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

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.

As human beings, there are occasions where we choose between right or wrong. Certainly, It can materialize into effect on how other people judge you based on their glimpse of moral senses. In the play Macbeth, William Shakespeare displayed a dark and erroneous side of humankind. The three preeminent characters accordingly demonstrate identical attributes of greediness. For instance, Banquo who appears to be noble fails to resist his desires, and in relation to Lady Macbeth, she overrules herself with greed to a fate of anguish, and thus, Macbeth becomes engulfed with greed that leads to horrendous deeds. In general, Shakespeare emphasizes that ambition for power and wealth can invalidate morality in human nature.

Throughout life, people make wrong decisions by performing actions without thinking about the consequences. The character that executes these actions is a tragic hero according to Aristotle. In Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Macbeth is a tragic hero since he is the protagonist in the play which ends in a tragedy. Macbeth makes decisions which determine his fate. Lady Macbeth and the prophecies of the three witches lead Macbeth to his downfall thus making him a tragic hero. Greed, ambition, dishonesty and being hungry for power are all fatal flaws that make a tragic hero, Macbeth's character slowly built into these characteristics. +2 sentences

The story of Macbeth is no doubt an interesting one, but would it still be if some minor characters were taken out? Although the three witches are not main characters, they have a large role in the play Macbeth. The witches advance the plot of Macbeth by telling Macbeth his fate, by telling Banquo his fate, and by showing Macbeth the three apparitions.

William Shakespeare wrote one of best tragedies in english literature, which was titled Macbeth. The tragedy, as it is considered by critics of yesterday 's literary world, frown upon the evil dimension of conflict, offering a dark and atmosphere of a world dominated by the powers of darkness. Macbeth, more so than any of Shakespeare 's other tragic protagonists, has to face the powers and decide: should he give in or should he resist? Macbeth understands the reasons for resisting evil and yet he proceeds with a disastrous plan, instigated by the prophecies of the three Weird Sisters. Thus we must ask the question: If Macbeth is acting on the impulses stimulated by the prophecies of his fate, is this Shakespearean work of art really a Tragedy?

Characterization is a vital component of a text. How does Shakespeare utilise character traits to demonstrate characters as either heroes or villains?

From the sinister acts of killing the innocent, to betraying loved ones and best friends, who is to blame for all the constant chaos caused by these despicable acts? The story of Macbeth is about a man whos naive faith in prophecies leads him to selfishness. Not only this, but due to this trait of his, it causes mass destruction and deaths of many. Although there is many people to point fingers to, who is most responsible for determining the course of events throughout Macbeth? Even though Macbeth was the killer, did he alone create his own destiny? While Macbeth and Lady Macbeth were a factor of Macbeth’s downfall, the We’ird sisters take most of the responsibility for the murders.

Personality is a thing that all humans have that is really difficult to change. In Shakespeare's Macbeth, Macbeth was a victim of this as he could not change his personality for the good. Although in the text Macbeth was perceived as an evil person, he was actually an inherently good person who was unable to overcome the influences and this lead to his downfall. In Shakespeare's Macbeth, Macbeth is a good person who is influenced to make bad choices, demonstrating that his easily manipulated personality is the true cause of his downfall. This is supported by the fact that Macbeth was a noble and a thane before he made all the wrong choices, Macbeth was influenced by others to make wrong choices, and the ultimate fact that Macbeth has an easily manipulated personality; as proven in the text.

Many people act without thinking or let their pride get in the way. Many want to be the hero, or that guy, this can mess up the end goal or alter life decisions. Throughout the play Macbeth characters act on impulse and this leads to their demise for the most part. Men and women in Macbeth show strength and aggression in a time where women were portrayed as more prim and proper. Lady Macbeth seems more fierce than Macbeth in most situations challenging his manhood to make him do as she wanted. Challenging the manhood of men happened throughout the play. The misconception of masculinity and the way it drives people to act on impulse. This is the main topic or idea, being a man was standing up for yourself, getting what you want and not being afraid of anything. This play showed perfectly how pride and someone's manhood affects their lives.

Every female, or perhaps a male, knows a guy who thinks he’s the strongest, toughest dude on the planet Earth. However, most of these “tough” men are not mentally nor emotionally stable. This is proven also by the article 7 Signs You’re Not Mentally Strong, You’re Just Acting Tough, “While acting tough may meet your needs in the short-term by artificially boosting your ego or by getting other people to back off, it’s not a good long-term strategy,” (Amy Morin). She means that acting macho and being a jerk can ruin a lot of things for you, and that it does not make you manly by doing so. Just like the article about how being tough doesn’t make you mentally strong, in the play Macbeth, there is a huge theme of manhood placed throughout.

In the beginning of the play, Macbeth’s actions can be described as cautiously calculated as he only does what he believes to be necessary in the achievement of his goal to be king, and thus his mental state remains stable during this time. Macbeth’s decision to take the witches’ prophecies seriously demonstrates the fact that he is willing to do and believe anything needed to be King, regardless of the possible repercussions. As Macbeth was contemplating the prophecies he thinks to himself, “The Prince of Cumberland! that is a step/ On which I must fall down, or else o’er-leap,/ For in my way it lies” (Shakespeare 1.4.55-57). Macbeth chooses to internalize what the witches tell him, regardless of the fact that it seems preposterous. He