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’s desire to become King begins with the three witches. The witches predict Macbeth to be King and his friend Banquo to produce kings. Macbeth is seduced by the thought of being King so much that he decides to kill King Duncan. Macbeth is completely aware of his wrongdoing. “I have no spur/To prick the sides of my intent, but only/Vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself/and falls on the other” (Act I, Scene VII, page 16). He realizes there is no justification for the crime. He states reasons for not killing him but his drive for power feeds his ambition to kill Duncan anyway. This leads Macbeth to continue to make mistakes and has Banquo killed. Macbeth sees Banquo as a threat to his legacy from fear that Banquo’s sons will overthrow him. Macbeth wants to kill all possible threats to him being King. He becomes paranoid that Banquo may want him dead so that his son’s can become King. Macbeth manipulates two murderers he has hired that Banquo has done them both wrong. His ambition for power lacks all morals and Macbeth reached a point where it was hard for him to cease such horrible actions. “For mine own good/All causes shall give way: I am in blood/Stepp’d in so far that, should I wade no more,/Returning were as tedious as go o’er” (Act III, Scene IV, page

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.

In Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth, there are a series of incidents that lead to the demise of the main character, Macbeth, starting with the murder of King Duncan due to Macbeth’s determination to obtain the throne. During Acts three and four of the play, Macbeth has already committed multiple murders and unspeakable acts in order to remain Thane of Cawdor. Having Banquo, his friend and war partner murdered is a critical moment in the story as it conveys Macbeth’s choices, made by his own free will, as well as marking his point of no return.

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.

In the opening of the well known tragedy Macbeth, the captain says, “And Fortune, on his damned quarrel smiling, Show'd like a rebel's whore” (Shakespeare 1.2. 16-20). The captain refers to Macbeth escaping his death, but implies that fate will seize him in the end. The concept of fate being inescapable is presented in Macbeth just as it is presented in many naturalist texts. One naturalist who captures this concept comprehensively is Frank Norris. In Norris’ tragic novel McTeague, those who defy fate are met with chaos and destruction while those who accept their fate can avoid fate’s wrath.

In Macbeth, the overall theme is that the ones who call you their friend, are really your enemy. The character Macbeth shows us this by killing two important people who at first he didn’t have a problem with. The predictions from the witches caused Macbeth to act the way he is. Let’s start with Duncan who was the king before Macbeth had killed him cause of jealously (Macbeth wanted to be king). As Macbeth and Banquo are having a conversation with the king in the king’s palace at Forres Macbeth says to the king “[…] Your Highness’ part is to receive our duties, and our duties are to your throne and state children and servants, which do but what they do should by doing everything safe toward your love and honor.” Macbeth is basically saying

William Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth, does not categorize as a tragedy because of the protagonist’s death; rather the tragic element becomes evident through Macbeth’s suffering and destruction. Even though Macbeth’s gruesome death at the end gives the audience a sense of catharsis, the mental suffering and moral weakening of Macbeth represents the play’s hamartia. Macbeth’s honor, ambition, and guilt lead to this downfall and eventually his death.

‘Macbeth’ is about the corrupting power of ambition which leads to the betrayal and downfall of the once great Macbeth. In the 1600’s it was believed that kings were appointed by ‘Divine Right’ and were anointed by God. To kill a king was considered the worst sin and a terrible crime. ‘Macbeth’ is a tragedy and the character of Macbeth is a tragic hero.

Macbeth is an English play written by William Shakespeare. The play is a well known piece of literature that gained thousands of admirers around the globe. The protagonist , Macbeth is a general in the army. Upon meeting with a tro witches his life changed completely.The witches predict that Macbeth will be made a thane and then becomes King of Scotland. Macbeth treats the prediction skeptically until some of King Duncan’s men come to thank him and Banquo for their recent victories. Additionally, they inform Macbeth that he has indeed been named thane of Cawdor. Macbeth is fascinated by the possibility of the witches’ prediction becoming a reality. Macbeth informs his wife, Lady Macbeth, about the news. Lady Macbeth desires the kingship for him. Therefore, they kill Duncan and blame the murder on the chamberlains. Macbeth also hires people to murder Banquo and his son Fleance. Macbeth becomes furious because Fleance escape. On the contrary, Macbeth becomes unstable due to the guilt of the crimes. Macbeth is a great visualization that ambition and guilt can have a great impact on a man who lacks strength of character yet is strong physically. Macbeth, according to Joseph Campbell's hero’s journey, proves to be a fine example of a tragic hero.

In the tragic play “Macbeth”, by William Shakespeare, a Scottish general named Macbeth was foretold to become king by three witches. In order to secure his kismet, Macbeth commits numerous murders and ultimately is driven by insanity and ambition. In the end, Macbeth is beheaded by Macduff, however a question still lingers on. Was Macbeth a monster more inclined to evil than most human beings, or a man who succumbs to temptation by his own expense to suffer the repercussions of his own flaw? Throughout the play Macbeth was tempted, like Adam and Eve, with the promise of power by a force of evil. Although he does give in to this desire, multiple forces pressured him into committing the sinful crime. In the beginning of the play, Macbeth had no selfish thought nor lust for self-benefit until the trio of witches approached them with a promise of power.

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.

Nobody is perfect. It is undeniable that all humans have both desirable and undesirable characteristics; unfortunately, for some, the latter tend to take control. This is exhibited in William Shakespeare's Macbeth by the character for which the play is named. As Macbeth is introduced in the play, the characters offer a scenic view of his noble qualities, practically singing his praises. However, as the tragedy continues, the reader tags along as Macbeth’s inner darkness slowly takes the reigns.