Macbeth Character Analysis

However, the play refers often to details of Scottish culture at that time. “Fair is foul and foul is fair” (Act 1 Scene 1) Throughout the ages and in all countries there have been people who have believed in witches and witchcraft. The people of those days were no different. Shakespeare drew on the popular traditions of his time and used them for his own purposes in making the play. In Macbeth he used popular beliefs about witches and witchcraft. Witches were associated with the dark and death. “Witches were supposed to be capable of doing all the things that the three weird sisters are said to perform in Macbeth. It was believed that they could see into the future; that they could create storms, thunder and lightning; that they were able to sink ships; dry up springs; stop the sun and change night into day and day into night. They could also cause the death of their enemies, and could make themselves invisible. In order to work their charms they would open graves and steal parts of the bodies to make potions. For this purpose the bodies of anabaptized babies were especially prized. And witches could call up the dead.” (cite)

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

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 witches were the spark that ignited Macbeths internal evil flame. Although his wife was the one who decided they would have to kill Duncan for Macbeth to

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.

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.

Willful as a person’s actions may appear, they are governed not from within, but from without; an instrument to the musician who plays the tune. When pressured by these forces, an individual can be induced to cross the delicate line between good and evil. In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the sinful actions of the title character can be attributed to several outside factors which alter his moral sensibilities, leading to fatal consequences. The stimulating presence of Lady Macbeth, the existence of a hierarchical society and the great chain of being, and the impact of supernatural prophecies all play a role in setting the right situation for him to commit treason and murder. Indeed, the choices Macbeth has made are directly influenced by external pressures that lead him onto the path of tyranny and cruelty in his aim to become king of Scotland.