...Acton once said, "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Macbeth by William Shakespeare is the tragic story about the kind of destruction ambition and the struggle for power can cause. Even the noblest of people are corrupted by the idea of power and will do anything to achieve it. Symbolism, irony, foil, theme, and imagery are some of the literary elements and techniques Shakespeare uses to portray Macbeth, the protagonist, as a greedy tyrant willing to sacrifice all others to accomplish his goals. Shakespeare not only represents Macbeth as the protagonist, but also as an antagonist to himself and others in the play. The author characterizes Macbeth at first as an honorable man willing to fight for the freedom of his kingdom. Shakespeare foreshadows to the reader a developing change within Macbeth’s character after his encounter with the Weird Sisters. His convene with the witches arouses in Macbeth the idea of becoming king. The motivation for Macbeth to become king spurs from the prophecies told by the witches in the beginning acts of the play, which were evidently coming true as he gained the title “Thane of Cawdor” as the prophecy stated. Below the surface Macbeth is a melting pot of emotions, which engaged his character in the idea of becoming a supreme ruler undoubtedly causing him to commit shameless acts. The character of Macbeth is usually described as being flawed by ambition, but this interpretation is not...
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...Annotated Bibliographies In Macbeth, the author William Shakespeare uses the relationship of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to present the idea that evil can separate and destroy even the strongest and most affectionate of relationships. Munro, Robert. “Lady Macbeth: A Psychological sketch.” The Journal of Speculative Philosophy. 21. 1 (1887): 30-36. JSTOR. Web. 5 Oct. 2014. Lady Macbeth first appears ‘fair, feminine, perhaps, even fragile,’ Munro quotes in his journal which is about the psychological factors behind Lady Macbeth. Munro first states how much Macbeth loves Lady Macbeth and quotes that Macbeth writes in a letter to her, calling her, ‘[his] dearest partner of greatness.’ After the encounter with the witches, Macbeth knows that...
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...MacBeth Essay The blame for Duncan’s death can be shared upon a variety of characters, although there may be a sole recipient for the majority of fault to fall upon. The three main character’s responsible for the demise of the former king include; MacBeth, Lady MacBeth and the Three Witches. Despite the fact that the Three Witches provoked this implement of the plan in MacBeth’s head, all three characters listed previously are all held responsible for the cause of Duncan’s death. The Three Witches are responsible for the original idea of taking the throne, although it is MacBeth’s ambition that overwhelms him and eventually, Lady MacBeth. When MacBeth initially meets the Three Witches’ after the battle in the scenes following the Witches’ first appearance. The sisters’ initially hail him as Thane of Glamis, and then proceed to hail him for being the Thane of Cawdor and for being King of Scotland. These prophecies implement and open his mind as to being King even though that the audience receives no indication as to what he is thinking. Initially, MacBeth is quite skeptical but then doubt turns to belief after being announced Thane of Cawdor. The Three Witches may have initiated the thought of becoming King, but it is ultimately Macbeth’s own ambition that takes it to the next level. Lady MacBeth is portrayed as a catalyst in the act of regicide for which MacBeth commits. Lady MacBeth is instantaneously overwhelmed by the idea of becoming queen, and thus shows her as ambitious...
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...“Significant ideas are raised in plays” Discuss significant ideas in Macbeth Throughout the Elizabethan era, literary work was written for performance on the stage in order to entertain an audience. These performances, known as plays raise significant ideas that are the underpinning issue or idea that propels and sustains the play. As time passes, different generations look at the significant ideas in Shakespeare with new eyes, redefining and reinterpreting as influenced by the political, social and cultural conditions of each era. These significant ideas that are raised in Shakespeare’s play Macbeth (1606) include supernatural, ambition and temptation, and violence. Macbeth introduces an element of fantasy into the normal tragedy narrative through the characters of the witches. The witches are important figures in the play, as their function is both to predict Macbeth’s fate and to signal to the reader what is to come. Far from serving as a distracting element, the witches help focus the audience on some of the darker and more sinister aspects of the play. Shakespeare’s use of this supernatural idea is raised throughout the entire play. If the witches’ prophecy is understood to be imposing a supernatural order on the natural order of things, the natural order can also be understood as responding with tempestuous signs. Following Duncan’s death, Lennox describes the “unruly” night in detail and his personal emotions. Similarly, Ross notes that “the heavens, as troubled...
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...will do whatever it takes to remain in control. Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, utilizes psychoanalysis to portray how the Macbeths’ lust for power ultimately leads to their downfall. To begin, Macbeth’s thirst for power commences upon hearing the Witches’ prophecy. The Third Witch proclaims, “All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!” (1.3.51). Macbeth and his companion, Banquo, find this prophecy of being king absurd to the point of being funny. Yet Macbeth secretly...
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...determination and hard work. Readers get the idea of negative ambition throughout the play Macbeth. The play Macbeth, is another brilliant written piece by the famous playwright William Shakespeare. The play is about a great warrior, who gets the wrong idea about ambition after being told that he will become King of Scotland. Macbeth believed that the only way to achieve power and wealth is to kill anyone who gets in his way to the throne. Specifically, the use of irony, motif and characterization all prove that negative ambition can...
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...responsible for the murder of Duncan? Is it Macbeth or Lady Macbeth? The sole person responsible is Lady Macbeth from the moment she enters the story she is already plotting to kill Duncan all because she wants to be queen. To fulfill her lifelong dream to Queen. “Fill me from the crown to the toe top full." As soon as Macbeth returns to the castle Lady Macbeth is a planning how the killing of Duncan will go down. Macbeth is a coward and very spineless and does not stand up to his wife, the wife that is no lady at all “you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts unsex me here”. She has drugged the guards’ drinks so that when the time comes for the killing they guards will be passed out. She want Duncan dead but she can’t bring herself to kill him she makes Macbeth do it because Duncan looks like her father sleeping “had he not resembled my father as he slept, I had done't.” Lady Macbeth has used her womanly charms to manipulated Macbeth into the Killing of Duncan there is no way that Macbeth would have ever came up with killing anyone especially the king just so he can take his place and even when Macbeth just wants to talk about the whole situation she says “we will talk when the time is due.” The only reason that Macbeth goes through with the murder is because he is tired of hearing Lady Macbeth nag in his ear about wanting be queen and killing Duncan, but the only way it to kill Duncan and if she would have gave him peace for two minutes the whole idea of killing Duncan would have went...
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...summary of Act 1 Macbeth is the famous play written by William Shakespeare. The play it takes place in Scotland. The king of Scotland is Duncan, and The Scottish army is at war with the Norwegian army. In act 1, scene 2, Duncan learns of Macbeth’s and Banquo’s trust worth and bravery in a battle against a Scottish betrayer who sided with the Norwegians. As Macbeth and Banquo return home from battle against the Norwegians, they suddenly meet three weird witches. The ugly and foreign witches predict that Macbeth will be thane of Cawdor and king of Scotland one day, and that Banquo will be the father of kings. Which gives Macbeth a lot to think about. After the meeting with three witches, Macbeth gets a new title as thane of Cawdor, as predicted. And therefore Macbeth sees an oppitunity to become king and he begins to contemplate the murder of Duncan in order to realize the witches' second prophecy. Duncan meets Macbeth and announces that he is going to visit him at his castle. Macbeth rides ahead to prepare his household for a big feast. In the meantime, Lady Macbeth receives a letter from Macbeth, which says tells her about the witches' prophesy and his new title. The news gives Lady Macbeth strength to lose her of feminine softness and values and thus prepare herself and Macbeth for the murder of Duncan. When Macbeth arrives, Lady Macbeth tells him about her plans of Duncan's murder. Macbeth becomes skeptic of the idea of killing Duncan, but Lady Macbeth taunts him by...
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...Causes of Macbeth's Downfall Essay Macbeth was a noble and loyal man, who would never harm his King. If it wasn't for the influences of the people surrounding him, he would have lived happily as Thane of Cawdor, an honourable title in itself. The downfall of Macbeth was ignited by the actions by those around him, mainly the witches and his wife Lady Macbeth, and eventually, his ambitions took over. Macbeth never had the intention of killing his king, but was ultimately persuaded that it was the correct thing to do. The three witches planted the seed of ambition within Maceth. They were the driving force behind Banquo and King Duncan's killing. The witches prophesised that his life would completely change, by becoming thane of Cawdor, then king of Scotland. At first, Macbeth dismissed their prophecies, but after he was promoted to Thane of Cawdor, Macbeth wondered if he will be King, too. "If chance will have me king, why chance may crown me without my stir." Another prophecy made by the witches was that Banquo's son will be king. Fuelled by paranoia, lack of sleep and visions, Macbeth was thrown into a state of confusion and a belief that the prophecies were inevitable. Lady Macbeth urged her husband to commit murder and it was this action that sparked Macbeth's downfall. When Lady Macbeth heard about the prophecies made by the witches, and how one of them had already come true, she called upon evil spirits to guide her through her task - killing the king. .".. Fill me...
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...and pressures put by the supernatural and other characters push Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to become more eager in gaining possession of the crown. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth both display a controlling figure, but in aspects that contribute to their desires for power. Lady Macbeth influences and pressures Macbeth, " Must be provided for: and you shall put / This night's great business into my dispatch, / Give soley sovereign sway and masterdom" (1.6.67-70). Lady Macbeth is very convincing when it comes to the drive for power. She provides Macbeth with a great plan and time that the task—killing Ducan can easily be completed without any worries. She also provides him a desire to look up to, in which she describes the benefits that Macbeth will be gaining by completing the...
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...Macbeth is presented as a suffering victim, who then plummets into a downward spiral where he becomes a symbol of evil. When we first encounter Macbeth, the witches have just foretold the three prophecies. Macbeth is enamored with the idea of becoming king one day. Looking for advice Macbeth confided in his wife, Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth’s immediate reaction is that she has always pinned for the throne and was going to find a way to obtain it. Ultimately Lady Macbeth conjured up the idea to kill King Duncan. She later presents her matoltocal plan to Macbeth. At first Macbeth is not willing to go through with her plan. He thinks it is unjust and that there are other ways to obtain the throne. However Lady Macbeth uses her power of persuasion and lores her husband into a trap. She does this by stating, “When you durst do it, then you were a man.”(Shakespeare 1.7.49) Lady Macbeth tries to take away Macbeth sexuality by saying in the quote that if he does not complete this deed he will be less of a man in her eyes. She continues to go into more depth and say that she will no longer love him either. Lady Macbeth picks apart Macbeth until there is nothing left. She took away Macbeth...
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...The witches in Macbeth reveal human weakness, heighten the tension, and foreshadow things to come, but they do not control Macbeth or anyone else in the play. The only power they have is their ability to reinforce an idea and to cause temptation that was already in his head. Hectate suggests that they do not have the power to make him do the evil and mischief that they desire him to do, nor do they need that power. Macbeth is fully capable of doing all the mischief and evil on his own without the witches. The witches control Macbeth by physical and/or emotional force. Fear and threats, rewards and praise work to control others. These ideas work to different degrees on different people. So much of what is called control depends on the person that is being controlled. For example, Macbeth was easy to control because he thought that the witches had foretold the future but in reality, they brought an idea to the attention of Macbeth. The promise of a throne may send some people to their knees while others will take to their heels. When the witches hold out their promises to Macbeth the only reason they can manipulate him is because they have a knowledge of his ambition and his need for power. In the end this was all they needed to know and to be sure of. They may try to manipulate, but they do not need to control. The character flaws that Macbeth has, will be enough to fill their needs. It is interesting to note that the witches do not ask for anything in return for their prophecies...
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...Danger of Ambition The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare is a tragedy set in medieval Scotland about a ruthless thane and his quest of greed and power. Given a prophecy foretelling his rise to power as king he decides to kill his king and take the throne by force. Macbeth is overthrown by his fellow thane Macduff because of Macbeth’s belief in the supernatural. Macbeth’s obsession with his prophecy leads to his untimely demise. While the witches gave Macbeth his prophecy, it was he who let the idea consume him. The witches, who represent chaos and conflict, use Macbeth’s fear of superstition to plant an idea in his mind. The witches twist and manipulate his mind to the point of no return causing Macbeth believe he is invincible because of the witch's apparitions. Insisting that he cannot be killed by Macduff because of what the apparitions said, he boldly marches into battle confident of his prophecy until Macduff tells him that he was not born of woman but, “from his mother’s womb / Untimely ripped” (V.iiiiiiii.15-16) Macbeth realizes too late that the witches had tricked him and he himself had made the prophecy come true. The witches are responsible for influencing Macbeth, but the idea of the prophecy is what drove Macbeth to fulfil it. Macbeth let the idea of him as king devour his rational thought. He becomes so obsessed with power and becoming king that he finally decides to act on what the witches told him and kills Duncan. Macbeth only shows curiosity to what the...
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...Weston Balskus Macbeth Thesis Paper 1-2-13 British Lit The Witches in ‘Macbeth’ “Double, double, toil and trouble; Fire burn and caldron bubble” (Act 4 Scene 1). These famous words, said by the three witches, come from one of William Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies- ‘Macbeth’ Completed in 1606, this play is set in Scotland, and dramatizes the corroding psychological and political effects produced when its protagonist, the Scottish lord Macbeth, chooses evil as the way to fulfill his ambition for power. Shakespeare wrote this play when attitudes were completely different to the attitudes of society today, in particular, widespread belief in witchcraft. In the play of 'Macbeth' the witches have an important effect on Macbeth, the characters, the plot, the theme and the audience. They help construct the play and without them it would have been a totally different story line. The three witches effect characters’ lives, orientate the plot, they are related to most of the themes or motifs and appeal the audience's attention. The witches, or three sisters, have a strong effect on the characters of the play- especially Macbeth. When Macbeth meets the witches for the first time, they greet him as the Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth is Thane of Glamis and does not know about Cawdor, he hasn’t heard that the Thane of Cawdor has died. “I know I am Thane of Glamis, But how of Cawdor? The Thane of Cawdor lives” (Act 1 Scene 3). When Macbeth learns that the thane of Cawdor has in fact died...
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...in the play Macbeth demonstrate a different approach. The Three Witches are depicted as old, ugly women who have beards and scaly fingers. Additionally, they have a critical role in telling the main character, Macbeth, the prophecies and predictions. As a result, the Three Witches play a significant importance to the play Macbeth because they are the ones who instill negative thoughts and ideas into Macbeth’s head with their predictions and emphasize the main theme of evil and darkness. The evil witches are important to the play because they are the ones who instill negative thoughts and ideas into Macbeth’s head with their predictions. First of all, the witches’ predictions give him the idea of killing King Duncan. When the witches first encounter Macbeth, they say, “All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, thane of Glamis!/ All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, thane of Cawdor!/ All hail, Macbeth! That shalt be king hereafter” (Shakespeare 1:3 50-53). Macbeth is confused when he hears about the prediction and he is astonished when the prediction regarding Cawdor becomes true. After that, he immediately begins to think about his last prediction and imagines about committing murder. He says, “Two truths are told,/ As happy prologues to the swelling act/ Of the imperial theme./[..] My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical,/ Shakes so my single state of man that function/ Is smothered in surmise, and nothing is/ But what is not” (Shakespeare 1:3 136-138, 148-151). Macbeth already has...
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