Shakespeare's Macbeth Displays Good Prospering Over Evil In Macbeth

Shakespeare’s Macbeth portrays evil as a perversion of human nature through Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s betrayal of Duncan and the repercussions of their actions. Murdering Duncan is not the best way for Macbeth to gain the power promised to him, he and his wife fall into a downward spiral that ends in death.

Macbeth’s conscience isn’t necessarily responsible for Macbeth’s evil, but it can be used as a beckon to explain how deep into true evil he becomes on his downward spiral leading to death. Banquo affects him but killing Macduff’s entire family doesn’t move him emotionally in the least. His evil clouds his moral beliefs as he dismisses his conscience by simply acting and not thinking:

As works of literature mature, the line between good and bad begins to become unclear. With Shakespeare’s works especially, things are usually not what they initially seem; a character may reveal to be the protagonist, antagonist, or even an anti-hero. A character may take actions that border on the antagonistic side, but still be the protagonist in which the audience is emotionally, though not always ethically, invested in. An anti-hero can be viewed simply as a protagonist who lies somewhere on the spectrum of villain and hero; never quite touching each end. In his play, Macbeth, Shakespeare makes it clear that Macbeth is really an anti-hero through his changing public appearance, his encounters with the witches, and his feelings concerning his own actions.

In life, there are two types of people: those who do the right thing and those who don’t. In the play Macbeth, by Shakespeare, the main character Macbeth is given a prophecy by three witches that says he will become king; however, there is no descending line of kings of his own blood. With the knowledge of the Witches’ prophecy, Macbeth’s ambition, and manipulation from his wife, Lady Macbeth, Macbeth is quickly dragged into a never-ending, bloody murder rampage to obtain the crown and get rid of those who stand in the way of obtaining it as well. Macbeth constantly battles with his moral dilemmas; however, he easily falls victim to influences that go against his morals. Influences on major characters emphasize how easily one’s decision making can be negatively affected, resulting in one going against his or her morals/integrity.

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.

Macbeth, once seen as the mighty and ambitious warrior and, the honorable Scottish Thane of Glamis. He was know to be genuine, honest man who is loyal to his king and would do anything to protect his country. In the play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, Macbeth undergoes a transformation from good to evil, which brings him the crown and title, King Macbeth, but it also brings him his death. However Macbeth did not reach the transformation from a genuine, honest and mighty warrior to an evil tyrant alone, there were key motivational factors guiding him. Throughout the play the Three Witches, Lady Macbeth, and Macbeth himself were all motivational factors that manipulated Macbeth into evil. Although Macbeth is to blame for his own actions,

Evil is shown to get the best of Macbeth as he gains power. Macbeth begins to turn away from being a hero and good to the devil’s spawn. Before, he used to be open and let people

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.

  “At the heart of William Shakespeare's Macbeth is an examination of the nature of evil and it's many faces and facets”(Cathell 119). The principal evil characters in the play, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, are both evil, but the manifestation of evil is different in each.

( 1.1.11); although this is a quote that is completely open to interpretation, the most obvious way to look at it as though it’s saying that everything that can be perceived as good is evil and everything that can be perceived as evil is good. In a way, this is reflective of the play as a whole and is a prelude of what is to come. What seems to be good, ends up being bad and this is a theme that continues until Macbeth’s death. The description of the weather, “Hover through the fog and filthy air” (1.1.12) can also be interpreted as a bad omen for what’s to come.

Evilness itself is a betrayal of the habitual human nature of any person. The natural tendency of a person is morality; however, that inclination can be corrupted and influenced into twisted malevolence. A common image in the play representing this evil is the serpent, shown to be a conniving, wicked tempter. This symbol takes many forms throughout the story, beginning as a comparison of the ideal character Macbeth should strive to be and finishing as yet another threat to Macbeth’s quest for glory. In Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have to defy their own human nature to accomplish their desires, namely murdering King Duncan. This action forever changes their mentalities and morals by its test to the strength of their ethics and the loyalty of the relationships to which they belong.

No one is one hundred percent good or bad, but everyone has a good and evil sides that can be controlled if the distinction between right and wrong is made. The uncontrolled ambition of Lady Macbeth that made her become evil and the deep regret that she had after the evil act was committed show that everyone has a good and an evil sides. Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, introduces three main areas on how someone’s character can vary between good and evil when ambition is not controlled by morality. These include strong desire will lead you to become evil, heavy conscience

Macbeth’s mental and moral deterioration throughout the play engages the audience illustrating how guilt overwhelms his conscience He believes he hears voices crying “Macbeth has murdered sleep” this demonstrates how he is battling against his morals and his ambition. His good qualities are battling his bad thoughts and this is the main reason for his mental downfall which makes for a deeply engaging plot. Macbeth goes from being a man of bravery, strength, honour yet he slowly loses these qualities. He once believed that killing a good man was an evil, un-worthy thing to do yet by the end of the play he is killing the people he once had close relationships with to get himself out of the mess that was dragging him deeper into despair and tragedy. This process is enthralling for the audience who cannot resist watching him go to any length to save himself as his morals go into deep decline. Ambition has completely taken over him in the soliloquy in which he states; “I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only Vaulting ambition, which o’erleap itself and falls on the other.” In this instance Macbeth is interesting because he realises that the only thing that is making him want to kill Duncan is

“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.

In the beginning of the play Macbeth is known as good, he is a noble man and does what he is told. The townspeople all have great things to say about him they state, “Conduct me to mine host: we love him highly and shall continue our graces towards him” (18, Act 1, scene 6). He is known for being loyal to King Duncan. Macbeth is then forced by his wife to kill Duncan and his decision changes him. Macbeth has an internal battle over whether he should listen to his wife or do what is morally right. When Macbeth decides that he has to