The Character of Macbeth in William Shakespeare's Play
The play Macbeth addresses many complex issues throughout. The main
one of these revolves around the theme of “ambition”. We gain our
first insight into the main character “Macbeth” through other people’s
opinions in Act 1, Scene 2. The aim of this is to build the suspense
and intrigue surrounding Macbeth. The play gives the audience plenty
of opportunity to contemplate Macbeth’s actions and influences. In
this essay I will be focusing on three of the main influences in
Macbeth’s life; ambition, the influence of Lady Macbeth on her husband
and the supernatural.
From the start of the play it is evident that Macbeth is a brave
warrior and a talented commander of the Scottish army. This already
shows us that he is a strong character who is used to holding a
powerful position and being in charge. At the beginning of the play
Macbeth appears to be content and is quite happy with his position of
authority within the army.
In Act 1 Scene 3, Macbeth meets the witches. This meeting and their
message to him sparks off the absolute ambition within him. “Stay you
imperfect speakers.” This shows us that Macbeth is intrigued by what
they had to stay. The witches plant the seeds of kingship in his
mind. Macbeth has the concept of good and evil on his mind. “This
supernatural soliciting cannot be ill, cannot be good.” During the
play we see that the strength of Macbeth’s ambition shows duplicity in
his character and lack of integrity. Act1 Scene 4 is a fine example
of this. Macbeth declares his upmost loyalty to this king but we
begin to see that his loyalty lies else wer...
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... believing what they had to say. They didn’t tell Macbeth
the whole truth and tricked him fatally. Banquo is more suspicious of
the witches; this shows us the difference in his and Macbeth’s
characters. In Elizabethan times witches were seen to be servants of
Satan, which justifies why Banquo is wary of them. The supernatural
is constantly on Macbeth’s mind after his first meeting with the
witches, it is often said that he was “hypnotised” by them.
In conclusion to my essay, I feel that all three of these themes
influenced Macbeth. They all worked in different ways to lead him
astray. His greed for power and ambition to be King, while his
insensitive, forceful wife and the idea of the supernatural all
contributed to him committing all the murders. Ultimately this led to
his own death and the ruin of his family…
This is because events happening before the scene are to blame for what happens during the rest of the play. The atmosphere in this scene changes throughout, and I think this will. have a knock on effect on how the audience feels. The scene would probably affect a modern day audience differently to an Elizabethan. audience because times have changed and the way we view things in this day and age is different then.
Macbeth's Actions in William Shakespeare's Macbeth As soon as we start to read the play, we learn that Macbeth has earned. himself an honourable reputation, and is described by King Duncan as a valiant cousin. Worthy gentleman. His loyalty and bravery are portrayed through his defeat of the Norwegian army and Scottish rebels, and he returns from battle, a gallant and reputable soldier. The extent of his courage is shown as he is interminably praised by his noblemen, has become a hero of Scotland, and the thane of Cawdor.
Act I begins with a festival known as Lupercalia. As the scene opens, a sense of mood is provided. That is very fitting for this act because it is the exposition. The exposition is expected to provide background information, as well as “expose” the mood. Not only is the mood exposed, but so are the feelings of the people. Learning the peoples feeling’s gives a big clue on what actions are to expect from them. Also, knowing how people feel toward an upcoming action in the play, gives a better understanding of what they may do.
How people interact with others is largely influenced by how they perceive the world. In The Tragedy of Macbeth written by William Shakespeare, characters’ thoughts and impressions are clearly demonstrated to have major impacts on their actions. The behavior and words of others motivate characters to act. Emotions play a strong role in creating the conflicts and Macbeth and the way they unfold. Some views are supported by reality while others are the products of emotion and faulty logic. A lot of the perceptions possessed by Macbeth are affected by the supernatural. Macbeth’s actions are a result of the heavy influence the witches have over him:
The Character of Macbeth in William Shakespeare's Play At the beginning of the play Macbeth is seen as a courageous soldier
us to believe that Macbeth is in no way a traitor and that he is brave
After we did this piece we began to read the play text for the first time. My first impression of the play was that it was very odd and was going to be incredibly boring. I was wrong!
In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Macbeth is a classic example of a tragic hero who is constantly struggling with his fate. In the opening scene of the play Macbeth receives a prophecy from three witches. They proclaim that he will be the thane of Cawdor. He responds by saying, “By Sinel’s death I know that I am thane of Glamis/ but how of Cawdor”(I, iii, 70-73)? At first, he does not realize to earn this title what he must do, but when he realizes he is taken aback. His bewilderment prefigures his perpetual struggle with his fate. Macbeth also is excessively ambitious which constantly affects him throughout the play. He is too determined to become king and will kill anyone to ensure that this will transpire. Macbeth’s struggle and ambition make him the quintessence of tragic hero.
The Ways Shakespeare Makes Act Three Scene Five Full of Tension and Exciting for the Audience
Without Act 2 Scene 2 the whole play makes no sense. This is the scene
more than what he is and that it is not the first time this thought
William Shakespeare is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the history of English literature as well as the world’s paramount playwright. Possibly the most superlative writing attribute he possessed was his unmatched ability of characterization. Shakespeare created unique, opaque, and eminent characters who related to almost everyone. When one thinks of these famous characters, Shakespeare’s tragedy of Macbeth comes into consideration. Macbeth is possibly Shakespearian Theatre’s densest and most disturbed character, and this prestigious title can be credited to his obvious psychological problems. The troubled mind of Macbeth can be related to several modern day psychological problems.
Tragic heroes, who destined for a serious downfall, are the protagonist of a dramatic tragedy. A tragic hero is usually a great hero, who gets the most respect from other people; on the other hand, a tragic hero can also lose everything he gained because of his mistakes. His downfall is the result of a wrong judgment, a flaw which might combined with fated and external forces. The downfall can cause the tragic hero to suffer for the rest of his life. In many literary works, the downfall of the tragic heroes usually happen in their highest point. In the same way, Macbeth is a tragic hero in the play called “The Tragedy of Macbeth” which is written by a legendary writer, William Shakespeares. Macbeth is a great general who gained many respect from the people and even the king. In the highest point of his life, because of seeking for greater power, it created Macbeth’s downfall. Macbeth, a tragic hero, causes suffering for himself and others by committing murders and creating distress, which are the negative effects of seeking for a greater power.
In conclusion, I enjoyed this play, and my reaction was enhanced by the dramatic tension Miller creates in so many ways. The unexpected twists and use of dramatic irony help to keep the audience?s attention, while the sub-plot of rivalry adds interest and also reflects the main plot. The abrupt ending of act one, reflects the abrupt ending of the play as a whole, leaving the remainder to the imagination. Ending like these force viewers to envision what would follow, and, once again this all adds to the dramatic tension.
Macbeth is a very complex character whom reflects man's thirst for power through the drastic changes of his personality; thus being one of the slightest reasons in which make this intriguing character, greatest of all Shakespearean’s well-known works.