Macbeth Character Analysis

Whilst the character of Macbeth is initially portrayed as a noble kinsman, his ambition and motivation, directly influenced by the witches and Lady Macbeth, ultimately transforms him into a corrupt and ruthless tyrant. William Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy “Macbeth” clearly depicts this notion of change, illustrated through Shakespeare's utilisation of literary techniques. The tragic downfall of Macbeth is mainly attributed to Macbeth’s own greed and hubris.

Throughout the book, as Macbeth continues to progress in power, it seems as though his morals fade away while dark and destructive ideas spread through him quickly. While Macbeth contemplates his first evil deed of killing Duncan, he often talk’s himself into doing it, or gets outside persuasion to gain the courage that he is lacking. After talking to Lady Macbeth about how he has to murder Duncan, he exclaims, “I am settled and bend up / Each corporal agent to this terrible feat. / Away and mock the time with the fairest show. / False face must hide what the false heart doth / know” (1.7.92-96). Later in the novel we learn that Macbeth thinks that Banquo has become a threat to his power. Macbeth then takes this problem into his own hands and assigns murderers to kill Banquo. Macbeth then says, “So is he mine; and in such bloody distance / That every minute of his being thrusts/ Against my nearest of life. And though I could / With barefaced power sweep him from my sight/ And bid my will avouch it, yet I must not, / For certain friends that are both his and mine, / Whose loves I may not drop, but wail his fall who I myself struck down. And thence it is, that I to your assistance do make love, masking the business from the common eye for sundry weighty reasons” (3.1.132-142). Macbeth is saying that if he absolutely has to do this terrible deed he will, it doesn’t mean he wants to, but he is going to do it anyways. Macbeth uses the motif of appearance versus reality when he

Making poor choices and treating others with disrespect can affect you in the long run and can easily contribute to a downfall. Macbeth was fully aware of the choices he made with the inhumane torture and disrespect he had on the citizens of Scotland. Being a tragic hero is when one experiences an immense tragedy which leads to a downfall, but Macbeth never had a tragedy because his death originated from the choices he made and reactions he had while he had authority as king. Macbeth being selfish and only caring about himself creates an undeserving and improper image as king which brought chaos into the land of Scotland. In Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, Macbeth does not fit the formula for a tragic hero because he is not a moral

During Duncan’s visit in Act 1.7, Macbeth is adamant that he and Lady Macbeth “will not proceed further” in their plan to assassinate Duncan because Duncan has “honored [him] of late” (1.7.31-32). Thus, Macbeth demonstrates that his integrity, and more specifically his loyalty, is still intact. However, Lady Macbeth proceeds to unleash a condescending tirade against her husband, entitling him a “coward” to demean him mentally, and a “poor cat” (1.7.43) as a physical representation of his courage. She continues, “When you durst do it, then you were a man. And, to be more than what you were, you would be so much more the man” (1.7.49-51). In her belligerent denouncement of Macbeth’s decision not to kill Duncan, Lady Macbeth employs pathos by declaring that Macbeth had displayed masculine traits when he agreed to the assassination. Furthermore, by declaring that Macbeth would more than prove his manhood by committing to murder, she utilizes gender stereotypes effectively as courage, ambition, and above all, superiority over women were masculine pillars during the during the Stuart Era. Thus, it is imperative that Macbeth succumbs to Lady Macbeth’s chastisement as renouncing her challenge to assassinate Duncan would be the equivalent to renouncing his manhood and the power that comes with it. Overall, when Macbeth kills Duncan in the following scene, it is evident

William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is an excellent illustration of a Shakespearian tragic hero. Although Macbeth has many noble qualities, he is, indeed, not without his flaws. The following essay exemplifies how Macbeth is more of a tragic and ill-fated character rather than a loathsome one. Ultimately, the tragic characteristics of Macbeth is what leads to Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s downfall. In fact, there are many factors, which portray the downfall of Macbeth. The two, which will be discussed in this essay, are: how Lady Macbeth influenced Macbeth and Macbeth’s longtime vaulting ambition, which drove his psychotic desire to be King.

Macbeth is portrayed to be a very evil character throughout the play of Macbeth. The most back stabbing scene in the play is when Macbeth murders King Duncan, But the real evil genius behind the murder is Lady Macbeth, who forced Macbeth to kill King Duncan, which brings up the argument, whos responsible for the murder of King Duncan? A Lot of people also ask, who’s more evil? Macbeth, or Lady Macbeth?

Even the strongest people fall to the ubiquitous snare of evil. In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the title character does so after fierce manipulation from others. Macbeth is King Duncan’s bravest warrior, who is loyal in a time of disloyalty. A prophecy from three witches causes Macbeth to murder his beloved King, because the torment caused by Macbeth’s need to commit the murder becomes too great of a burden for him to carry. At this point the anguish outweighs his conscience which held steadfast for so long. Killing Duncan is the start to a slow deterioration of Macbeth’s spirit. Throughout this process, Macbeth seeks consolation and believes that the only way to achieve it is to kill more. This creates a cycle leading to his inevitable fall. Throughout his killing spree, Macbeth’s conscience continues presenting itself. This begs the question whether or not Macbeth is a good man who is twisted, or an intrinsically bad man. The play shows that Macbeth is a good man who does evil only as a result of persistent influence from others.

Macbeth is arguably one of Shakespeare’s most known plays. Its themes of ambition gone awry, fate vs. free will, and abuse of power still resound with audiences in today’s society. One subject of interest is the hallucinations Macbeth endures while traveling down his dark path. The bleeding dagger, the accusing voice, and the appearance of Banquo’s specter are all experiences that reveal Macbeth’s inner identity. They provide an image of Macbeth’s mental state that wasn’t seen in his words and actions. Without these hallucinations Macbeth’s motive for murdering Duncan would seem spontaneous and unfounded; they are evidence of the greedy ambition already hidden in his nature.

An individual's desires can motivate them to commit atrocities they never thought were possible. In the play Macbeth, William Shakespeare draws attention to the course of action an individual will follow when motivated to attain such riches they never thought were possible. The play Macbeth follows a warrior who is soon to be named the king. Macbeth faces many opponents once he is faced with the news of his new position in the chain of being. Macbeth kills many of his dear friends and many innocent children, men and women. Yet Macbeth's doom is also caused by a man who is motivated to obtain the throne which rightfully belongs to him. Macbeth is an ambitious man whose motivation for power drives him down a never ending spiral of wrong actions inevitably leading to his downfall.

appreciated for its diverse array of characters- as well as the personality's possessed within the story- and the noteworthy themes of betrayal, fate, love, greed, and of course death. Shakespeare provides an in-depth perspective into the enticement of power and just how pernicious it can be hidden beneath all the glory blocking it. This concept is showcased by the man himself that the play is named after- Macbeth. Macbeth’s choices throughout the story influenced it as a whole and eventually, in the end, caused his inevitable death as well. Macbeth himself is the one who should be viewed responsible for his demise. As the nature of his persona changed from a trustworthy

In his play Macbeth, English playwright William Shakespeare illustrates the adverse effects ambition wields on the human soul. Furthermore, he explores supernatural influences and illustrates how Macduff, a vengeful character, rose against tyranny and brought about the downfall of Macbeth. Written in 1606, under the reign of King James I, Macbeth is Shakespeare’s shortest tragedy. It begins with a summary of the famous warrior Macbeth’s valiant actions in the battle against both the Macdonwald clan and the Norwegians. Three witches declare that Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor and the future king of Scotland. Macbeth does not believe these prophecies until he is named Thane of Cawdor and, because the first prophecy came true, Macbeth

Good and evil are fluid concepts due to skewed perspective. No person is inherently good or evil. ‘Good’ people tend to have a lack of self-centredness, whereas ‘evil’ people are unable to empathise with others. Where people lie on the spectrum of good and evil depends on the perspective of a person placing them on the spectrum. Perspective is what makes the difference in how people judge other’s nature. In Macbeth by Shakespeare, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth seem to change in nature, however the audience changes their perspective of the characters, while their nature remains the same.

During the Victorian era in Europe, females were viewed as inferior to men, therefore women were not given the same rights as men. Society believed that women were reliant and weak, that only men had the potential to be independent and strong. Since William Shakespeare grew up in this atmosphere, it is not surprising that Shakespeare follows the societal norms, regarding gender, in his life and his plays. A deeper understanding of Shakespeare’s views towards women can be interpreted through his playwright as well as his personal life. The tragedy titled Macbeth by William Shakespeare presents two contrary portrayals of women. The character, Lady Macbeth, is portrayed as a brave, strong, and independent female while the character, Lady Macduff, is portrayed as a stereotypical wife who is weak and dependent on her husband. There is limited factual evidence on Shakespeare’s personal life, but conclusions can be drawn from his career, his marriage, and his will. Though Shakespeare did not treat women equal to men, it can be theorized that he wished to encourage women to break the female stereotype that was common during the time period.

Macbeth, a tragic play written in 1606 by arguably the best dramatist during the time, William Shakespeare. It was written for the new king of England, King James I, the successor to Elizabeth I. The context of the play was a dramatic rewriting of the story of James's ancestors, Banquo and Fleance, through whom James had inherited the throne from. The story of the play depicts the rise and fall of the main protagonist, Macbeth. The question states that "Macbeth is doomed, not by fate, but, by a flaw in his character." This statement is extremely valuable to the audience's understanding of the play as it accurately defines the reasoning behind Macbeth's downfall and is proven through the representation of key themes that tie into the characterisation of Macbeth.

In the play by Shakespeare [Macbeth] the main character, bearing the same name as the title, is an amazingly complex character. So he can be called many things, and was called many things. He was called the “Thane of Cawdor” as a title; but, many things can be interpreted and proven as traits of his character. When looking for ways to describe the main character, Macbeth, I would describe him as cowardly, ambitious, and bold.