Theme Of Violence In Macbeth

In the play, Macbeth, Macbeth has just been told his wife has died. “She should have died hereafter: There would have been a time for such a word. Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow creeps in this pretty pace from day to day” (Shakespeare). Macbeth reaction is surprising, given the fact that his wife has just died. His reaction shows the consequences of prolonged exposure to violence does to an individual. Violence in the media can leave negative impact on people’s moral compass. In fact, violence in the media can lead to a negative influence on behavior, desensitization, and aggression.

In Macbeth, Shakespeare explores the theme of moral decay produced by the temptation of power. When Macbeth hears the witches’ prophecy (1.3.45) he does not understand how he can become King of Scotland; the only way to attain the crown would be through committing the grave and unjustifiable sin of regicide. Despite this, Macbeth ignores his conscience (1.7.80) and when presented with the opportunity, aided by Lady Macbeth, he murders Duncan (2.1.62). Although he immediately regrets his actions and is filled with compunction (2.2.55, 2.2.63-65), Macbeth decides that there is no going back and “things bad begun make themselves strong by ill.” (3.2.55) Macbeth’s allows his inherent lust for power to completely outweigh his moral conscience.

Conflict is a major theme in countless stories, but the ones used in Macbeth particularly striking.

With attention to the murder of King Duncan, Macbeth struggles with the morality of his actions. Before the murder takes place, Macbeth begins to believe that the murder will “be the be-all and the end-all” to his clear conscious and would risk him to eternal damnation (Act I, line 5). Yet, the murder would bring him power over Scotland and he “shalt be kind” as told by the Weird Sisters(Act 1, line 50). Macbeth goes off of his ambition to murder King Duncan. The internal struggle of choosing mortality over motives brought forth an intense shift of loyalty to betrayal. The murder caused for Macbeth to turn on Scotland and only care for his own selfish motives. The betrayal causes for the play to become horrific and have a double meaning. Macbeth must put on a face to hide his murder to become the king. The double meaning is how Macbeth looks like a hero to all of Scotland, but only the people on the inside know of his horrific actions. He had to murder to to get the position of King, but the

In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth the reader watches as Macbeth changes gradually as the play endures. He are transforms from a loyal person with a loving and loyal disposition with other people, into a tyrants who are willing to kill in order to keep himself on the throne. He is tormented with fear, regret, and guilt. When someone does something they know is wrong it causes them to fall prey to their own emotions.

In William Shakespeare’s play ‘Macbeth,' he shows us a world without compassion and mercy. Macbeth is a story about a Scottish army general who is visited by three witches after winning a paramount battle in a war against the Netherlands and England. The witches had given him , and a dear friend of his, Scottish general Banquo a prophecy stating Macbeth would become Thane of Cawdor and the King of Scotland and the told Banquo his Son’s would become Kings but not him. This prophecy can be seen as a catalyst to the lack of compassion and mercy portrayed in the world of Macbeth. Examples of such instances and behaviors are throughout the book.

William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a tragedy in which the main characters are obsessed by the desire for power. Macbeth’s aspiration for power blinds him to the ethical implications of his dreadful acts. The more that Shakespeare’s Macbeth represses his murderous feelings, the more he is haunted by them. By analyzing his hallucinations it is possible to trace his deteriorating mental state and the trajectory of his ultimate fall. Throughout the play Macbeth is never satisfied with himself. He feels the need to keep committing crime in order to keep what he wants most: his kingship. The harder Macbeth tries to change his fate the more he tends to run into his fate. His ambition and struggle for power was Macbeth’s tragic flaw in the play.

Initially, Macbeth’s ambition for power is subdued by his longing to hold onto his honor and dignity. Unfortunately, Macbeth lets go of his integrity and kills the unguarded Duncan and so in an attempt to keep the guilt of his deeds to himself, distances himself from not only his wife but also has one of his closest friends murdered. Finally, Macbeth’s thirst for power and greatness emptied him of everything he had; dignity, respect, and honor. Ultimately, motivation that is founded on selfish reasons leads one down a path that strippes one of everthing they have and so takes away any meaning to

2. 65-67). Macbeth is pushed by Lady Macbeth to murder King Duncan and make the prophecy of being King come true. As a kinsmen and subject, Macbeth murdering King Duncan is a betrayal, especially due to the selfish reasoning of getting himself the throne. Therefore, under the circumstances of betraying the King, Macbeth murdering King Duncan is dishonourable violence. Second, Macbeth hiring people to murder Banquo is dishonourable. Macbeth said, “And with thy bloody and invisible hand/ Cancel and tear to pieces that great bond/ Which keeps me pale.” (3. 3. 54-57). Macbeth fears that Banquo will figure out that he murdered King Duncan, because he heard the witches give Macbeth the prophecy. Also, Macbeth is jealous because the witches inform him that Banquo will father a line of Kings, but he will bear a fruitless crown. Macbeth hiring people to murder Banquo is unjust, especially due to the reasoning of fear and jealousy. Therefore, under the circumstances of unjust fear and jealously, Macbeth second-handedly murdering Banquo is dishonourable violence. To compare, honourable and dishonourable violence are distinguished by the outcomes. In the cases of honourable murders, there are beneficial outcomes; the Scottish army won the battle and the tyrannical reign of Macbeth was ended. In the cases of dishonourable murders, there are negative outcomes; the noble reign of the beloved King Duncan was ended and Banquo, a highly regarded man and father, was

In Macbeth desire and violence are prevalent throughout the book. Desire blinds one’s ability to think clearly when making a decision. If violence is used due to one’s desire than violence becomes a never ending cycle until the outcome of the violence goes against the one whose desire led to violence. When making a decision, one should use reason, which is having a logical justification or motive. Violence is committed many times in the book but not all for the same motive. Macbeth commits several acts of violence in the book due to his desire for the kingship of Scotland.

In William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth evil is conveyed in many ways through characters, themes and settings. Many themes are explored in detail contributing hugely to the sense of evil with characters being used along with these themes to create evil within the characters. These themes and characters are shown in different settings at different times consequently affecting the mood and atmosphere of the play.

Shakespeare is one of the most influential and famous playwrights of modern times. A major reason his work is loved by so many is because of his insightfulness into the human mind, and one of Shakespeare’s greatest works demonstrating this is Macbeth. This famous play is about nobleman and military man Macbeth and how his tragic choices lead to his inevitable demise. The first and most trying choice that Macbeth has to make is whether or not to kill Duncan, the king of Scotland. Macbeth has to make this decision while being pulled in different directions by two conflicting forces. The force pulling him away from murder is his loyalty and humanity towards Duncan. The other force pulling him towards murder is his loyalty towards Lady Macbeth

Moreover, Macbeth’s constant paranoia forms hallucinations, illustrating the thesis of how unchecked ambition can lead to madness. His burden with killing is holy king is overpowered by Lady Macbeth’s insults of Macbeth’s manhood. While preparing for Duncan’s murder, Macbeth’s guilty conscience is represented through a dagger as he states, “Is this a dagger which I see before me, the handle toward my hand? [...] thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood, Which was not so before. There’s no such thing. It is the bloody business which informs Thus to mine eyes.” (2.1.33-49). Covered with blood, the dagger displays the wicked course of action Macbeth has decided to take. The hallucination underlines the juvenile stages of Macbeth’s decline into tyranny. Macbeth’s ambition

In conclusion, Shakespeare illustrates the theme of violence by writing about three murders committed by Macbeth. Macbeth starts off hesitant about murdering someone, but by the end of the play, he has no hesitation whatsoever. He uses violence to achieve power, gain power, and keep power and overtime it corrupts him. His violent actions lead to his overconfidence, which eventually lead to his downfall and death. This is what violence can do to a person. Just ask

Furthermore, Lady Macbeth was enthralled by the prophecy her husband was destined to become King. Her ambition was ravenous, thus she was the driving force behind Macbeth. If guilt plagued Macbeth; she reminded him to rid of it with ambition. “Art not without ambition, but without illness should attend it. What thou wouldst highly, That wouldst thou holily; wouldst not play false, And yet wouldst wrongly win. Thou’ldst have, great Glamis, That which cries, ‘Thus tho must do,’ if thou have it; And that which rather thou dost fear to do Than wishest should be undone.”( Macbeth 1.5. 19-25) Lady Macbeth rationalized violent behavior through their outcome in their lives. Fate and prominence, were within reach of the Macbeths. They used force to gain their fortune; in spite of those who used force to gain their own prestige.