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Literary essay on macbeth in relevance to modern day society
Literary essay on macbeth in relevance to modern day society
The consequences of ambition
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From Macbeth’s Society to Today’s Society
Everyone, thinks by changing things they can have better, but no one thinks of changing himself to be better. In our society, Macbeth can be recount because no matter how things have changed ambitions, and manipulated are still persistent in his life. Because, Macbeth had ambition he committed murder. The three witches told Macbeth of the prophecy of him being king of Scotland. “My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, shakes so my single state of man that is smothered in surmise, and nothing is but what is not.” (1.3.52-55). His first thought was murdering the king including anyone who gets in the way. This shows how his ambition of being king started to manifest which it lead him to murder Duncan.
Macbeth, was unclear in what to do if he
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is a poison. It eats you slowly inside of you. Some people think by hurting others can have anything.. but it’s a curved blade.. and at the end the harm we do to other we do it to yourself. In today’s society, we can relate Macbeth in the way of wanting to success there goals by having ambition but sometimes this can lead you to bad consequences. No matter what people need to do they are not gonna stop into their goal is met. For, example a student wants to get accept in the best University of Texas. Obviously he 's gonna starts to study for every test he needs to pass, and get his GPA on the rate of getting accepted. He starts to get so ambitions to get accepted which at first it seems it 's a good thing having planned out to go to the best University trying his best on his education. But he forgot his has family and his own social life. The student starts to think “I got a lot of time for that, later” but later will be too late. By the pass of the time he will end up being alone without anyone left to support him because that later never came. Sometimes ambition gets too big that they do not notice they start to hurt themselves and
The murder that he committed was a necessity for Macbeth in order to secure his spot as king. That murder was the killing of the king which he had to do since Duncan named his son, Malcolm as Prince of Cumberland which also meant that when Duncan passes away, Malcolm will be his successor and Macbeth knew that he had to murder King Duncan to keep his dream of becoming king, alive. This decision to murder the king ...
He decided he didn't want to follow through with the plan, then Lady Macbeth began to question him and insult him in a way trying to make him rethink his decision. The three witches forced Macbeth to kill king Duncan, in the beginning, they made him evil and once he did kill the king all types of bad things began to happen to the world. Macbeth gradually became eviler as he killed more people to cover up his first murder. It was all the witches fault they got in his head and made him want to kill, then he did. The three witches and Lady Macbeth forced Macbeth to do something he didn't want to do, like a bully would force a person to do anything they want them to do.
The storyline of Macbeth is not relevant to modern audiences. It is about a man (Macbeth) who has the ambition to be king, in the beginning Macbeth is a little unprepared and his wife (Lady Macbeth) is ruthless. The language and setting of this play is irrelevant because castles and this language are not seen in today’s society. An example of the language shown in this play is found in Act 1, Scene 2 where Macbeth is saying ‘rest easy in the meantime’ but he says “Good repose the while”. The story line of Macbeth is not relevant to modern audiences because people prefer movies and books that reflect on the current world.
Macbeth is captured by his wild ambition at the opening of the play when he and Banqou meet the three witches. The witches tell Macbeth that he is the Thane of Cawdor, and later will be king. They tell Banquo that his sons will be kings. Instantly Macbeth started to fantasize how he is going to be king. He understood that in order for him to become king he has to kill Duncan. “My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical”(Act 1 Sc. 3, p.23). He was pondering about the assassination until the moment that he could no longer control his emotions. “To prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition, which overleaps itself and falls on the other-“(Act 1 Sc. 7, p.41). Because of his “vaulting ambition” he killed Duncan.
This shows that he really didn't want to kill Duncan, but he did it in order to prove himself to Lady Macbeth, and to become the king. By the end he had no fear, and had killed not only Duncan but also many other people. He now had different views from which he had in the beginning of the play. Macbeth realizes that he is no longer afraid "no, nor more fearful. (Act V, scene vii, l 9). He is now considered a man, but he doesn't like the fact that he has killed all these people.
When making the decision to kill Duncan, Macbeth weighed his options heavily. He states that he does not want to kill Duncan because “we but teach/ Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return/ To plague th’ inventor” (1.7.7-10).
This willingness to do whatever is necessary to become the king of Scotland is also what causes Macbeth to commit so many murders, the first of which is Duncan. In order for Macbeth to be king, the current king must die and his successors must be unavailable for the throne. Fate plays a huge hand in the way that Duncan's murder plays out. Duncan's two sons flee so that they will not be suspected of committing a crime that they did not, the murder of their own father. Because they have fled the country, it is Macbeth that is the one who may become king.
Furthermore, Macbeth cannot escape punishment if he fails. We see Lady Macbeth's persuasiveness producing a new courage in her husband, and that courage is manly enough to perform murder. Therefore, Macbeth has no reason for murdering Duncan except for his "vaulting ambition," his lust for power. Throughout the play we see Lady Macbeth's and Macbeth's conscience, or lack of, change places. Macbeth transformed from having a guilt-ridden conscience to having no conscience what so ever.
Firstly, he defeats his enemies. Next he is praised by the other soldiers and King Duncan appoints him as the Thane. For example, if a person desires for a manager title, the person will work hard to earn it, and it is possible that other workers will see this and boost the chief individual’s desire. It is from here that the person might think they deserve the title and look for more power. Similarly, Macbeth must have thought somewhere in his mind to be king. In the book Witches’ Caldron: a study of motive in Shakespeare’s Macbeth Dr. K.C. Mathur says that although the witches did prophesy he would be king and even boosted his desire “They did not create the thought of murder of King Duncan. It was Macbeth’s own latent ambition embodying his power drive and seeking affirmation that invites the witches.” (Witches Caldron, 6) Dr. Mathur also says “Macbeth had acquired this status and it is not surprising that he thinks of achieving higher status by being aggressive and domineering. It is this psychological impulse that is projected in his ambition for the crown and not any criminal instinct or latent evil.” (6) There was a negative environment of witches and the association of Lady Macbeth around Macbeth which influenced him to murder. The environment creates a huge part in the play and if he had a good environment it is possible that he would have remained loyal to King
Many factors were involved in Macbeth's decision to kill King Duncan. He had pressure from his wife, he had an idea in his head, given to him by the three witches, and he was extremely ambitious. All of these factors contributed to his demise in the end and his decision to murder his king.
The play written by William Shakespeare called “Macbeth” covers various themes through out the play. One of the many themes from the play is guilt is a strong behaviour. The key topics from the play are moral behaviour, loyalty, social distinction, revenge, witches. These ideas are applicable in our today’s society. The way of these ideas may be used differently in today’s society but follows the idea. In today’s society people react in a different manner from the “Macbeth” play but has the same idea about reacting to others. Some of the key ideas that the play contains can be compared to our today’s society. The way of reacting to these key ideas will be compared from the “Macbeth”
Duncan is the most unlikely character to be killed because of his personality, but his title as King of Scotland, causes for Macbeth to loathe Duncan. In the play there is very little interaction between Macbeth and Duncan, showing the little time in which Macbeth gets more power. Prior to the witches’ prophecies Macbeth is loyal to Duncan, and would never imagine killing him. After the one of the witches’ prophecies comes to be true, the thought of killing Duncan, Macbeth "yield[s] to that suggestion / whose horrid image doth unfix my hair / and make my seated heart knock at my ribs" (1.3.146-148). Partly because of Lady Macbeth’s suggestion his "vaulting ambition" is starting to take over, and he begins to take into consideration killing Duncan, to become king. Macbeth however, does not feel comfortable in killing Macbeth, giving himself reasons why not to kill Duncan: “First, as I am his kinsman and his subject, Strong both against the deed; then, as his host, Who should against his murderer shut the door, Not bear the knife myself,” (I, vii, 13-16) Lady Macbeth, convinces Macbeth, that killing Duncan is the right thing to do until right before he performs the murder. We learn from this murder that Macbeth truly had faith in the king and was very loyal, but knowing that one day he would become king, his ambition and the persuasion of Lady Macbeth, causes him to perform the act, that he will regret. This murder changes Macbeth as a person, however, and he soon feels little regret for killing King Duncan, but this act will soon aid in his downfall.
Macbeth did not have to kill all of the innocent people he had murdered. Instead, he could have turned himself in and said he killed the king. Like most people he didn’t want to die, so he decided to keep this as a secret and tried to live life as best as he could. In order for this to stay a secret he needed to murder a few people. He first had murderers go out and kill Banquo and Fleance. The murderers were able to kill Banquo, but Fleance escaped. Macbeth felt better that Banquo was dead since Banquo knew about the witches rules in order for Macbeth to become king. Therefore, Banquo would assume that Macbeth murdered the king. Now, there would be no assumption from Banquo that Macbeth killed Duncan. Macbeth wanted Fleance to be dead, since the witches said that Banquo’s sons will become the next kings after Macbeth, but Macbeth wanted his family to be the royal family forever. The next person that gets murdered by Macbeth is: Macduff’s family. Macbeth had people hired to kill Macduff’s family. This led Macduff and ten thousand soldiers from England to defeat Macbeth and ultimately kill the villain. All of the murders and the stress that people had to go through because of Macbeth made him a
In Lady Macbeth‚s eyes if Macbeth did not kill Duncan than he would not be a man to her anymore, she believes that he would be denying all urges for greater wealth and prosperity that man should have. She is wondering why he is not taking the opportunity to be king when he can easily do so, in reality, we know why Macbeth is contemplating the murder of Macbeth, because he has morals, qualities that we consider manly today.
Secondly, it?s Macbeth?s own ambition to become king. One way he proves this is by killing his best friend Banquo because he wants to keep the throne and the witches said Banquo?s sons shall be kings. ?It is concluded. Banquo, thy soul?s flight?? (III.i.144-145). This quote shows how Macbeth evil is taking over him. He kills his best friend and he starts to murder innocent children. ?He has kill?d me, mother?? (IV.ii.83). Although he regrets murdering Duncan, murder to Macbeth was not a big deal anymore.