Texts can provide insight into the human condition, highlighting the effect of unchecked ambition on an individual’s conscience within the boundaries of their context. Shakespeare’s play ‘Macbeth’ outlines how disrupting the natural order of things; Macbeth cheating his way into power, has its consequences. Throughout the film A Simple Plan by Sam Raimi, we can clearly see how Raimi has reflected ideas and themes from Shakespeare’s play ‘Macbeth’. Macbeth’s contextual importance in shown in The Jacobian Era, also relating to The Divine Right of Kings. Sam Raimi’s context in the film, ‘A simple Plan’, refers to 1990’s post war America, neo-noir styled film (reflects darkness of society and includes characters that make moral or questionable decisions as a result of the disillusionment of the war.)
The power of ambition is represented through Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’, we are shown the effects that come from having a lust for power “Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee. I have thee not, and yet I still see thee.” In this soliloquy, “is this a dagger which I see before me,” the reader is able to fully understand Macbeth’s thoughts and where those thoughts will lead him. He demonstrates his ambitious hunger for power and his fatal flaw, which is the ability to be manipulated by his desires. “I gave supped full with horrors. Direness, familiar to my slaughterous thoughts cannot once start me.” The descriptions of his ‘slaughterous thoughts’ connects with Macbeth’s previous recognition of his ‘black and deep desires’, showing audiences that the protagonist is aware of the destructive quality of his ambition, and his disruption of the natural order through this will lead to his eventual downfall. Hanks brother Jacob beings to experience a guilty conscience after they have taken the money; as a result of the men’s ambition. Hank’s words, “Everything goes to sleep”, was used in an effort to try and relax and make Jacob feel better about the situation they had gotten into. “Hank, do you ever feel evil, I do, I feel evil.” Through the use of a slow zoom into Jacob’s face and by also adding in soft eerie music, we can see how Raimi has shown the guilt on Jacob’s face.
Closing comparing ‘Macbeth’ and the film ‘A simple Plan’ has given us a sophisticated perspective on the way that Raimi has reimagined the idea of ambition from the play Macbeth. Macbeth and Hank both dream of power, as soon as it has stricken upon them. (Macbeth becoming king and Hank becoming Wealthy.) Ambition is presented as a dangerous quality. The downfall between Macbeth’s death as he becomes king and Hank having to return the money to not risk getting caught. Ambition in these men’s cases, is the lust of power. Macbeth is becoming extremely paranoid and afraid of losing his spot as king that he has driven to anger and starts to demand answers from the witches about Banquo (As they said before that Banquo’s descendants would become King.) “I command you in the name of whatever dark powers you serve. I don’t care if you unleash violent winds that tear down churches, mix up everything in nature, tell me what I want to know.” With the use of a Hyperbole, we can see Macbeth’s tone is quite demanding, “I command you.” “Tell me what I want to know.” Similar to Hank’s mindset, Macbeth ignores what harm he could have on other people, he wants to know the things he demands not matter what. Lady Macbeth and Sara also share a few similarities, when relating to how they impact their husbands’ choses and decisions. Both women use tactics in order to manipulate and convince Macbeth or Hank into following what they see right. “you’re gonna tape Luke confessing to Stephenson’s murder. Get him drunk and then joke around pretending to confess to his murder.” Similar to Lady Macbeth advising and telling Macbeth how to kill Kind Duncan, Sarah is forming up a Plan, giving Hank ideas on how to frame Luke for Stephenson’s murder, in order to cover up his tracks.
In the play ‘Macbeth’ we can come to a clear conclusion that the idea of ambition has been explored and reimaged throughout the film ‘A simple Plan.’ What both ‘Macbeth’ and ‘A simple Plan’ have taught us, is that the disruption of the natural order of things (the divine right of kings in Shakespeare’s context) will lead to eventual downfall.
Portraying similar concepts, William Shakespeare, the playwright of Macbeth and Mark Brozel, the director of the film Macbeth Retold, explore the power held in hierarchies. The play Macbeth set during medieval Scotland, and the monarchy and thanes reflect Elizabethan beliefs, relevant to Shakespeare’s context. Conveying power in the modern version, Macbeth Retold modifies the plot to make it more accessible to a contemporary audience and uses a chef and his maitre’d wife show power to the viewers through a Michelin star restaurant. Shakespeare and Brozel employ setting, characterisation, symbols, film and literary techniques to present the themes of power, ambition and consequences of murder.
Displaying the themes of power in the play and film both communicate respectively to their audience through hierarchy settings. Throughout the Elizabethan era, people believed in a hierarchical system known as the Great Chain of Being where the monarch was appointed by God and held the most power on earth. Contrarily, Brozel’s film reveals a contemporary version of how power is shown. In modern society, power derives from fame and wealth through the owner of a restaurant with ‘three big beautiful Michelin stars’. The image of planting in the play “I have begun to plant thee and will labour to make thee full of growing” is a metaphor that symbolises the impacts of how a good monarch directly affects the growth of the country as well as how a good ruler ensures a prosperous country. The dolly shot of the mise en scene reveals the luxurious worth of the setting through the pristine banquet styled tables, elegant glassware and starkly modern cylindrical pillars as patrons stand up to clap in honour for Duncan Docherty. Therefore, power throughout the Elizabethan era is displayed through royal hierarchy while contemporary society attains it by fame and wealth, as represented in a Michelin star restaurant owner.
In both the original and contemporary versions, ambition is revealed through the characterisation of female protagonists. Lady Macbeth is determined to persuade Macbeth to kill King Duncan to achieve the power of a monarch. Correspondingly, Ella’s ambition is to have Joe get the recognition she believes he deserves. In the play, Lady Macbeth worries ‘thy nature; It is too full o’th’ milk of human kindness To catch the nearest way. Thou wouldst be great, Art not without ambition, but without. The illness should attend it’ describing his kindness as an illness; Lady Macbeth makes it clear that she believes she will need to use persuasion to ensure he kills the king. Shifting to contemporary Glasgow, Ella’s ambitiousness is illustrated through pressurising Joe into murdering owner Duncan. Brozel displays her seductive powers by using eye-level shots to show he is nor superior or inferior. Ella evokes the worst qualities in her husband arguing that Duncan ‘milks you for everything you have got, and he pays you in charm and blarney’, which stirs him up with ambition by taunting him with sarcasm and shame by insulting Joe’s manliness. Besides, Ella seduces Joe, yet she can “read [his] face like a book”, which Brozel uses a close up of Joe’s face flashed with blue light looking upon sharpened knives to define the determination in his eyes to kill Duncan to achieve his ambition of owning the restaurant which the blue symbolises aloofness coming ahead. Thus both Shakespeare and Brozel reveal how women ambitiously seek power though manipulating their husbands through.
The central protagonists’ guilt is demonstrated through symbolism with blood and sleeplessness to showing the magnitude of their emotions. When Macbeth is visited by Banquo’s ghost; he states ‘Blood will beget blood’ reinforcing the tragic consequences that once the Macbeth’s have spilt blood through murder, more is inevitable. In comparison, Brozel portrays blood in a close up when Joe is drinking milk, and the milk turns into blood. Blood symbolises that after killing Duncan Docherty that his hands, like his guilt, can never be genuinely cleaned again. In a subsequent scene, Joe is framed dropping the milk bottle, which resembles dropping symbolising the demise of the milk of human kindness. Therefore, milk appears to emphasise Macbeth’s nature as well. Another symbol presented in the play is the idea of sleeplessness. When she is sleepwalking, Lady Macbeth rubs her hands together “Out, damned spot! Out, I say!” she laments about the amount of blood on her hands which connect to the idea of her torturous memories from the night she and her husband killed King Duncan. Likewise, the contemporary version shows sleeplessness through Ella continuously washing her hands through close-ups, ironically highlighting how “a little water and we are clean’, now she will never be cleansed from this deed. Brozel operates a point of view shot to represent Joe’s perspective, where Ella is visualised bathing in blood, illustrating how Joe and Ella are filthy with Duncan’s blood. Guilt continues to plague both Macbeth and Joe as they come to see the ghost of their best friend whom they sanctioned to murder out of suspicion. Moreover, blood and visions symbolise to their audiences the guilt that the characters feel as a consequence of their horrific murders of those close to them. Therefore, both texts show that terrible actions come with demising consequences.
Both Shakespeare and Brozel explore the power held in hierarchies through setting, characterisation, symbols, film and literary techniques to present the themes of power, ambition and consequences of murder. At the end of the play and film, Lady Macbeth commits suicide, the central protagonist is killed without family or respective, and Malcolm restores the power. Both the playwright and director show that power influences greedy ambitions which leads to dire consequences.
Macbeth is a tragic play written by Shakespeare in the 16th century. The play consists of Macbeth, the protagonist, and his wife, Lady Macbeth, who controls and manipulates Macbeth to achieve power. I will be exploring how Lady Macbeth is responsible for her husband’s rise to power as she uses different methods of control and manipulation towards her husband to kill the King.
In the play, Lady Macbeth manipulates her husband into murdering King Duncan to achieve power. For example, In Act 1 Scene 5, Lady Macbeth thinks her husband is weak and unmanly “…yet do I fear thy nature, It is too full o’th milk of human kindness To catch the nearest way.” This shows that Lady Macbeth fears Macbeth is too kind as this will interfere in the way of Macbeth becoming the next king. Lady Macbeth says “to catch the nearest way” to show that it is the best opportunity to commit the murder which reveals what Lady Macbeth thinks of her husband. The audience would feel shocked as Lady Macbeth complains about Macbeth being too kind and she would want to go against her nature to achieve the power she desires even though women during the 17th century were meant to be giving actions of kindness. Shakespeare uses the language of Lady Macbeth wanting to go against her nature to show the determination and ambition for her husband and herself as king and queen. This quote links to the theme of gender roles and ambition as Lady Macbeth wants power by killing Duncan and how she explains her disadvantage of being a female.
Lady Macbeth continues to try and manipulate Macbeth to murder the king by toying with his emotions. In Act 1 Scene 7, she says “Was the hope drunk Wherein you dressed? Hath it slept since? And wakes its now, to look so green and pale, At what it did so freely?” After toying with Macbeth’s emotions, she uses an appeal to pathos to pressure Macbeth to follow her intentions. This quote shows Lady Macbeth’s repeated rhetorical questions punish Macbeth for his cowardice, asking him how he could hold himself from his ambitions. Lady Macbeth continues to belittle Macbeth to humiliate him thus damaging Macbeth’s ego and self-esteem which is an attempt to make Macbeth follow her orders to preserve his masculinity. Constant criticisms from Lady Macbeth towards her husband’s doubts would attack his emotions and appeal to pathos. This quote contradicts with females in the 11th century being weak and nurturing whereas males are seen as strong and tough as Lady Macbeth is seen as stronger than Macbeth.
Lady Macbeth manipulates Macbeth by questioning his masculinity. She says ”Wouldst thou have that, Which thou esteem’st the ornament of life and live a coward in thine own esteem? When you durst do it than you were a man; and to be more than what you were you would be so much more the man.” In this quote, Lady Macbeth manipulates his husband by talking about his maturity. This shows how Lady Macbeth retains Macbeth’s position as the head of the house and claims it for herself. Also, this quote shows Lady Macbeth saying that Macbeth was a man when he dared to kill, Lady Macbeth informs Macbeth that his words were strong; however she contrasts this statement by saying how he will be more of a man if he changes She gives a clear statement by saying he is a man then contrasting her statement by giving the requirements to become a man which implies that her husband has not been a man before. This literary technique empowers Macbeth to gather his intentions and commit to them. The audience would feel that Lady Macbeth is contrasting the social status of the Elizabethan Age stating that men are above women. Shakespeare uses this language to link back and emphasize Lady Macbeth wanting to go against her nature revealing to the audience her determination.
In the play, Lady Macbeth is also responsible for controlling her husband. In Act 1 Scene 5, she says ”Look like th’ innocent flower, but be the serpent under it.” In this quote, Lady Macbeth urges her husband to deceive everyone around them as they plan the king’s murder. The metaphor “Look like th’ innocent flower, but be the serpent under ‘t” shows Lady Macbeth telling Macbeth to be two-faced: to look fair and honorable on the outside but be cunning and deadly on the inside. Shakespeare uses a comma on the quote to show the enjabment of the lines highlighting Lady Macbeth’s smooth cunning. Also, the turning point marked by the conjunction ‘but’ shows the sharp contrast between outward appearance and inner reality. It is shown how manipulative Lady Macbeth is as she begins her instructions with the imperative verb ‘Look’. This illustrates how she is powerfully controlling her husband. The imagery in the quotation reminds the Jacobean audience who go to the church of the serpent in the Garden of Eden. Lady Macbeth’s language links her to Eve, the weak woman who is tempted to disobey Adam resulting in the disobeying of God. By doing this, Shakespeare shows Lady Macbeth as sinful and manipulative of current ideas of women. Lady Macbeth’s words highlight the theme of appearance and reality and at the start of the play when the witches chant “Fair is foul and foul is fair” establishing a world where nothing is as it seems and is therefore dangerous. Lady Macbeth’s words about looking like a charming flower while plotting evil build on this theme as Shakespeare adds to the dramatic tension of the play as the audience begins to see how deadly the story will become.
Lady Macbeth continues to control her husband after the murder of King Duncan. In Act 2 Scene 2, “Infirm of purpose” shows Lady Macbeth insulting Macbeth. She means that he is not solid or concrete, that he is not firm, in his determination to go through with what he wants and needs to do. She is insulting him because he’s afraid to take the bloody daggers back to Duncan’s chambers. She mocks him by saying that the dead body is just like a harmless photograph. And, she says, only a child is afraid of a painted picture, even if it is of a devil. This quote shows that Lady Macbeth has successfully taken control of her emotions into murdering King Duncan. This reveals how Lady Macbeth belittles Macbeth to manipulate and pressure him into killing Duncan. It shows the audience the cruelty and greed of Lady Macbeth in achieving her desired power. Shakespeare uses this language to show that Lady Macbeth is taking the role of a male as she is the one controlling her partner showing that she is more dominant.
Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s typical tragic heroes. He can be seen as a man with many admirable traits. However, his one mistake fills his life with fear and regret at every step. Being the protagonist of the play, he is someone who can be admired. His qualities are shown in his battle skills and at the start, we realize that Macbeth is a capable soldier and is loyal to his King. His bravery and performance in Scotland’s battle are celebrated. “For brave Macbeth-well he deserves that name”. His greatness and courage in battle for his country eventually led him to be a great thane and then a powerful king, making his actions have a significant impact on his country.
His reluctance and guilt in killing Duncan also reveal his heroic nature. The reasons he gives to justify his guilt show Macbeth’s positive attributes and his potential to be a hero. “First, I am his kinsman and his subject, Strong both against the deed;” This implies that Macbeth is loyal to his family and feels that he owes his King obedience. Macbeth is also shown as a hero in this way. “As his host, who should against his murderer shut the door,” shows Macbeth’s loyalty to his King as he is Duncan’s guest. Therefore, we can see that Macbeth’s conscience does not agree to kill Duncan. It can be inferred from Macbeth’s words ‘Not bear the knife myself.’ that he feels guilty and doesn’t want to be a part of such a horrific crime. He also recognizes Duncan’s favorable attributes and feels that it would be wrong to murder such a person; “Duncan Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been So clear in his lofty office, that his virtues Will plead like angels.’ This indicates that he thinks highly of Duncan and respects him as he does not misuse his power. It shows that he knows the importance of Duncan and that everyone will cry at his death. This again reinforces the idea that Macbeth is a tragic hero as he may not have committed murder without the presence of Lady Macbeth. The quote “Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye” shows that he thinks Duncan is loved by all and everyone will cry in his absence. Therefore, we can see that Macbeth has many good traits and did not want to kill Duncan. He was tempted by Lady Macbeth, making him a tragic hero as he knew that he was making the wrong decision. Therefore we notice that his morals are of value to him.
However, his one flaw is responsible for the tragic events that unfold throughout the entirety of the play. His flaw is being obsessed with remaining in his current position because of his ambition to be king and acquire power. During his listing of reasons against the murder, near the end, he interrupts himself and says “but only vaulting ambition which overleaps itself and falls on thither. This shows he is a tragic hero as he recognizes from the beginning that his ambition could be the cause of his downfall. His ambition reaches a point where he falls to the temptation of evil and the consequence is his inevitable downfall. Therefore, the hero we could see, to begin with, is corrupted and Macbeth is shown as a tragic hero at the pivotal point at which all is lost. His ambition is the major cause of his downfall. At every step, his morals are taken over by his temptations. Even though he is a hero at heart, as we have seen from the start, his mistakes create a perception that he is evil. Hence, the term “tragic hero”
Although fate and ambition are responsible for Macbeth’s degeneration, Lady Macbeth and the witches are also at fault. As Macbeth becomes Thane of Cawdor and then Thane of Glamis, his dream to become King does not seem too distant. With the influence and manipulation of Lady Macbeth, the ambitions hidden in Macbeth are strengthened and her evil scheme gradually tempts Macbeth. Her manipulative character causes Macbeth to concede to her talks and his small weakness overturns his whole life and changes his noble character into a violent and evil one. This in turn causes catastrophic results for Scotland and Macbeth is seen as a dire and corrupt king. This is recognized by Malcolm; “what I am truly is thine, and my poor countries” Therefore, his heroic character becomes that of a villain, and his plan to be a successful king backfires. He is a tragic hero because he was a noble, righteous person who could have achieved much more. He would have been loved by all if he did not commit the murder of Duncan. The tragic part is that Macbeth was against murder but was under the influence of evil individuals which changed his character.
Even though the witches do not directly influence Macbeth’s decisions, their prophecies seem to leave an impression on Macbeth and boost his confidence throughout the play. His ambitions drive him to obsession. In the play, the three witches represent darkness, chaos, and conflict. The prophecies encourage Macbeth’s greed for power and make him overconfident. This leads him into making mistakes as his character becomes weak and his morals are taken over by the power and temptation of the witches’ words. This weakness leads him to evil suggestions that ultimately lead to his downfall. After the murder of Duncan, Macbeth is consumed by a life of evil. He is aware of the wrong he has committed and he wishes it never occurred. As Macbeth himself realizes and acknowledges, the wrongs cannot be undone. His actions motivated by ambition seem to trap him in a cycle of increasing evil. “I am in blood; stepp’d insofar that, should I wade no more, returning would be as tedious as to go o’er.” Another topic that labels him as a tragic hero is his misery even after achieving all that he dreamed of. Macbeth always had a dream of becoming a King. He was already a hero from the start and a noble person. However, after becoming corrupted and committing several murders his heroic side was not so evident. He was still not content after acquiring the throne and gaining so much power. This is part of what makes him a tragic hero, as, through his regret and sorrow we are able to see that he did not want the throne at the price of the lives he took. He only agreed due to the influence of the people and circumstances around him. Therefore, even though he gained all he dreamt of he was not pleased, as, within himself, he felt guilt, showing that he is a tragic hero. His heroic nature is shown right up until the end when he says “At least we’ll die with a harness on our back.” This quote shows his tremendous physical courage and his effort to be a heroic soldier right up to his death. This emphasizes what he lost and that he could have been a hero in everyone’s eyes.
Having relied exclusively on the witches’ prophecies, he is convinced that everyone is against him. As a consequence, he decides to kill his noble friend, Banquo, hoping to secure his crown; “Whose being I do fear; and under him, my genius is rebuk’d… They hail’d him, father, to the line of kings… If’t is so, for Banquo’s issue have I fil’d my mind.” Macbeth can be considered a tragic hero because, in his effort to make the prophecies come true, he tried to challenge fate himself rather than allowing it to take its course. By trusting the witches he became greedy for power. As a result of this greed, he committed crimes that were previously against his moral code. This is tragic, as, despite knowing he was wrong he still continued in his desperation to remain king. He committed these evil deeds spontaneously and came to regret doing them later on in the play. Feelings such as guilt, regret, and fear are shown throughout the play. However, one main occasion they are shown is during the scene where Macbeth sees Banquo’s ghost at the table with his guests. From this scene we can clearly notice that the murder of Banquo is really upsetting him and is the cause of his mental breakdown; “Hence horrible shadow, Unreal mock’ry hence.” This indicates signs of a tragic hero because his conscience is troubling him, indicating that he is truly a good-natured man.
His decision to kill Duncan is strengthened by the witches’ prophecies during the play. They are somewhat responsible for creating a tragic hero of Macbeth in both sets of their apparitions. The witches’ words delight Macbeth and are exactly what he wants to hear. His confidence grows and he continues with his ambition to become King. This display of curiosity shows that he wanted to know more about his intentions. ‘ Stay you, imperfect speakers. ‘ Tell me more’ In the second set of prophecies, Macbeth’s confidence rises to a new level and he thinks that his victory is secure. In the second vision he sees, he feels as though he is invincible because it states” be bloody, bold, and resolute; laugh to scorn The power of man, for none of the women born Shall harm Macbeth.” This creates the impression that he can commit any crime and get away with it. The other apparition warns him to be wary of Macduff. So he kills everyone in Macduff’s castle, including his family to secure his crown. However, Macduff is not born of a woman so is the man that can defeat him. She is a large threat to him as he is enraged by the killing of his family. Macbeth continues to make mistakes due to this impression, resulting in his downfall. One of the most tragic events and the biggest mistakes of Macbeth’s reign was the killing of Macduff’s family. This angers Macduff and his hatred for Macbeth becomes a promise to avenge the death of his family, and all that have suffered under his reign. So the contributions of the prophecies have influenced Macbeth’s decisions to a certain extent.
Macbeth’s vulnerability to Lady Macbeth is also the cause of his demise, making him a tragic hero. Her manipulative character and forceful nature greatly influence the evil deeds of Macbeth. At first, Macbeth is against her plan to kill Duncan and his morals overrule his ambitions. However, Lady Macbeth lures him into her trap by taunting his manhood and calling him a coward. “And live a coward in thine own esteem”. Irrespective of his feelings she hurts him by saying that she would rather kill her baby than walk back on her word; “Have pluck’d my nipple from his boneless gums…Had I swore as you have done to do this.” Her advice about false appearances also convinces Macbeth and brings about a change within him. She gives in to evil and becomes a two-faced person; thus, she tells Macbeth to show everyone the pretense face he uses instead of hiding all the dark secrets he hides within; ‘look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent beneath it.’ This advice slowly enters his mind and turns his heroic character into a villain. As a result of accepting her advice, he almost dictates back these words, showing that he has now become evil. faces must hide what the false heart doth know”. This quote shows that Macbeth’s character has now gone through a major change and he is starting to instruct Lady Macbeth, so from here his downfall is evident. Lady Macbeth’s presence in his life can be seen as an influence that changed him into a tragic hero, as he may not have committed such crimes if she did not exist. She ruined an excellent soldier and corrupted a sincere person who could have been so much more than what he became. As a result of his crimes, Macbeth became a hated person in contrast to the praises he used to receive for his bravery and success. The insults of Lady Macbeth drove him into confusion and he was driven into following her evil scheme. After his first murder, his desire to maintain the reign of his people forces him to take several lives in his insecurity. This again depicts that he is a tragic hero, as, he did not intend to hurt anyone but in his desperation and under the influence of Lady Macbeth, he made many disastrous decisions.
From everything that has been mentioned so far, it is clear that Macbeth’s one weakness causes his entire character to degenerate and turn him into a tragic hero. From being respected, praised, and loved by the man he becomes violent and evil. However, as readers, we consider him to be a tragic hero. This is because even though he is not bad at heart, we can see how circumstances and people around him have turned him into a hated person in Scotland. Thus, in our view, he is a tragic hero, as he could have been so much more when everyone loved him, including King Duncan. However, we can blame him for his fate as he was not forced into committing such horrific deeds, he chose to do them on his own access a result, he is also partly to blame, but in my opinion, he is a tragic hero because he lost everything, including respect, love, name, and friends. ings. His life may not have ended in such a way if Lady Macbeth and the three witches had not influenced his decisions.
Fate is a major theme in this play and many events revolve around it. It could be one of the reasons why Macbeth is a tragic hero. Macbeth felt that he could take fate into his own hands and change it according to his needs. “Rather than so, come fate into the list And champion me to th’utterance.” We realize that this was his biggest mistake as he had sole belief in the witches’ words and changed the natural cycle of events, rather than allowing them to occur according to fate. Macbeth’s religious nature is also prominent in the play as it can also be seen as a cause of his transformation into a tragic hero. He proclaims that he wants to live happily in this life no matter what the consequences are in his life after death; “We’d jump into the life to come.” This shows his belief in life after death but shows he is willing to take risks. Macbeth still believes in judgment and justice as he says “We still have judgment return to plague the inventor.” This is tragic, as, despite knowing the difference between right and wrong he became trapped in a sin that could never be undone.
The consequences of Macbeth’s decisions did not just affect him; the whole of Scotland is shaken by the changes in the natural order. The most frequent natural order shown that is disturbed is sleep. The announcement that Macbeth makes says that he has “murdered sleep” which is mirrored in Lady Macbeth’s sleepwalking. Ultimately, Macbeth is a tragic hero because he is driven to achieve his goal from the beginning and maintain it. Therefore, under the influence of fate, the witch’s prophecies, Lady Macbeth, and ill-fated decisions, his character changed from a brave, courageous, and loyal man to an evil being, despised by most in Scotland. Malcolm describes him and Lady Macbeth at the end saying ‘Of this dead butcher and his fiend-like queen’. This defines the sad and tragic end of what Macbeth became and what people genuinely thought of him. As a tragic hero, Macbeth has only one flaw, his ambition, which is the cause of his own downfall, making him a tragic hero.
‘Macbeth’ is a catastrophe which was written by one of the most notorious playwrights in history. Shakespeare wrote ‘Macbeth’ in 1606, but it took place in the 11th century. He wrote it for the pleasure of King James I and his royal court who ruled over medieval Scotland. The play features themes of betrayal, which is ironic because King James was the victim of a potential gunpowder plot one year prior. King James loved the supernatural element, which subsequently adds to the storyline. It’s apparent that women were powerless, vulnerable and inefficient in the 11th century, but were they really?
Lady Macbeth uses her power to manipulate Macbeth: “Your face, my Thane, is a book where men may read strange matters”. This simile refers to Macbeth’s guilt. It reflects on how easily Macbeth’s emotions can be detected and how it can damage their right to the crown. In the 16th century men were considered weak if not emotionless; Lady Macbeth worries about this because she knows he has to be resilient and ruthless to take and maintain the power of having the crown. People wouldn’t want him to be their king, their leader, if he knows empathy and kindness. Lady Macbeth is ambitious and uses her passion of greed and superiority to coach Macbeth: “Look like th’ innocent flower”. This metaphor shows how Lady Macbeth needs her husband to dissimulate his evil and profess his purity. Shakespeare maintains the theme of innocence to show the audience how Lady Macbeth coerces and manipulates her husband. The power dynamic is reinforced when a ‘fragile’ woman can dictate her husband, a ruthless warrior.
Lady Macbeth asserts dominance, she decides Duncan must die, “It is to full o’ th’ milk of human kindness”, Lady Macbeth is overjoyed that her lust of power will be fulfilled when her husband is crowned King of Scotland. Although she is reluctant of her husband’s ‘kind nature’. To encourage him she torments and bullies Macbeth into committing the act. Shakespeare is reinforcing the theme of violence and gender roles; Lady Macbeth is driven by her ambition whilst Macbeth is too compassionate. This highlights the contrast in their characters and the incompatibility of their relationship. The Elizabethans believed God had a social order for everybody, the ‘Great Chain of Being’ and kings were put on the throne by God himself. Lady Macbeth uses her hunger for superiority to disrupt this by causing a menacing society. The disruption of such nature foreshadows the downfall of Macbeth.
Lady Macbeth uses her soliloquy to reveal her true intentions, “smoke of hell” and “direst cruelty”, she uses evil imagery to portray the plague of sinister intentions on her mind. These thoughts control and keep Macbeth’s love. She calls for hell to provide her protection. Shakespeare reveals to the audience her true lust for evil. She does this to connect to the darker part of herself, revealing the power of her character. This relates to the supernatural element of the 17th century: women with power were condemned as witches if they didn’t obey men’s dominance or mastery. Shakespeare is implying she is a witch to the audience to show her complete control. Lady Macbeth’s speech relates to the witches who told the prophecy, “Come thick night”, she uses imperatives to insinuate she’s casting a spell, this reinforces Lady Macbeth’s power due to her link to evil, unnatural spirits. This also suggests that her control of her husband could reside from a darker nature.
Lady Macbeth calls upon spirits, “Come you spirits…Unsex me here”, the symbolism of gender roles is heavily implied; this is her vivid way of asking to be stripped of feminine weakness and invested with masculine revolve. She doesn’t want to be a woman, as she views women as ‘weak’ and ‘useless’. Lady Macbeth pleads with the spirits for her deepest desire of dominance and chaos to be fulfilled. She is revolted at being obedient, mindless and pure, whilst she dreams for her husband’s sense of ruthlessness and mercilessness. In the 27th century, witchcraft was a dire sin; this explains her disparity for control and high class. Women were perceived as cunning, fragile and prone to temptation, although she mourns to be cold, ruthless and cruel. The prefix ‘un’ represents her regret of being born a woman, so she can’t rule herself. She is limited and is calling upon supernatural forces to remove her femininity, which would emphasize her power.
Lady Macbeth uses her emotional authority to control Macbeth: “Was the hope drunk, Wherein you dressed yourself”. Shakespeare uses personification for Lady Macbeth to question Macbeth’s ability and impulse to act upon the prophecy on drunk confidence. She believes he is too weak to commit such a duplicitous act; his morals override his passion for power. Lady Macbeth is aware of this which prompts her to use her intelligence to patronize him to provoke him into a reaction of rage. Macbeth finally succumbs to killing King Duncan after he feels pressured by Lady Macbeth as he sees this to win over her love, although she continues to emasculate him; this is ironic as Macbeth is known as the ‘Thane of Cawdor’, a ruthless warrior, however his wife must coerce him to commit an act of violence. In the 17th century, a husband was supposed to be the ‘head of a marriage’. Lady Macbeth defying Macbeth would be ridiculed and mocked. A wife was often subject to the demands of her husband, and this relates to the play of Macbeth as the power dynamic is shifted because of Lady Macbeth’s power of persuasion and dominance over Macbeth, which urged him into committing the heedful act of killing King Duncan.
Lady Macbeth manipulates Macbeth: “From this time I account thy love”. Lady Macbeth emotionally blackmails Macbeth by withdrawing her love. Shakespeare’s use of emotive language exhibits Macbeth’s emotional persona and how he relies on his wife’s emotions to feel whole. He is desperate to impress her in return for her love and affection, which he longs for. Lady Macbeth is aware of her husband’s dependence on her love, which encourages her to thrill herself by bullying and torturing her husband, which gives her excitement due to the weakness he displays. This allows the audience to understand the complexity of Lady Macbeth’s character. During his reign, King James I was plotted against Guy Fawkes, who intended on committing an act of treason; this correlates to Macbeth as he is being heavily influenced to go through with the ultimate murder of his king. Lady Macbeth intimidates his character by attacking his role as a man. She manipulates and exploits his kindness to please her. She states Macbeth will be “so much more the man”, this has a double meaning: he will be more of a man, but also have the authority figure of a king and a leader. She does this to flatter him and make him envisage the life of power he could have. His lack of awareness to Lady Macbeth’s manipulation proves she is responsible for his actions, which reinforces her power in their relationship.
Lady Macbeth’s power starts to spiral. “Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck”, Shakespeare uses this term of endearment which reveals to the audience how Macbeth is increasingly becoming even more evil and inhumane. He tells her to be “innocent of the knowledge”, which upsets her because she was the intelligence of the plan of killing King Duncan, and now Macbeth is excluding her. She’s starting to become the ‘inferior’ woman that the 17th century standardized. It makes it clear to the audience that there has been a power shift as Macbeth starts to become more callous and patronizing her, but also showing love and affection. This now refers to the common relationship a man and woman had in the 17th century, but also comments on how Macbeth gradually grows tyrannical and sadistic, which now contrasts over Lady Macbeth’s hold over him as he becomes emotionally independent and detached from her. Macbeth is about to become king, which is relevant to the problematic succession of King James I. His claim to the throne was challenged, which foreshadows how Macbeth will have a complication with his right to the throne. This suggests to the audience Macbeth will meet his demise for treason (as did Guy Fawkes.)
Lady Macbeth uses her verbal power to insult Macbeth’s masculinity: “What, quite unmanned in folly?”. Lady Macbeth uses a rhetorical question to mock Macbeth. She intimidates him by questioning his masculinity to provoke him into being submissive towards her. She makes him question his manliness, which leads him to conceal his emotions and eventually lose empathy. This is ironic because Lady Macbeth says earlier in the play, “Unsex me here”, she wants Macbeth to be stripped of his gender role just as she pleads to be. She degrades him to fulfil her longing regret of being born a woman; she feels like she should be stronger and the only way to achieve that is to verbally abuse Macbeth and make him feel inferior to her. This conveys the lack of emotions within their relationship, which leads the audience to believe their relationship is no longer about love and is only a business arrangement. This is seen through how they communicate and the lack of empathy they have towards one another, they do not consider how each other feels, which is the cause of their deteriorating relationship and their growth of madness. In the 17th century, women were viewed and the weaker sex, and they were seen as 2nd class although mentally strong and resilient. Lady Macbeth so then degrades Macbeth verbally to tear down his self-esteem, she is jealous of his strength and power as a man. Their relationship overthrows the standards of their time; a woman being superior to a man was unheard of. She uses her manipulation to pick apart Macbeth’s kindness and corrupt his character, which gives her a thrill of dominance.
Shakespeare presents Lady Macbeth as powerful. “You lack the season of all natures, sleep”, this metaphor is used by Lady Macbeth to dismiss Macbeth’s declining mental health. She tells him to “sleep it off”, she uses his growing madness to her advantage as she knows he is more vulnerable. She sees this as an opportunity to control him as Macbeth’s ability to function starts to decrease. Shakespeare uses a theme of guilt when Macbeth is worrying as his wrongdoing starts to engulf him. In the 17th century, mental health was seen as taboo, if Macbeth were ‘mad’ his subjects would perceive him as weak and infirm. Lady Macbeth is not concerned for Macbeth’s health; she is concerned about his ability to rule. This emphasizes that her priority is her potential power not her husband.
Lady Macbeth’s power is declining, she carries a candle, “light by her continually”, she has a fear of the dark. This is ironic as in Act 1 Scene 5, she welcomes the darkness, “come thick night”, the metaphor of darkness is used to show how she concealed her guilt. This now contrasts with how she didn’t emphasize her husband’s guilt and how she is now turning ‘mad’. She believes ‘night’ (fear) is following her which represents her conscience of overwhelming guilt. She isn’t aware of sleepwalking, which references how she isn’t aware and in control of her own life. She lives in constant fear of culpability and starts to display affections of remorse. She engulfs herself with endless light to wash away her responsibility, which is ironic because in Act 1 she tells Macbeth to “wash away his sins”, she now starts to understand the importance of her actions. This displays the consequences of the ‘Great Chain of Being’ being disrupted, Macbeth is now on the throne which is unnatural. The repercussions are Macbeth is driven by madness which ultimately leads to chaos and death of their entire kingdom. This also references how Guy Fawkes was put to death for attempting to interrupt the ‘Great Chain of Being, this signifies the importance in the 17th century and how defying God would end in dire consequences. As Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s relationship crumbles, they grow weaker as the power dynamic shifts towards Macbeth.
Lady Macbeth has a mysterious death. “The Queen, my lord, is dead”. Lady Macbeth dies off stage, which portrays an anti-climax scene, which represents the inconsequential role that she now plays in Macbeth’s life. She is no longer crucial to his plot for success. In return, he dismisses her death, “she should have died hereafter”, he blames her death on ‘bad timing’ and does not show any forms of grief which conveys his feelings of vexation and distress which she inflicted upon him; this also represents his greed for power and his narcissistic traits that have been uncovered from his emotional damage. Macbeth’s feelings alternate between arrogance and despair, which validates that Lady Macbeth’s manipulation has emotionally scarred him; and so, his feelings grow numb and meaningless towards her. Macbeth’s lack of emotion also refers to his lack of emotion towards himself, which foreshadows his downfall due to his lack of self-control. Macbeth is now addicted to the power that he holds and is ready to eliminate anybody who threatens it. It is implying that Lady Macbeth has committed suicide when Malcolm declares that she died by “self and violent hands”. She was burdened with the guilt of morally corrupting her husband and does not believe that her sins could be salvaged, hence she resorts to the only comfort she can seek, death. Shakespeare is communicating with the audience that justice has been achieved. In the 17th century, suicide was one of the most treacherous acts an individual could ‘commit’ since it was taking away life that God had gifted. This emphasizes the colossal amount of guilt that latched upon Lady Macbeth. The weakness of her character has been portrayed through her failure to achieve total superiority and her reaction of jealousy to her husband’s increasing power and influence.
Lady Macbeth can be considered one of many Shakespeare’s notorious tragic heroes – she is a strong, ambitious character who reigned in a high social class and ranked over many as Queen. Her reckless abuse of power and compulsion of Macbeth led to her downfall. Lady Macbeth originally was not born into ‘noble heritage’, although married into her rank of ‘Thane of Cawdor’. Once her rank in society was established, she felt her lust and addiction for supremacy; this explains her intemperate outbursts towards Macbeth. Lady Macbeth is a chief character who had a distorted perception on reality and was blind to the consequences of her grim actions. Once she recognizes her mistakes, her guilt buries her in a state of hysteria, insanity, and instability. The ‘Great Chain of Being’ can finally be restored as her death has balanced out the scales of nature that she once upset. She begins to feel guilty for her actions which inevitably lead to her death. Her death has fulfilled her role of one of Shakespeare’s tragic heroes. The audience begin to emphasize with her as she arouses pity from her madness and regret from her sinful actions.
Ultimately, Lady Macbeth is a mysterious, complex character who held a peculiar amount of power for a woman of the 11th century, fiercely dominating over her husband. She neglected Macbeth’s feelings, which resulted in the emotional damage of Macbeth; this adds to the change and parallel of both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s characters. At the beginning of the play, she is cunning and manipulative, although contrastingly grows into a fearful and fragile woman. Lady Macbeth’s cruelty is representative of the general wickedness found throughout the entire play. She is one of the most necessary and influential characters who instigated a series of irreversible events which overthrew a whole generation of potential royals to satisfy her intense cravings of domination. Overall, Lady Macbeth is a powerful character who bullied to please her desires of lack of gender, manipulation, and exploitation. She failed to consider the consequences that eventually resulted in her madness, insanity, and death.
The nature of power can undoubtedly corrupt the human mind, as power in itself manifest our inability to develop a way of thinking and thought process that is rational and logical. This can have a profound impact on the individual and society, as ones over ambitiousness can create a lack of moral consciousness, which ultimately results in a corrupt human mind. Effectively, a sense of power and corruption becomes reflected in the social and ideological part of society. This belief is further strengthened by the way human dignity is revealed in the world in which we live. Within both William Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’ and Roald Dahl’s ‘Matilda’, we have distinct concepts and ideas about power and corruption.
Power and corruption both have the capacity to influence the mind of the individual in accepting forms of truth and potentially seeking to manipulate their truths to others. In the play ‘Macbeth’, the themes of power and corruption are revealed to the audience as a way of representing the inevitable downfall of Macbeth through both his actions and his uncontrollable obsession for power. At the beginning of the play, Macbeth is able to gain power when he successfully defeats the Thane of Cawdor. This becomes problematic as the witches begin to take over his mind, resulting in him believing that whatever has been said to him is true. For example, when Macbeth states, “Two truths are told as happy prologues to the swelling act of th’imperial theme”, the audience is able to see Macbeth’s eagerness and ambition to gain a sense of power and ultimately seek to become king. The effective use of alliteration in this instance places into context the potential hidden motives behind Macbeth in gaining power and ambition. Furthermore, we are able to see Macbeth’s ambition and power through Lady Macbeth’s views and her ability to reflect on her husband character. She is profoundly aware of her husband’s ambition, yet she believes her husband is not capable of any ruthless forms of behavior like others who would place morality to the side to seek greatness. This particular reference from Lady Macbeth toward her husband reveals that she believes his character is true and also that she knows her husband quite well. This is evidently highlighted when she states: “Thou wouldst be great,/ Art not without ambition, but without/ The illness should attend it”. In this instance, Lady Macbeth is placing into context that whilst her husband wants to be king, he is unwilling to do any dirty work in order to achieve his goal. The powerful repetition of the word ‘thou’ develops a connection between the audience and Macbeth in her attempt to convince them that her husband is honest and truthful. This effectively highlights that power and corruption have the capability to bring out the worst in the individual.
Power can more often than not be distributed and represented in a way that captures readers’ attention. In Dahl’s ‘Matilda’, the representation of power and corruption is highlighted in distinctive form, for instance, we are presented with the evil like character of Miss Trunchbull, the principle who abuses her sense of entitlement and projects a sense of power that overtakes the mindset of the individual. In contrast, Matilda is viewed to have forms of superpowers which doesn’t necessarily allow her to gain an advantage over others, but rather foreshadows a distinct worldly perspective. Within the novel, Miss Trunchbull is viewed as an individual who abuses her power when she states to Amanda Thripp: “What are those?”. In this particular instance, Miss Trunchbull is referring to Amanda’s pigtails, which results in the reader feeling a sense of uneasiness and sympathy towards Amanda. The use of rhetorical questioning allows the reader to engage in the power-driven motives of Miss Trunchbull and her approach towards teachers and students. Similarly, the corrupt and dishonest nature of individuals within society is reflected through Matilda’s father taking advantage of any situation that arises. The powerful use of dialogue between Matilda and her father is exemplified when she states, “It’s cheating”, with her father responding, “No-one ever got rich being honest”. This particular conversation mirrors how corruption can result in an immoral way of thinking where the individual has no guilt for their actions and takes a sense of pride in their manipulative behavior.
Effectively both texts ‘Macbeth’ and ‘Matilda’ reveal the inconsistencies involved with respects to power and corruption and how they have the capacity to negatively influence the human mind and the ability to make rational decisions. Both texts have distinctive types of power within characters such as Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Miss Trunchbull and Matilda. These characters employ their own sense of power in order to gain a sense of control over their own destiny and others. The effective use of the complicated metaphor by Macbeth, “I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition, which o’erlaps itself and falls on th’other”, allows us to understand that Macbeth has become self-reflective as to his motives and ambitions in murdering King Duncan and his unwillingness to move forward with his plan. This conveys that power has the capacity to corrupt the individual’s mind. Similarly, the power-driven nature of Miss Trunchbull in the novel ‘Matilda’ is reinforced when she states: “I shall personally see to it that you are put away in a place were not even the crows can land their droppings on you”. The powerful use of first person in this instance portrays the belief that power and corruption has overtaken the mind of Miss Trunchbull and her disturbing characteristics are being represented for everyone to see. This highlights that power can profoundly corrupt the individual’s mind.
In essence, it can be said that power in itself can corrupt the individual’s mind. Both Shakespeare and Dahl’s texts represent how individuals’ minds can become distorted through gaining a sense of power, which results in a corrupt sense of greed that leads the individual to become immersed in themselves and their power-driven motives. Hence power and corruption are profoundly interconnected, and were not just a part of Elizabethan society, but also are reflected in texts such as ‘Matilda’, which are still present in today’s modern world.
In the tragedy of Macbeth, Shakespeare puts into words the scarring and detrimental effects of human nature. William Shakespeare creates a story of betrayal, vengeance, and redemption to conceive a bitter-sweet tale. At the forefront of Macbeth is revenge. As the main character Macbeth undergoes drastic measures to ensure prominence, many fall into his path of destruction, becoming victims of instability and impulsivity. Two vital characters that experience the wake of Macbeth’s carnage are Malcolm and Macduff. Both Malcolm and Macduff are of power, with Malcolm being the son and heir to King Duncan, and Macduff is the Thane of Fife. While Macbeth is guiding himself to glory, Malcolm and Macduff suffer from the loss of loved ones at the hands of Macbeth’s greed. Throughout the plot of Macbeth, Malcolm and Macduff endure situations of which prompt retaliation, yet the men handle revenge distinctly due to the contrast of healthy and logical perspectives.
Macbeth, the main character of the play Macbeth, is known as the Thane of Glamis and considered a war hero amongst Scotland, a loyal subject to King Duncan. Once capturing defeat from enemies of Scotland, Macbeth and his companion, Banquo encounter three mysterious witches that lure the men and deliver enriching prophecies. Macbeth was advised that he would be appointed Thane of Cawdor and then he shall be king of Scotland. What is unknown is the fact that the prophecy would soon belittle Macbeth, witnessing as a once loyal and trusted man, lowers himself to such titles as a traitor and murderer. Macbeth acts on the worthless prophecy of the witches and becomes blinded by ill glory. What the prophecy provokes is evil injustice and cruelty enacted by Macbeth, which in return will cause vengeance amongst the victims of Macbeth’s immorality, Malcolm and Macduff. The reader observes the tribulations encountered by Malcolm and Macduff and how both men act out of the unfortunate circumstances.
As Macbeth seeks out the prophecy, he is soon fascinated by the idea of becoming king. What the witches create in Macbeth is an idea, and in the mind of someone like Macbeth who harbors no self-control, it allows the infestation of greedy thoughts. Once Macbeth realizes that the only way to assume title as king is through the murder of King Duncan, treasonous feelings plague his mind. Following the prophecy and Macbeth’s promotion to Thane of Cawdor, it does not take long before the murder of King Duncan transpires, and the entire kingdom is at large in search of peace. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth seek out blame from the drunken guards in charge of protecting the king, and momentarily, it works. The heir of the throne and son of Duncan, Malcolm, resorts to leaving Scotland and fleeing to England, out of fear for his life. Following Malcolm is Macduff, who heads to Scotland due to the brutal reign occurring in Scotland. While in England, Macduff creates a vulnerable situation where his family is in the path of Macbeth’s paranoia, ultimately resulting in the murder of Macduff’s family. In the wake of Macbeth’s murders, Malcolm and Macduff are both provided the means to act on vengeance; however, provided the chance, retaliation takes two different forms amongst the men.
Revenge is the definition of inflicting harm to someone that has brought suffering to others. Macbeth aggravates hatred amongst the character of Malcolm and Macduff, as unjustly, flesh, and blood become sacrifices of Macbeth’s tyranny. The nature of which Malcolm and Macduff act out vengeance contrast in the means of aggression and provocation. When learning of the murder of his father, Malcolm retreats to England, seeing as the danger was occurring and his life may be at stake. Malcolm’s concept of revenge is simple, turning the cheek, a technique in retaliation that is healthy and logical (Berglas, 71). As Malcolm possessed inquires that lead his suspicions to Macbeth, he resorted to exiting the treasonous situation and remaining safe. Although unintentional, Malcolm’s exit from Scotland resulted in the further deterioration of Macbeth’s mind and increased paranoia. The best revenge occurs when the one that suffers tragedy achieves social and personal success significant in relation to the offense (Berglas, 71). What Malcolm presents is a logical and sound form of vengeance. By merely exiting out of Macbeth’s toxic environment, Malcolm allows Macbeth to believe that he has gotten away with murder, thus pushing Macbeth further and toward his eventual downfall. What Malcolm achieves through waiting to seek out Macbeth’s demise is the title as king, as Macbeth positions himself to his inevitable defeat, Malcolm therefore gains rightful heir as king.
Separating Malcolm from Macduff is patience and rationality. As the murders committed by Macbeth justified retaliation from both men, the way Macduff approached revenge differed from Malcolm in the aspect of lacking a healthy perspective. Macduff abandons his family to join Malcolm in England to plan the war against Macbeth, leaving the paranoia of Macbeth to commit heinous and unnecessary actions. Once learning of the bloodshed of his family, Macduff seems to disassociate from reality, and then rage ensues. What can only result from such anger is action, something of which Malcolm demands from Macduff, insisting that he act on the passion instilled in himself and kill Macbeth. The concept of revenge builds on the idea that it is connected to pain, allowing an eye-for-an-eye mindset to be unleashed (Berglas, 72). Macduff’s method of attack runs on emotion, had Malcolm been absent and unable to encourage Macduff to utilize anger and rage as ambition, Macbeth might have won. Coincidentally, Malcolm witnessing Macduff’s pain granted him the ability to relive the bitterness he felt when learning of his father’s murder. As Malcolm was unsure of who murdered his father, he never entitled himself to directed anger, seeing as Macduff undergoes a similar fate, Malcolm recognizes the pain of losing his father; something essential to rightful revenge (Berglas, 72). Without the sound perspective of Malcolm, Macduff’s lust for retaliation had the potential to overpower the means of organized rebellion, surrendering a situation to which Macbeth had a chance to defeat the sensitive and emotional Macduff.
Ultimately, Malcolm presents revenge through logic, as Macduff approaches vengeance through emotion. The role of revenge in Macbeth is crucial to Macbeth’s defeat; however, had his downfall been possible without Malcolm? Aware that Malcolm argues against rash reprisal, it is evident his perspective on vengeance is healthier and logical. What Macduff brings to the table is emotion, which is humane and understandable, yet human nature is flawed and unorganized. Instinct overrides sanity, and through patience, rationality undermines instinct. In the end, Macduff’s emotion is imperative to the battle against Macbeth; however, without the sanctity of Malcolm’s perspective, raw emotion may have converted to adverse outcomes.
In the play, Macbeth, Macbeth himself wanted nothing more than power. He was so obsessed with power that he would go as far as committing murder to make sure that no one would get in the way of him and his throne. Throughout the play, Macbeth showed many symptoms of various mental health disorders. This proved that Macbeth committed these murders and acted irrationally because of the disorders he suffered from. This essay will go into detail about the specific symptoms Macbeth displayed as well as the corresponding disorders Macbeth suffers from during the play. This essay will also discuss how characters such as Lady Macbeth worsened his illnesses. Lastly, this essay will cover how Macbeth’s disorders affected his actions and fate. In Macbeth, William Shakespeare uses Macbeth’s character to represent how ambition and desire for power can underminingly create someone’s downfall.
Throughout the play, Macbeth showed several signs of mental illnesses. One of the main mental disorders that Macbeth struggled with was Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, also known as PTSD, is a disorder that occurs after someone has experienced or witnessed a traumatic event. The start of Macbeth’s PTSD began in Act 1, Scene 2, where Macbeth kills a traitor while he is at war. This proved that Macbeth was very courageous, but also that he shows several signs of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. According to Arieh Shalev, “Higher rates of PTSD have been documented among socially disadvantaged persons, younger persons, women, military personnel, police officers, firefighters, and first responders to disasters and mass trauma” (2462). Considering that Macbeth actively serves in the army means that it is very likely that Macbeth does suffer from PTSD. In the play Macbeth, Macbeth states, “Methought I heard a voice cry, sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep-the innocent sleep, sleep that knits up the raveled sleave of care, the death of each say’s life, sore labor’s bath, balm of hurt minds, great nature’s second course, chief nourisher in life’s feast” (No Fear Macbeth. 2.1. 35-40). Insomnia is a sleep disorder that is associated with PTSD. Meaning patients with PTSD also struggle with Insomnia and vice versa. After Macbeth murdered King Duncan in Act 2, he started having trouble falling and staying asleep. Macbeth had a horrific image in his head from when he murdered King Duncan. This caused Macbeth to relieve the murder over and over again, which led to insomnia. These are only two of the many examples of how Macbeth struggled with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder throughout the play. This disorder played a large part in Macbeth’s mental deterioration in the play as well.
Another disorder that Macbeth struggles with tremendously throughout the play is Generalized Anxiety Disorder. “Generalized anxiety disorder is characterized by chronic and persistent worry” (Stein et al. 2059). Generalized Anxiety Disorder is a constant worry to the point where working, socializing, studying, etc. becomes challenging. To be diagnosed with this disorder, you have to have excessive worry for at least six months. The onset age for this disorder is around thirty-one, which is early adulthood. Macbeth struggles the most with Generalized Anxiety Disorder after he has Banquo killed. Macbeth states, “Ere we will eat our meal in fear, and sleep in the affliction of these terrible dreams that shake us nightly. Better be with the dead, whom we, to gain our peace, have sent to peace, than on the torture of the mind to lie in restless ecstasy” (No Fear Macbeth. 3.2. 20-25). This quote shows Macbeth’s worry that someone is going to find out about the murders he has committed. Macbeth worried so much about what would happen if someone did find out that he barely slept anymore and wasn’t as social. Macbeth also started to feel guilty about what he had done because of all of the worry and stress he was experiencing. Generalized Anxiety Disorder affected Macbeth’s daily life immensely and caused him to live in a constant state of worry.
The last disorder that Macbeth struggled within the play is Schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a very serious mental disorder that affects the brain and causes people to perceive reality in an uncommon way. Schizophrenia can also cause people to hallucinate as well as cause them to not think rationally which can affect daily functioning. Macbeth struggles with Schizophrenia before he kills King Duncan. Macbeth says, “Is this a dagger which I see before me, the handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee” (No Fear Macbeth. 2.1. 33-35). Macbeth also states that the dagger is leading him into the room where King Duncan was sleeping. Macbeth realized that the dagger was not real, and he was merely hallucinating. Another example of Schizophrenia in the play is when Macbeth hallucinates about seeing the ghost of Banquo. Macbeth states to the Ghost, “Thou canst not say I did it. Never shake thy gory locks at me.” (No Fear Macbeth. 3.4. 53-54). This quote proves that Macbeth was hallucinating about seeing Banquo’s Ghost. After hallucinating about the Ghost of Banquo, Macbeth immediately begins to feel guilty about the murders he has committed. These two examples prove that Macbeth hallucinated very regularly and that the hallucinations were a symptom of Schizophrenia. This disorder had a great impact on Macbeth, his emotions, and his actions.
Throughout the play Macbeth, there were several characters who had a big impact on Macbeth and his mental deterioration. One of them being his wife, Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth also struggled with several different mental illnesses, most of them being the same as Macbeth’s. Lady Macbeth manipulates her husband, Macbeth, throughout the entire play. Lady Macbeth states, “What beast wasn’t, then, that made you break this enterprise to me? 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. Nor time nor place did then adhere, and yet you would make both. They have made themselves, and that their fitness now does unmake you” (No Fear Macbeth. 1.7. 47-55). Whenever Macbeth was having second thoughts about murdering King Duncan, Lady Macbeth belittled him into thinking that he no choice but to murder him or else he was not a real man. The witches also played a big role in the mental deterioration of Macbeth. The witches had a substantial impact on the way Macbeth made his decisions. The third witch states, “All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter” (No Fear Macbeth. 1.3. 51)! The witches told Macbeth his prophecies which made him want to act. After Macbeth killed King Duncan and fulfilled the prophecy, he lost his sanity. These two characters may have had the biggest impact on Macbeth and his mental deterioration, but they were not the only ones.
Macbeth’s mental illnesses as well as the characters throughout the play had a significant role when it came to how Macbeth made his decisions and how the decisions affected his fate. Schizophrenia caused Macbeth to make very irrational decions and to hallucinate which brought about even more stress. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Insomnia Macbeth’s tremendous anxiety which led to Macbeth having trouble to fall and stay asleep. Generalized Anxiety Disorder also resulted in Macbeth worrying constantly about everything he had done and if anyone was going to find out about it. These mental illnesses and the characters in the play caused Macbeth to act illogically which is essentially what caused Macbeth’s downfall and death. In Macbeth, William Shakespeare uses Macbeth’s character to represent how ambition and desire for power can underminingly create someone’s downfall.
The Tragedy of Macbeth is a play written by the renowned English playwright William Shakespeare about a Scottish general who learns that he could become a king through a prophesy from three witches. The play falls under the tragedy genre as the protagonist Macbeth ends up facing death at the end of the story.
The tragedy was written in 1606 during the renaissance literary period, which ran form 1485-1625. The play was written during the reign of James I after the death of Queen Elizabeth 1. The time around which the play was written was also called the Elizabethan era. Macbeth is ambitious for power and his character deteriorates as he acquires and tries to maintain it leading to his downfall.
Turning point
Macbeth comes across as a man of great character at the opening of the play. The king together with the people respects him because of his nobility and bravery. He is honored for his great contribution in the war by saving the life of the king’s son Malcolm. He tells his father about the courage of Macbeth, “This is the sergeant who like a good and hardy soldier fought ‘against my captivity.
Hail brave friend!” (Shakespeare 1. 2. 4-5). Malcolm is loved and his self-esteem is high, as he feels proud of serving his country. He is content with his position during this time until the three witches prophesy to him that he would become king.
The prophesy marks the turning point for Macbeth from a noble man to a greedy man consumed by ambition to become king and his character starts changing. He thinks about the prophesy and decides to leave it to chance but the more he thought about he knew he had to take an action. His wife urges him to take King Duncan out and portray his bravery as she accuses him of cowardice.
His conscience bothers him and he asks, “Will great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood/clean from my hand?” (Shakespeare 2. 2.58-59). Nonetheless, he goes on to murder the king and his character takes a turn for the worst as he kills the chamberlains who would give witness of the king’s death and he claims he killed them due to fury for their killing of King Duncan.
Tyrant emerges
Banquo also knew about the witches’ prophesy and he could become a liability to him later. That means he had to deal with Banquo also to remain in power just as he had killed the chamberlains. He hires murderers to kill Banquo and his son Fleance as the witches had predicted that Banquo’s sons would inherit the thrown. ” …Now he will murder for no reason other than to habituate himself to the terrors of his corrupted state and make himself comfortable among them…” (Cunningham 295).
His character is deteriorating and killing has become so easy for him and he has lost his sense of morality. The more he kills the further he deteriorates and becomes violent because he does not gain the security he intends from the murders. He also plans to kill Macduff in order to keep his throne “I am in blood/stepped in so far that, should I wade no more/returning were as tedious as go o’er” (Shakespeare 3.4.153-137).
Inevitable demise
The life of Macbeth takes a different turn from act four as he decided to consult the witches to know his fate and people planning to overthrow him. He seems to be on road to self-destruction and nothing will save him from the cruel man he has become. Moreover, he drops deeper into darkness when he orders the killing of Macduff’s wife and children yet they are not a political threat to him.
He says of Macduff’s family “Seize upon Fife; give to the edge o’ the sword /His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls/That trace him in his line (Shakespeare 4.1.131-135). His character also deteriorates when the witches tell him that he no man born of woman can kill him thus think he is invincible.
He boasts and says that he will defeat the enemy but his end is evitable as Malcolm and his fighters advance to Macbeth’s castle. Macbeth comforts himself and says, “I cannot taint with fear. What’s the boy Malcolm? Was he not born of woman? The spirits that know. All mortal consequences have pronounced me thus: ‘Fear not, Macbeth; no man that’s born of woman Shall e’er have power upon thee” (Shakespeare 5.3.3-7). However, he is killed bringing an end to his tyrannical rule and a new beginning for Scotland.
Conclusion
Macbeth faces his death because he allows ambition change him from a noble man to a vicious monster. His character deteriorates from the time he agrees to commit his first murder of king Duncan and is forced to kill many other power in order to hold on to power that he acquired illegitimately that eventually leads to his disintegration.
Works Cited
Cunningham, Dolora G. “Macbeth: The Tragedy of the Hardened Heart.” Shakespeare Quarterly, 14.1 (1963): 39-47. Reprinted in Shakespearean Criticism. Vol.69.Ed. Lynn M.Lott.Detroit: Gale. 293-298.
When someone is feeling emotions like love or guilt, these usually do not necessarily manifest in a person’s facial expressions or actions. Comparing an actual situation to a theatrical setting would entirely be different when it comes to the subject of emotions. Actors and actresses need to manifest their inward emotions through their outward actions and dialogue in order for the audience to fully grasp the emotions that their character is going through. In this regard, in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the relationship of inward emotions and outward actions is relevant in fully conveying the interplay of themes in this tragedy.
As one of Shakespeare’s most celebrated plays, Macbeth weaves a complex scenario about how a Scottish nobleman was lured by his intense ambitions in murdering King Duncan. His intense ambitions were even more fired up by the prophecies of the witches who told him that he was fated to be the king. Even his wife, Lady Macbeth, persuaded him with this evil plan. Upon leading the Scottish army to their victory over the forces of Norway, King Duncan granted Macbeth a favour of staying with him in the castle. In this regard, Lady Macbeth saw this “favour” as a great opportunity in making the prophecies of the witches come to fruition. Giving in to his desires for power and wealth, Macbeth murders the gracious King Duncan. To make matters worse, Macbeth pointed the accusing finger to King Duncan’s two sons, Malcolm and Donalbain as they flee from Scotland.
Macbeth told everyone that the sons orchestrated the assassination. Macbeth then assumes the kingship, just as the witches foretold. However, another problem arose as the witches also prophesied that although his friend Banquo will not be king, his descendants will hold the Scottish throne. Worried about this scenario. Macbeth hires assassins to murder Banquo and his son, Fleance. Banquo is slain, but Fleance escapes. The witches then warn Macbeth that another nobleman, Macduff, is also a threat to his power. Macbeth attempts murder again, only to find that Macduff has fled to England. Angry at the nobleman’s escape, Macbeth has the wife and children of Macduff brutally murdered. In England, Macduff meets with Malcolm and decides that Malcolm is worthy of ruling Scotland. Together they gather an army and march against Macbeth. A guilt-ridden Lady Macbeth loses her sanity and dies as the opposing army surrounds the castle. Macduff kills Macbeth in combat, and Malcolm is crowned king of Scotland.
The audience of Macbeth would somehow question the relevance of several actions and dialogues in this play in determining its tragic outcome. In his article, Oatley (2006) explored the inner emotions and outward behaviour of characters in Shakespeare’s plays. He said that any character exhibited in the plays by Shakespeare has been conceived as “a centre that grows from emotionally significant events that touch the person”. Oatley (2006) expounded that “one important feature of character in this sense is described by Frank Kermode (2000), who discusses how Shakespeare’s metaphor for the inwardness of a person was substance” and he discussed that “the complexity of character is influenced by emotionally important events in a person’s biography”. In the case of Macbeth, all his outward actions are the result of his guilt and these actions make the audience seem to identify with this violent murderer. In this case, Shakespeare’s drama allows spectators to imaginatively enter the recesses of Macbeth’s mind and to associate their feelings of his guilt. Ultimately, this will lead the audience to vicariously find in his defeat the possibility for the character’s redemption.
For instance, Cahn (2000) deemed that the audience can feel the resignation of the character as he becomes “emotionally deadened”, even at his wife’s death:
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing (5.5.24-28)
In this statement, Macbeth exhibited his helplessness about his real fate. As he felt he literally discarded his morals when he connived and murdered an innocent person, he saw himself unredeemable. Macbeth revealed that he has no concern for anything or anyone. His life is now meaningless because he gave in to extreme ambitions. He was foolish enough to give in to the prophecies of the witches to become a man bereft of morals and trapped in the quandary of evil, hate and paranoia.
Keller (2005) also mentioned the relationship of inner thoughts to consummate outward actions. In Macbeth’s statement “We will proceed no further in this business” (1.7.31), Keller (2005) thought that Macbeth “has weighed ambition against reasons not to act and has settled on what most observers would call the right decision”. Keller (2005) believed that “Lady Macbeth performs the role of a dialogue partner” and the audience “can take her as representing either the outward or the inward partner”. In this scene, Lady Macbeth presents conscientiousness into Macbeth as she asked:
Art thou afeard
To be the same in thine own act and valour,
As thou art in desire? Wouldst thou have that
Which thou esteem the ornament of life,
And live a coward in thine own esteem (1.7.39-43)
In this regard, Keller (2005) felt that Lady Macbeth only pushed on from Macbeth’s previous ethical thinking. The ongoing debate of what is good and evil has transpired in the character’s mind in weighing down options if Macbeth will pursue the murderous plan. As his extreme desires overshadowed what was good, Macbeth extinguished his ethical thoughts dramatically and ignored the consequences or the structures of his relationship with King Duncan.
Corollary with this, we can say that Macbeth’s actions are determined by forces both inside and outside of him. Bradley (2004) stated that “the inward powers of the soul answer in their essence to vaster powers without, which support them and assure the effectiveness of their exertion.” In his analysis of the play’s characters, Bradley (2004) felt that Macbeth displayed “the imagination of a poet” and suggested that it is this imagination that allows him a degree of sympathy for the brutal acts he made because of his blind ambition. Bradley (2004) concluded that “indeed, whether Shakespeare would have introduced prophecies of Macbeth’s deeds, even if it had been convenient to do so; he would probably have felt that to do so would interfere with the interest of the inward struggle and suffering”.
Another important aspect of the inward-outward relationship in Macbeth is exhibited by King Duncan’s “outward gestures of friendship” that presented a downside in his character to become vulnerable in the tragedy. Cahn (2000) noted that Duncan initially spoke of the Thane of Cawdor, who was earlier executed because he was a traitor: “He was a gentleman on whom I built/ An absolute trust? (1.4.13-14). Although this was an inimitable sign of impending danger, Duncan dismissed his concerns for trust and “even as he approaches his cousin Macbeth’s home, where the King is soon to be killed”:
This castle hath a pleasant seat, the air
Nimbly and sweetly recommends itself
Unto our gentle senses (1.6.1-3).
What we can draw from this scene is that actions can be deceiving and characters are “most deceived by appearances”. Even Macbeth was not spared from this dilemma. Cahn (2000) mentioned that from the earliest, ambiguous predictions by the witches, Macbeth constantly tries to distinguish between illusion and certainty, as when he contemplates the notorious dagger:
I have thee not, and yet I see thee still.
Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible
To feeling as to sight? or art thou but
A dagger of the mind, a false creation,
Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain? (2.1.36-39).
The audience will soon realize that “although Macbeth’s downfall springs from his inability to withstand the allure of power, the enticing visions the witches present drive him, even as they embody the contrast between what he anticipates and what occurs” (Cahn, 2000). True enough; the entire play is constantly barraged by the tell-tale prophecies from the witches that pushed Macbeth to undertake some unwarranted actions just to satisfy his thirst for power and good fortune.
Ultimately, we will come to terms in uniting the inward emotions with the outward actions when we vicariously take into account the experience that the characters of Macbeth are going through. Although we will be in awe of its depiction of the extremes of human wickedness, Macbeth will essentially remain as a tragic narrative rather than a melodramatic representation of evil. As human beings, we are not free from mistakes and failures that we often do unethical things in order to get what we wanted. However, it is through the realization of mistakes that we learn and gain a reprieve. In this play, guilt was meted by insanity for Lady Macbeth and Macbeth himself was emotionally deadened because of all the brutalities he committed. Macbeth’s previous rejection of any attempt to reflect or be guided by self-knowledge is done in order to commit the crimes that his ambition directed. Without Macbeth’s susceptibilities as a person, Shakespeare’s play would be plain boring and he would have not attained world acclaim as the world’s greatest playwright.
Cahn, Victor L. Plays of Shakespeare: A Thematic Guide. Westport, CT, USA: Greenwood Publishing Group, Incorporated, 2000.
Keller, J. Gregory. “The Moral Thinking of Macbeth.” Philosophy and Literature. 29.1 (2005) 41-56.
Oatley, Keith. “Simulation of substance and shadow: inner emotions and outer behavior in Shakespeare’s psychology of character.” College Literature. 33.1 (2006): 15.