Analysis Of The Banquet Scene

William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a tragedy in which the main characters are obsessed by the desire for power. Macbeth’s aspiration for power blinds him to the ethical implications of his dreadful acts. The more that Shakespeare’s Macbeth represses his murderous feelings, the more he is haunted by them. By analyzing his hallucinations it is possible to trace his deteriorating mental state and the trajectory of his ultimate fall. Throughout the play Macbeth is never satisfied with himself. He feels the need to keep committing crime in order to keep what he wants most: his kingship. The harder Macbeth tries to change his fate the more he tends to run into his fate. His ambition and struggle for power was Macbeth’s tragic flaw in the play.

He's here in double trust: first as I his kinsman and his subject, strong both against the deed; then as his host, who should against his murderer shut the door, not bear the knife myself (39)...We will proceed no further in this business"(41). Yet, Macbeth's desire to become king overrides his feelings for Duncan as he continues to do such evil. Macbeth believes that he can only fix his wrongs with more wrongs, therefore he was, in fact, acting on his own volition. "Things bad begun make strong themselves by ill"(95).

Prior to the assassination, Macbeth explains to the two murderers that he has to keep in good relations with the people around him. "And something from the palace (always thought / that I require a clearness), and with him, / to leave no rubs nor botches in the work" (3.1.131-133). He needs to have the murder take place away from his castle. The scene following the murder of Banquo, the two murderers inform Macbeth of Fleance escaping. When Macbeth learns this knowledge, it seems to shock him and surprise him. Macbeth exclaims in response to hearing the news, "Thanks for that! There the grown serpent lies; the worm that's fled hath / nature that in time will venom breed, no teeth for the present" (3.4.30-33).

He is Duncan’s ‘kinsman and his subject’, he reminds himself that what he is doing is wrong and that he has the duty to protect the king, not murder him. In an interaction with Lady Macbeth prior to the murder of Duncan, he says they ‘shall proceed no longer in this business’, this shows that he has a moral compass, and he knows that what he is about to do is wrong. Also, previous to the murder he hallucinates a ‘dagger’, it is a figment of his imagination because he is very anxious, and is already feeling culpability. This part in the play is key in showing that Macbeth is consumed by guilt and anxiety, so is not in the best mindset to commit a murder. Despite this, he still kills Duncan. His guilt returns after the murder when an ‘Amen [is] stuck’ in his throat, he knows that he has sinned against God, and he is too anxious to say Amen. Immediately after killing Duncan he is ‘afraid to think of what [he has] done’, he has immense regret and feels a lot of guilt.

Macbeth first learns from the witches that he shall be Thane of Cawdor. Along with Lady Macbeth he begins to wonder if there is something more for him besides just being the Thane of Cawdor and begins to contemplate murdering King Duncan. “We still have judgement here, that we but teach / Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return / To plague th’ inventor” (1.7.8-10). Here the quote represents at this point in time Macbeth has a conscience and is able to differentiate what is right and what is wrong. Comparing this to his end frame of mind in the play you can see how many morals and the sense of judgement he lost along the way. He arrives at his ending state of mind because Lady Macbeth convinces him to murder King Duncan and he starts to realize that power is a very important thing that he must

Macbeth’s sense of self seems to diminish as he comes to reality with what he has done and who he has hurt. This leads to him to not being able to sleep because he has “murdered and therefore/Cawdor/Shall sleep no more. Macbeth shall sleep no more” (2.2.55-57). By him not sleeping it shows that he is going crazy, and is not ok with what has happened. Losing his sense of self is also slowly killing his mental state. His conscience is guilty which makes him think less of himself. When Banquo’s ghost appears it makes Macbeth feel as if he were dead. Wanting Banquo to “Take any shape but that,” because he wants him to “be alive again/And dare [him] to the desert with thy sword” (3.4.124-126). When Macbeth’s fears are confirmed about the line of kings all in the image of Banquo his future is shaken. Once being trusted friends this also helps to twist his mental state; and not for the good. Also by him not being stable Macbeth starts hallucinating and feels tempted to grasp what he sees and use it. These visions are a

Throughout the play Macbeth falls deeper and deeper into insanity until he breaks while losing all conscious and traces of any good. What caused this descent? Well, he had influences such as the witches and his wife, but I don’t believe they were the main cause. I believe that Macbeth caused his own downfall. He had his ambitions too elevated and he was gullible enough to listen to the other bad influences around him. He could have just ignored the witches like Banquo did. Even if he did not ignore them, he still could have said no to his wife. Instead, he took the easy way to his dreams and tried to fix things himself. Unfortunately, his ambition for more and lust for power blinded him. He might have gained power, but in the end he lost everything. He lost his soul, which is the worst thing one has to lose. Macbeth teaches us a lesson on how not to give in to the lust for power. It’s ok to dream, but if you let your ambitions blind you to where you can’t see what is right and wrong anymore then you are losing everything. If the line between right and wrong is blurred then do not follow that dream. Instead, get into God’s word and pray about it. If your dream is in God’s plan for you then he will make it happen in his time. If God tells you it is not a good idea, then don’t do it. If you are patient and wait for Gods will then things will work out. Don’t take the easy way out like Macbeth did.

In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth the reader watches as Macbeth changes gradually as the play endures. He are transforms from a loyal person with a loving and loyal disposition with other people, into a tyrants who are willing to kill in order to keep himself on the throne. He is tormented with fear, regret, and guilt. When someone does something they know is wrong it causes them to fall prey to their own emotions.

The mind of each and every individual is unique in its own special way; some, of which, are steadfast and can roll with the punches, while others bend, conform, or break with the many psychological and physical influences in life. In the play The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Macbeth is introduced by the wounded sergeant as a person of battlefield valor and who showed great loyalty for his king, Duncan. His mind, at the time, expresses an authentic adamant and patriotic persona which seems hard to be swayed. It is later revealed that Macbeth expresses a lack in strength of character and is easily corrupted by his lust for power. Encouraged by his wife, nerve racked by the witches, and plagued by his thirst for authority, his

Macbeth is a hero to Scotland, and a strong person.. He is a Lord under the rule of King Duncan, and he has no reason to feel

By comparing his heinous actions to wading through a bloody river, Macbeth suggests that once a man commits a murderous act for his own gain, it's impossible to stop. Turning back would be "tedious." By this point, Macbeth is willing to anything in order to help himself and it's becomes easier for him to commit evil deeds. According to Macbeth, he's got to look out for his own best interests.

In the play, Macbeth, Shakespeare uses indirect characterization to compare Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s personalities to convey that one’s actions do not define a person’s identity. In closer view of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, after Macbeth had assassinated King Duncan, he immediately felt guilty for his actions, “ Lisnt’ning their fear. I could not say ‘Amen’/When they did say ‘God bless us”’(2.2.39-40). Macbeth’s sorrowful state of mind after committing treachery portrays him as a man with a frail mind, who cannot stay strong through the actions that he commits. Macbeth can also be described as a cold-blooded man, whose greed for power led him to backstab his own king and kin. However, his actions provide a skewed perception of his true character.

Throughout reading the play, Macbeth changes a lot from being a man of loyalty and honesty, to a man of whom is power hungry and greedy. This shows how the more power you receive the more power you want; which in many cases, such as this one leads to destruction. Many of the choices that Macbeth made were influenced by the power that he had, and this power began to take over him. This then lead to greed and destruction of not only others, but himself as well.

Macbeth’s mental and moral deterioration throughout the play engages the audience illustrating how guilt overwhelms his conscience He believes he hears voices crying “Macbeth has murdered sleep” this demonstrates how he is battling against his morals and his ambition. His good qualities are battling his bad thoughts and this is the main reason for his mental downfall which makes for a deeply engaging plot. Macbeth goes from being a man of bravery, strength, honour yet he slowly loses these qualities. He once believed that killing a good man was an evil, un-worthy thing to do yet by the end of the play he is killing the people he once had close relationships with to get himself out of the mess that was dragging him deeper into despair and tragedy. This process is enthralling for the audience who cannot resist watching him go to any length to save himself as his morals go into deep decline. Ambition has completely taken over him in the soliloquy in which he states; “I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only Vaulting ambition, which o’erleap itself and falls on the other.” In this instance Macbeth is interesting because he realises that the only thing that is making him want to kill Duncan is

Mixed emotions run through Macbeth's mind as he tries to determine Duncan's fate. His uncertainty relating to this matter builds upon his guilt of the thought of betraying his friends trust.