Macbeth Character Analysis

Macbeth’s character has developed significantly up to the second act. We are first introduced to Macbeth character in a way that we view him as powerful and Nobel. We get this idea from the quote “oh valiant cousin, worthy gentleman” which is what he is described as by Duncan, who at the time is the king. From this quote Macbeth is portrayed as a loyal and heroic figure who has done much for many, however as we know this was not a smart move for Duncan to make as it makes him come across and weak and seems like Duncan should be giving Macbeth a higher title, which is what the witches had told him before. In addition, this idea of the king complementing Macbeth about all the good that he has done seems to trigger the belief that Macbeth has the ability to be king, even in the eyes of Duncan who is so ecstatic what he has done for the county.

In the play “Macbeth” the author furthers the ideas of ambition, manhood and violence throughout the play using a gender lens, mainly for masculinity in men. In the play “Macbeth” ambition plays a big role in the man characters life; Macbeth. In Act 1 scene 3, lines 125-129, “And oftentimes, to win us to our harm; The instruments of darkness tell us truth.” (Shakespeare 1.3.125-129). This quote stated by Banquo foreshadows Macbeth further into the play. Macbeth ends up killing King Duncan because he wants to be in power over the kingdom. When Banquo questions Macbeth about the killing of King Duncan, Macbeth’s ambition to kill Banquo skyrocketed. Macbeth didn’t want anybody to think or know that he ended up killing King Duncan for power. This started a cycle of death for Macbeth’s ambition to kill to stay in power. This example of ambition from “Macbeth” has a very similar motif from the movie called “The Mask You Live In”. In the movie, George Orwell states, “He wears a mask and his face grows to fit it.” The idea of the mask he wear fits his face helps us further the reason for men’s ambitions. Men’s ambitions are driven by power and dominance over people and prized possessions. For men to be able to gain power, they need to prove how masculine they are to society. In doing so they are dehumanizing their biological thoughts and feelings and turning them into artificial ones in order to be seen more powerful or dominate to the public.

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

In the Elizabethan Era, society was highly suspicious of the power of supernatural forces and it was commonly accepted that one’s life was governed by fate and was predetermined. Shakespeare’s Macbeth challenges the Elizabethan ideology of fate by privileging that although Macbeth was a victim of his “vaulting ambition” (1:VII 27), he was ultimately responsible for his villainous actions. Shakespeare has foregounded certain events to privilege that a person has free will and a concience and the cosequences of going against one's conscience, thus challenging the assumption of the Elizabethan Era. The audience is invited to sympathise with the protagonist, Macbeth, and see him as a tragic hero. Before his descent into evil, Macbeth

Macbeth is a play written by William Shakespeare that tells the story of the tragic hero, Macbeth, of how he transformed from a victorious valiant to a skeptical tyrant burdened with guilt and paranoia from his murders. Macbeth exercises his free will within the realm and control of fate; although the witches’ prophecies significantly incite Macbeth and sway his will, his own choice is what decides his path towards fate. While fate provides Macbeth with paradoxical prophecies and choices that may seem luring and suggesting, it is Macbeth who chooses to murder in order to become king. When Macbeth meets the witches for the first time, the prophecy immediately provokes contradictory thoughts inside Macbeth- he was “wrought” (1.3.148) by the

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

    The tragedy Macbeth highlights an ambivalent character who wants to be king. This paper will take a close look at his character.

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.

Nevertheless, Macbeth quickly discounts these bloody visions of murder and continues to fantasize about his future glories. Furthermore, when Macbeth encounters the witches, we are only told a quick summary of the prophecy, “All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!” (1.3.52).and then, “All hail Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!” (1.3.53). Yet the witches do not reveal the means by which Macbeth will come about this glory or mention any ill deeds that are to come. This leaves one to believe that the witches knew Macbeth’s fate as Thane and King, yet the other bloody elements of the prophecy are enacted solely through Macbeth’s own will. Macbeth is only prompted in his bloody actions by supernatural forces and of course Lady Macbeth.

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.

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.

‘’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.

Faber est suae quisque fortunae - Every man is the architect of his own fortune. This Roman saying rings especially true for Macbeth, the ill-fated, murderous king of Scotland. Throughout The Tragedy of Macbeth , William Shakespeare shows readers just how far a man goes to maintain power. Readers see just how many lies are told, how many families are destroyed, and how many friends are murdered in the coldest of blood, all because one man gets the smallest glimpse of the fate he is due. The witches may have showed Macbeth his future, but the responsibility for what is done with that knowledge falls entirely on Macbeth. “All hail, Macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter!” Eight words are all it takes to drive Macbeth, the tragic hero of Scotland, to commit crimes against mankind itself. Macbeth is the forest,and the witches’ prophecy the spark that sets an entire country ablaze.