...Macbeth Literary Essay Submitted By: Zachary McGregor May 1st, 2012 I believe that Macbeth is fully responsible for his own destiny because whether or not it was fated, he still chose to do everything he did. We obviously know that Macbeth made some pretty bad decisions over the course of the play. He should be held responsible and forced to pay the consequences of his actions for the following reasons. We know that Macbeth still had the choice of whether or not to murder Duncan, although he was encouraged by the witches’ prophesies and Lady Macbeth he didn’t really have to go through with the murder. We also know that the crimes Macbeth commits are becoming increasingly sinister and evil, as he continues to do these terrible deeds it becomes easier and easier for him to commit them. Finally, Macbeth acknowledges his guilt for the crimes he commits and is therefore fully responsible for his actions. It seems that the witches’ predictions insinuate Macbeth’s desire to become king, however, no one actually forces him to kill Duncan. Even though Macbeth’s decision was most certainly influenced by the witches’ prophesies and Lady Macbeth, he still made the final choice regarding the murder of Duncan which is wrong. Macbeth’s ambition causes him to question his loyalty to the king after hearing the witches’ prophesies. “My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, shakes so my shingle state of man that...
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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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...how much or if at all they can control their fate. In the play “Macbeth” written by William Shakespeare, the main character gives an example of how to take charge of his own fate with his own actions. Macbeth willingly makes choices based upon his complete belief in the witches’ prophecies which result to his fatal death. The false confidence and the committing of immoral acts makes him feel as though he is invincible which brings about his downfall. The witches bring about false confidence in Macbeth both times he is in their presence. His first encounters with the weird sisters are from a distance with the shouting of praise and his “fortunate” future: 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! (1.3.51-53) Macbeth is quickly intrigued by their words and as a result, fallen into the trap of believing everything the witches say considering his first prophecy turned out to be true. Shortly after that he was announced to be “Thane of Cawdor”. Then, with his own actions but with the temptation of the witches’ prophecy he is proclaimed King. The second time he meets with the witches he had searched for them to be given more information about his future. The second apparition that is presented to him was truthful but with sort of a twist to bring about his confidence even more. The second time Macbeth is acquainted with witches he is told: Be bloody, bold, and resolute...
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...comes Macbeth and Lady Macbeth along with two of their most loyal noblemen Lennox and Ross. Macbeth then announces that he will be holding a banquet in the evening and Banquo is to be honored as the chief guest. Banquo states that he must ride in the afternoon but will return for the banquet. Later that evening the festivities begin. The first to arrive consist of Lennox, Ross, and other loyal noblemen and women of the land. Everyone is standing around enjoying themselves when Ross realizes something. He walks towards a group of people whom one of them is a good friend of his, Lennox. Ross pulls him to the side to ask “Who is that strange man Macbeth is talking with?” Lennox looks over his shoulder to see Macbeth talking to a man he has never seen before.” I don’t know, but I’ve never seen Macbeth looks so uneasy,” says Lennox. Just then the mysterious man makes a swift exit. “Must have just been a peasant, a beggar of some sort” Ross points out.” Yeah, must be” Lennox says suspiciously. In a short time, Macbeth announces that the feast will take place, directing his guest to the dining table. Everyone makes their way to the table to sit. Everyone except for Macbeth. He stands at the end of the table addressing his guests. Declaring that the banquet would be perfect if only Banquo were present. “Come sit down,” says Lennox, “relax a little.” He gestures towards Macbeth’s seat. “You can’t say I did it!” Macbeth burst out, “leave me be!” at this point Lennox knows Macbeth is not...
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...To what extent is Macbeth responsible for his own downfall? Macbeth is a universal text and is one of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies, when we talk about Macbeth’s downfall it is both the downfall of the single state of man and the downfall of his wider social relations, these being Lady Macbeth, Duncan, Banquo, Macduff’s family and ultimately Scotland. Aristotle says that ‘tragedy is the imitation of an action’ he is talking about an action or a motive that governs the protagonist’s life. A tragedy is commonly known as a story or play that ends with a negative or unfortunate outcome that was essentially unavoidable, usually caused by a flaw in the central character’s personality. Although it is established that Macbeth is a tragedy, there are differences in audience response to tragedy. The audience of Elizabethan times saw tragedy as the destruction of the Great Chain of Being and the danger to the order and stability of the state. The Great Chain of being is conception of the hierachical order of the universe; Elizabethan audiences believed that a bond linked all things in the universe. They saw Macbeth as a tragedy because the rightful ruler of Scotland was killed which lead to Scotland being lead by an evil King. Contemporary audiences see Macbeth as a tragedy because of the psychological destruction of a man, and the crises caused by this man. Macbeth shows the journey of a tragic hero, Macbeth has the traits of a tragic hero as defined by Aristotle: nobility, hamartia...
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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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...Good versus evil! The central pillar of the play Macbeth, and the main character. Macbeth had crossed the line and never stepped back. He had earned the respect of the people and the king. The called him noble and some people said he was, “Like Valour’s minion.” Lady Macbeth, his wife, said, “ Yet I do fear thy nature: it is too full o’the milk of human kindness.” This simply emphasises how tragic Macbeth’s transition from good to evil was. Macbeth is respected, loyal, highly ranked and venerable. Macbeth and his wife are closer than ever and he has the trust of the king. He is happy and his integrity is intact. Macbeth has no trouble being trusting and he is emotionally sound. All this until he meets the witches. They predict his pronouncing of Thane of Cawdor and him becoming king. “All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!” These predictions drive his ambition and stir ideas of killing the king. As ideas form in Macbeth’s mind, his wife conspires against the king. Macbeth has, “Volting ambition,” but he struggles so much with betraying and killing the king. His reluctance and integrity helped by his loyalty assist him in initially saying no. His wife however challenges his manhood and he reluctantly continues. Following the murder however, the regret and shock of having done it really upset him mentally and emotionally. Macbeth even says that all the oceans water couldn’t wash the blood from his hands. His wife in contrast says, “My hands are of your colour; but I...
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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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...Power of Justice in Macbeth: A balanced connection between one’s actions and thoughts. William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth examines the theme of just actions through the character named Macduff. In the play, Macduff sees it as his duty to bring peace to the country of Scotland. In order to so, Macduff always observes, and thinks before he acts. As a result, when Macduff makes a final decision, he acts upon it without hesitation. Lastly, Macduff is willing to sacrifice everything to save his land. Unfortunately, Macduff is the only character in the play to act in such a fashion. Showing that throughout the play Macbeth, only Macduff demonstrates truly just actions. Firstly, Macduff’s actions are always lawful and valid because he observes and thinks before he acts. When everyone searches for the guards to confront them only to find them dead, Macduff confronts Macbeth by asking, “Wherefore did you so?” (II.iii.114) Macduff is the first one to question Macbeth’s reasoning behind killing the drunken guards. Even though Macduff is quite suspicious of the events that lead to the death of King Duncan, he does not jump right into the scene. Macduff observes and ask questions about what has happened during the turn of events. The same thing happens again when Macduff questions Malcolm and his loyalty: “Such welcome and unwelcome this at once, ‘Tis hard to reconcile.” (IV.iii.138-139) Macduff shows his ability to make accurate decisions by not jumping too quickly into this alliance...
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...Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have an interesting relationship over the course of “The Tragedy of Macbeth”. The play describes their bond as the engine that drives the tragedy. Without the relation between them two, a lot of events in the play would not have happened. Their motives and ambitions have big roles in not only the outcome of “The Tragedy of Macbeth”, but throughout the whole play. In the beginning of the play, Macbeth refuses multiple times to agree to killing Duncan. When Lady Macbeth says “And to be more than what you were, you would Be so much more the man” (I.vii.50-51) she is in a way trying to convince him by threatening him. She always went on about how she is more of a man than him and how heartless she is compared to him. At first, Macbeth’s guilt for committing murder is so strong that he feels as if he tries to wash the blood off his hands in Neptune’s ocean it will “[make] the green one red” (II.ii.62). Meanwhile, Lady Macbeth is still convinced that she is so much more manly than Macbeth. While he is saying nothing can wash away the guilt, she claims “A little water clears us of this deed” (II.ii.66). Macbeth not only can’t wash away his guilt, but he is beginning have hallucinations. After Macbeth began getting used to killing people, Lady Macbeth felt the guilt. Macbeth becomes more and more evil as he plans more and more murders, soon enough becoming worse than Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth starts losing sleep over this and having major anxiety attacks...
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...innocent flower, But be the serpent under’t (1.v.63-66) Speaker: Lady Macbeth Just as Lady Macbeth was introduced in the play, he receives a letter from Macbeth stating the witches’ prophecy and how they came true. Once Macbeth arrives and informs her that the king is to arrive soon, Lady Macbeth says that he won’t be able to see tomorrow and explains how it is a good idea to kill Duncan so that Macbeth could become king. She explains that they will act as they normally would for any feast, and pass time until it is appropriate to carry out their plan. Macbeth should watch what he does and says; to look like a harmless and innocent flower. On the other hand, she wants him to be devious and act like a serpent hiding underneath the flower. By saying this, Lady Macbeth wants Macbeth to hide the fact that they planned to have the king murdered, so that Macbeth won’t be suspected as the murderer. This quotation is an excellent example of animal imagery because Lady Macbeth emphasizes the fact that Macbeth is to act like a serpent. Serpents are one of the most common animals used for imagery. In this case, the serpent is used to symbolize the evil within Lady Macbeth and Macbeth. The theme which is best presented in this quotation is appearance and reality. Macbeth was known to be a loyal and true man who served the king. However, Lady Macbeth was able to persuade him into killing Duncan in order for Macbeth to gain the title as king. Killing the king was an example of an evil plan...
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...your destiny or fate?? Macbeth did after the three witches got into his head about the future with becoming king, Lady Macbeth questioning his manhood and masculinity, and betrayals and certain deaths, he can and will ensure that he will become king. So who has the power in Shakespeare’s Macbeth? When you describe control it can be thought of as having power or command over something or one person. Even though Lady Macbeth and the three witches might have some control, I believe that Macbeth has the most control. Lady Macbeth has some control over events that take place throughout the play. As the play moves forward all she seems to do is complain about her husband not being a man and that he’s a coward and she’s ashamed of him. Lady Macbeth says, “My hands are the same color as yours---but I’d be ashamed to have a heart as white as yours!” She just treats him as he’s not who he says he is and she walks all over him. She convinces Macbeth to kill King Duncan so that way he can become king and she queen. When Macbeth came back with the swords he used to kill Duncan he refused to take them so she does, it seems she has more heart than he does. The three witches have a big control overcome other events that occur in the play. It was because of them telling Macbeth about him becoming king that set everything off into motion. They informed Macbeth about this by telling him. “All hail, Macbeth! That shalt be king hereafter.” From then on Macbeth wanted to know more and...
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...without sin. Sin, like adulthood or corruption, then enters into the group and the group is destroyed. The political structure the boys establish when they first meet on the island is also destroyed in the process. The group descends into chaos, with Simon and Piggy as casualties. In the end, Jack, the primary exponent of sin, burns down the island while hunting Ralph, which allows for the boys’ rescue. Despite being rescued, it was clear the boys were changed forever. Likewise, in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth (1606), the country of Scotland is portrayed to be organized under the order of a higher being; a king. When Macbeth, a highly regarded thane, is tempted by a prophecy of being king, he acts on his temptation. Macbeth then becomes king but this damages the political structure because of how Macbeth rules. As Macbeth continues down his path of bloodshed, he disrupts and destroys Scotland’s moral centre but he also destroys the view of how an ideal king would be. In the end, Macbeth and his wife receive just punishments. Both of these texts are allegorical. An allegory is a work, typically art work, used to reveal a hidden...
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...Macbeth, a tragedy written by William Shakespeare in the 17th century, expresses clearly the strong pull that desire for power can have over a man. Macbeth, the title character of the play, is often expressed as being the villain of the tragedy. However, through studying the play closely it is clear to see that, rather than being an innately evil character, Macbeth is in fact a tragic hero, doomed by fate from the start to descend into the madness which he did. Had it not been for his hamartia and his interaction with the witches and his wife then the play would have had a very different ending. Like every tragic hero in literature Macbeth suffered from a tragic flaw, or a hamartia. In his case, his flaw was his vaulting ambition, combined with a lust for power. Macbeth himself recognises this ambition in act I, scene 7 where he states in a soliloquy “I have no spur to ***** the sides of my intent but only vaulting ambition”. This comment suggests that he knows that the only thing that prompts his actions is his ambition. While ambition alone is not in fact a bad trait, when added with a lust for power, this ambition can become dangerous. Did having these qualities mean that Macbeth was indisputably corrupt? No, they simply meant that he, like all human beings, had a flaw and a weakness. Indeed, at the start of the play, Macbeth was seen as the hero, being described as “brave Macbeth” in act I, scene II, and shown as a loyal and brave solider on the battle field. He is also...
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...leads to a choice that is morally wrong, followed by betrayal of other people in order to advance their own greed or power. Throughout the play of Macbeth three themes are present. Ambition, betrayal, and retribution are evident in the play in numerous different scenarios. Ambition is the source of most, if not all of the problems in this play. It all started with the witches prophecies “All hail Macbeth! Hail to thee Thane of Glamis/All hail Macbeth! Hail to thee thane of Cawdor/” (at this point Macbeth does not know he is the Thane of Cawdor, so when it happens he believes firmly in the witches prophecies). “All hail Macbeth! Shalt be king hereafter (Act 1:3:49-53)”. Macbeth is fascinated to a point where becoming king becomes an obsession for him. Furthermore, this ambition leads him to not only think about being king, but how to eliminate Duncan in order for him to become king. “If it were done, when ‘tis...
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