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.

In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, trust is an important topic throughout the play and is displayed through the character Macbeth as he rises and falls from power. Shakespeare conveys the idea of trust though Macbeth. In the play, Macbeth may seem loyal and trustworthy, but he actually is a fraud and has evil intentions. He trustworthiness to other characters directly corresponds to the amount of power he has in the play. When Macbeth is talking to King about Macbeth’s amazing service to the King, he claims that, “The service and the loyalty I owe in doing it pays itself,” (Shakespeare, 1.4 25-26) Here, Macbeth claims that serving King Duncan in itself is a gift. This quote displays exemplary loyalty from Mr Loyal himself, Macbeth, as he is enthusiastic about serving the King. In this part of the play, Macbeth is trusted enough to gain power and move up the ranks, as he is trusted by all and doesn’t seem to be hiding anything.

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.

‘’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.

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.

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.

Humankind lives then dies because of two things, wants and needs. We live by fulfilling natural needs and surviving with what we have, but some want more and go beyond what is needed turning a desire into something that is absolutely necessary. These people become obsessed with a concept that’s pointless in the sum of their lives, they let wants control them which results in an untimely death. But this isn't a singular case, numerous men find themselves being lead into a deep and dark pit filled with evil intentions. Some are fortunate enough to find a way out but others aren't as lucky. Macbeth showcases this thought with Shakespeare's main character the Thane of Glamis.

Shakespeare wrote Macbeth in 1606, during the reign of James I, who was James IV of Scotland before he became the King of England. James I was a sponsor of Shakespeare’s theatre, so it is clear that Shakespeare’s work was affected by James I’s sensitivities. Murder and intrigue was a part of the Scottish Reign when James was growing, and in fact James’s father was murdered when he was just a baby.

If you were told by three witches that you were to become the next ruler of an entire country, what would you do to ensure that it happens? In the novel Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, a story told about Scotland and its nobles against Macbeth and his horrid ways. What Macbeth did was drastic and evil compared to what a normal person would do. The wife of Macbeth played a few large parts in Macbeth’s downfall. While Lady Macbeth helped him gain power, Macduff was working on taking it away. Without thinking, the sons of King Duncan fled Scotland leaving all the power to Macbeth. The desire for power is the fuel that drives Macbeth; it drives him to destroy his relationships and turn everyone he loves against him. Macbeth had taken the throne ruthlessly, but when all of Scotland and England turned against him that power was no use.

A man can possess many things wealth, power, honor and in the 11th-century woman, contrary to the belief of the times women cannot be possessed for they are the determinants of fate and this shown through lady Macbeth being the catalyst for his transformation. Over the course of the play he becomes an entirely different person than he once was, he goes from a hero figure to a deceitful murderer that has a very narrow focus on becoming king and drives himself crazy with the prediction that he will become king. Macbeth betrays his own values, those close to him, and any moral compass that once existed within him. Throughout the play Macbeth does not stray from his ways in order to satisfy himself, he goes down the reckless path to become king in order to please his wife and this eventually leads to his demise. Machiavelli states “...fortune is a woman and if she is too submissive it is necessary to beat and coerce her”(pg.81 The Prince). Due to the fact that Macbeth plays the passive role in their relationship and his own life when it comes to mobility he enables his wife to take over as a master of his fate. This occurs not only in the play Macbeth, it occurs in Madea, in Greek mythology through the story of Pandora's box and in the book of the city of ladies where it is proved that woman are drivers of fate through men, simultaneously they are able to manipulate fate on their own through virtuous actions such as invention or through divine intervention. The theme of the

William Shakespeare produced astonishing plays throughout his career and Macbeth is one of his masterpieces. The tragedy of a honorable warrior demonstrates how monstrous humans can be and how a single conversation can lead someone to complete damnation. Like all of his work, Shakespeare did not fail to set a strong mood throughout the play. In Macbeth, he presents the audience with a powerful vision of evil through the characters such as the three witches, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.