeths inability to read faces as he fails to understand the intentions of Lady Macbeth. The same can be seen in King Lear as he is gradually losing his possessions and power.

Conclusion

These elements are of interesting notions as these were incorporated in the plays to please both the rich and the poor audiences alike. Shakespeare appealed to both the rich seeing plays at court and the commoners seeing a play at globe theatre. The rich were happy to visualize themselves as courageous and brave. At the same time, the Kings were the protagonists of the plays and the rich could easily identify with the main characters.

On the other hand, the poor found it amusing to find the richer classes in peril and making silly mistakes. This way, Shakespeares plays managed to hold the attention of both the classes by portraying the Kings and authorities in a gallant yet psychologically weak manner.

Works Cited

Shakespeare, William. The Complete Works of Shakespeare, Vol. 11. Auckland: Classic Books Company, 2001.

Shakespeare, William. The Complete Works of Shakespeare, Vol. 6. Auckland: Classic Books Company, 2001.

Shakespeare, William. The Complete Works of Shakespeare, Vol. 1. Auckland: Classic Books Company, 2001.

In William Shakespeares play Macbeth, the supernatural plays a crucial part in inspiring Macbeths actions. Supernatural elements create dramatic tension, with the witches predictions in Scene 3 of Act 1 as a critical instigating incident. Macbeths desire to replace Duncan as Scotlands monarch is driven by otherworldly forces. The presence of the supernatural encourages the protagonists to feel superior and arrogant. The supernaturally manufactured predictions lure Macbeth and Banquo with the idea of power, leading Macbeth to plot the cruel murder of Duncan. Macbeth believes that by murdering his close friend Banquo, he will finally be able to live up to the prophecy that he will become king. At an earlier gathering that night, he had a supernatural encounter with the ghost of a recently departed friend. The prophecies of the three witches inspire Macbeths desire to murder Banquo, but he digs himself into a deeper hole in the process. The plays sense of mystery is enhanced by Macbeths use of the bizarre (Hibbs and Hibbs 275). The plays supernatural aspects drive the plot and elevate its tragic elements by leading the protagonist further away from the passage of the typical hero.

Any supernatural effect on his choices, particularly those involving murder, is purely voluntary. It is only fair that he takes some responsibility for the many failures and catastrophes he is brought on by depending on them. On the other hand, without the supernatural, it is unlikely that Macbeth would even have the courage to consider such notions, much alone act on them. Macbeth begins his journey of murder when he tells Lady Macbeth about the witches. He recalled how these Weird Sisters hailed me and pointed to the advent of time with Hail, the king that shalt be, as he put it (Shakespeare). The influence of the supernatural on his wife, Lady Macbeth, drove him to murder King Duncan; had he not informed her about his vision, events could have turned out differently. Once he reveals to Lady Macbeth the divine prophesy he got, he loses all chance of returning to his former noble life. The supernatural plays a significant role in Macbeths universe.

In Scene 1 of Act IV, Macbeth returns to the Weird Sisters and demands to see visions of his future. Macbeth is warned of Macduffs vengeance by a severed warriors head. In the second scene, a little boy, covered in blood, promises Macbeth that no man of woman born can kill him. Macbeth will not be beaten in battle, the young king swears, as long as Birnam wood is physically transported to Dunsinane. Upon learning of these impossibilities, Macbeth exclaims, reign in this kingdom? (Schojbert 1). The witches have Banquo leading a ghostly parade of imaginary kings. This only infuriates Macbeth more, and he goes so far as to admit to the audience that he wants to murder the whole Macduff family because of his pride.

In this play, the supernatural aspect is genuine or verifiable. Since both Macbeth and Banquo see the witches, their presence is confirmed. The supernatural aspect adds to the drama by validating and concretizing the heros internal struggles. Therefore, Macbeths witches represent the guilt deep within his psyche. However, the supernatural aspect does not exert an overbearing force, and the hero is never made helpless or absolved of responsibility for his actions. Although it is only suggestive, the hero is under no obligation to act upon it. The supernatural plays a vital role in accelerating the heros demise and elevating the tragedy within the play but ultimately teaches the weight of responsibility for personal actions.

Works Cited

Schojbert, Haley. The Supernatural, the Demonic, and Witchcraft in Early Modern English plays: Macbeth, the Witch, the Witch of Edmonton, and Doctor Faustus. 2020. The State University of New York at New Paltz, MA thesis.

Hibbs, Thomas, and Stacey Hibbs. Virtue, Natural Law, and Supernatural Solicitation: A Thomistic Reading of Shakespeares Macbeth. Religion and the Arts, vol 5, no 3, 2001, pp. 273- 296, Web.

Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. Wordsworth Classics, 1992.

Macbeth: Watching the World Collapse

Impulsiveness

Truly, a lot can be said about one of Shakespeares most complex villains and also one of the most complex and compelling villains of all time, infamously known as Macbeth. His character is a mixture of seemingly noble and disturbingly weird character traits; thus, Shakespeare managed to make this villain not only obviously unpleasant but also intriguingly mesmerizing. With all his nastiness and weakness, Macbeth has a few traits that are considered intrinsically characteristic of heroes, the good characters. Impulsiveness is one of those features; although being rather a neutral feature of character, which can turn ones personality either good or evil, it does not work for Macbeths benefit in the play.

Macbeth prefers thinking only after taking a certain step, which makes him especially easy to manipulate for his wife. Macbeths impulsiveness becomes especially evident as he talks to the murderers: In such bloody distance,/That every minute of his being thrusts/Against my nearst of life (I, vii, 11351137). In contrast to his wife, who is especially cold-blooded compared to him and seems to contemplate making every single step, Macbeth follows the lead without considering the consequences, which contributes to the tragedy of this character. Instead of thinking about the outcomes of his actions, Macbeth takes steps, with the bitter realization of what he has done coming afterward.

Straightforwardness

Unlike his wife, Macbeth is never shown as a cunning man and an intriguer  quite on the contrary, Shakespeare often portrays him as a stereotypical military man, who cannot possibly have any second thought about anything. The given characteristics of a military servant must have been recycled to death even before Shakespeare created his timeless classics; however, the poet manages to add a weird unique air to the given feature.

To be more exact, what other writers made silly and were used to poke fun at, Shakespeare made intimidating. Although Macbeth is never portrayed as a smart man who prefers to elaborate on his decisions and thinks every step through carefully, he still creates an impression of a very threatening villain instead of a dumb and, therefore, rather silly antagonist. At some points, his straightforwardness becomes even more terrifying than the most threatening hint: Here lays Duncan,/His silver skin laced with his golden blood (II, iii, 900).

It is very fascinating to hear a villain calling his deeds by their names and not shunning away from the fact that what he is doing is ethically wrong. Even though Macbeth can be considered morally bankrupt, his nearly enchanting ability to tell the truth straightforwardly does add another layer of complexity to his character.

Lady Macbeth: Ambitions and Remorse

Lust for power

Another compelling and unique, though definitely negative character, Lady Macbeth deserves a thorough analysis. Even though she is the key antagonist and by far the least appealing character in the entire novel, she is a very fascinating person in that she combines rather unexpected and seemingly incompatible qualities. The first feature of Lady Macbeth to be mentioned is her unbelievable thirst for power.

The extent to which she goes to make sure that she will finally be able to control others is incredible; not only does she dreams of becoming powerful, but she also manages to control every single action of her husband, which was unspeakable at the time. Like a true Shakespearean villain, she manifests her greed for control with every single word that she utters. No matter what person is captured into the focus of her attention, she wants to track down their actions and make sure that they follow her lead: When I burned in desire to question them further, they made themselves air, into which they vanished (I, v, 346349).

While Lady Macbeths lust for power has been discussed over and over, most discussions seem to focus on her need to obtain the money and the title; however, when taking a closer look at the given feature, one will be able to see that at some points, it reaches truly demonic proportions. Lady Macbeth does not need control over the state; nor does she want the privileges and perquisites that titles give. Instead, she wants people to be entirely in her command; basically, she wants to be omnipotent.

Emotionality

The second and admittedly unexpected trait of Lady Macbeths character concerns her emotionality. As weird as it might sound, Lady Macbeth is very emotional; as a matter of fact, the crimes that she committed can be attributed to her emotionality rather than her greed, though the latter has affected her actions. Lady Macbeth is madly in love with her husband, which only an emotional person is capable of. More to the point, her decision to commit suicide can also be seen as a result of her outburst of emotions, remorse being the key one.

Whenever Lady Macbeth speaks, one can hear the passion in her voice: Infirm of purpose! Give me the daggers (II, ii, 714). One of the most memorable character traits of the most compelling Shakespearean character, Lady Macbeths emotionality cannot be doubted.

Works Cited

Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. 1603. Web.