Category: Macbeth

The concept of tragedy, and the popularization of the emotion as a genre of written form, cannot be spoken about thoroughly without considering the two plays that defined the genre – Shakespeare’s Macbeth, and Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex. Macbeth is a play written by William Shakespeare that tells the story of the titular character, who hears of a prophecy dictating his eventual rise to king, and this spurs he and his wife to form a plot to kill the existing ruler. The other text, Oedipus Rex, written by ancient playwright Sophocles, also follows the titular character in an attempt to uncover the murderer of the existing king, Laius. Despite the similarities of the nature of these plays, they also have differences in their interpretations of their kings, the concept of fate and the role the queens play in their narrative.

Both Oedipus and Macbeth deal with the concepts of kings and their importance in their play where they share similarities and differences in the presentation of their kings, such as the role in their downfalls and how they handle their fate. In Macbeth, the titular character is told of his rise to the throne. He caused his own ruination by rushing his rise to the throne by assassinating the previous leader, willingly put his downfall into motion with the help of his manipulative wife. Not only this, but as Macbeth deals with the concept of fate, he strives for the future where he is king detailed by the three sisters and pushes it into motion by his own hand. On the other hand, Oedipus becomes king because he slays a noble creature – the Sphinx. He too has a prophecy that details him killing his own father, and mating with his mother. His responsibility for the murder of his own father is dubious at best, however he feels remorse for the dead king and is unaware of his offending actions. Oedipus curses the people who allowed for him to live, saying,

“ It was a thankless act. Had I perished then,

I would not have brought such agony

to myself or to my friends.”

Similarly to Macbeth, Oedipus is aware of his fate, yet attempts to run from it and attempts to avoid it vehemently. Not only do the two texts share the concept of kinghood, but further explores the idea of fate.

Both Oedipus and Macbeth deal with the concept of fate a great deal. In Oedipus and Macbeth, fate is the primary motivator and major influence in the process of both texts, pushing both titular characters to react to the future that was predicted. In Macbeth, the titular character’s fate is given to him by three witches, dictating the eventuality of him becoming king. Macbeth reacts to this by colluding with his wife to kill the existing king in order to force fate to fruition. He and his wife are motivated primarily by fate, and look forward to the materialization of what the witches say. On the other hand, Oedipus’ fate is that he will kill his father and marry his mother, and doing such bring destruction upon his city. He is relayed this prediction by The Oracle, and hearing so, reacts by turning his back on his adoptive family in order to avoid his fate. Oedipus dreads his fate, and all involved in the predictions make attempts to avoid it. Fate is a shared concept in both texts, where the titular characters are aware of the predictions, however the difference is seen in how they both react to it.

The final front that both Oedipus and Macbeth share is their representation of queens and the importance roles they play in the two texts. In Macbeth, the queen in question is Lady Macbeth, a cunning and cruel person who manipulates her husband into murder by putting his hand into motion for him. When Macbeth speaks of his fate, Lady Macbeth curses him out saying, “You do unbend your noble strength, to think so brainsickly of things.” In the end, Lady Macbeth commits suicide due to the torment of what she had done. The queen in Oedipus is Jocasta, the mother of Oedipus and the wife of Laius, the previous king. She is a fair and kind woman, who does not wish to bring children into the world due to the curse laid upon her husband and detests the fate of her family. She too attempts to avoid fate by ordering for the murder of her own son, but it fails. When the truth of the murder of her previous husband comes out, similarly to Lady Macbeth, Jocasta kills herself in her chambers. Despite both texts sharing a queen as one of their main characters, the queens themselves are vastly different in personality and their roles in the plot.

Tragedy as a genre, cannot be considered without acknowledging the two greats of the genre – Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex and Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Both of these plays share three concepts – kinghood, queendom and the idea of fate. However, how these concepts play out in the plot of the play differ but also share similarities. Macbeth on one hand has the protagonist see fate, and his fate, in a positive light that he and his king fight for, and put into action, whilst in Oedipus Rex, the titular character attempts to run from his fate, and in doing so, unknowingly obscures the truth of the murderer of his father. Both authors have efficiently produced a text that achieves the characteristics of the tragedy genre, and work as the accomplished play they are.

I believe Shakespeare is still relevant in today’s age as he made characters that can be related to kids and adults in the present time. He made characters about teenagers going through hard times, older people nearing the end of their lives, and people going mad for power, and the reason these characters stay relevant is because they have become part of our culture since they were created. There are a few plays that I will be touching on in this essay… Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar and Midsummer Nights Dream. These plays have many characters in them that can be related to. Those characters represent romance, comedy and tragedy.

Firstly, the play that I’ll be talking about is Romeo and Juliet, this play has two different genres in it, romance and tragedy. This play has taught writers different themes that are still used in today’s age, for example the theme starcross. Movies like Gnome’o and Juliet, Dirty Dancing and West Side Story are three movies that have used this to help their movies thrive. The two teenagers in this play fall madly in love with each other but their parents forbid it from happening, this may still happen in today’s age and that is what makes this story so compelling. “With love’s light wings did I o’erperch these walls, for stony limits cannot hold love out.” was a quote that was said in this play. It is trying to portray the message that love is unstoppable and it is very powerful. He said this when he was telling Juliet how he got in her house. A moment that meant a lot.

Midsummer Night’s Dream is also about romance but instead of tragedy it includes a hint of comedy to its plot. This play includes both literary and social significance. As soon as the play starts, the audience knows that it will include a dream on a summer night. This play is supposed to trigger your imagination and thoughts. These two things are very important as they are what is needed in today’s age of kids and adults as everybody needs their imagination and thoughts to make people think. The play includes people that are in a romantic chain that can’t be solved and adds people using potions and plays to get their fancy to admire them. The setting in this play also is very intriguing as it is set in a forest but also in a city. This could mean that the city is very restricted but once you step into the forest then you are left to do want you please.

Julius Caesar may be the most relevant play here because of the similarities in today’s age with the political systems and power. This play is about a man that has much power in the roman society and is believed to be too powerful and he may do something negative with the power he has. This created political strain and conflict. This is very relevant right now as politics all over the world are going through very similar situations. People may think badly upon their leader. There is much conflict in the world today and is very similar to the conflict in this play. You come across a lot of people like Brutus as he is the type of person that will cut you off from their lives and will backstab you. But people like Antony are loyal friends that will stick with you and be with you through the good and bad times.

Lastly, the play Macbeth is relevant today because people are still motivated by greed, power and jealousy just like the times of Shakespeare. Macbeth would do anything to be the ruler, and today’s people would go to extreme lengths for money and power. Macbeth has continued relevance because if nothing else the play shows us that power can cause corruption and greed. From macbeth we can learn that we should not let temptation, ambition or evil guide us away from our morals. Macbeth is a woman that was a very respectable and thoughtful person but once she detected power and money she definitely went off the tracks and went mad for these things as many people do right now.

In conclusion, Shakespeare and his plays are still relevant today as he has many traits and morals in his work that should be applied to everyone in today’s day and age. He uses contrasting themes and passionate characters to draw the audience into the play so that they can apply the messages to their own lives. Shakspeare overall shows many different messages in his plays to communicate beliefs, though some may be harder to detect than others. Overall I believe that you should learn about Shakespeare as he teaches messages that will be worth remembering for a lifetime.

Symbols in literature works are used by writers to better convey the meanings in the stories. Also, it is evident that William Shakespeare, one of the most respected writers across the globe uses symbols uniquely in his work for the purpose of foreshadowing and to provide the reader with a better understanding of the overall theme. In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, symbols are used to represent the overall theme of murder namely, the light and dark, blood, water, hallucinations, sleep and the witches. Whereas, in the play Julius Caesar also by William Shakespeare, symbols are used to express different notions at once specifically, the crown, the storm, the public, the omens, ‘beware the idea of March’, Caesar’s ghost, animals and northern star. Therefore, this paper will analyse the significance of these symbols in William Shakespeare’s tragedies Macbeth and then Julius Caesar.

To begin with, the difference between light and darkness in the play Macbeth signifies the good and the evil which plays a big role in the development of events. This is evident in Act 3, scene 3 of the play as Macbeth’s light and darkness is clearly exposed. After the murder of Banquo, the light suddenly disappeared perhaps because Banquo was a decent and respectful man who was not greedy like Macbeth. Therefore, the murder in this scene symbolizes darkness and the light signifies goodness as it left with the life of a good man. Additionally, in Act 1, scene 4 Macbeth says “Stars hide your fires; Let not see my black and deep desires’, this line shows how Macbeth is unwilling of anyone or anything revealing his ill doings of the night. He describes his desires as being dark because he wants to murder King Duncan so he can become King and the act of killing is indeed evil in nature and should be hidden from the lights of the stars. Last but not least, another contrast between light and darkness is evident in Lady Macbeth’s sleepwalking. She desired darkness at the beginning but after all her evil deeds, she sleepwalks with a candle so the candle light which represents goodness eases her as she is now afraid of the dark and she knows that evil happens in the dark. Shakespeare uses words such as light and dark, black and white and night and day to signify and explain the good and evil.

Additionally, in the play, blood represents both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s guilt. Firstly, in act2 scene 2 after Macbeth kills king Duncan, he escapes from the scene without completing the crime because to him more blood on his hands would incriminate him more. Macbeth also becomes very uncomfortable and starts to cry in front of Lady Macbeth explaining how scared he is of going back to the scene and showing how his hands are filled with blood. He says “will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?’, in this line Macbeth shows how much guilt he feels when he looks at blood on his hands and he is afraid that it will remain a constant reminder of killing the king. The fact that Macbeth did not complete the murder, Lady Macbeth had to go cover up the servants with blood and place the daggers close to them to frame them on the murder they have not committed. Despite Lady Macbeth’s bravery and her act of showing no emotions, her guilt became evident during her sleepwalking when she says she didn’t expect such an old man to have so much blood. Secondly, Lady Macbeth continuously tried to wash away the blood smell but her guilt could not allow it, in the play she even expresses how the smell of blood will still remain on her hands even if she uses all the perfumes from Arabia. Macbeths guilt is also visible on how quick he acts to wash off the blood from killing the guards. All the way through the play, imagery blood kept being used to represent the continuous feeling of guilt felt by Macbeth and Lady Macbeth eventually leading to their limitless state of fear and horror in their minds.

Furthermore, since every problem is expected to have a solution, water in the play Macbeth symbolizes purification of the guilt felt both by Macbeth and lady Macbeth. After the killing of King Duncan, Lady Macbeth assures her significant other that “a little water clears us of the dead” (Act 2, scene 2). Macbeth and Lady Macbeth use water to cleanse them of the guilt from murdering King Duncan. Macbeth regrets and the guilt he feels is profound to the point that he accepts that not even the whole ocean can cleanse his hands, however his bloody murdering hands can turn it red, quoting “No; this my hand will rather the multitudinous seas incardinate, making the green one red’. Close to the end of the play, it is evident that lady Macbeth doesn’t feel purified of her deeds and still feels guilty because even when sleepwalking she says “Out, doomed spot; out, I state” and while talking she would make movements as if she is scrubbing her hands to clean them. Additionally, Lady Macbeth deep down accepted that her guilt cannot be washed away and her attempting to scrub herself of the guilt will not work. Notwithstanding, Lady Macbeth’s recommendation of using water to purify them of their guilt has proven that no amount of water is by all accounts enough to wash of the guilt from them, she even says “what, will these hands ne’er be spotless?’. Water and guilt corresponds through the play and it is a significant sign since both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth both go to water for purifying when they feel guilt.

In addition, the hallucinations seen by Macbeth and Lady Macbeth all through the play are representatives of the couple’s guilt for partaking in murder to fulfill their own desires. Primarily the hallucination seen by Macbeth is the floating dagger that he sees before he executes Duncan, while Lady Macbeth broadly hallucinates blood on her hands that cannot be cleansed. The couple perceive these supernatural indications of their guilt as the activity advances. Additionally, Macbeth kept seeing Banquo’s ghost, an old friend of his whom he has killed and this also contributes to the guilt in him and it quotes “Here had we now nations respect roof’d were the graced individual of our Banquo present’ who may I preferably challenge for horribleness over pity for setback!”. Also, the play leaves it up to the reader to interpret whether these hallucinations are genuine or if they are essentially envisioned ideas in the mind of the Macbeths. However, the fleeting dreams also indicate Macbeth’s war inside himself as his honour fights desire. At the point when Macbeth hears a voice saying “does murder sleep’, it foresees Lady Macbeth’s sleepwalking and Macbeths bad dreams about killing his companions. Afore the finish of the play, Lady Macbeth envisions blood on her hands by saying “out doomed spot.” Hallucinating when she is sleeping, her mind attempts to wash away her blame without much of any result. Hallucinations in the play Macbeth therefore signify guilt felt by Macbeth and lady Macbeth.

Equally important, sleep and sleeplessness signify feelings of serenity and its absence. As Macbeth’s guilt kept building up, his sleep also does not come easy. Simultaneously, he is very mindful that maybe rest, which “Knits up the ‘ravell’d sleeve of care,’ is actually what he might need to quiet his nerves. Additionally, the lineup “does murder sleep” indicates that Macbeth has ruined his own chances of ever sleeping again. King Duncan who was killed in his sleep, shows that only the innocent sleep calmly. King Duncan represents the true features of a true king and a stable country because he has nothing to fear as he sleeps deeply. The fact that the Macbeths killed the king while he was asleep shows that the man was defenseless and couldn’t resist the murder. Consequently, only the innocent sleep peacefully and those who are guilty become restless.

Moreover, in Macbeth, the witches signify fate, evil and darkness. The witches demonstrate outer wickedness powers that work against Macbeth particularly, however symbolically may affect any individual. Similarly, they are also a mirror of who Macbeth is internally. Shakespeare uses the three witches who are sometimes referred to as the weird sisters to investigate the logical inquiry of fate. Their capacity to anticipate the future precisely brings about issues whether Macbeth’s fate is already written or if he came about to create his own destiny. At the beginning of the play, the witches arrive with thunder and lightning which is an indication that the storm is coming. This as

The Elizabethan Era was a time where theatre flourished and playwrights like William Shakespeare broke free of England’s past style of plays and theatre. After Queen Elizabeth passed away, Macbeth was Shakespeare’s next play and he had to be mindful of how females were portrayed now that he had a patriarchal leader. The human experience is explored through Shakespeare’s timeless drama Macbeth as the fundamental issues of human existence whether it is individual, physical, psychological, or intellectual. The famous play explores the human experience through the role of women and morality and examines a variety of characters that contribute to the plot and give different perspectives of human experience.

Shakespeare’s 17th-century play, Macbeth, explores the human experience through the role of women in a patriarchal society, where the women are seen as weak, the victims of sexual innuendo, and appear as the property of men. Shakespeare challenges the stereotypical view of women through Lady Macbeth and the three witches. When the witches are introduced at the beginning of the play their bad intentions are revealed as they use trickery to manipulate. When Macbeth is introduced to the witches it begins with them chanting the three prophecies “All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis!”, “All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!” and “All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!”. The witches play upon Macbeth’s ambition like a puppeteer using the prediction of future events to set Macbeth’s plot in motion. Shakespeare makes the readers question whether the witches dictate Macbeth’s fate or if he was responsible for his own actions. Lady Macbeth is another example of Shakespeare defying the traditional gender stereotypes as she is the complete opposite of Lady Macduff who represents the positive traits of females and is a perfect example of the nurturing role women were expected to have. Lady Macbeth’s desire to see Macbeth take the throne begins to dictate her decisions, her behavior demonstrating how women can be just as cruel and ambitious as men. Her manipulative ways are shown when she reveals her plan for killing the king, declaring to Macbeth, “The unguarded Duncan? What not upon His spongy officers, who shall bear the guilt of our great quell?” as she schemes to pin the murder on the King’s palace guards. Lady Macbeth takes control of Duncan’s murder telling Macbeth “screw your courage to the sticking place, and we’ll not fail” proving she is the dominant partner in their relationship, a change from the typical gender and social rules. After Duncan is killed Lady Macbeth takes control and warns Macbeth he must not think so seriously about the deed believing “it will make us mad”. Lady Macbeth defies the constraints society at that time had on women showing us the consequences that greed for power can have.

Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth is a tragedy about the consequences of lust for power, which explores the concept of morality. Morality is the belief that some behavior is right and acceptable and that other behavior is wrong. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth both struggle with their morals throughout the play. Macbeth realizes he has made a mistake after he kills Duncan, telling Lady Macbeth “I’ll go no more, I’m afraid to think of what I have done, look don’t again I dare not”. This confession reveals Macbeth regrets his decision, suggesting that his morals were not completely gone. However Macbeth believes it is too late to make amends later declaring “I am blood stepped in so far, that, should I wade no more, returning were as tedious as going o’er” revealing how he believes he has already crossed the line committing murder and there’s no going back. The further Macbeth travels from his morals the more guilt he begins to experience. After Macbeth sends assassins to kill Banquo he is haunted by Banquo’s ghost. Macbeth begins to speak to Banquo’s ghost, yelling “Avaunt! And quit my sights! Let the earth hide thee! Thy bones are marrowless, thy blood is cold”, this shocks the guest at the feast and builds suspicion as Lady Macbeth tries to play it off as an illness. The fact that Macbeth is hallucinating reveals how overwhelmed with the guilt he is which is leading to him beginning to lose his mind. The blood imagery and hallucinations are very important in the play as it symbolizes the guilt Lady Macbeth and Macbeth feel. The blood imagery constantly haunts them, reminding them of their immoral actions and reveals the stain that permanently sits upon their conscience. All the guilt Lady Macbeth feels over the crimes she committed is revealed when she sleepwalks and confesses everything in an attempt to wash the blood from her hands yelling “Out damn’d spot! Out, I say!” while in a state of unconsciousness. She realizes her mistakes and while she made herself out to look powerful and fearless, deep down she is afraid. Lady Macbeth and Macbeth committed the crimes thinking it would make them happy but it only left them with remorse demonstrating the power that morals can have on someone’s conscience. They acted without thinking what the consequences would be and they ironically ended up going mad from guilt, something Lady Macbeth had once warned Macbeth would happen.

Human experience was explored through the characters of Macbeth as they went through the numerous emotions that make us human. Shakespeare reveals a world of a patriarchal society that continues to engage readers as his writing can directly apply to our society, making us question how much we have really changed. Greed and lust for power often stop someone from being self-reflective causing them to stray from their own moral values and society’s ethical standards. This is the case for Macbeth and Lady Macbeth who let their greed dismiss their moral compass and end up paying the ultimate price with their life.

The play Macbeth by William Shakespeare displays the growth of guilt and how it can lead people to harmful actions. William Shakespeare undoubtedly investigates the harmful impacts of guilt in Macbeth. The play acknowledges that there are individuals that display guilt after the action they performed. Shakespeare also shows that when individuals fail to notice what they have done their downfall is unavoidable. Despite the significant guilt portrayed, Shakespeare celebrates the bravery of the individuals who fight for revenge and to restore order to their society.

The play acknowledges that there are individuals that display guilt after the action they performed. The strongest example of this is the character, Macbeth. In act one, Macbeth was in a position of abundant power. He was the Thane of Glamis and was close to becoming the Thane of Cawdor, plus he was in high reign with King Duncan. He had a happy life and had no reason to fear guilt. However, as soon as he murdered King Duncan, Macbeth was overwhelmed with guilt and fear. At every sound, Macbeth was startled. He heard voices saying how “Glamis hath murdered sleep” and “Macbeth shall sleep no more.” Macbeth believed that the crime was so sinful that he would not be able to sleep at night anymore, whether from fear of the night or the guilt built up inside of him. However, this did not happen. In fact, Macbeth was planning murders of his own. He was crowned king soon after, and his paranoia caused him to get Banquo murdered as well. He did have the idea of getting Macduff killed when he heard that he might be a threat to his reign. Macbeth’s stress and guilt over getting the throne led him down a deep and brutal path of betrayal and murder.

Shakespeare also shows that when individuals fail to notice what they have done their downfall is unavoidable. At the start of the play, Lady Macbeth was cruel and remorseless. She was the one who suggested murdering King Duncan. Immediately after King Duncan was murdered, Lady Macbeth killed his guards and washed her hands straight away, whereas Macbeth furiously scrubbed his hands, he thought no amount of water could wash him clean. The guilt from the murder enters Lady Macbeth, leading to common sleepwalks. When she does this, she talks about all the people that were killed because of both Macbeth and her actions. Additionally, opposite to her husband in act two, she rubbed her hands together in an trying to wash them. Like the real blood on Macbeth’s hands, Lady Macbeth thought the “blood” on her hands would never come off. The remorseless feeling of guilt eventually led to her destruction, because in act five she was found in her room, dead, after committing suicide.

Despite the significant guilt portrayed, Shakespeare celebrates the bravery of the individuals who fight for revenge and to restore order to their society. The anger Macduff having his family killed drove him to seek revenge on Macbeth. Before Macduff found out that his family was slaughtered, he was talking with Malcolm in a relaxed tone about who would be a good new king. When Ross arrived to tell them the bad news, Macduff jumped into action. While mournful, he “let grief Convert to anger; blunt, not the heart, enrage it.” Macduff let his heart fill with hatred, giving him the motivation to kill Macbeth. He knew it was a possibility he might die, but he was willing to take that risk for his family. Once he killed Macbeth, he felt no guilt but instead felt victory for himself and his family.

Ultimately, although guilt is certainly present in the world of Macbeth, it is not everywhere in the play. Shakespeare shows that guilt has consequences Macbeth and Lady Macbeth Shakespeare demonstrate that they are led to a life of killing, all originating from one murder. The audience sees how overwhelmingly guilt affects Lady Macbeth through the murder of King Duncan. Likewise, they see how Macbeth becomes consumed by guilt, also from the murder of King Duncan. Finally, they see the anger of Macduff having his family killed which encouraged him to get revenge on Macbeth.

Introduction to the Theme of Evil in ‘Macbeth

The play Macbeth was written by William Shakespeare who was famous in the 17th century for his poems and plays during the Jacobean period. He wrote the play for James I who later became a patron to his theatre. The play was set in Scotland to appeal to the King at the time who was also from Scotland, also he only used real historical figures in the play. King James I wanted the play to teach the English people that regicide was the ultimate sin. After several terrorist attacks including the 1605 Gunpowder plot, so the King wanted to make sure the people knew.

The Witches: Harbingers of Evil and Prophecy

The reason people believed in the King was due to the Great Chain of Being where the King was the only one to answer to God, as well as the Diving Right of Kings which explains that The King was God’s representative on Earth and as such his ideas and reasoning was believed to be God’s ideas and reasoning. King James I wrote a book called ‘Daemonology’ which outlines the powers of witches and added to the people’s superstitions. People believed in witches. Many women were accused of being witches being blamed for crop failure and drought. People thought they could cast spells, cause storms and inhibit the bodies of animals or familiars. In this way ordinary people had somewhere to lay blame when things went wrong in their lives.

Shakespeare uses various techniques throughout the play to present the concept of evil, using pathetic fallacy to create a dark and sinister tone. At the beginning of the play the witches chant an incantation to the heavens “In thunder lighting or in rain”. This chant sets the tone for the rest of the play giving the audience a feeling of gloom as is reflected in the gloomy weather.

In act 1 Scene 1 the witches show that they have the gift of prophecy. They talk amongst themselves about a meeting with Macbeth but at that point they would not have known if Macbeth had been victorious in battle, “When the hurly burley’s done, when the battle’s lost and won.” The audience are given a clear taste of what is to expect in the play and the role of evil personified by the witches and their influence over Macbeth. In addition, it foreshadows some of the events of turmoil that occur during the play. Also it could be referring to the belief at the time that witches could control the weather inferring that what the witches are doing is bad.

Throughout the play, Shakespeare explores the concept of evil through another technique using trochaic tetrameter for supernatural characters, “When the hurly burley’s done, when the battle’s lost and won.” Which sets them apart from the other characters who speak in iambic pentameter, or when they all chant “Fair is foul, and foul is fair”. Which is a paradox and implies that all is not what it seems, Shakespeare uses this to set the witches apart from the rest and make them seem supernatural, further adding to the superstition of the audience and the concept of evil in the play. As the play begins, Shakespeare creates a dark and sinister atmosphere to present the concept of evil in using the witches to open his play, which would have spooked the audience, because at the time, in the 17th century lots of people were superstitious because of the King James I book on Daemonology.

In act 1 scene 1 Shakespeare uses the quote “There to meet Macbeth” before the battle where they couldn’t have known they he’s survive the battle, so that would have also spooked the audience as this prediction and knowledge of the beyond couldn’t be known unless they had some sort of supernatural ability. As the 17th century audience watching the bloody story of the flawed protagonist Macbeth unfold, Shakespeare shows the witches disregard the brutal was going on and don’t care about people with the quote “When the hurly burley’s done”. Whereas “hurly burley” only means a minor issue where as normal people would be very affected by war trauma, which then sets them aside from society, which the audience at the time would be very aware of.

In Act 1 Scene 3, Shakespeare initiates a concept of evil through the vivid imagery that the witches use to describe how she is going to use her supernatural powers toward the sailor who insulted the witch. ”I will hang him dry as hay.” This simile infers that she will hang him and drain him of all his blood as she kills him using the verb “drained” implicitly suggests that she rather enjoys the man leak blood and also that they have no real regard to human life. This adds to the superstition that witches are evil and enjoy torture. Shakespeare deliberately uses the fears of the audience to add the evil presence of the play.

Shakespeare uses the repetition of three in act 1 scene 1 to further support the theme of evil behind the witches, also when they greet Macbeth they use the three titles “Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, Thou shall be king thereafter.” Whereas Macbeth already knew that he was thane of Glamis, but the next too were predictions that Macbeth wanted to hear, but still would have shocked him. Also the witches used 3 titles, like previously where they had used “All hail” 3 times, which the audience would have picked up on because of the superstition that 3 was an unlucky number, so Shakespeare cleverly uses it to heighten the fear of witches from the audience.

The witches are perceived as evil through the eyes of the audience due to the vanishing off of the stage. ‘Witches vanish’. This goes back to the idea that the witches are supernatural and can disappear, supported by the book of Daemonology, wrote by the King James I.

The witches use the three aspirations to trick Macbeth into believing that he is invincible. The first one is. “Beware Macduff” Which scares Macbeth but also makes the other two believable. Second aspiration “No man born of woman shall harm Macbeth” This gives him hope and deceives him into believing that he is invincible when he thinks that every man is born of women, when what they mean is people born from C-Section, can kill him. And the third aspiration is that Macbeth will never be killed until Durham wood walks to his castle, and he’s thinking that forests cannot move so he is safe but what happens is that they chop off branches to hide behind as they march so the wood does arrive. This manipulation is considered evil.

In act 4 scene 1 there is lots of the repetition of three, the three aspirations, the three chants “Macbeth” and the three witches. Three was considered an evil number so the audience would have picked up on it, however Macbeth is so entrapped in evil by the witches that he is completely unaware. The repetition of “Double, double, toil and trouble” shows that the witches intend to double Macbeth’s trouble and make him worse off than he already is. “Fire burn and cauldron bubble”. Implies that the witches intend to end Macbeth’s life and send him to hell which is evil because no normal person would want the King dead.

The witches use several suggestive items to present evil in the play. “Liver of blaspheming Jew, finger of birth-strangled babe, wool of bat, tongue of dog”. The list of evil things are items that they shouldn’t be able to get a hold of unless they had special powers and that they plan to put the items in a potion to give Macbeth. By using the “Blasphemous Jew” which at the time Jews were considered evil so adding some would be feeding the King evil During act 4 scene 1 the familiars are used to create evil. ”Cat hath mewed” and “hedge pig whined. These were evil animals that were associated that were associated with the witches, and because these evil animals were concerned on Macbeth’s arrival that suggests that Macbeth is truly evil and his situation is about to get worse.

Macbeth’s Transformation: From Valiant to Villain

When Shakespeare first introduces the character Macbeth in act 1 scene 2, the audience is given the impression that he is a well-respected Thane – however, Shakespeare uses language to hint that he has a darker side. “For brave Macbeth – well he deserved that name” “with his brandished steel”. Using “Brave suggests that he is fearless and well thought of. But however the verb “brandished steel” suggests that he takes care of his sword and because he wants to take care of his sword, he must want to kill lots of people in battle which is an evil thing to want. Macbeth is hinted to have no respect for kings by Shakespeare in act 1 scene 2. “Unseamed from the naïve to the chops” This unnecessary violence means that he sliced a King from his groin, to his jaw. This shows is that Macbeth has no self-control and a huge lack of respect for other kings.

Shakespeare suggests that Macbeth enjoys murdering people. “Which smoked with boldly execution”. The verb “smoked” suggests that he has used the blade so much that it has heat up and started to smoke, this also foreshadows that Macbeth is a killing machine and will kill again after the battle. In act 1 scene 3 Shakespeare cleverly makes sure that the witches are linked to Macbeth from act 1 scene1. “So foul and fair a day I have not seen”. That Macbeth said compared to the paradox “Fair is foul and foul is fair” That’s the witches shout. This link signifies the evil forces between how Macbeth and the witches were meant to meet

IN act 1 scene 3, during his soliloquy we learn that, at his point in the play, Macbeth hasn’t completely turned his back on what is good but his potential to become more evil becomes more dominant. This is shown in the quote “Why do I yield to that suggestion”. Because he is questioning why he is thinking of killing the King it suggests that he knows what he is doing is evil and is therefore turning his back on what is good. The audience in act 1 scene 3 see the start of Macbeth’s downfall as he fights against evil thoughts to kill his kings and cousin “Whose murder is yet but fantastical” The word “yet” suggests he is willing to kill the King implying that he and his morals are on a downward spiral of evil.

At the start of act 2 scene 1, Macbeth begins his descent to evil. In his famous dagger soliloquy, the audience witness how he battles with the beginning of his insanity which eventually leads to his downfall “Is this a dagger I see before me, “The use of a rhetorical question is the first sign of madness and hints that Macbeth isn’t sane as he is hallucination that there is a dagger in front of him which is suggesting evil intentions. In Macbeth’s famous soliloquy at the start of act2, scene 1 Macbeth is clearly fighting insanity as he follows an imaginary dagger leading him to commit regicide “Than marshall’st me the way I was going” the verb “Marshall” is used as a sort of guide to Duncan’s room. Along with the quote “fatal vision” which suggests that Macbeth thinks it’s made to be, shows that he is becoming insane as normal, sane people wouldn’t think that killing people is made to be, they would think that it’s evil

Lady Macbeth: The Personification of Ambition and Evil

In act 3scene 1 Macbeth is now pure evil and acting the same way that Lady Macbeth was. “That it was he, in the times past, which held you so under fortunate” This tactic was used to manipulate Macbeth and he is turning their ambitions into Banquo’s fault. Macbeth’s vaulting ambition is constantly making him commit evil deeds. “Upon my head they place a fruitless crown. And put a barren sceptre in my grip” This metaphor suggests that even though he’s killed and put lots of effort in getting the crown, it would eventually end up in someone else’s hand because he cannot have children.

Symbolism and Imagery: Portraying Evil in ‘Macbeth

The change in Macbeth’s speech suggests his downfall. At the start of the play, Macbeth is speaking in trochaic tetrameter but as he is talking to the murderers he is talking in prose showing that the respect for him is changing because prose has more basic structure, Shakespeare cleverly uses it to show the difference between social classes and Macbeth’s descent into evil Before Macbeth is defeated by Macduff in their dramatic duel that restores the natural order in the great chain of being, Shakespeare demonstrates how evil and corrupt he has become in his penultimate battle with young Siward through the language used to describe Macbeth. “Worthy cousin Macbeth” compared to “The devil himself could not pronounce a title more hateful to mine ear”. This shows that Macbeth is more hated that anyone and is considered to be evil which juxtaposed how he was described in act 1 scene 2 which lexus describes him as “Brave” and “valiant” which are positive but now he has had a complete circle of Macbeth’s evil downfall.

Conclusion: The Enduring Impact of Evil in ‘Macbeth

Shakespeare introduces Lady Macbeth as a woman who doesn’t conform to the Jacobean expectations of a woman which were to be wives, mothers, obedient to their husbands, meek, caring and maternal. She never gave Macbeth a child and she was the least bit meek. They were also never to judge their husbands decisions or order them about, Lady Macbeth manipulates Macbeth into killing Duncan. This violence was unheard of from a woman and only acceptable from a man, this contradicts the Great Chain of Being and what society allowed Lady Macbeth to be. This definitely would have caught the audience’s attention and she was Shakespeare’s device to not only stimulate audience’s emotions, but to also provide historical context and elicit dominant themes which reflected Jacobean society.

All five acts of the play “Macbeth” written by Shakespeare, have an exploration of the present tragedy throughout the play that results in chaos and destruction in which shapes the overall story and influences the main characters to act with such ambition, greed, and guilt. Although Macbeth is seen as the main protagonist and is responsible for the decisions and acts he makes that leads to the tragedy of his downfall, the encouraging influences around him ultimately lead to his rapid decline, producing the idea that the majority of characters plays a crucial part in his rapid downfall in which determines Macbeth’s destiny and fate throughout the play

In the play, Macbeth himself plays a crucial part in contributing to his downfall but the witches’ evil influence and behavior also help to determine Macbeth’s fate by creating a climate for evil to brew. When the world of Macbeth and the witches collide, one of the witches strongly proclaims “give thee a wind” in order to punish a sailor because she didn’t care to offer the witch chestnuts. This exhibits the power the witches uphold and their spiteful nature. The witch continues by stating “bark cannot be lost” indicating that although powerful, the witches themselves have limitations displaying they aren’t powerful enough to sink the sailor’s ship. The ship itself is viewed as a metaphor, reflecting the current state of Scotland in which it is going to “sink” with Macbeth being in power. The witches are being “instruments for darkness” in which they only create evil when desire ultimately lures Macbeth into his demise. We can see this same evil start to curate in Macbeth when he states “is this the dagger I see before me” This represents the start of his downfall in which this hallucination could have been the final push for Macbeth to commit regicide, implying that he has been influenced by the witches, as his more sinister side created this image in his subconscious. Throughout “Macbeth”, it is evident that the witches used their sinister influence upon Macbeth resulting in his downfall in which he played a part in as well.

As the play progresses, the insecurity of Macbeth’s masculinity and how lady Bracknell influences Macbeth to believe such an idea is a major contribution to Macbeth’s actions to committing regicide. After hearing of the prophecies, Lady Macbeth is so ambitious that it seems to the audience that she will go to any depths to achieve her goal of becoming queen. Lady Macbeth states “unsex me from the crown to the toe, top-full Of direst cruelty” by stating such words, she’s attacking Macbeths insecurity-his masculinity. She wants to abandon all female qualities so that she can kill King Duncan herself. Macbeth is lenient at first when killing the king as he believes the loss of his humanity by Killing King Duncan would make him less of a man. It’s not until Lady Macbeth says “When you durst do it, then you were a man; And to be more than what you were, you would Be so much more the man.

Lady Macbeth states that if Macbeth was a real man that he would commit to his promised actions as well as act upon his intentions. Masculinity is a reoccurring factor within Macbeth which relates later on to his kingship and ultimately because of lady Macbeths influence and drive, she contributes to Macbeth’s downward spiral.

Towards the end, fear becomes a crucial force within Macbeth as the others around him are undermining his position and kingship making Macbeth go to unmeasurable lengths to remain king. Macbeth starts to feel threatened by Malcolm as he presents a challenge to his aspirations as well as his kingship, Macbeth states “Stars, hide your fires; Let not light see my black and deep desires: The eye wink at the hand!” He summons darkness to conceal his thoughts and actions of murdering from heaven. Although Malcolm is not to blame, it is the witches who tell Macbeth to follow his “vaulting ambition” which causes him to kill Duncan starting the corruption of Macbeth and his rapid demise. Furthermore, Macbeth’s insecurity comes back as he feels as if his kingship isn’t secure and could be taken away from him at any second. He starts to feel threatened by Banquo’s personality in which he fears that the witch’s prophecies will come true and Banquo’s descendants will become king. Macbeth sees Banquo as “the torture of the mind” to resolve his apprehension, he hires the murderers to take out Banquo indicating the power that others have on Macbeth and which starts to contribute to his downfall. He feels as if he needs to take everyone out to have a secure kingship due to the everlasting fear inside of him. In the play the influence of others makes Macbeth feel threatened over his kingship in which deploys a non-stopping fear inside of him.

In the play, Macbeth, the power of Macbeth, and his actions show great consequences throughout. Through external forces, it is prominent that not only is Macbeth at fault for his downfall, but the other influences contribute to his demise. It is the influence, masculinity, and fear in Macbeth which causes him to spiral down as well as with the help of the other characters throughout the play.

Anne Rice exclaims, “The evil of one murder is infinite and my guilt is like my beauty- eternal. I cannot be forgiven for there is no one to forgive me for all I’ve done.” Most people would never consider killing another person for their own benefit, but those who have feel immense guilt for what they have done. In the play Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, the protagonist Macbeth and his wife Lady Macbeth plot to kill King Duncan. Macbeth wants to become King and the only way was to commit treason by killing Duncan. Right away Macbeth feels so guilty about what he has just done. In contrast, Lady Macbeth is the opposite, she starts with no guilt, but it then begins to build up. Shakespeare incorporates the motif of blood throughout the plot to demonstrate this guilt. Blood symbolizes guilt and impurity for the murders committed by Lady Macbeth and Macbeth, which affects them differently throughout the course of the play.

Macbeth feels haunted when he murders Duncan and begins to feel guilty. Macbeth is hesitant whether or not he wants to murder King Duncan. He starts to feel a strong sense of guilt even before he goes through with the murder. Macbeth states, “I see thee still And on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood” (Shakespeare 2.1.45-47). Macbeth is hallucinating that he sees a knife covered in blood. This foreshadows the death of Duncan. This is the first feeling of guilt that Macbeth experiences. The bloody knife is the symbolism of the gory and impure act of killing King Duncan. This is just the beginning of the guilt that Macbeth is going to feel. Macbeth then proceeds to kill Duncan. He has blood all over his hands and Lady Macbeth tells him to wash the blood off. Macbeth says, “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand” (Shakespeare Act 2.2. 60-62). Macbeth is saying that not even a massive amount of water can wash the blood off his hands. Physically, Macbeth is able to wash all the blood off his hands. Mentally, the blood will be there forever and always having an imprint on him. He cannot change the fact that he killed a man. Duncan’s blood in particular represents the guilt that will follow Macbeth. Macbeth’s guilt was seen before and after the death of Duncan. Seeing the bloody knife shows Macbeth the goriness and violence of murder and the guilt that will be with him forever. Macbeth could not wash the blood off his hands because that blood represents evil and impurity from the inescapable act he commits. Macbeth is dealt with great guilt that he cannot escape from.

In contrast to her husband, Lady Macbeth handles the death in a very nonchalant and calm matter. Lady Macbeth believes her husband is a coward because of the immense guilt he feels. Lady Macbeth spreads the dead King’s blood so they are not framed for death. Macbeth was unable to do this because he was in utter shock, so Lady Macbeth had to do it herself. She explains to Macbeth, “My hands are of your color, but I shame / To wear a heart so white” (Shakespeare 2.2.78-79). Lady Macbeth points out that her hands are also covered in blood. A “white heart” is very bloodless and cowardly compared to her bloody red heart. She is ashamed of her husband’s cowardice and his disbelief in what he has done. Lady Macbeth contrast with Macbeth because she does not view blood as guilt and believes that guilt is cowardly. After the murder, Macbeth begins to panic and feel remorse for what he has done. Lady Macbeth orders him to, “go get some water / and wash this filthy witness” (Shakespeare 2.2.46-47). Lady Macbeth directs Macbeth to go clean the blood off his hands. She is not comprehending how significant the blood on Macbeth’s hands is. She implies that Macbeth is a coward for being overly obsessed with the blood all over his hands. She displays no remorse that she indirectly kills Duncan, and is not aware of the consequences. Lady Macbeth is troubled with her guilt and does not come to terms with the act she is involved in. Lady Macbeth contrast with Macbeth because she does not see feel guilt for the bloody deed she commits.

Lady Macbeth and Macbeth develop on how they express the guilt of their murders. The theme of guilt, caused by blood, affects both characters differently. Lady Macbeth finally is overpowered by her guilt and it causes her to go mad. Lady Macbeth starts to sleepwalk and begins to scream that there is blood on her hands. She starts “washing” the imaginary blood off her hands. She screams, “Here’s the smell of the blood still: all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand” (Shakespeare 5.1.53-55). The guilt of killing Duncan never escapes Lady Macbeth. She adds that the smell of the blood is so pungent that not even the strongest perfume can get rid of the stench. This connects back to when Macbeth said that not even an ocean can wash the blood off his hands. Killing Duncan is permit just like how the “blood” on Lady Macbeth’s hands is permanent. Lady Macbeth is now full of remorse which is in contrast to how she felt when Duncan’s assassination was complete. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth both switch roles on how they deal with their guilt. On the other hand, Macbeth’s guilt is not as prominent as it was before. Macbeth murders his closest friend Banquo because he was seen as a threat. After the murder of Banquo, Macbeth begins to see Banquo’s ghost at a dinner party right after he becomes King. After the party, Macbeth exclaims, “I am in blood stepped in so far that should I wade no more, returning were as tedious as go” (Shakespeare 3.4.142-144). Macbeth is imagining himself being stuck in a river of blood. He is saying that it would be more difficult for him to receive penance for his bloody actions. He claims that it would be easier for him to just keep carrying out murders because his conscience is already damaged so there is no point in going back. He is no longer feeling as guilty as he was when he kills Duncan. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth contrast on how they handle the guilt. In the beginning, Macbeth felt a sense of impurity for the actions he commits, but as time goes on he becomes numb to the murder and is unaffected by the blood of his victims. However, Lady Macbeth was very cold and unemotional about the death of Duncan, but then she begins to express guilt when she is unable to wash the permanent blood off her hands. As the plot goes on, blood causes them to either grow or diminish in their guilt.

Blood is a major symbol in Macbeth. Blood ties in with the main theme of guilt seen when Macbeth kills Duncan. Macbeth feels like he cannot wash the blood off of his hands because even if the blood is gone the guilt still remains. Lady Macbeth does not have this same effect when Duncan is killed. She tells her husband to just wash off his hands and acts like it is not a huge dilemma. However, their mindsets change. Lady Macbeth is overpowered by the guilt of Duncan’s death. She cannot seem to get rid of the imaginary smell of Duncan’s blood. In contrast, Macbeth starts to become numb to all of his murders and feels like he is too far deep into the bloodshed that he causes. Blood represents guilt and impurity from both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. One can ignore the guilt caused by a bloody murder, but over time it can either cause self-destruction or in opposition can cause one to go completely unfazed by their murderous acts.

In the play Macbeth written by William Shakespeare, the main character has traits of a tragic hero throughout the play. Macbeth has ambition and nobility at the beginning of the play, so that is why he is a tragic hero. Macbeth’s ambition takes over him throughout the play because his actions are based on his fate given to him by three witches. His ambition to become King and follow the prophecies cause Macbeth to succumb to evil. Macbeth’s noble qualities because he earned King’s Duncan trust by fighting with courage for his country. Strength and honor are seen in Macbeth when fighting, and some compassion is shown when he hesitates to kill the King he so bravely fought for. In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, ambition and nobility are the traits of a tragic hero seen in Macbeth.

Mabeth’s trait of ambition makes him a tragic hero because it controls him eventually leading to his downfall. To be king, Macbeth’s ambition takes over causing the death of King Duncan. After visiting the three witches, he realizes that he will fulfill their prophecies by taking over Duncan’s throne. Ambition gets the best of Macbeth: “This supernatural soliciting Cannot be ill; cannot be good; if ill, Why hath it given me earnest success, Commencing in a truth? I am Thane of Cawdor: If good, why do I yield to that suggestion Whose image doth unfix my hair?”(I,III, 140-145). Macbeth’s true colors are shown after he says that in the play because it shows how he will choose evil to get what he wants. He soon notices ambition changes him for the worst : “To prick the sides of my intent/ but only/ vaulting ambition, which develops itself/ and falls on the other.”(I, VII, 26-28). Macbeth recognizes he is a different person due to his ambition, but it does not stop him from continuing on with the prophecies. After Macbeth kills Duncan, it leads to him committing more crimes by planning the death of Banquo and Macduff’s family. Instead of being a noble king, Macbeth rules as a tyrant due to his ambition blocking him from seeing all the evil deeds he has committed. To protect his kingship, he kills anyone who threatens his plans without hesitation. Macbeth is obsessed with the witches and their prophecies. His obsession makes him ignore the possibility that he could lose his army and that MacDuff will get help from King Edward. He does not realize that the odds are not in his favor because he is so caught up in being the most powerful. Because Macbeth was so fixated on the prophecies, his ambition for power eventually leads him to death. The effect of his ambition is seen in the play when he acts as if nothing has happened when Lady Macbeth dies. He does not even show sorrow for her because his main priority is the prophecies, and her death was an inconvenience to him. His mind is so far gone because his ambition has taken over. Death does not phase Macbeth because he does not care about the value of a human life anymore. When he committed all of those murders, and when the people closest to him die, he does not care because he is so focused on himself. Macbeth’s ambition also takes over when Macbeth goes to fight against Malcolm and his army. Macbeth’s tyrant-like tendencies control him: “Thou wast born of women./ But swords I smile at, weapons laugh to scorn,/ Brandish’d by man that’s of a woman born”(V.VII.16-18). His good reputation is completely gone at this point in the play because he shows the people how he will do anything to better his life. Macbeth does not care how much blood is on his sword, as long as the witches’ prophecies are fulfilled. His trait of ambition leads him to fear nothing, and he shows that nothing can get in his way. Ambition makes Macbeth believe he can defeat Macduff’s army that does not compare to his. He loses his sense of reasoning and believes he is almighty. Because of this, he kills anyone and fights anyone who messes with his plan. The blood of Siward was on Macbeth’s hands: “Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! Beware Macduff;/ Beware the Thane of Fife.” (IV. I. 77-78). The witches influence the way Macbeth rules, and his actions are based on the fate they give him. Macbeth’s ambition shows that he has a lack of control over his own life because he lets three witches decide his fate. He easily could have turned away from the prophecies, but he chose to let others take charge over his life. His death follows soon after because he is obsessed with what others have planned for his life and what they think. Macbeth’s tragic flaw of ambition ultimately leads him to his downfall because his ambition takes over his conscience.

Macbeth is a tragic hero because of his nobility trait that is displayed in the beginning of the story. His nobleness shows that Macbeth is not always evil, and that he does show some signs of good in him. Before the prophecies, Macbeth is a nobleman due to his courageous leadership in battle. Because of his strength and power, the army has many victories. He is one of the leaders of Duncan’s army: ‘But all’s too weak:/For brave Macbeth — well he deserves that name – /Disdaining fortune, with his brandished steel,/Which smoked with bloody execution,/Like valor’s minion carved out his passage/Till he faced the slave;'(I.II.17-22). The quote shows that people think highly of Macbeth before his mind gets filled with witches and prophecies. Because of Macbeth’s importance, he becomes a tragic hero. He is needed in the army, and he is working his way up to prove his courage. He soon becomes power hungry, but as seen in the start of the play he is a man with great honor. Macbeth’s execution in war exemplifies his nobility: ‘Cannons overcharged with double cracks, so they doubly redoubled strokes upon the foe’ (I.II.41-42). Macbeth moves up positions in Duncan’s army because Duncan sees his potential and loyalty. Some of his nobleness is still left when he hesitates to kill King Duncan, so this proves that he has not completely succumbed to evil. He stops to think about what he is about to do because the King trusts him to lead his army, and he knows that this will destroy his reputation. Macbeth describes the murder of Duncan as a ‘ horrible deed’. Macbeth is not noble at this point, but there is still some nobility seen because he thinks about how horrible his actions are. During his battle with Macduff, Macbeth’s old nobility and courage comes back. He displays some of his past traits by explaining that he does not want to kill Macduff. Even though Macbeth will not surrender, Macbeth admits that he does not want any bloodshed because he has already killed Macduff’s family. A nobleman at birth is the trait of a tragic hero, and these are just some of the many reasons why Macbeth shows nobility before the prophecies.

Macbeth’s ambition and nobility are traits that make him a tragic hero in Shakespeare’s play Macbeth. The tragic hero trait of ambition causes Macbeth to spiral downhill because of his obsession with the prophecies. He cannot decide his own life choices, so he bases his life off of the fate three witches have given him. To become King and all powerful, the once noble general of an army commits many murders. Macbeth is known for his tragic hero trait of nobility at the start of the play because he courageously fights for his country. Macbeth shows some of his nobility even throughout the play when he stops to think about what the right decision is before he kills King Duncan. The traits seen in characters can ultimately lead them to death making them tragic heroes.

“Macbeth” is a tragic play about Macbeth’s downfall. There are several key moments that lead to the tragic hero’s downfall: firstly when Macbeth meets the three witches in Act 1 Scene 1, secondly when he decides to kill King Duncan in Act 1, and finally the order of the killing of Macduff’s wife and children just before Lady Macbeth kills herself. These three moments are crucial in moving the play and Macbeth’s demise forward, and Shakespeare uses these very intelligently.

At the very start, the witches play a massive part in the play. They predict Macbeth’s future aka becoming King and Elizabethan (audience) would have believed that they cast a spell on the play which changed everything. The lines ‘Fair is foul, and foul is fair in Act 1 Scene 1, mean two related things in general. First, it means that things that are good will become bad and things that are bad will become good. The witches are referring first to themselves. They look ugly, they are the type of women who has ‘beards’, but the predictions they offer are beautiful to Macbeth. Secondly, it introduces the theme idea of fate and whether the witch’s influence in the play caused the main characters to change their minds throughout the play. Finally, suggestions of morality play a crucial significance in Macbeth’s decision about his future and his hesitance of whether to kill King Duncan. “What he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won”. King Duncan here is talking about whether to give the title Thane of Cawdor to Macbeth.

Another reason why Shakespeare decides to add the witches in the play is that this play was seen by King James (Mary I son). Shakespeare knew that King James was fascinated with witchcraft (magic), so this may have been why he begins the play introducing the witches. Having the witches in the playback then was the main topic because of all the superstitions in the past. The witches were portrayed as women who could predict the future, cursed the climate (bad weathers) now and again, and would have the conscience to spoil crops. For these reasons in Shakespeare’s time, hundreds of thousands of women were tortured and convicted for witchcraft (source ‘Superstition’).

Shakespeare follows the supernatural topic throughout the play as it was a fundamental concern to the people of his time. In the supernatural lay ‘horror’ and brought ‘fear’. During the soliloquy ‘Is this a dagger I see before me’ Act 2 Scene 1 (imaging a dagger which is not real), Macbeth changes his mind by going from one extreme to another. This impacts Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, Shakespeare illustrates whether Macbeth is going to use the dagger or not. Shakespeare uses this with great effect to express the thoughts of individual characters, particularly in the case of the protagonist. It was said that protagonists or the tragic anti-hero were ‘goodies’ and antagonists were defined as the ‘baddies’ in this case it is Lady Macbeth.

The next key moment in the downfall of Macbeth is when he decides to kill King Duncan. The moment he has killed the King. Macbeth feels destroyed and distraught; he says, ‘Great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand’. At this moment he feels guilt and thinks that the act he has committed cannot be washed away, even with all the water in the ocean. Macbeth is so shaken by the murder that he brings back the daggers which he used to kill the guards and the King.

By this point, Shakespeare has made Macbeth a weak and vulnerable person. This is because he has committed a murder which he now regrets. Shakespeare slowly takes Macbeth’s character from ‘I see thee yet, in form as palpable’ to a man who is so easily persuaded to change his mind.

In Act 4 Scene 1. The witches say ‘double, double, toil and trouble’. This line means that they are trying to toil and trouble with their own spell, and this presumably is aimed more towards Macbeth and increasing his misery. This is on the return of the second time, then Macbeth meets the three witches, they have another prediction for him ‘Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth: beware Macduff’. They are saying be careful of Macduff. Soon after that, they say, ‘none of woman born shall harm Macbeth’, in Act 4 Scene 1 and the witches disappear.

Macbeth is totally confused because he knows that everyone is born from a woman. The audience may interpret that Macbeth becomes excited because he does not know Macduff was not born naturally. ‘But yet I’ll make assurance double sure. He is saying that he wants to achieve further security by killing Macduff, he just wants to make sure that all the danger is over. As the audience are happy and satisfied to see that Shakespeare is preparing us for the end of the play.

When Macbeth orders the killing of Macduff’s wife and children, the audience loses sympathy for him. The murderers come charging in and are soon at Macduff’s home. The child says, ‘He has killed me, mother’. The son has just been stabbed and before he dies, he tells his mother to ‘Run away. From this moment on Macbeth’s downfall is imminent. The grief and pain that the family is going through must have been really shattering at the time, however, as we know these are minor characters who do not play a major role. They are being cleverly used by Shakespeare to make it seem as if they are important characters.

The whole idea of fate and morality is brought to life by Shakespeare in Act 1 Scene 3. The line ‘Without my stir’ means that Macbeth will be crowned as King soon when King Duncan dies without any effort from him. It is said that fortune or being King will take him by chance. In the Elizabethan times, the whole witching conjuring up a devil in the spirits was thought to be the idea of fate. But as for now the modern audience, no one believes in witches and if they exist or not is another matter. On the other hand, in the modern-day, if people still believe in witchcraft it could be about their family backgrounds and upbringing. The witches in the Shakespeare plays were introduced simply because they would suit the audience and it was the main thing to talk about back then. The modern audience would not be frightened or scared by the idea of witches and of their presence around us nowadays is very rare.

Lady Macbeth’s act in the play is very significant, she is the one demanding many difficult deeds from her husband “Macbeth”, she is the one who puts him at risk, and she is the more clever one. Throughout the play, there is an ongoing relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. This relationship is one of the functions of the play that creates most of the actions, reactions, moods, feelings, and attitudes. In the early stages of the play, the Macbeths seem to be a devoted couple. Their love and concern for each other remain strong and constant throughout the play, but their relationship changes dramatically following the murder of King Duncan in Act 2.

Lady Macbeth does, however, see Macbeth’s emotional anguish when they are having a party to celebrate Macbeth becoming king. Macbeth sees a ghost of Banquo, his trusty and loyal friend, who he ordered to be killed because he saw him as a threat to his throne. Nonetheless, their relationship has deteriorated so much that Macbeth shows no emotion when his wife dies.

Lady Macbeth may have been of lower political status than Macbeth, but she is a major influence on Macbeth’s life and is also the initiator of his downfall. She has a very calm and premeditated approach and systematically brainwashes Macbeth into killing the King. The timings were decisive, this is because ‘brave Macbeth’ has just come back from war and therefore he is very drained, and Lady Macbeth knows this, so she takes the right opportunity to roughly control his intellect and manipulate his mind. She also uses cunning deception and asks, ‘Are you a man?’, this way she knows that she is bound to get a sticking reply from him, and this causes him to follow on his actions.

‘Come, you spirit, unsex me here. However, interestingly she wants the strength to commit the murder. She also wants to be turned into a man so that she has the power to do dreadful things. When she asks to be “unsexed” she is asking to gain the typical male characteristics of violence and detestation and hardheartedness. This is her flamboyant way of asking to be stripped of feminine weakness and invested with masculine tenacity. As a result, she wants to disconnect herself from being a mother. She does not have the right female qualities.

Macbeth struggles internally between ambition and guilt. Part of him really doesn’t want to kill Duncan, his conscience knows that he will be anguished with guilt if he commits the murder.

In the Elizabethan times, the audience would have thought that the witches had excessive powers of control in the play, so the main characters were controlled by those powers they had embarked on. However, Macbeth was responsible for his own actions in the murder of King Duncan. Ultimately his inabilities to control his own thoughts were his major downfalls. Macbeth’s dark intentions seem to overwhelm him, and he fear being caught in the process of destroying his honor.