Macbeth, By William Shakespeare

Everyone has a quality that they do not like about themselves. Some people struggle to be social, others may be too controlling of people. The list goes on and on, but the point is that everybody has a particular quality that they must learn to control or else that particular quality can get out of hand. Of course, one could write a list of characters that have major flaws. There is no better example than William Shakespeare’s character, Macbeth, in The Tragedy of Macbeth. Anyone who has ever read it, could easily identify the fatal flaw that the character Macbeth possesses which is greed. Even though many readers can all agree that greed is Macbeth’s fatal flaw, the argument as to whether or not

This quote means that the one who has complete authority is extremely likely to abuse his position. 'Absolute power' refers to complete, unchallengeable power where the holder has no external compulsions and is answerable to none about his actions. It builds on the idea that every human being has the potential to become a 'benevolent dictator' given the right situation. Power, or simply the desire for power, can cause people to act in unintelligible ways. Many examples can be seen throughout history of leaders who have been perverted with power. For example, leaders like Hitler and Napoleon have all committed disgraceful actions during their rule in the hopes of attaining the 'Absolute power'. All through the play Macbeth, the desire for 'Absolute power' is the central compelling force for Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. They are dominated with a great yearning for gaining the ultimate power by becoming the King and Queen, and are willing to achieve it by whatever means necessary. Power corrupts their thoughts, behaviours and actions. They become greedy and selfish. As a result of this, they suffer the tragic fate of their own doings. Example of this corruption is first seen when Lady Macbeth decides that she will murder Duncan after reading her husband's letter about the witches prophecies. She refuses to see the difference between right and wrong as she is blinded by the desire

Macbeth, his journey begins as a noble soldier. Whose sole purpose is to protect king and country. However we will see him go from this noble hero to a very power crazed, prideful murder.

In Macbeth, Shakespeare first builds Macbeth’s character as a courageous and capable warrior through the wounded captain’s account of his valor on the battlefield. However, this perspective is complicated as a result of Macbeth’s interaction with the three witches, in which the notion that his physical courage is accompanied with an insatiable yet empty ambition and a tendency to self-doubt becomes known. These three attributes: bravery, ambition, and self-doubt, struggle for mastery of Macbeth throughout the play. As the story progresses, Macbeth’s ambition spurs him into regrettable action in which self-doubt and guilt cause him to undergo intense inner conflict between right and wrong, causing a domino effect which evidently leads to more malicious actions and the death of his wife. Macbeth may be classified as irrevocably evil, but his weak character separates him from Shakespeare’s great villains—Richard III in Richard III, Edmund in King Lear, Iago in Othello—who are all strong enough to conquer guilt and self-doubt. Macbeth, despite the great warrior he is, is ill equipped for the psychic consequences of his actions. In Act 5, Scene 5, Shakespeare uses Macbeth to demonstrate the dreadful effects that empty ambition can have on a man who lacks strength of character, using a temporal tone to highlight the futility of life and answering the question: can a lust for power lead to loss of humanity?

Shakespeare, in his plays, often uses the repetition of a word, not because he cannot think of a synonym, but to place emphasis on that word and therefore the idea conveyed by the use of the word. Macbeth is no exception. Macbeth takes place in Scotland in the 11th century and discusses the issues of equivocation, fate, the future, and paranoia, as if to warn and inform the audience about such issues. Shakespeare wanted to inform the public about the consequences of equivocation - the use of ambiguous language to hide the truth - and to reassure them about placing their trust in the King, both because of the Gunpowder Plot, which had occurred not long before the writing of the play. Macbeth warns about the danger of tempting fate while indirectly persuading the audience to rebuild their trust in the monarchy, which had been precarious because of the long-lasting religious persecution. To convey this theme, Shakespeare uses the repetition of several words, a prominent one being ‘man’. All of the uses of ‘man’ rely on the social standards of the time, which dictated the behavior and traits of men and women. These social ‘rules’ were rarely broken, and those who did not abide by them were ridiculed. Shakespeare expands on the meaning of these rules through his uses of the word ‘man’, and other terms relating to gender, which convey one of three distinct social ideas: what a man is, what a man should be, and what a man should not be.

Hook: With three simple prophetic statements told to Macbeth by witches, the path for his future changes. But is the following chain of events caused by the premonitions of the witches or by Macbeth’s own free will?

I have been given the task and privilege of directing the film Macbeth, (Macbeth) and the essay will examine many aspects of the play including the main characters, personalities, themes as well as the important incidents in the film and the historical background. I have chosen Lady Macbeth as the main character for discussion.

“The moment you change your perception is the moment you rewrite the chemistry of your body.” This quote by Dr. Bruce Lipton is suggesting that our perceptions is related to our whole being. When our perspective is altered, our identity changes with it; the actions we commit thereafter that is motivated by our perceptions reveals change in our identity. However, we do not always change for the better. Most of the time our perceptions cause us to change for the worst. Sometimes in life, an individual’s perceptions and interpretations influence their thoughts and actions that may shape one’s identity detrimentally. This is evident in the play, The Tragedy of Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare through Macbeth’s interpretation of the witches’ prophecies, perception of the security of his throne, and interpretation of what his life has become.

Ambitions can impact individuals in many different ways. An ambition can make people work hard to achieve their dreams and being successful. On the other hand, ambition can have negative characteristics such as greed, intolerance, and even power. People would do anything even neglect the needs of others to accomplish their reward. At times, it can change an individual’s whole personality. This can be evident in the play, The Tragedy of Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, who sets out a life of a tragic hero, Macbeth, suffering many consequences because of his ambition. Macbeth is told a prophecy from three witches that he will be crowned king. As a result, Macbeth commit several antagonistic crimes to fulfill his prophecy. Macbeth’s ambition causes him to become overly confident, paranoid, and be mentally unstable.

In Shakespeare’s writing of Macbeth, the continued instances of madness in the protagonists can be contributed to the lack of a religious anchor to root the characters down and maintain sanity and morality. The breakdown of Christianity in Macbeth is linked to the religious turmoil going on in England under James I. Shakespearean literature was written under the assumption of scribal criticism, so religious commentaries are framed in a subdued manner. As Renaissance Englishmen struggled to grasp Christianity, “the plays of Shakespeare question… hegemony by identifying madness as produced by self-contradictions of the dominant ideology” (Salkeld 118). Like most Englishmen, the character of Macbeth cannot take control of his religious destiny, and “Macbeth is therefore trying to violate his own nature, the basis of human society, and the divine order in the stars” (Fergusson). By failing to embrace Christianity, both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth dictate their own destinies, as “Shakespeare’s characters may at times, reflecting their belief in medical or religious orthodoxy, allude to the humor’s determination of character” (Thiher 78). As Shakespeare’s protagonists delve further into insanity, the sphere of influence they hold increases. Similar to James I, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have profound impacts on their people, and their madness descends into both nature

Shakespeare’s Macbeth was first written and performed over four hundred years ago in the early seventeenth century. It has survived the tests of time and is now repeatedly being reproduced for cinematic viewing, from one of the most recent productions created in 2010 by director Rupert Goold, to an older more rustic film directed by Roman Polanski in 1971. However, lacking either detailed instructions or Shakespeare himself, each of these directors interpreted Shakespeare’s original work in different ways for their film, resulting in two very different portrayals of the same tragedy. One of the many ways the two productions differed was in their portrayals of the witches, who set the spark which ignited Macbeth’s flaming tyranny. Rupert Goold’s Macbeth showed the witches as powerful and conniving figures who were often on screen and had a direct part in how the events of the tragedy transpired, whereas Roman Polanski’s Macbeth incorporated the witches as frail yet confident characters who appeared much more seldom, creating a sense of mystery for the viewer as to what exactly their roles in the progression of the plot were.

According to Favila (2001), “Our first view of Macbeth is as an impressive adult. Rumor paints him as a legendary general and loyal thane” (p. 5). The first impression William Shakespeare gives the reader of Macbeth’s character is that he is courageous, noble, and brave. The play states, “but all’s too weak: / for brave Macbeth-well he deserves the name- / Disdaining Fortune, with his brandish’d steel, / Which smoked with bloody execution, / Like valor’s minion carved out his passage / Till he faced the slave;” (Act 1, Scene 2, lines 17-21). This quote discusses how Macbeth was a military leader and hero in the battle. It is stating how he was brave in battle and fought the villain. Holloway (2009) agrees stating, “Macbeth, it would seem, more than any other man, is responsible for saving Scotland from defeat, humiliation, and foreign subjection” (p. 3). These quotes show that Macbeth is a great soldier and is known for that. Even King Duncan respects him for his military service and bravery. For his service, King Duncan makes Macbeth Thane of Cawdor, and instructs Ross to bring him his title; King Duncan states, “Never again will that Thane of Cawdor deceive / my trusting heart. Go command his immediate execution, and greet Macbeth with his former title” (Act 1, Scene 2, lines72-74). Prior to this statement, the current Thane of Cawdor had been a traitor

The first tragic story created in ancient Greece. Tragedies were written as a form of catharsis or purgation of emotions. In these types of plays, the audience finds characters in which they can relate to which is a tragic hero. The tragic hero creates his own failures based upon their own actions and produces a detrimental fate for himself. The process of the protagonist’s fall is based upon the tragic structure. The structure of a tragedy consists of the exposition, exciting force, hamartia, the crisis, tragic force, moment of final suspense, the catastrophe and glimpse of restored order. Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Macbeth is in the form of the tragic structure. The Tragedy of Macbeth causes readers to debate over what the true crisis of the story is. In The Tragedy of Macbeth, William Shakespeare builds the majority of the play with hamartia, the crisis and the events to follow the turning point.

Macbeth is a tragedy written in the 17th century that shows what the desire for power can do to a man. Macbeth is expressed as being the villain. But, Macbeth is in fact a tragic hero, doomed by fate from the beginning into the madness he put himself in. If it not been for meeting the witches and persuasion of his wife, the play would have had a very different ending.

Shakespeare uses the literary technique of indirect characterization in this work of literature to develop the character of Macbeth, as his emotions and feelings are displayed through his relationship with his wife, his dark desire to become king, and through his soliloquys. At the start of this play, he is a strong, brave, heroic soldier, defeating Norway’s army, cutting off Macdonwald’s head and gaining the title of Thane of Cawdor. However that is not enough for him. After the witches prophesy to him that he will become king, Macbeth’s first thought is he will have to commit murder. Through every murder he commits, Macbeth