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Symbolism in macbeth
Symbolism in macbeth
Images and symbolism in macbeth
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Do people tend to have ambitions that succumb to the thoughts put in their head by the ideas they are surrounded by? In Macbeth written by William Shakespeare one can see a strong warrior named Macbeth become a tyrant through his acts of ambition caused by the people that he is surrounded by and his beliefs in weird sisters. Because of Macbeth’s desire, an individual can see change of ambition through positive and negative acts of himself and people around him. In the beginning of the play of Macbeth believes that there is something in favour of him in his life--a sense of pronoia. Macbeth has just returned from battle and his name has become curious to the King. King Duncan the King of Scotland makes Macbeth the Thane of Glamis is then …show more content…
He remembers the weird sister’s prophecies of Banquo’s descendants becoming kings. He is scared of Banquo and feels the needs to kill him. Macbeth exclaims “Our fears in Banquo Stick deep; and in his royalty of nature Reigns that which would be fear'd” (Act 3,Scene 1,Line 48) His paranoia leads him to believe that Banquo and his family must be executed even though Banquo has done no wrong. Macbeth hires murderers and makes them believe that Banquo is their enemy. Macbeth sends them by saying “...Both of you Know Banquo was your enemy...With barefaced power sweep him from my sight…”(Act 3, Scene 1, Line 118-122) Macbeth now has know hesitation in killing after killing King Duncan and now especially, because he has become the King of Scotland and has authority over everyone. Macbeth’s reaction to the murder of Banquo later haunts him at the feast of his coronation he holds at the castle; as he sees Banquo, but not as a human but a ghost. Macbeth is horrified by the sight of Banquo knowing that he has killed him and is stunned causing a scene yelling "Prithee, see there! behold! look! lo! how say you?Why, what care I? If thou canst nod, speak too" (Act 3, Scene 4, Lines 68-70). The coronation feast is then ended later with Macbeth making a toast and added Banquo in the toast causing him to imagine Banquo’s ghost once again. Lady Macbeth consults him about his irregular behaviour and tells him the hallucinations are caused by lack of sleep. Macbeth then talks about how he needs to meet with three
Guilt surrounds Macbeth for the second time when he sends out the murderers to kill Banquo, his old friend. Macbeth had no other choice but to get rid of Banquo. Banquo had witnessed the three witches and the prophecies. One prophecy was that his son would become king one day "To make them kings, the seeds of Banquo kings"(Act3 scene1 line70). In order for Macbeth to be safe is to kill Banquo. Banquo may assume what had happened and tell the people of Scotland. "For Banquo’s issue have I filed my mind; for them the gracious Duncan have I murdered; Put rancors in the vessel of my peace only for them, and mine eternal jewel".
Little does Duncan know that this is a murder plot set up by Macbeth and his wife. Macbeth then becomes king and ends up having Banquo murdered because the witches also predicted that Banquo’s children will become king. Macbeth then goes to talk with the witches again
After murdering Duncan, Macbeth feels that he needs to kill Banquo. He is afraid that Banquo is going to be a problem for him. He is suspicious that Banquo believes Macbeth had something to do with Duncan's murder, "Our fears in Banquo/ Stick deep; and in his royalty of nature/ Reigns that which would be feared" (3.1.47-49). He plans to kill him, though Banquo has made no direct threat against Macbeth. He speaks of feeling inferior to Banquo, even though he is king. "There is none but he/ Whose being I do fear; and under him/ My genius is rebuked" (3.1.53-55). Banquo is Macbeth's closest friend, he is starting to lose trust in everyone around him.
Macbeth is told that Banquo is dead, but Fleance has escaped and Macbeth says that Fleance is like a serpent and will not be a problem just yet but will eventually become one. Macbeth then see Banquo’s ghost at the table and stops dead in his tracks, with horror on his face he begins talking to the ghost. Lady Macbeth covers the scene with saying that Macbeth has delusions. The ghost leaves and then the table makes a toast to Banquo and the ghost reenters causing Macbeth to scream at the ghost to leave, his wife, once again covers his outbursts with saying that he has delusions and they bid the lord farewell. Macbeth says that he will go see the weird sisters and says that he is not in his right senses. The three witches meet with Hecate,
...rn day society, illusive ambitions can be incredibly detrimental, just as they are demonstrated to be in Macbeth. Ambitions, if they are untamed, can be an impediment to free will; they can overpower your good conscience, possibly leading you into causing death and destruction. They can also corrupt one’s mental health, while practically morphing that person’s perception of reality into something demonstrably wrong and twisted. Finally, they can boost ones ego to a point where that person is engulfed and imprisoned in the vehemence of their own denial, which can ultimately bear fatal consequences. If one’s hopes and desires are innately destructive, then it logically follows that that one’s ambition is also innately destructive; be wary of one with an immense ambition.
Ambition and desire are double-edged notions present in all who crave success and power. While ambition is most often associated with unfavorable greed and overwhelming need, people who express this desire are simultaneously praised for being goal-oriented and steadfast in achieving their goals. In the play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, this duality of ambition is explored through the character of Lady Macbeth. In the play, Lady Macbeth’s husband, Macbeth, is prophesied to be king, and in order to expedite his path to the throne and their combined rise to power, Lady Macbeth plots to murder the current King Duncan. Throughout her Act I soliloquy, Lady Macbeth reveals not only her malevolent and scheming nature, but also profound determination
Here, Macbeth realizes that if something is not done to Banquo, his sons will become Kings. Macbeth can not have this. He had already worried that his soul will go to hell for what he had done. His fear become evident in this scene also, "But to be safely thus: our fears in Banquo Stick deep;" [Act III, S I, L 53-54] Macbeth has Banquo murdered,
This proves his vaulting ambition and how it had taken over Macbeth. Macbeth continues to murder Banquo and does so out of fear of losing the throne. This is evident in (III, i, 47 – 50) where Macbeth says “…To be thus is nothing, but to be safely thus. – Our fears in Banquo stick deep, and in his royalty of nature reigns that which would be fear’d…” this demonstrates Macbeths fear and the threat he faces. Macbeth says that Banquo’s royalty of nature should be feared, through this we are able to understand that Macbeth is evidently lost his grasp on his moral conscience and begins to take down any threat he sees, even if that threat is his best friend. Macbeth goes on to refer to Banquo as his enemy and although he could kill him himself, he fears to offend mutual friend they may have (III, i, 115 – 120). Macbeth then orchestrates the murder of Banquo and Fleance showing no remorse. Macbeth tells Lady Macbeth that she should appear innocent and act nicely as to not draw any suspicion to themselves. “Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck, till thou applaud the deed…” (III, ii, 46 – 47). Although Macbeth still refers to Lady Macbeth as his dearest chuck he has planned the murder by himself and without any help, demonstrating his inherent evil nature. Macbeth’s quest for power not only ends his life, but he continues the murders due to malice. When Macbeth plans to murder the
Banquo stands aside in a room and he thinks about Macbeth being crowned king. Banquo says,"Thou hast it now: king, Cawdor, Glamis, all as the weird women promised, and I fear that though played'st most foully for 't" (III.i.1-3). Although Lady Macbeth influences Macbeth with guilt, in the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Macbeth is most influenced by his ambition through the craving for power and pushes him to kill innocent people in his life.
In the third ACT macbeth decided that if Banquo’s son is still alive, then it can risk the possibility of him to become the king. So he decided to kill him. So Macbeth continues to set up arrangements to kill Banquo son. When Macbeth finally made her arrangements to kill Banquo son, Banquo starts to suspect Macbeth of killing King Duncan. Banquo’s suspection soon made it to Macbeth, so she had decided to kill Banquo and his son.
He starts hearing voices and starts saying bad things about him. Lady Macbeth doesn’t know whether she should believe him or not. Macbeth starts to feel really guilty when he is told that Banquo has been killed. He imagines the ghost of Banquo sitting in his chair. He starts shouting to his imaginative ghost and Lady Macbeth is worried about him and takes him away.
The middle of the play showcases Macbeth with a mental state that experiences extremes. One moment he is terrified, such as with Act 2, Scene 2, lines 49-51. At this point in the story, Macbeth has just finished killing King Duncan, and is too scared to return to the kings chambers to return the daggers. However, later on in the story, Macbeth expresses his fear as seething anger. After Macbeth has become king and murdered Banquo, he is having a feast with all of the noblemen in Scotland when the ghost of Banquo appears.
After Macbeth hires murderers to take the lives of Banquo and his son Fleance, the murderers only succeed in killing Banquo, leaving Fleance to escape. Macbeth hosts a feast in which Banquo was previously invited to. With his mind clouded with guilt and panic, Macbeth hallucinates a ghost of Banquo, bloodied and covered in gruesome gashes. Macbeth slightly recovers and apologizes to his company, Do not muse at me, my most worthy friends. I have a strange infirmity which is nothing
After Macbeth killed Duncan and the two guards, Banquo who was alongside Macbeth when he received his prophecy to become king, comes to a realization that Macbeth is the murderer and Macbeth soon catches wind of this. He arranges for Banquo and his son to be killed but soon after he starts feeling paranoid. “Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck, / Till thou applaud the deed. Come, seeling night,/ Scarf up the tender eye of pitiful day/ And with thy bloody and invisible hand/ Cancel and tear to pieces that great bond/ Which keeps me pale” (III.II.47-52).
However, this experience is not one that gives him courage or ambition but one that gives him fear, enough to make a man go mad. At the party, Macbeth sees Banquo’s ghost which he describes as “a bold one that dare look on that which might appall the devil” (III.vi.63). He begins to act like a madman in front of all those loyal to him and reveals that Banquo is dead. Despite Lady Macbeth’s attempt to cover up his act by blaming it on a childhood illness, Macbeth’s followers begin to lose question their king, lose trust in him, and even wonder if he is the one who murdered Duncan. After the banquet, Macbeth seeks the witches out of their cave so that he can learn more about his future and silence those who are plotting against him despite what the consequences may be. This reveals that Macbeth has completely fallen for the witches prophecy. There, he sees a line of eight kings followed by Banquo’s ghost. The last king holds a mirror to reflect a never-ending line of kings descended from Banquo. When he sees this, he exclaims“ thou art look like the spirits of Banquo: down!” (IV.i.123). This vision confirms that Banquo’s descendants inherit the throne and contributes to Macbeth’s anxiety, fear and to his further loss of control. He becomes even more insecure about his position as king and can no longer make his decisions