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

Macbeth shifts from being loyal and courageous to a murderer executing a treacherous plan to kill the current king due to supernatural suggestions that he would be king himself. Macbeth is discussed as a man worthy of recognition by other characters in act one scene two. In this scene, the Captain states: “For brave Macbeth (1. 2. 18). Macbeth is being praised for his courage and loyalty to Scotland and the king. This first impression is hastily contrasted after hearing the prophecy of the witches stating he will be “king hereafter” (1. 3. 53). Immediately after hearing this, Macbeth already begins to think about how he would be crowned king: “If chance will have me king, why, chance may / crown me / without stir.” (1. 3. 157-159) Macbeth’s arrogance is made apparent as with the immediacy of his thoughts of becoming king and it is clear that the supernatural has given him arrogant ambition as Macbeth is already beginning to think of how he will be crowned king. Macbeth eventually decides he will show his “Black and deep desires” (1. 4. 58) and murder Duncan, the current king of

Role in Plot: He is another person that Macbeth has to fight in order to secure the thrown.

Macbeth’s character develops consistently throughout the play. The key to his character development is his unchecked ambition, which is powered by the three witches and his strong desire to become the King of Scotland. Macbeth ends up achieving his goal but ultimately, it leads him to a downfall such as the suicide of Lady Macbeth. Macbeth’s ambition has played a significant role in the play ever since the three witches tell him that he would become the King of Scotland. His ambition has led Macbeth to become gullible. He is easily manipulated and convinced to take immoral actions. Moreover, Macbeth also becomes selfish as he only thinks about himself and not the citizens of Scotland. He fails at his job as a King in making Scotland a better place to live. Lastly, due to his unchecked ambition, Macbeth starts acting violently by murdering his closest allies and friends. Therefore, Macbeth’s ambition has driven him to become manipulative, selfish and violent; and thus, ambition is Macbeth’s greatest weakness.

Macbeth is seen as a heroic character who wants the best for his country. The prophecy from the witches and the influence of Lady Macbeth changed Macbeth's motives. In Act 1, Macbeth is given the prophecy that he is going to be Thane of Cawdor and will also become King. Macbeth shares this prophecy with his wife. This shows that Macbeth loves her and values her opinion. The idea of trust between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth changes in the later acts of the play. Macbeth is convinced by Lady Macbeth to kill Duncan so he can become King. “Look like the time, bear welcome in your eye,/ Your hand, your tongue; look like th’innocent flower/ But be the serpent under’t.” (1.5.63-65) Macbeth is motivated to kill Duncan through the influence of Lady Macbeth

Lady Macbeth is a very interesting character. She is very ambitious and sneaky; these qualities are what drive her to go after what she wants, no matter what she has to do to get there. In scene three of act one, Macbeth meets the Three Witches. They tell him he would be king, but he is startled by what they are saying. He doesn’t believe he could ever be king or thane of Cawdor like they are saying, because both of the men are alive, rich, and powerful. Macbeth doesn’t understand why the Three Witches are saying these things, he tried to ask them more questions but they disappeared. When Lady Macbeth hear of this news she went crazy. Lady Macbeth became overwhelmed with the feeling of future power and questions if her husband has the guts to be king.

All humans can be manipulated or changed by inside and outside affects, some that are good while others are bad. This can all be related through books/plays and the characters change throughout them. In the play Macbeth written by Shakespeare, the title character has a major conquest to become king. Throughout his process, he is affected by both internal and external forces. These affects really come in to play as the play progresses and several terrible things happen. In the end, Macbeths demise can ultimately be said from the causes of Lady Macbeth’s controlling actions, his murderous ways, and the witches’ trickery.

‘’Is this a dagger which I see before me,/The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee’’ (II.i.44-45) This is the first Vision that Macbeth has in the play Macbeth by Shakespeare. Throughout the play shakespeare makes Macbeth have visions and hallucinations to develop his character. Macbeth has four visions and hallucinations. Him seeing the bloody dagger before killing Duncan, someone telling him that he won't get any sleep ever again after killing Duncan, seeing Banquo's ghost at the big dinner,and lastly seeing the eight kings of scotland. All of these visions and hulations change Macbeth's character very differently. Because of these visions macbeth's character development made him feel guilt and made him very crazy.

In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, women, his downfall, tempt the title character into going against his own nature. No matter how many times Macbeth talks himself out of doing something he will regret, he falls victim to the witches and Lady Macbeth. The way they manipulate him causes him to commit acts that he normally would not do, eventually leading to Macbeth’s mental break down.

William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is an incredibly complex play that is interpretable in vastly different ways. While transferring the play from its written form to a theatrical production, directors must make the decision whether to portray the ghost of Banquo physically or as an illusion of Macbeth's during Act III, scene four. Banquo’s ghost not being represented physically adds the most depth to the play, allowing the audience to further develop an understanding of Macbeth’s character. The absence of Banquo’s ghost shows Macbeth’s growing hostility and isolation from the other characters. There is also the motif of appearance versus reality where Macbeth has difficulty recognizing the difference between the two. Lastly, the loss of sympathy that the audience feels for Macbeth further establishing him as a tragic hero. The absence of an actor in place of Macbeth’s ghost assists the audience in characterizing Macbeth as the person he is becoming.

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.

In the beginning of the play Lady Macbeth was the evil one in charge, making decisions for her and Macbeth. She was making decisions for her and Macbeth and forcing him to act upon them. She was the mastermind behind the killing of Duncan. In the beginning of the play Lady Macbeth represents evil by her actions and her wanting to be this way. In the beginning she asks the spirits to unsex her and make her more masculine and powerful. She wants to have her Make thick my blood. Stop up th’ access and passage to remorse, that no compunctious visitings of nature” (1.5.47-61). Lady Macbeth wants for her to not feel any remorse and to act upon what she thinks is right. She wants for Duncan to be killed and forces her husband to do so. She is the mastermind behind the killing of Duncan and causes Macbeth to make a complete change in character. Macbeth begins to not listen to her and starts to boss her around. This really affects Lady Macbeth and she does not know how to proceed. By the end of the play Lady Macbeth gives up on trying to control Macbeth and her evil ways. Lady Macbeth realizes that Macbeth is crazy and she can not control what he does. She then decides that the situation she is in with Macbeth is so bad that she has end her life. Her death is a defeat to her controlling evil ways.

With Shakespeare’s Macbeth play, Macbeth himself is a man who has fallen from grace and has been corrupted by the notion of wanting to have total control and power over Scotland and its people. During the process, however, he loses who he once was, and gets what comes to him at the end of the play. With this in mind, the acquiring of self-fulfillment is something that can lead to getting it at all costs, with the inclusion of tunnel vision, greed, and the illusion of happiness.

Macbeth was a true Shakespearean tragic hero. He had many noble qualities as well as several tragic flaws. He was a courageous, brave and good nobleman who was haunted, moral cowardice and an overwhelming ambition. The three points which contribute greatly to Macbeth’s downfall are the prophecy that was told to him by witches, Lady Macbeth influenced and manipulated Macbeth’s judgment on everything, and finally Macbeth’s long time ambition which drove him to want to become king. Although he was so far courageous and brave and he is seen as the hero at the beginning of the play, his sky high ambition is what ultimately cause his downfall. And ultimately he becomes a tragic hero. He and Banquo were leaders of King Duncan's army. His personal powers and strength as a general won him the battle as described by the captain Macbeth could be brave when it came to action but when he started thinking he would hesitate on almost everything and would have to be forced into action by his wife. He changed his mind five times before murdering Duncan. The witches' prophecy that he would be king made him decide to leave it to chance, but Duncan's announcement that Malcolm was to be his heir made Macbeth realize that he would have to take a course of action for the prophecies to come true. He changed his mind again before he reached. Then he changed his mind again before finally being forced by Lady Macbeth to make up his mind to kill Duncan. Macbeth also did not fear what would happen if