...Ambition is often thought of as a form of greed, which can be defined as the excessive desire for something that is not needed or deserved. Selfish interests, that is not for the greater good, leads to bad ambition. William Shakespeare wrote the play, Macbeth, using character traits, like ambition, to depict how they can affect a person. At the time that Shakespeare wrote this play, political murder and revenge were not unusual ways to gain power. In the play, Macbeth, one of the main characters, Macbeth, unveils prominent traits: ambition, pride, and obsession to portray the theme to the audience that too much pride and ambition for something can lead to self- destruction. In Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, Macbeth went from being innocent and a saintly man to being guilty and too ambitious. After hearing the prophecies from the three witches, Macbeth was surprised to hear he was going to be king. He had not done anything wrong until his ambition to be king led him to murder. As Macbeth gets ready to fight Macduff, “Of all men I have avoided thee: but get thee back; my soul is too much charged with blood of thine already” (5.8 5-7). By the end of the play, Macbeth’s ambition of being king caused him to want to...
Words: 670 - Pages: 3
...Macbeth is a classic example of a tragic hero by Aristotle’s standards, in that all five of the established tragic traits are applicable to Macbeth’s character (a noble birth, Hamartia, Peripeteia, Anagnorisis, and Catharsis). The narrative of Macbeth follows the timeless trajectory of a tragedy; Macbeth comes from a place of serendipity, and over the course of events, finds himself plummeting into defeat as a character. Through critical analysis of Macbeth’s core traits compared to the core traits of a tragedy, it becomes apparent Macbeth is ultimately responsible for his tragedy and his downfall as an individual, because it was his own hubris which drove him to bring about the prophecy he heard. To acknowledge this fully, one must first simply observe both the actions of Macbeth and the core elements crucial to a tragic hero, as according to Aristotle for the sake of consistency in a historical theme of narrative. Aristotle’s traits of a tragic hero are as follows: a noble birth, Hamartia, Peripeteia, Anagnorisis, and Catharsis. To begin with, the first element of a tragedy we are faced with in Macbeth is of being of a noble...
Words: 1432 - Pages: 6
...Banquo A: Banquo is the character I will present. The slogan is what doesn't kill me might make me kill you B: • Banquo was a general in King Duncan's army. Banquo's traits are to act as a contrast to the traits of Macbeth. First trait i choose conscious. In ACT 1 Scene 3. Indeed, unlike Macbeth, Banquo is a conscious man to question the weird sisters and their prophecies, “oftentimes, to win us to their harm, / The instruments of darkness tell us truths, / Win us with honest trifles, to betray us."(Act 1 Scene 3) He was there to hear the witches’ prophecy, but he was doubt of it. He questioned the witches’ motives, and tried to advice Macbeth against taking what they said to heart, Banquo tells Macbeth to be cautious. But, Macbeth definitely does not possess. • Also, Banquo is both bold and curious, Not every character would confront these three creepy women. In Act 1 Scene 3. When Banquo hears the predictions the witches give to Macbeth, he says, “'Are ye fantastical, or that indeed, Which outwardly ye show? My noble partner. You greet with present grace and great prediction. Of noble having and of royal hope, That, he seems rapt withal. To me you speak not. If you can look into the seeds of time. And say which grain will grow and which will not. Speak, then, to me, who neither beg nor fear. Your favors nor your hate' In this quote, Banquo is confused as to why the witches are predicting Macbeth’s future, which seems to be full of greatness. Banquo wants to know what...
Words: 359 - Pages: 2
...Manhood in Macbeth In today's society the traditional stereotype of manhood is that men are to be strong and powerful. Normally males demonstrate a being strong and have a powerful exterior, while females usually show that they are full of inertial emotions. Common Manhood motifs shown in in Macbeth are tied together with strength, power, physical courage, and force. The characters in the Macbeth use the idea of manhood to instigate one another into fighting, just to serve their own benefits the characters have manipulated their ideas of manliness. Masculinity becomes a trait that is manipulated by Lady Macbeth and Macbeth. Lady Macbeth manipulates Macbeth by making him questioning his manhood and convincing him to murder the King of Scotland, Duncan. The same way Lady Macbeth manipulates her husband. Another example would be how Macbeth convinces the three murderers he hired to kill Banquo and Fleance by questioning them, and making them question their own power and masculinity. One point of view of masculinity could be its dominance over femininity. The first women that appear in the play are the witches. When they meet Macbeth for the first time, he “start and seem to fear” (1.3.54) their prophecies. While it is not shown in the play, there is also a wish that...
Words: 561 - Pages: 3
...It is not uncommon for a war veteran plagued with PTSD to desire a solitary life in the mountains. Throughout Shakespeare’s tragic play of Macbeth, Macbeth makes several bad decisions. By the end of Act V, the consequences of these decisions catch up to Macbeth, and result in his mental deterioration and downfall. Macbeth’s character traits are the driving forces in this mental deterioration. These character traits include his blind ambition, his guilt, and also his false hopes. Macbeth’s tragic flaw, his blind ambition, is a large contributing factor to his mental deterioration. In the course of the play, Macbeth has a tendency to make decisions out of his desire for power. One example of this greed is when the three witches prophesize that Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor, and later, king of Scotland. When the first prophecy comes true, Macbeth becomes over powered by greed and murders Duncan so that he may become king. In a letter sent to Lady Macbeth, Macbeth states that, “‘Hail, king that shalt be!’/ This have I thought good to deliver thee, my dearest/ partner of greatness; that thou mightest not lose the/ dues of rejoicing” (I, v,...
Words: 558 - Pages: 3
...A Fight That Can Never Be Won Macbeth and Atticus illustrate a commitment to the Common Good as seen through how they chose to deal with the conflict that arose in their respective worlds. In the books To Kill a Mocking bird by Harper Lee and the Shakespearean play Macbeth. The reader soon realizes the contrast of the two characters that are both alike but due to the events in their respective worlds, choose different paths that do not exemplify a commitment to the common good. The reader is introduced to Atticus Finch, from To Kill a Mocking Bird, who is the father of Scout finch and Jem Finch he is lawyer who represents the less fortunate. In the play Macbeth, Macbeth is the main character and a valiant warrior. In the beginning, they both began as characters that cared about the common good of their people. Both characters were similar in the sense that they showed traits of a leader who fights for justice and show that they care about the good of their people. Soon both stories begin to unfold and we begin to see how malicious Macbeth is, Macbeth shows the reader that he put his own priorities before the people of Scotland by murdering the beloved king Duncan and in this case left the kingdom in jeopardy. Atticus is different because he is willing to put his family in danger to defend a innocent man and look past his skin color. He put Tom Robinson’s priorities before his. In the end both characters unveil their true personalities. Macbeth realizes that he made the wrong...
Words: 939 - Pages: 4
...Deceit A typical characteristic one can observe in many of Shakespeare’s plays is how people deceive one another, so their own personal desires can be met. “Hamlet, Prince of Denmark,” “The Tragedy of Orthello, the Moor of Venice,” and “Macbeth” all consist of characters that are not what they appear to be. In the plays Claudius, Iago, and Macbeth present to the public a wholesome image; however, each of them possess a hidden agenda that creates chaos in the plays which one can observe through their spoken lines and their influences. These three characters are antagonists who cause demise in their respective plays. These villains are willing to fight for what they want, even if the death and destruction total is high. Claudius, Iago, and Macbeth will not be undermined at all. These plays illustrate how much planning and work takes place when they plan their attacks against those who are oblivious to their deceit. Shakespeare’s evil doers are not simple people. Claudius’s character in “Hamlet” epitomizes what extent people go to, so their plans work as they intend. For example, King Claudius’s speech to the council and a few other people in Act I, scene ii seems to be a normal speech one would give after the death of a ruler to rally everyone together. He says, “To bear our hearts in grief, and our whole kingdom/ To be contracted in one brow of woe,/ Yet so far hath discretion fought with nature/ That we with wisest sorrow think on him/ Together with remembrance...
Words: 1614 - Pages: 7
...Lady Macbeth is a fascinating character in the famous play written by William Shakespeare entitled Macbeth. Lady Macbeth has a multi faceted personality because one side of her character is contemptible, determined and rude while the other side is extremely fearful and hesitant. One of Shakespeare’s most famous characters, Lady Macbeth is known for manipulating her husband to commit the murder of king Duncan and thereby making her an active participant in the crime. Ambition is one of her most prominent traits; She will do anything to become queen and eventually she does but the thing about Lady Macbeth is that she has a conscience, even though she regards it as a weakness. The regret she feels about convincing her husband kill the king, the representative of God on earth, is eventually her demise. The first appearance of Lady Macbeth is in Act 1 Scene 5. At the beginning of the play she is violent and ambitious. She wants King Duncan dead so she can be the Queen and her husband the king. She craves power and control. Lady Macbeth is extremely controlling and uses any means necessary to eventually achieving her goal of getting her husband to murder the king. She states“, “were you not a man when you broke this enterprise to me”(1,7,47-48). Her ability to manipulate her husband eventually changes his mind and he goes ahead and kills Duncan. Lady Macbeth is willing to lie and compromise her integrity if she can get what she wants. Lady Macbeth questions her husband’s masculinity...
Words: 803 - Pages: 4
...result in one’s downfall. In William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth ambition is the key component that controls the hearts and minds of men. Shakespeare uses the characters Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to portray the cruel effects of ambition. During the play Macbeth receives a prophecy from three witches saying that he will be the King of Scotland. This prophecy arouses Macbeth’s ambition for power,...
Words: 560 - Pages: 3
...four hundred years ago, William Shakespeare wrote the tragedy Macbeth. The play began with Macbeth, a brave Thane within Scotland, receiving a prophecy from three witches that led him to believe he will become king. Filled with ambition and driven by the words of his wife, Macbeth killed King Duncan of Scotland and was crowned king.Eventually the guilt and paranoia of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth led to the murders of Banquo, members of the Macduff family and countless others to secure Macbeth’s power. More prophecies pushed Macbeth into a state of overconfidence, which ultimately resulted in the demise of Macbeth and his wife. Throughout the tragedy, Shakespeare used Macbeth and...
Words: 1203 - Pages: 5
...Ryan Ashley Mr Grabham Eng4U 11, 11, 11 Division of Power between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, power is shared between the two main characters, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Even though during the time that the play takes place it is not correct for a woman to have equal, and even in some cases more power than a man, Lady Macbeth is pictured as having such. Her husband allows for equality in their relationship from the beginning scenes. This equality however becomes unbalanced due to different situations and actions than unfold within the play. The change of power is caused by both the power and follies of Macbeth and his wife. These follies and strengths include Lady Macbeth’s intelligence and planning, and her emotions, and for Macbeth, include his determination, and dependence on others. During the play, the balance of power constantly shifts back and forth between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. In the beginning of the play, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are considered to be equals in the relationship in the beginning scenes. This is shown in how Macbeth addresses her in his letter saying “This have I thought good to deliver thee, my dearest partner of greatness, that thou might’st not lose the dues of rejoicing,.” (I, V,). He calls her his dearest partner in greatness, which completely goes against what is normal at the time because it is showing equal status, rather than Lady Macbeth as being subservient to her husband. This has a great effect on the...
Words: 1763 - Pages: 8
...William Shakespeare is one of the greatest playwrights of all time. Macbeth and Othello are two of Shakespeare’s most popular dramas still to this day. Like all Shakespearean heroes, Othello and Macbeth possess a tragic flaw that eventually leads to their downfall. Othello kills out of jealousy, while Macbeth kills out of ambition. In both of these dramas, Othello and Macbeth possess human characteristics that drive them to commit evil acts. Although their tragic flaws are entirely different, they share in remorse for their actions, which allows the audience to sympathize with them. In the story of Othello, Shakespeare portrays a tale of how a man’s trust is betrayed, ultimately leading to a tragic ending. Othello, the main character, is a...
Words: 808 - Pages: 4
...Othello the Shakespearean Tragic Hero The Tragedy of Othello is considered to be William Shakespeare’s most popular tragic plays but there are distinct differences in Shakespeare’s tragic heroes, and other tragic heroes. A Tragic hero is usually a character that makes a mistake that leads to his failure, but a Shakespearean tragic hero is initially one, who is born noble, but not necessarily virtuous; there are some great aspects of personality that he has in excess which would often also be his weakness which creates a conflict for the character. His own destruction brings out the principle or moral of the play. Scholars argues that Othello is not a hero but a murder that commits a crime of passion, but just as every Shakespearean tragic characters, Othello is a person that has made an error of judgment, had a fatal flaw and was destined for defeat; which when combined with external forces, will bring on a tragedies like Julius Caesar, Hamlet, and Macbeth. Like many other characters in Shakespearean tragic plays, Othello is not a weak character nor is he a person of failure, but he is the captain of the Venice army, he is married to one of the most beautiful woman of Venice named Desdemona, and he is very well known even though he was of a different ethnicity. When Brabantio accuses him of putting a spell on his daughter Desdemona; in front of the Venetian senate, no one believes the charges because of his outstanding reputation "Here comes Brabantio and the valiant Moor...
Words: 2087 - Pages: 9
...To what extent is masculinity associated with evil and violence in Macbeth? Evil is a theme widely explored by Shakespeare in his plays and “Macbeth” is no exception. This play demonstrates violence in relation to evil and evil in turn is a reflection of the desperation and anxieties of the characters in “Macbeth.” The question of whether masculinity is associated with evil and violence is easily answered as the main character in this horrific tragedy is Macbeth himself, who commits a range of heinous crimes from murder to dabbling with witchcraft. However, the extent to which masculinity is related to evil is more obscure. In this essay I am going to show that evil and violence in “Macbeth” is not monopolised by masculine characters. To show this I will be analysing female characters who demonstrate strong evil qualities and personalities such as Lady Macbeth, The Witches and Hecate. I will also discuss Banquo, Macduff and King Duncan because these characters represent chivalry, nobility and honour of human characters, even though they are male. The first character I will be looking at is Macbeth himself. This is because he is the central character and focus of the entire play. From the outset Macbeth is depicted as a fierce war hero: “Till he unseamed him from the nave to the chops, And fixed his head upon our battlements.” (Act 1: Scene 1: Lines 22 – 23) The captain using the...
Words: 2680 - Pages: 11
...Conrad. The play Macbeth is written around the centralized idea of ambition and the consequence of guilt that one bears after their deed. Macbeth by William Shakespeare; Shakespeare presents a man and wife hungry for power living in 1600s dark Scotland. One day Macbeth encounters three wicked sisters who reveal a prophecy which leads Macbeth on a murderous quest for power. The power of guilt can ultimately lead to one's demise; Furthermore the desire for power driven by Macbeth's impulsive actions. Shakespeare presents this idea heavily on Macbeth and Lady Macbeth along with providing symbolic references throughout the entire play....
Words: 936 - Pages: 4
