Macbeth Good Vs Evil

“Nearly all men can stand the power of adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power” (Abraham Lincoln). Someone can come off as a good person until they are given power. When someone has power, they may abuse it or treat others unfairly. Giving someone power and seeing how they act can show their true character. Macbeth is the most responsible for the events that occur in the play because he misconstrued the witches prophecies and was overcome by greed.

Will determining between good vs evil allow a man to lose his character for something he really desires? In the drama “The Tragedy of Macbeth” written by William Shakespeare in the 1600s, the main character Macbeth desired to be king but realized he had to murder Duncan the leader of Scotland and challenge his religious beliefs and pure character, which eventually throughout the story converted from good to evil. Along with the pressure of his wife Lady Macbeth and suspiciousness between Banquo, Macbeth destroyed anything in his path to get there. Throughout this drama, multiple examples of good vs evil can be proven between Macbeth and himself; Macbeth vs Duncan; and Macbeth vs Banquo.

In this essay I will look at the ways that Shakespeare has contrasted evil with good in his play Macbeth. The play revolves around the bad and wicked qualities in human nature, but Shakespeare also contrasts this evil with the power of good. This contrast between good and evil is a recurring theme throughout Macbeth.

Throughout the story we can see how Macbeths impatiens coupled with his ambition to become king is a critical attribute in which significantly and ultimately led to his demise. In many instances, we can see how Macbeths hidden childish like behavior and reckless determination flourish in the events of the supernatural and the serial. Macbeth’s desire and tenacity is clearly tested at the beginning of the story when Macbeth and Duncan go to see the witches. After they finish explaining how Macbeth ‘’shalt be king hereafter”, Macbeth given a glimpse of prosperity without hesitant says “My thought/ murderer yet is but fantastical/Shakes so my single state of man that function is smother in sumrise/And nothing is but what is not” (1.3.9-12). This is a quintessential example of his character as it shows even though the witches said nothing about murder, Macbeths desire to do anything to become king is already there. This also proves that even though Lady Macbeth and the witches

Good and evil are symbolized by light and darkness in the play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare. When there is peace and good, Shakespeare mentions light; whether if it is the sun shining brightly or merely a candle giving light. On the other hand, when there is evil and disorder, he mentions darkness; a shadow or a horrible thunderstorm. Witches are known for evil, chaos, and conflict. Since Witches are known to be evil, whenever they appear, the weather is usually horrible. Shakespeare utilizes light and darkness in order to portray when good or evil will take place.

In “Macbeth”, as the protagonist Macbeth and Lady Macbeth rise up the chain of power, they fall into the hands of evil temptations. Both characters battle internally with their dark thoughts, though instead of acknowledging the dangers and presence of these actions, they comply and allow it to deteriorate them. For example, when Lady Macbeth implants the idea to kill the king on Macbeth, he shows humanity and denies these evil compulsions. Macbeth declares “We will proceed no further in this business. He hath honored me of late, and I have bought Golden opinions from all sorts of people, Which would be worn now in their newest gloss, Not cast aside so soon” (1.7.32-35). Macbeth sees this darkness but resists the temptation to honor his good friend, Duncan.

Macbeth is a man whose progressive external misfortunes seem to produce, and at the same time seem to be produced by, the parallel progression from greatness to great wickedness. This reaffirmation that Macbeth is not a true son of evil comes, interestingly enough, immediately after the murder of Banquo, at a time when the audience needs a reminder that Macbeth is not fundamentally evil. Macbeth is visited by a vision of Banquo’s ghost, visible only to him. His fading mental condition becomes apparent to all he cries out to the guests, inquiring who has played the cruel trick and then in terror, yells to the ghost, "Thou canst say I did it. Never shake thy gory locks at me" (III.4.65-66).

Everyone has done something wrong even though they know something is not good for them. For instance, cheating on a test, lying to others to make their lives seem more interesting, or stealing something from a store. Today's society, individuals care for themselves and end up forgetting about the peers around them. In Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth reveals that ¨loyal and magnanimous” people can turn into a cruel and wicked person when power takes over their mindset and actions.

There are only two main evil characters in Macbeth. But the most evil character in Macbeth is Macbeth for many reasons. Like for example in the beginning in the book Macbeth was calm and a normal person and then later in the book he became very bloodthirsty and vicious . He didn’t take care of his people in Scotland’s he made them starve and didn’t care to much about them .

Deciding between Good vs. Evil is one of the hardest things for a man to do, especially when one is trying to become king. The author William Shakespeare wrote the drama “Macbeth” in the 1600’s in Scotland. In the story, the main character Macbeth wanted to be king, but he knew the only way for him to become king was to kill Duncan. This act leads to Macbeth killing one after another to satisfy his dream of becoming king. The most evident theme of this drama is Good vs. Evil, and this can be portrayed by the conflicts of Macbeth vs. himself, Macbeth vs. Banquo, and Macbeth vs. Macduff.

Though Macbeth was in full control of his actions throughout the play, his actions only had a subsidiary input towards his downfall. Macbeth never truly imagined or executed any of his actions within the play without them being intervened by other characters. Initially in the play he is described as a “Valiant cousin!” and a “Worthy gentleman!” who deserves that reputation. However that vision of greatness soon comes to an

Macbeth as a Play About the Conflict Between Good and Evil Macbeth is a tragedy, which addresses the inner conflict of people's morality. Furthermore, it appears Shakespeare's intention was to portray the modern day attitudes towards religion and the supernatural of his time. Indeed, the Elizabethan audience the play was written for would have been devout Christians, and would have had strict beliefs towards good and evil. The audience was genuinely afraid of evil, and it was about this time that the Salem witch trials took place, where witches were executed.

“Fair is foul, and foul is fair. Hover through the fog and filthy air” (Shakespeare Act I Scene I 12-13). The Weïrd Sisters utter these lines in unison in the first scene of the play. Shakespeare thus establishes the backdrop for a story full of paradoxes and mysticism. Not all is how it appears to be. Deceit and betrayal take center stage in the play, paving the way for Macbeth’s ascendancy to kingship, and eventual downfall. Good versus evil is present in nearly every scene. As in most literary works, the author develops different themes expressed in various ways. Symbolism is often the most effective way to express central themes. In Macbeth, Shakespeare creates contrast to effectively strengthen the overriding message of good versus evil.

Evil is a destructive force; it causes harm to those who embrace it and their victims. In Shakespeare 's Macbeth, the protagonist Macbeth and Lady Macbeth fall into the hands of evil. Evil is what drives people to commit unnatural actions of destruction. Macbeth succumbs to evil through his fatal flaw, greed, and it causes him to disrupt the chain of being. When Macbeth willingly murders, massacres, lies and deceives, he loses his heath and sanity. Evil corrupts everything it touches, and Macbeth decides to be evil 's servant. But, when Macbeth embraces evil, it corrupts him, and it ultimately destroys him as well. Lady Macbeth is a victim of Macbeth 's fatal flaw, since she is drawn in, and becomes greedy

Macbeth is without a doubt a play about evil. The play revolves around the bad and wicked qualities in human nature, but Shakespeare also contrasts this evil with the power of good. In this essay I will explore the ways in which Shakespeare contrasted good and evil in Macbeth.